Hosting a charity event is a win-win for your business and the charity of your choosing. Why? Because while you are raising awareness and most importantly money for the charity, it also raises the profile of your company in the most positive way.
But, there are a few things you need to consider first …
Give yourself plenty of time to plan!
So, you have decided to host a charity event – great! But, don’t plan to have it a couple of weeks after making that decision. There is a lot to organise, and the longer you give yourself, the better it will be and the less stress you will be under.
Who is your chosen charity?
If you haven’t already chosen you charity, why not put the decision in the hands of your employees? Perhaps let them send in their suggestions, which can be turned into a shortlist and then everyone gets to choose which one they want to support from the list.
Location, location, location
The venue is the best way to get people excited about your event, so think carefully about where you are going to choose. Don’t be afraid to barter – the venue may be willing to discount the prices, if they know it is for a charity event.
How will you raise money?
Well, firstly set a fundraising goal and a budget for the event. It will obviously cost you to run it, so you want to aim high with your goal to make it worth it. You can of course start by selling tickets to the events – but then you need to make sure your guests get their money’s worth with the location, food, drink, entertainment and so on.
The best way to raise plenty of money is by having an auction. If you choose to do this you need to decide what prizes there will be and where you will get them from. You could ask for these to be donated – remember the more appealing the prize the more money you will raise for charity! So think front row tickets to see Beyoncé, rather than a bottle of cheap red wine.
Write a guest list…
Is there anyone you want to guarantee attends the event, such as employees, clients, or businesses you would like to work with? You may also want to consider inviting a famous face. This will make your event all the more appealing for those considering attending and will impress your guests on the night. Perhaps you want someone to hand out the prizes, provide a motivational speech, or host the event. Take a look at Speakers Corner, where you can book the likes of June Sarpong, Claudia Winkleman or Trinny and Susannah.
How will you market it?
Marketing is important, or how else will anyone know about your event? Make sure you are promoting it on your Twitter and Facebook pages – perhaps even set up social media specifically for the event. You could create your own hashtag to help promote the event and then share images and reviews during and afterwards. This is also the easiest way of encouraging your employees to spread the word. You could also send the piece to your local newspaper, deliver flyers through letterboxes and put up posters in the local area.
Hosting a charity event won’t be easy, there is a lot of organisation involved but it will definitely be worth it when you count up how much money you have raised!
