CharityVillage® Research: Special Events: Why go to all the trouble?

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Special Events: Why go to all the trouble?
By Carolyn Rickey
March 31, 1999; Canadian FundRaiser

In the pantheon of fundraising techniques, special events would be considered one of the minor gods. Costs are high in terms of the return on investment, they usually need many volunteers to work, and they take a lot of time and energy to plan.
In many cases in fact, the costs are as much as 50% of the money raised. Events can be very labour-intensive, and most require an outlay of money before you can even begin -- for example, a deposit on room rental, pre-bought liquor, printing, stationary and postage. Many smaller nonprofit organizations do not have this initial upfront cash readily available to them.

Why special events?

Special events can be fun. People like to attend them, and many enjoy the planning and organizing involved. It is a way to recruit, involve and motivate volunteers, and provides a vehicle to train them in teamwork and leadership roles, and a fun atmosphere in which to teach them the mission and goals of the organization.

A special event generates excitement and invigorates an organization. It relieves boredom for the staff, as the work is outside the regular routine of day-to-day functions.

For your publics, a special event can provide recognition of your organization, of why you exist, and of the part you play in improving the quality of life in the community. This can be very helpful when lobbying political functionaries. If they have a choice to help one or the other organization, whom do you think they'll choose? One seen to be working towards the betterment of the community or one that is not well known and rarely seen actively helping out? What has your group given back? What have you done lately? Why are you interesting? Why should they care about you?

Besides raising community support and awareness for the organization for this year, you have also laid the groundwork for community support for the following year. The recognition factor can both lead to an increased commitment from this same community, and give you a base to expand your range of influence farther afield.

Some special events allow for the collection of names and addresses of the participants, which then provide a basis for a possible direct mail campaign. These people already know you, have given you money, and may be more willing than a complete stranger to support your group in terms of time or donations.

It follows then that a special event can diversify your funding sources. Yes, you may have an annual appeal, a capital campaign and a telemarketing project, but a special event can attract a new and varied customer that you may otherwise not have access to. An example of this would be the annual Knuckleball Tournament organized by the Winnipeg Press Club on behalf of a charity. This fundraising baseball tournament has worked with different charities over the years, including the Arthritis Society and the Winnipeg Fire Fighters Burn Fund, to help them promote their cause. Besides its fundraising capabilities, the tournament also provides an educational vehicle for the charities. Since most of the baseball players are with the media, the charities are given an opportunity to explain their cause to an audience that may use the information at a future date.

Finally, a special event gives the nonprofit organization another contact with people, whether they be a supplier, a supporter, the neighbourhood, or the client.
In order to put on a special event, a number of questions have to be answered. Unfortunately, however, many organizations do not ask them:

How much money are you hoping to raise? The answer "as much as possible" is not good enough. If you need a guaranteed $30,000, a special event may not be the right vehicle.

What human resources do you have available to work on the project - both volunteer and staff? Special events usually need many people to be a success. If you can't get the people, don't run the event.

Have you researched the market for what will work? You would not hold a gala dinner with an asking price of $50 a ticket in an area where everyone is on welfare.

Have you checked out the competition for the same kind of event? Winnipeg has either a walk-a-thon, run-a-thon, bike-a-thon, loppet, etc. almost every weekend of the year. Are you sure you want to add to this number?

What is your timing? You'll have to plan very carefully to hold a major event around Christmas, as the people (including your volunteers and staff) may already be committed.

How would inclement weather affect your event?

Have you researched what is "in" for this year? Swing parties? Disco parties?
Another big problem with planning a special event is that it is perceived to be an easy chore. "Heck, anyone can plan a gala dinner. All they have to do is call the hotel, select a menu and have someone at the door to collect tickets. Right?" Wrong! There may be sponsors to be contacted, tickets to be printed, speeches to be written, and tables to be sold. At a recent function, no one ate the fancy hors-d'oeuvres. Why? The organizer forgot the cutlery, and fingers could not lift the food alone. They also forgot the waste containers, so people were carrying smelly shrimp tails around until garbage cans were provided. This was not a successful evening.
Finally, there is always the possibility that the volunteers do not show up as promised. The organizers then must scramble to find people to fill in the empty spots, a very difficult situation overall.
Special events can play an important role in an organization's fundraising plans. They should be considered one of rather than the only method of fund raising. They should and can be part of an annual appeal, provide names for a direct mail piece, or kick-off a capital campaign to generate publicity. A well-organized special event can boost morale, generate excitement and recruit volunteers. Don't dismiss them out of hand.
The principal and owner of Cedars Communications Services Inc, 602-365 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3M 3T4, Carolyn Rickey is a communications consultant, active volunteer and much-sought-after event organizer. For more information, call (204) 453-5770, fax (204) 453-1698, or eMail rickey@cedars.mb.ca.