Boost Attendance Of Offline Events Online

When planning live events, a common error that many nonprofits make is only to use offline resources to promote their in-person events. For example, if you are throwing a gala, a concert, or other live event, you might publicise it in your local newspaper and media outlets, and use flyers and other tangible, physical means of communication to get the word out and boost attendance. While these methods of promotion do still work, you will get better results by using online promotional tools and combining them with your in-person efforts. Consider using some of the following online tools and strategies to increase the number of guests that show up and participate at your next live event.

Create Pages Specifically for Your Event

One way to promote your upcoming events online is to create additional pages on your NFP’s website that are specifically for the event. Create a “Save the Date” splash page where invitees can sign up for reminders and updates so that your upcoming occasion stays top of mind. Use an online registration form that’s simple and easy to complete, as well as mobile friendly, and make sure that you are funnelling visitors to the appropriate pages where they can learn more about your cause and go ahead and make a donation to support your work.

Use Social Media to Spread the Word

Once you’ve created your event pages, use your social media profiles to promote your event to your online followers. Share your event on your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Accounts. Use a custom event hashtag to make it easy for your supporters to find conversations online that relate to your event. Ask your followers to repost and retweet your event to their connections to increase the reach of your messaging. Use your social media to build excitement for the event as the date draws near by posting reminders and updates about planned activities, VIP guests and entertainment acts expected to attend and participate.

Use Twitter to Send Updates and Reminders

Due to Twitter’s design, it’s the perfect platform to use for alerts, so encourage your followers to check your Twitter feed regularly for late-breaking news, contests, polls and other news that relates to the big day. Twitter is also great for helping increase interest and engagement in your supporters that can’t attend. Live tweet your event to keep everyone in the loop!

Use Email Campaign to Build Excitement

In addition to reaching out via social media, create an email campaign to communicate with your supporters at regular intervals leading up to the vent to encourage more signups, greater engagement and to urge your supporters to go ahead and donate now, ahead of the event.

Live Stream Events

No matter how well you plan your event and how amazing the venue, food and entertainment happens to be, not all your supporters will be able to attend. Keep them interested in your work and boost your donations by streaming the event live on your own website, as well as any social media that you might have, such as Facebook Live, your NFP’s YouTube Channel, Periscope or similar platform to allow virtual attendance.

Wrapping Up

Use your social media profiles to thank your donors and other supporters for their contributions and attendance. Use an online third party to send online tokens to key donors as a thank you. This way they can redeem their online swag cash for gift certificates or small prizes from their favourite retailers that they choose. Send a follow-up email thanking each supporter, and, asking them to consider signing up to make a recurring or repeat donation.

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Gift Giving Ideas for Your NFP

One way to increase the number of individual donations that your organisation receives is to offer your donors a small gift in exchange for donating a set amount. Not only is it a nice gesture to show your appreciation for their contribution, but it’s also a great way to increase your donor’s sense of connection to your cause.

When you give them a tangible benefit for their gift, it makes them feel that they are a member of an exclusive set or club. Why not try one or more of the following gift-giving ideas to boost your results during your next fundraising or membership drive?

Offer Donors a Choice

Instead of sending out the same gift, why not partner with a third-party vendor to produce a selection of gifts that donors can choose from based on their level of giving? Allowing your donors to pick their own gift ensures that they really will like and enjoy the incentive that they will receive and increases the chance that they will use it where others will see your logo and messaging.

Custom Drinkware

Mugs, tumblers, water bottles and insulated beverage carriers are great choices, because they are something that your donors or members might use every day. Just be sure to customise them with your nonprofit’s logo and tagline to build brand awareness and loyalty. These types of gifts also help to keep your cause top of mind because it’s likely that recipients will use them daily, and possibly in public settings, such as the workplace, helping to increase interest in your NFP.

Embossed T-Shirts and Hats

Apparel is another thoughtful gift that helps your donor feel more involved in your work while raising awareness of your brand. In addition to your NFP Logo and tagline, consider embossing these types of gift items with a fun, lighthearted image that’s eye-catching but true to your nonprofit’s mission. Doing so will increase the appeal and “collectability” of your gift.

Carry-Alls and Cover-Ups

Messenger bags, packs, totes, jackets, blankets, towels and umbrellas are items that might be a little costlier to send to multiple donors, but their popularity and usefulness make them great gift choices to imprint with your branding images.

Fun Incidentals

Smaller items, such as addresses labels that are customised with your donor’s information, or pens, keyrings, notepads and calendars that are branded with your logo and contact information are all low-cost, budget-friendly items that allow you show your appreciation to your donor.

Meaningful Experiences

Finally, don’t forget that some of the best gifts that any of us receive involve unique events and experiences. Rather than sending a tangible item to your donors, consider offering them exclusive access to information, or a fun occasion, to show your gratitude for their contribution. Give your donors the VIP treatment and invite them on special tours to see the inner workings of your organisation. Consider hosting events and look for ways to give your donors unique experiences that will be memorable and enjoyable. For example, if there are entertainers or other celebrities at your event, invite your top donors backstage to meet with them personally.

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How to Maximise Single Volunteer Events

One of the hottest trends in volunteering today is single day events. Australia Day and National Volunteer Week are two of the many annual events that inspire thousands to help others by donating their time, energy and talents to others! This type of volunteering allows people that are passionate about your cause to act on your behalf for a very short span of time. While single day events are very popular now, even donating as little as a a day, or just a few hours of time, can provide a significant boost to NFPs!

Like other forms of volunteering, one-day events raise awareness about the needs in your community and help your NFP make a real difference! Use these tips to make the most of these events!

Divide the Work

To make the most of a single day, and a crowd of volunteers, you will need to divide the workload up into a series of specific tasks. Divide your volunteers into teams, and have a member of your staff lead each group to help them stay on top of their tasks for the day.

Manage Work and Teams with Event Apps

Use event apps to help you keep track of the number of tasks, and hours, worked by individuals and groups of volunteers. In addition to making it easy to keep up with the contributions made by your single day volunteers, many apps will sync with social media channels, making it easy to give shout outs and offer recognition for work, and, issue challenges to others to pitch in, do their part and join in the fun!

Create a Sense of Belonging

Help your volunteers get into the spirit of things by giving participants a specially themed t-shirt or other swag that commemorates your single day service event, and helps them feel a part of your organisation and its community!

Connect Your Volunteers to One Another and Other Opportunities

Create a member directory, or, provide an online forum where volunteers can connect with one another and your organisation long after the event is over. By giving your volunteers a way to keep in touch, you further strengthen your bonds with them and your organisation, and help them feel more engaged with one another and your work, which is crucial to convincing them to volunteer again and continue supporting your work.

Know the Why

Want to keep your single day volunteers coming back for more opportunities to support your organisation? Discover their “why.” There is a reason why each volunteer chooses to donate their time to a specific cause, and it’s your job to learn this reason. Once you know it, you are more able to create a customised program that helps each volunteer meet this specific need.

It could be something simple like altruistic leanings and you are simply the closest nonprofit to their home, or, it could be something personal, such as sharing something in common with a founder, or, even one of your service recipients.

Whether someone has volunteered for just one day, or even for a longer period, once you know someone’s reason for volunteering, take the time to save this information in their volunteer profile. Mark this alongside their contact information, and list of skills, talents and preferences. This way, you can make them aware of new opportunities to volunteer with your organisation in the future, as well as be able to best match them to tasks and duties should they continue their support.

Give them a Purpose

To remain motivated throughout the day, volunteers need work that is meaningful to them. Help them stay energised by giving them a sense of purpose. Look for ways to connect tasks to the mission and help them keep the bigger picture top of mind. When assigning tasks, let your volunteers know precisely how that task benefits your service community.

Don’t Bore Them!

Avoid pigeonholing your volunteers into one or two repetitive tasks that they do over and over. Look for ways to add variety and spontaneity to their activities. Of course, there will always be tasks that are routine and that must be done more than once. However, you can help your volunteers break up the monotony.

Set Measurable Goals

All of us work harder, and better, when we have something to strive towards. That’s why its so important to give your volunteers a clearly defined, realistic goal at the start, even if they will be with you for only one day!

Don’t Forget to Say Thanks!

Once your volunteer has completed their work for the day, don’t forget to express your gratitude! In addition to saying thank you in person, post a list of your volunteers on your website, along with the results of their work! One way to show just how much work you were able to accomplish by having everyone join in and take part is to shoot some video or take candid pics of your volunteers in action. Be sure to capture clear before and after shots to show just how much difference was made during your single day of service event to encourage others to join in next time!

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Events For NFP Board Members And Volunteer Treasurers

Coming up on the calendar are some interesting and worthwhile events for NFP board members and volunteer treasurers.

Meetings and Minutes Masterclasses are taking place in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne towards the end of April, and are designed to be beneficial for all NFP members with committee, administration or board roles. There is almost always room for improvement in running more efficient meetings and taking better minutes, so those who think they could do with some assistance in this area should have a look at the course information and registration on the Institute Of Community Directors Australia website.

Also just around the corner, the Board Builder Conference, is being held on April 29 in Melbourne. This conference will put a focus on building boards that are responsible, productive and sustainable, and at the centre of organisations that do first-rate work consistently. There will be a selection of speakers to give insight and advice on a range of issues pertinent to modern NFPs, including Kylie Cirak, the Director of Membership Experience at the Institute of Community Directors Australia, and Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children. This is an excellent opportunity to consult experts on your organisation’s particular problem areas, and also learn new management and directorial skills. For further information, and to register, refer to the website.

Finally, but importantly, the Communities in Control Conference is scheduled to take place in Melbourne on May 30^th and 31^st. This event is a chance to engage with some of the greatest minds in the country and be on the lookout for what is emerging in our cultural landscape, to be able to adjust your organisation’s mission and work to be the most efficient it can be. This conference is designed to be both entertaining and inspirational and aims to bring new ideas to attendees, so community organisations continue to evolve with the communities they serve. There are some high profile speakers, including broadcaster, academic and author, Waleed Aly and actor and comedian Magda Szubanski. Other speakers bringing their valuable perspectives include Holly Ransom, intergenerational economics expert, and Celeste Liddle, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Indigenous Organiser for the National Tertiary Student Union. More information, including an in-depth programme, can be viewed at Communities in Control.

These events, along with others throughout the year, are a worthwhile investment of time and resources as they facilitate keeping on top of necessary skills and brushing up on topics that are useful to successfully running an NFP organisation.

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