It takes quite a bit to plan and execute a nonprofit occasion. From getting began with goal-setting and budgeting via organizing and selling your occasion expertise and eventually internet hosting and fascinating with donors, there’s quite a bit to juggle. Fortunately, the suitable fundraising occasion software program could make organizing an impactful occasion a breeze.
However even the software program shopping for course of could be overwhelming should you don’t know what you’re on the lookout for. That’s the place this beneficial information is useful!
Right here, we’ll cowl every part you might want to learn about occasion fundraising instruments, together with:
At Double the Donation, we’ve labored with many various suppliers within the house, and we gathered a few of our high suggestions for selecting the perfect fundraising occasion software program to your staff. Ultimately, these practices ought to assist information your decision-making course of as you proceed to develop your excellent toolkit of nonprofit know-how.
To not point out, you’ll be all set to get began with optimum fundraising occasions with the suitable instruments to energy your efforts. Let’s start!
Why Spend money on Fundraising Occasion Software program?
Fundraising occasion software program is a essential part of any group’s totally built-out tech stack. In spite of everything, a good portion of many nonprofits’ total income is collected via participating fundraising occasions. And the suitable instruments could make organizing and internet hosting as simple and efficient as ever. Meaning extra of your staff’s time could be reallocated to different mission-valuable actions!
To not point out, increasingly fundraising occasions are involving more and more technical elements. Digital and hybrid occasions have gotten all the fashion. Even in-person gatherings have gotten depending on behind-the-scenes software program and user-facing know-how to run easily and elevate the occasion expertise.
Thus, in case your group is seeking to develop or optimize your occasion fundraising technique, investing in the suitable instruments to energy your efforts is crucial.
Options to Think about For Your Fundraising Occasion Software program
The time period “fundraising occasion software program” can embody a variety of completely different sorts of instruments. And each affords key advantages to your group, the occasions you set up, and the people who help your efforts.
Let’s discover a couple of of those key capabilities.
(Prime tip: As you stroll via the next varieties of options and performance generally related to nonprofit occasion software program, remember that you could have to prioritize choices so as of significance. Think about flagging components as “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.”)
On-line Occasion Pages
In an effort to pull off an efficient occasion, it’s essential that your supporters are conscious of the chance. And among the best methods to unfold the phrase about upcoming occasions entails participating on-line occasion pages or microsites.
Right here’s what this occasion software program performance ought to embrace:
- Pre-built and customizable internet web page templates;
- Touchdown web page and microsite choices.
- Personalised branding that matches your group’s present supplies;
- Cell-optimized pages which are simple to make use of on screens of all styles and sizes;
- Search engine marketing and accessibility instruments;
- The power to embed a company matching reward search instrument that uncovers match-eligible donations.
Ticketing Companies
Ensure that your staff and your attendees are ready to your occasion with intuitive ticketing performance. Think about these key options:
- Straightforward-to-use on-line ticketing kinds;
- Free and paid ticket purchases for in-person and digital occasions;
- On-line RSVP administration and automatic receipting;
- Customizable questions, similar to meal preferences and t-shirt sizes;
- A number of ticketing tiers and packages.
Fee & Donation Processing
No matter whether or not you’re internet hosting free or paid occasions, it’s important that your staff has the instruments for processing funds from supporters. This could embrace:
- Accepting funds on-line and in-person;
- Leveraging a number of cost strategies;
- Processing funds for occasion tickets, merchandise, pledges, and extra;
- Gathering donations, along with ticketing and different gross sales;
- Selling matching items all through the donation course of.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Functionality
Peer-to-peer fundraising and nonprofit occasions typically go hand-in-hand. A number of the most impactful social fundraising efforts cumulate in a ultimate occasion to drive engagement and rejoice success. Assume—run/stroll/rides and different “a-thon” fashion occasions.
Listed below are a couple of peer-to-peer fundraising options to think about in your seek for nonprofit occasion know-how:
- On-line occasion participant registration;
- Customizable participant fundraising pages;
- Gamification instruments, similar to fundraising thermometers, badges, and prizes;
- Donation and pledge processing and success.
Public sale Administration
Charity auctions are many nonprofit organizations’ most worthwhile fundraising occasions time and time once more. So in relation to occasion software program shopping for, it’s a good suggestion to maintain public sale instruments in thoughts. These usually embrace:
- Merchandise procurement and monitoring capabilities;
- Facilitation of dwell and silent in-person, digital, and hybrid public sale occasions;
- On-line and cellular bidding performance for attendees;
- Actual-time bid monitoring and different analytics.
Knowledge Reporting
Nonprofit occasions produce a variety of highly effective information. It’s vital to have the instruments you might want to acquire, analyze, and leverage that data for the best outcomes! That’s the place an occasion software program’s information reporting performance is available in.
Think about these key options:
- Occasion attendee supporter profiles to trace ongoing engagement;
- Budgeting and income instruments to find out ROI calculations;
- Actual-time occasion information reporting;
- Birds-eye view and in-depth choices.
Matching Reward Automation
Do you know that almost 27 million people work for corporations that match items? However roughly 78% of this group has no concept that their employers provide these applications?
That’s why rising consciousness of match alternatives is crucial—and your occasion software program might help! Matching reward software program, or occasion fundraising software program with a devoted matching reward part, ought to:
- Acquire supporter employment data via e mail area screening or with an built-in firm search instrument;
- Present donors and occasion attendees with employer-specific matching reward pointers (eligibility standards, on-line kinds, and so on.);
- Routinely comply with up with match-eligible or unknown donors post-engagement to remind people about matching alternatives and drive extra profitable matches to completion.
Organizations that improve matching reward efforts by using high software program choices are likely to see elevated occasions and different fundraising experiences. In lots of instances, it’s the equal of a two-for-one sale on charitable donations!
Sponsorships Administration
Company sponsorships play a key position within the success of nonprofit fundraising occasions, offering essential monetary help, in-kind donations, and promotional advantages. To maximise sponsorship income and streamline administration, nonprofits ought to leverage occasion fundraising software program with devoted sponsorship performance.
These instruments ought to:
- Observe sponsor outreach and commitments to make sure seamless communication and follow-up.
- Handle sponsorship tiers and advantages by organizing completely different sponsorship ranges and the perks related to every.
- Facilitate sponsorship agreements by storing contracts, monitoring deliverables, and automating reminders.
- Present branded recognition alternatives throughout occasion pages, ticketing platforms, and digital advertising supplies.
- Generate sponsorship affect experiences to exhibit ROI and strengthen long-term partnerships.
Company Volunteer Performance
Greater than probably, your group’s occasions are going to depend on devoted volunteers to run easily and keep environment friendly and cost-effective operations. And plenty of of those people may even qualify for volunteer incentives (similar to volunteer grants and paid volunteer day without work) via their employers! For that purpose, equipping your staff with the suitable company volunteer software program is a should.
These sorts of instruments ought to:
- Acquire employment data as supporters register for volunteer occasions;
- Display towards a volunteer incentives database to uncover the alternatives;
- Present volunteers with company-specific directions and submission type hyperlinks;
- Routinely comply with up with actionable, focused reminders.
Integrations
Broaden your occasion software program’s attain with seamless integrations—particularly with the instruments your group already makes use of on a day-to-day foundation.
Software program integrations primarily type unified methods between various platforms, permitting completely different instruments to talk to 1 one other. Subsequently, integrating your occasion fundraising software program along with your group’s present fundraising options empowers your know-how to do extra with much less handbook duties and configurations.
As you contemplate fundraising occasion software program integrations, this would possibly embrace:
- On-line donation instruments;
- Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms;
- Knowledge administration methods;
- Company giving software program;
- Volunteer administration software program;
- Advertising and marketing and outreach options.
Deciding on the suitable occasion software program is an important step in maximizing the success of your fundraising efforts. Whether or not you’re centered on streamlining ticketing, optimizing donation processing, participating supporters via peer-to-peer fundraising, or enhancing company giving alternatives, the suitable instruments could make a big affect.
By leveraging key options like matching reward automation, company volunteer performance, information reporting, and extra, your group can unlock new income streams, strengthen donor and volunteer relationships, and finally drive higher occasion success. To not point out, seamless integrations guarantee your occasion software program works in concord along with your present fundraising and donor administration instruments.
How you can Make Your Fundraising Occasion Software program Selection
As you’re employed to slender down your occasion know-how choices, listed here are a couple of greatest practices to bear in mind:
- Set a software program price range to information your shopping for selections. Among the best methods to slender down your out there choices is to enter the shopping for course of with a set price range in thoughts. This manner, you may commit your time to the software program your group can afford. As you search for cost-effective options, you’ll want to contemplate base worth, startup prices, ongoing charges, expansions or add-ons, scalability, and extra.
- Think about bundling occasion instruments with a complete fundraising platform. Whereas some occasion instruments are made out there in an à la carte or piecemeal format, others are supplied as a bundle in an total fundraising software program package deal. Within the latter situation, your event-specific know-how could also be built-in straight with an internet donation instrument, CRM, and extra for an all-in-one answer. Many organizations favor one of these software program assortment for ease of use and seamless communication between platforms.
- Search software program with matching reward performance. Past typical occasion software program options, one ingredient that may drastically enhance your staff’s fundraising efforts—event-based and in any other case—is matching reward performance. Company matching items allow many donors and occasion attendees to double their affect in your trigger. Fortunately, instruments like Double the Donation combine with high occasion platforms to allow seamless match identification and automatic follow-ups.
- Request a demo to see potential instruments in motion. Earlier than you make your ultimate selections, it’s a good suggestion to request some demos. Many corporations can present entry to a pre-recorded video, although a dwell demo affords a extra personalised encounter. As you expertise the software program in motion, contemplate how the instruments will look from a consumer’s perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask questions, both!
With the suitable occasion software program in place, your nonprofit can create extra participating experiences, improve donor and volunteer participation, and amplify its fundraising affect for years to return. It’s not one thing you wish to miss out on.
Closing Ideas
Within the latest previous, occasions of all types have turn into more and more technology-based—from modern in-person components to digital and hybrid experiences. And it’s vital that your nonprofit has the instruments to maintain up with the occasions!
As you look to revolutionize your group’s occasion choices with highly effective software program, we suggest exploring Double the Donation’s integration companions. Many of those top-of-the-line fundraising software program suppliers provide impactful instruments that may carry your occasion endeavors to the following degree. Then, don’t overlook to issue matching items into your technique, as properly!
Wish to be taught extra? Try these different academic assets to raise your group’s occasion, office giving, and total fundraising methods:
