It takes rather a lot 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 interesting with donors, there’s rather a lot to juggle. Fortunately, the precise fundraising occasion software program could make organizing an impactful occasion a breeze.
However even the software program shopping for course of could be overwhelming when you don’t know what you’re in search of. That’s the place this beneficial information turns out to be useful!
Right here, we’ll cowl every little thing you should find out about occasion fundraising instruments, together with:
At Double the Donation, we’ve labored with many alternative suppliers within the area, and we gathered a few of our high suggestions for selecting the very best fundraising occasion software program in your workforce. Ultimately, these practices ought to assist information your decision-making course of as you proceed to develop your excellent toolkit of nonprofit expertise.
To not point out, you’ll be all set to get began with optimum fundraising occasions with the precise instruments to energy your efforts. Let’s start!
Why Spend money on Fundraising Occasion Software program?
Fundraising occasion software program is a important element of any group’s absolutely built-out tech stack. In any case, a good portion of many nonprofits’ total income is collected via participating fundraising occasions. And the precise instruments could make organizing and internet hosting as simple and efficient as ever. Meaning extra of your workforce’s time could be reallocated to different mission-valuable actions!
To not point out, increasingly more fundraising occasions are involving more and more technical facets. Digital and hybrid occasions have gotten all the fad. Even in-person gatherings have gotten depending on behind-the-scenes software program and user-facing expertise to run easily and elevate the occasion expertise.
Thus, in case your group is trying to develop or optimize your occasion fundraising technique, investing in the precise instruments to energy your efforts is important.
Options to Think about For Your Fundraising Occasion Software program
The time period “fundraising occasion software program” can embody a whole lot of totally different sorts of instruments. And each affords key advantages to your group, the occasions you set up, and the people who assist your efforts.
Let’s discover just a few of those key capabilities.
(High tip: As you stroll via the next kinds of options and performance generally related to nonprofit occasion software program, needless to say you might have to prioritize choices so as of significance. Think about flagging components as “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.”)
On-line Occasion Pages
With a purpose to pull off an efficient occasion, it’s essential that your supporters are conscious of the chance. And the most effective 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 embody:
- Pre-built and customizable net web page templates;
- Touchdown web page and microsite choices.
- Customized branding that matches your group’s current supplies;
- Cellular-optimized pages which can be simple to make use of on screens of all sizes and styles;
- SEO and accessibility instruments;
- The power to embed a company matching present search instrument that uncovers match-eligible donations.
Ticketing Providers
Make certain your workforce and your attendees are ready in your occasion with intuitive ticketing performance. Think about these key options:
- Simple-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, corresponding to meal preferences and t-shirt sizes;
- A number of ticketing tiers and packages.
Cost & Donation Processing
No matter whether or not you’re internet hosting free or paid occasions, it’s important that your workforce has the instruments for processing funds from supporters. This could embody:
- Accepting funds on-line and in-person;
- Leveraging a number of cost strategies;
- Processing funds for occasion tickets, merchandise, pledges, and extra;
- Accumulating donations, along with ticketing and different gross sales;
- Selling matching presents all through the donation course of.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Functionality
Peer-to-peer fundraising and nonprofit occasions usually go hand-in-hand. A number of the most impactful social fundraising efforts cumulate in a remaining occasion to drive engagement and have a good time success. Suppose—run/stroll/rides and different “a-thon” type occasions.
Listed here are just a few peer-to-peer fundraising options to contemplate in your seek for nonprofit occasion expertise:
- On-line occasion participant registration;
- Customizable participant fundraising pages;
- Gamification instruments, corresponding 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 the case of occasion software program shopping for, it’s a good suggestion to maintain public sale instruments in thoughts. These usually embody:
- Merchandise procurement and monitoring capabilities;
- Facilitation of dwell and silent in-person, digital, and hybrid public sale occasions;
- On-line and cell bidding performance for attendees;
- Actual-time bid monitoring and different analytics.
Information Reporting
Nonprofit occasions produce a whole lot of highly effective knowledge. It’s necessary to have the instruments you should gather, analyze, and leverage that info for the best outcomes! That’s the place an occasion software program’s knowledge 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 knowledge reporting;
- Birds-eye view and in-depth choices.
Matching Present Automation
Do you know that almost 27 million people work for firms that match presents? However roughly 78% of this group has no concept that their employers supply these applications?
That’s why rising consciousness of match alternatives is important—and your occasion software program can assist! Matching present software program, or occasion fundraising software program with a devoted matching present element, ought to:
- Gather supporter employment info via e mail area screening or with an built-in firm search instrument;
- Present donors and occasion attendees with employer-specific matching present pointers (eligibility standards, on-line kinds, and so forth.);
- Mechanically 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 present efforts by using high software program choices are inclined to see elevated occasions and different fundraising experiences. In lots of circumstances, 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 assist, 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 totally 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 and marketing supplies.
- Generate sponsorship impression studies to show ROI and strengthen long-term partnerships.
Company Volunteer Performance
Greater than possible, your group’s occasions are going to depend on devoted volunteers to run easily and keep environment friendly and cost-effective operations. And lots of of those people may even qualify for volunteer incentives (corresponding to volunteer grants and paid volunteer time without work) via their employers! For that cause, equipping your workforce with the precise company volunteer software program is a should.
These sorts of instruments ought to:
- Gather employment info as supporters register for volunteer occasions;
- Display screen in opposition to a volunteer incentives database to uncover the alternatives;
- Present volunteers with company-specific directions and submission type hyperlinks;
- Mechanically 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 techniques between various platforms, permitting totally different instruments to talk to 1 one other. Due to this fact, integrating your occasion fundraising software program along with your group’s current fundraising options empowers your expertise to do extra with much less handbook duties and configurations.
As you take into account fundraising occasion software program integrations, this may embody:
- On-line donation instruments;
- Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms;
- Information administration techniques;
- Company giving software program;
- Volunteer administration software program;
- Advertising and marketing and outreach options.
Deciding on the precise occasion software program is an important step in maximizing the success of your fundraising efforts. Whether or not you’re targeted on streamlining ticketing, optimizing donation processing, participating supporters via peer-to-peer fundraising, or enhancing company giving alternatives, the precise instruments could make a major impression.
By leveraging key options like matching present automation, company volunteer performance, knowledge reporting, and extra, your group can unlock new income streams, strengthen donor and volunteer relationships, and in the end drive higher occasion success. To not point out, seamless integrations guarantee your occasion software program works in concord along with your current fundraising and donor administration instruments.
Methods to Make Your Fundraising Occasion Software program Selection
As you’re employed to slender down your occasion expertise choices, listed here are just a few finest practices to remember:
- Set a software program price range to information your shopping for choices. Top-of-the-line 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, make sure to take into account 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 state of affairs, your event-specific expertise could also be built-in immediately with an internet donation instrument, CRM, and extra for an all-in-one answer. Many organizations favor such a software program assortment for ease of use and seamless communication between platforms.
- Search software program with matching present performance. Past typical occasion software program options, one ingredient that may drastically enhance your workforce’s fundraising efforts—event-based and in any other case—is matching present performance. Company matching presents allow many donors and occasion attendees to double their impression 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 remaining choices, it’s a good suggestion to request some demos. Many firms can present entry to a pre-recorded video, although a dwell demo affords a extra customized encounter. As you expertise the software program in motion, take into account how the instruments will look from a consumer’s perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask questions, both!
With the precise occasion software program in place, your nonprofit can create extra participating experiences, improve donor and volunteer participation, and amplify its fundraising impression for years to return. It’s not one thing you wish to miss out on.
Remaining Ideas
Within the latest previous, occasions of every kind have develop into more and more technology-based—from revolutionary in-person components to digital and hybrid experiences. And it’s necessary 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 advocate exploring Double the Donation’s integration companions. Many of those top-of-the-line fundraising software program suppliers supply impactful instruments that may convey your occasion endeavors to the subsequent stage. Then, don’t neglect to issue matching presents into your technique, as properly!
Need to study extra? Take a look at these different academic sources to raise your group’s occasion, office giving, and total fundraising methods:
