Mistakes happen. We are all human, after all. But there are a few common mistakes that we have seen over the years that can be easily avoided when it comes to your fundraising events this spring. As we all know, when it comes to fundraising, it's all about bringing in as much money as possible to support your organization's worthy cause, so don't let anything stand in your way, including these three big mistakes you should always avoid.
1. Don't Announce Big Donations Before Your Fundraising Efforts Are Over. Save big announcements for last. When you announce a significant donation, like the news of a 1 million dollar matching donation, your guests will quickly slam their pocketbooks shut. Keep your options open by waiting to announce these as late as possible.
2. Don't Close Your Mobile Bidding Silent Auction DURING The Program. When you close down mobile bidding during the program, guests are forced to split their attention between their phones and the stage. You may likely lose the attention of what's happening on stage when you do this. We recommend that you close mobile bidding after giving your patrons an intentional 5-minute bidding break, or even better, close it before people enter the ballroom. Give your guests a chance to focus on last-minute bids and competitively bidding without sacrificing other happenings at your event.
*Similarly, if you have a pen-and-paper silent auction, close it before the cocktail hour finishes. You can do the same for your auction on mobile bidding. Again, you want to avoid competing for your donor's attention once the program begins.
3. Provide Your Donors with A Detailed Timeline. You don't need to put time stamps on every element of your event. Give your guests start and end times in the order of how these activities will appear. This structure will give you some freedom in how things are executed. This kind of free-flowing schedule is good to have in place just in case things run late. And let's face it; things tend to run late at these events! But with this structure, your guests are less likely to get upset.
When it comes time to plan your next big fundraising event, AmFund is here to ensure that you steer clear of these common mistakes that often occur during the planning and execution stages of these events. For additional tips and insights to help plan your next silent auction and fundraising event, reach out to us at AmFund.
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