HOW TO PLAN A VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER

If your fundraising event is postponed or canceled because of the ongoing health crisis, you can still raise money and keep your donors engaged with a virtual fundraiser. Let your supporters know how much you need them during these challenging times. Now, more than ever, people are looking for ways to come together for the causes that they care about. This is a time to dial up your fundraising.

The team at ibidmobile.net, has been working on benefit events and online fundraising for more than thirty years. Whether you are relying on volunteers, or using a professional firm like ibidmobile.net, here are the best practices for hosting a virtual fundraiser.

PLANNING YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT
Structure your virtual fundraiser just like a live event, but make it far more concise. Think of it as a live television show. You first need to draw an audience, and once they tune in, you need to keep them engaged.

Audience Development
This is one of the most important considerations. Building an audience for a virtual fundraiser is different from selling tickets to a gala. The event must be promoted continuously through email and social media. Think about how many times you typically reach out for an event and then triple it. 

  • If your event was canceled while fundraising was already underway, let your guests know that the event has now gone virtual and you still need their support. Ask them to convert their ticket or table sponsorship to a 100% tax deductible donation.

  • If you’re just starting to promote your event, focus your fundraising exclusively on sponsorships. While it may be theoretically possible to sell tickets to a virtual event, it’s a tough sell. Your goal should be to get people to participate and then give at the event. 

  • Send messages to your largest mailing list to let them know the date, time, and link for the event. Keep the communication engaging and send your messages repeatedly at strategic times. 

  • Create a countdown on your social media channels and hashtags for your community to share.

  • Involve those in your network with a large social media reach in your promotional activities. 

  • Create an exciting visual to represent this virtual experience. Use this to create a unified theme for all outreach and to strengthen your promotional impact. Follow through by using these elements within your virtual event.

Designing the Program
Just like television, a virtual event has to start on time and flow seamlessly. There should never be dead air during the presentation. Keep the audience engaged the whole time and build to an emotional climax before your fundraising starts.

Here are our key recommendations:

  • Build a tight event program of 15-20 minutes. Here is a recommended schedule:

    • Opening Remarks: 2 minutes

    • Emotional moment highlighting your organization’s work: 3 minutes

    • Fundraising: 5 minutes

    • Entertainment: 5 minutes

  • Hire a producer whose job is to keep all the speakers and performers on time.

  • Hire a technical director to manage the streaming service.

  • Hold individual on-camera rehearsals with each speaker and performer.

  • Hold an on-camera dress rehearsal with everyone involved.

  • Have at least one person watching the show remotely to give feedback.

  • Have a technical support person available to your guests during the event.

  • Choose fundraising and streaming platforms that are easy to use for your donors.

Speakers
It is critically important to have compelling speakers who will tell stories about your organization's work. The speeches must be informative and brief. We recommend no more than three speakers, whose speeches each last about two minutes. Speakers can be located anywhere in the world with a good internet connection or speeches can be pre-recorded.

Entertainment
Good entertainment can be a major draw for an event. A professional musical performance, if tailored to the tastes of your guests, can be a big draw and create a memorable experience. We suggest ending the event with a musical performance, but it’s also possible to open with one as well. 

Celebrities
If you have relationships with celebrities, use them. Even if they are unable to participate live, a pre-recorded celebrity segment tailored to the event will still add value.

* * *

FUNDRAISING

Live Appeal
This is the best way to reach your fundraising goals. A livestream call to action makes a direct appeal for funds. You can simply direct guests to an online donation page, or you can use textgiving.com to integrate text messaging and onscreen giving totals. Secure early pledges from your board and major donors, and then start promoting your campaign at the beginning of the event day. This will ensure that by the time you start your live appeal, you will already have money on the board. Ensure that your call to action comes right after a moving presentation about your organization—ideally an emotional feature highlighting your critical work.

Live Auction
With higher valued items, live auctions tend to draw bids from a limited audience. Consider whether this will be entertaining for the rest of your guests. If you do hold a live auction, we recommend conducting early bidding online and then inviting the top three or four bidders to appear on the live stream along with the auctioneer to compete for the prize.

Choosing an Auctioneer
Do you use a professional auctioneer or a volunteer who is recognized in your community? Either can work, but typically a professional auctioneer will do a better job at keeping guests engaged while bids or pledges are coming in. Whatever you choose, make sure to do a rehearsal in advance. Keep in mind that the dynamics of a livestream event are completely different from working a live room.

Online Auction
If your event has a tradition of holding a silent auction, an online auction will likely do well. Keep in mind that you will need to promote the auction more heavily because you do not have the advantage of a reception where people will see the auction items.

We recommend sending at least five email messages:

  • One teaser, highlighting a few great items, sent a few days before the auction opens

  • One opening announcement, sent the moment the auction opens, also teasing at least one item

  • Two auction promotions, highlighting one great item each during the time of bidding

  • One 30-minute warning, a half hour before the auction closes

The online auction should run for a limited time, starting just a few days before your event and closing 15 minutes after your virtual event ends. Remember, when you promote the online auction, you are also promoting the event. Make sure you reinforce the date, time, and link for the event with every communication.

* * *

A virtual fundraiser is an excellent way to keep your community engaged and to continue raising funds to support your mission. At ibidmobile.net, our team of professional fundraisers, event planners, and online auction experts can help you make the most of your virtual fundraiser.