How to throw a fundraising gig

From fundraising to raising awareness, events have always been essential for charities. And before the pandemic turned Zoom into a verb, in-person events were one of a charity’s main methods of fundraising.

But, the pandemic has left many of us in a bit of a brain fog about how to set up, run, and market certain in-person fundraising events. But don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

Here is our step-by-step guide to throwing a fundraising gig.

Set realistic goals

First things first, decide on your fundraising targets. Your goal doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around how much money you can raise. For example, you might want to focus on recruiting a number of recurring donors, as opposed to simply selling a fixed number of one-off ticket sales. Or, you might want to focus on reach, publicity, or social media engagement.

If your main goal is one-off donations, it’s worth ensuring that your monetary fundraising target is about 30% higher than what you need to set up and run the gig. This will ensure you raise enough to cover your expenses, while still generating funds.

Find a venue

Before you begin excitedly researching acts and performance artists, you need to decide on a venue. Your venue must be suitable and appropriate for the type of gig you’re looking to host.

A field or barn might suit an outdoorsy hoedown, for example, but consider the logistics of hosting an outdoor gig, as well as the practicalities of moving/setting up associated tech and sound equipment.

The larger the venue, the larger the fundraising potential. And the largest venue, in terms of capacity and reach, is online. So why not make your in-person event hybrid.

Hybrid events combine the best elements of virtual and in-person events, allowing them to reach broader audiences and become accessible to more supporters.

Also, hosting hybrid events online, through Zoom or Skype, can provide greater return on investment. You could consider selecting a smaller in-person venue, meaning you can save money on the physical event and dedicate more resources to making an effective hybrid event.

Look for artists

Knowing the size, location, and logistics of your venue will make it easier to seek out and approach bands and artists. And by incorporating a variety of performers you can ensure your fundraising gig appeals to as large an audience as possible.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are great channels for researching and reaching out to potential artists. The socials will also give you a quick idea of each artist’s popularity and potential.

Try searching for old Facebook Event pages for ideas on attendee numbers and engagement potential. Remember, the artists you partner with will essentially serve as representatives for the charity. They’ll also become a key element of your fundraising and marketing strategy, so make sure they are not only dedicated, but are a good fit for the cause.

Sort out your tickets

There are a number of tools out there that can help charities sell tickets. But before you can start weighing up the pros and cons of different platforms, it’s important to settle on a ticket price.

Make a list all your expenses – don’t forget to take way any sponsorships and include a cushion for unforeseen circumstances – and divide the total by the number of people you hope will come. That amount will give you an idea of the recommended ticket price.

If the thought of dictating a ticket price is not your style, Eventbrite’s donation tickets might be for you. By creating an event on Eventbrite and choosing the ‘donation ticket type’, attendees can choose the amount they want to pay, instead of a set price.

Alternatively, Idloom helps charities create a customised event website and registration page. They can also automate most of the processes involved in event management, including: attendee management, payment processing, invoice generation, and on-site quick check-in.

For charities, the Light subscription plan (which is available through Charity Digital Exchange) includes unlimited free events, unlimited users and guests, and e-ticketing.

As always, the best platform is the one that suits your needs. Yapsody, or TicketTailor are also great alternatives.

Consider alternative ways to raise money

No, that doesn’t mean throwing in the towel on the gig altogether.

You’ve set up the event page and tickets have started to sell, great! But it’s also important to consider ways to raise money at the event itself. QR codes are the bucket-and-change approach for the digital era. Easy to create and set up, a QR code can be used to open a webpage or redirect users to their online banking. Charities can take advantage of platforms like BOPP or Evershare to replace cash donations and avoid card processing fees.

Alternatively, text-to-donate services like Donr or DONATE™, give supporters a safe, contactless way to give, without the need for a smart-phone. All supporters need to do to donate is text a keyword to a short phone number – just make sure to include the QR code or text-to-donate number on all your promotional material on the night.

Market the event

Nowadays, marketing for an event in any form means utilising social media. But, sometimes, simply sending a Tweet or posting on Facebook can feel a bit like shouting into the void.

So think about your target demographic, and focus on the channels that are more likely to appeal to them. You’re more likely to capture a younger audience on TikTok or Instagram, for example, but if you’re hosting a night full of 70s tribute bands, you might want to focus your efforts on Facebook.

It’s always a good idea to encourage performing artists to promote the gig on their channels – this will raise awareness of the gig to their fans, generate excitement, and ultimately promote ticket sales.

But if the bands or acts you’ve partnered with are relatively unknown or unengaged on social media, consider using an influencer. Influencers are a great way for charities to get exposure without the (sometimes hefty) price tag of an advertising campaign. If you don’t already have influencers supporting your marketing, read our advice on how to work with influencers.

Make the event hybrid (and accessible)

Over the past year and a half, charities have taken virtual events by storm. But Zoom and other live streaming platforms mean that events have also become more accessible.

Hosting an open mic night filled with spoken word and performance artists? Make sure you enable closed captioning on your live stream, or commission a transcript for any post-event recordings from services like Rev.

Also, hybrid fundraising is now easier than ever. Donation buttons like PayPal and Stripe are easily integrated with Zoom. Or, you could take advantage of Zoom’s own donation button.