Giving helps getting. Increasing your reach through donations.

Creating, marketing and managing events are as much art as science.  Today’s event professional is a mixture of 1 part technologist, 1 part marketer, 1 part creative and for some, 1 part salesperson.  They have goals to hit and metrics to live by. 

Whether you are an event professional or a volunteer for an organization planning their marquee fundraising event for the season, your challenge is to get people to commit.  Getting an audience is a full-time commitment of your marketing and technology wits and knowledge.  But, how can you maximize your efforts and still hit goals even if ticket sales metrics are not achieved?

Answer:  Add a donation component.  People are generally open to a good cause.  It’s knitted into the fabric of our culture.  Many events today are part of the fundraising culture that has emerged as an integral component to audience acquisition.  With tough economic times, charitable giving continues to climb for certain categories.  According to Eileen Heisman, president of the National Philanthropic Trust, giving in 2011 went up for education, international, environmental, animal and arts/culture/humanities categories. 

While we all want a full house for our next event, on the eve of the holiday season, time becomes the most valuable commodity to all of us.  So how do you still get someone’s attention that is “overcommitted” to a variety of events and activities?  Think about partnering with your favorite charity or cause as part of your event.  Why not leverage your heart and passion for this cause to assist in audience acquisition?  It’s win/win.  Your event gets the attention you require and your favorite charity is serviced with new donors and funds. 

Even if your event is not specifically charity centric you can still connect your organization or event to that charity easily and affectively.  (Birthday parties can add a donation option in lieu of gifts, your next dinner with friends could include a charity component for a pet adoption group).

1)      Choose technology that allows you to add a donation component to your event. 

2)      Customize your website and payment processing site to extend your brand and ensure a consistent look and feel between links.

3)      Make sure that the processing charges are within market acceptable standards so you maximize your donation. 

4)      Get your payments fast so you can send that check off to the charity quickly. Surprise them!

5)      “Toot your own horn” with a press or social media release thanking people for attending and especially for those whose generous donation was warmly received by your charity.

In the end, adding a donation component is smart marketing, great for audience commitment and most importantly, makes one feel great for participating in doing good works even when they cannot physically attend your event.  It can be your key differentiator for audience acquisition and mindshare and extend your brand and culture for all to see in a positive light. 

Joe Schum is a sales and marketing professional currently serving time in the exciting world of event marketing and management.  Follow him on twitter @SaysJoeSchum.