The importance of authenticity for charity virtual events

Highlight key statistics

In their dedicated ebook on the subject, virtual events specialists Enthuse recommend using statistics to tie your event more explicitly to your cause. For example, if someone is diagnosed with the disease your charity deals with every 60 minutes, you could run a 60-minute workout, ask people to hike or run 60k, or go 60 days without alcohol or chocolate.

Make use of a symbol, colour, or motto

Having a memorable theme helps fundraising events stand out from the crowd.

Many charities make use of a certain colour or symbol that represents their charity in an important way, and use it around their event and in their branding. Pink has become synonymous with Cancer Research’s Race for Life, while moustaches are the memorable symbol of men’s health charity Movember and their yearly event.

Depending on your brand’s tone of voice and what’s appropriate for your cause, you might also want to use a humorous pun or motto, and integrate that into the name of your fundraising event.

Build two-way relationships

In order to give your virtual fundraiser the human connection of an in-person event, look for opportunities for the audience to participate beyond just raising funds. There are a number of ways to do this.

One of the simplest is to empower people tuning in on Facebook Live or Twitch with the ability to ask questions that you can answer as you go or conduct a live poll during a live stream.

You could ask quiz questions or run a competition with prizes. Give peer-to-peer fundraisers the option to join teams and build some friendly competition, with the addition of a leaderboard on your website and social media. This helps to build the community aspect of the virtual event.

Make sure to give back to those who’ve given to you and make them feel valued. A simple, personal thank you can go a long way. Recording a short video message from your team will only take a few minutes, but it will put a human face on your event and will show your supporters that they are appreciated.

Whatever you do, make sure it’s a two-way thing – unappreciated donors are usually one-time donors.

You can also send supporters emails to help with their fundraising. Encourage and thank them, ensuring you personalise your communications for each step of the supporter journey. Let people create their own fundraising pages with your brand and give them your brand assets to use. Your supporters have the potential to become the most enthusiastic advocates for your cause, as long as they are properly supported.

Many charities also provide fundraising packs with resources (physical and downloadable) to help supporters, such as fundraising instructions and ideas, logos, social media graphics, suggested text for fundraising asks, branded planners, posters and sponsor forms. Not only does this make supporters feel engaged to take part in your event, it’s a great opportunity to reinforce your branding. By taking these actions, you can create a more cohesive event experience.

Use stories from service users

In a recent article, we talked about how user-generated content is a powerful way for charities to build authenticity in their communications, and virtual events are no exception.

In the build-up to your event, share content from your volunteers, staff and service users and involve their stories every step of the way. They may want to host your virtual event, be a part of it, write a blog or social post about it, talk on video or share materials on their own social media.

Whether it’s a proud volunteer, a grateful beneficiary or just a loyal fan of your work, your charity’s representatives and the community you serve are a wonderful untapped resource and involving people close to your cause shows that their voices really matter to your charity.

Learning More

Find out more by downloading the ebook below.

Want to see Enthuse in action? Join us on 15th October 2020 for #BeMoreDigital Fundraising Day, where Enthuse will be delivering a fantastic session, ’Who did you last donate to?’.

Click here to sign up now!