The Christmas season is just around the corner. Organising a charity event is a great idea to help those in need. However, at this rate, you might have already planned a bit for the event.
Organising a charity event doesn’t have to be so huge. As a beginner, you can start by looking for event planners who can guide you through the process. Once you’ve accomplished the first charity event your organised, you can increase the size of the event in the future.
So if you need some help in making a list, here are the basic steps for organising your first-ever charity event! Don’t forget to check it twice.
1. Set a budget
Since it’s your first time organising a charity event, you have no prior knowledge of how much it’ll cost. So instead of estimating on your own, you can hire event planners to help you set a feasible budget.
And once the budget is set, do your best to stick with it. Unnecessary purchases and additionals should not be tolerated unless they’re in the plan. It’s best to organise the event minimally and give the remaining money to charity.
Some of the tripes to make sure you reach the budget you set is to opt for a one-plate meal policy per person instead of a buffet and hire volunteers instead of those with professional fees.
In addition, plan a way to gather funds. Look for sponsorships that will help promote and fund your charity event.
2. Prepare in advance and define what the charity is about
Organising a charity event takes a lot of time and effort to achieve. If it’s your first time, hustle more to gain sponsors and participants. But first, you need to finalise the kind of event you want to organise. Some popular charity events are fun runs, auctions, and other tournaments.
Furthermore, it’s essential to define what the cause is. For instance, if you want to help an orphanage, plan a child-friendly event like a sports fest. That way, the participants and sponsors will not be confused as to what they’re supporting.
Besides, no one will believe you if you host a charity event for kids through some casino games. If you’re having doubts, you can consult event planners to give you some insights.
3. Find the right venue
Have you finalised the kind of event you’re organising? Once you do, the next step is to find the venue appropriate for the event. If you’re organising a sports fest, look for an open place where other sports fest are also being held.
But since it’s a first-time thing, try to look for a venue that can fit your expected number of guests, but doesn’t cost too much. As long as the participants can enjoy the event, there’s no need to spend more on it. Besides, they will understand that it’s not about the decor, and as a beginner, your goal is to raise funds for charity.
However, professional event planners can transform a simple venue into a better-looking one.
4. Finalise the details
You may already have some ideas about when the event will be held, but the date might not be finalised. So before you go further with the preparations, it’s best if you can confirm the date, venue, and time of the event.
Aside from checking this from your list, it’ll be easier to plan when you know that the schedule will not be moved anymore. Moreover, the people you hire to help with the preparations won’t have a hard time adjusting their schedules.
However, sometimes, you may encounter problems, like when you need to extend the time to collect funds due to having some problems with the sponsors. When that happens, you have no choice but to change the initial details set.
5. Don’t forget to invite prospective guests
Since you’re organising a charity event, you need to consider guests that will help you gather enough funds for your chosen charity.
Additionally, there are certain organisations that support different charity events. So if you can find those that usually help charities related to what you’re organising, it would be easier to propose a partnership.
For instance, you can scout similar events and network with sponsorships. Since you’re all aiming to help, you might also get referrals and tips along the way. Meanwhile, if you don’t have time to network in the field, you can also do some online research.
6. Promote the event
Nowadays, you can use different online platforms to promote your event. Even if you have a venue limited to a number of people, you can also share what’s happening online. The more viewers you have, the higher the chance of getting the target amount you’ve set.
Besides, if some interested parties can’t go to the venue because they’re too far, they can watch it online. If you’re having doubts about social media, look at past events that became successful with help from people online.
After the event, don’t forget to post some updates on how it went. It’ll help to make sure that the money of the attendees is in the right place. In addition, if you want to organise another charity event, people can easily trust you.
In the meantime, if you want to share tips about the planning process, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Aliana Baraquio is a content writer for Pink Caviar Events Sydney, a full-service event management and decorative hire company located in Sydney. When she’s not typing out blog posts, you can find her watching anime series or baking cupcakes.