It takes quite a bit to plan and execute a nonprofit occasion. From getting began with goal-setting and budgeting via organizing and selling your occasion expertise and at last internet hosting and interesting with donors, there’s quite a bit to juggle. Fortunately, the appropriate fundraising occasion software program could make organizing an impactful occasion a breeze.

However even the software program shopping for course of could be overwhelming when you don’t know what you’re in search of. That’s the place this useful information turns out to be useful!

Right here, we’ll cowl every part you should learn about occasion fundraising instruments, together with:

At Double the Donation, we’ve labored with many various suppliers within the house, and we gathered a few of our high suggestions for selecting the perfect fundraising occasion software program on your crew. In the long run, these practices ought to assist information your decision-making course of as you proceed to develop your excellent toolkit of nonprofit expertise.

To not point out, you’ll be all set to get began with optimum fundraising occasions with the appropriate instruments to energy your efforts. Let’s start!

Why Spend money on Fundraising Occasion Software program?

Fundraising occasion software program is a essential part of any group’s totally built-out tech stack. In any case, a good portion of many nonprofits’ total income is collected via participating fundraising occasions. And the appropriate instruments could make organizing and internet hosting as simple and efficient as ever. Meaning extra of your crew’s time could be reallocated to different mission-valuable actions!

To not point out, increasingly fundraising occasions are involving more and more technical points. Digital and hybrid occasions have gotten all the trend. Even in-person gatherings have gotten depending on behind-the-scenes software program and user-facing expertise to run easily and elevate the occasion expertise.

Thus, in case your group is trying to develop or optimize your occasion fundraising technique, investing in the appropriate instruments to energy your efforts is important.

Options to Take into account For Your Fundraising Occasion Software program

The time period “fundraising occasion software program” can embody a whole lot of completely different sorts of instruments. And every one presents key advantages to your group, the occasions you manage, and the people who help your efforts.

Let’s discover a number of of those key features.

(Prime tip: As you stroll via the next varieties of options and performance generally related to nonprofit occasion software program, needless to say you might have to prioritize choices so as of significance. Take into account flagging components as “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.”)

On-line Occasion Pages

With a purpose to pull off an efficient occasion, it’s essential that your supporters are conscious of the chance. And the most effective methods to unfold the phrase about upcoming occasions includes participating on-line occasion pages or microsites.

Right here’s what this occasion software program performance ought to embrace:

• Pre-built and customizable internet web page templates;
• Touchdown web page and microsite choices.
• Personalised branding that matches your group’s present supplies;
• Cell-optimized pages which might be simple to make use of on screens of all sizes and styles;
• Search engine marketing and accessibility instruments;
• The power to embed a corporate matching gift search tool that uncovers match-eligible donations.

Ticketing Companies

Be sure your crew and your attendees are ready on your occasion with intuitive ticketing performance. Take into account these key options:

• Straightforward-to-use on-line ticketing varieties;
• Free and paid ticket purchases for in-person and digital occasions;
• On-line RSVP administration and automatic receipting;
• Customizable questions, equivalent to meal preferences and t-shirt sizes;
• A number of ticketing tiers and packages.

Cost & Donation Processing

No matter whether or not you’re internet hosting free or paid occasions, it’s important that your crew has the tools for processing payments from supporters. This could embrace:

• Accepting funds on-line and in-person;
• Leveraging a number of cost strategies;
• Processing payments for occasion tickets, merchandise, pledges, and extra;
• Gathering donations, along with ticketing and different gross sales;
• Selling matching presents all through the donation course of.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Functionality

Peer-to-peer fundraising and nonprofit occasions usually go hand-in-hand. A number of the most impactful social fundraising efforts cumulate in a ultimate occasion to drive engagement and rejoice success. Assume⁠—run/stroll/rides and different “a-thon” type occasions.

Listed below are a number of peer-to-peer fundraising options to contemplate in your seek for nonprofit occasion expertise:

• On-line occasion participant registration;
• Customizable participant fundraising pages;
• Gamification instruments, equivalent to fundraising thermometers, badges, and prizes;
• Donation and pledge processing and achievement.

Public sale Administration

Charity auctions are many nonprofit organizations’ most worthwhile fundraising occasions time and time once more. So in relation to occasion software program shopping for, it’s a good suggestion to maintain public sale instruments in thoughts. These usually embrace:

• Merchandise procurement and monitoring capabilities;
• Facilitation of dwell and silent in-person, digital, and hybrid public sale occasions;
• On-line and mobile bidding performance for attendees;
• Actual-time bid monitoring and different analytics.

Knowledge Reporting

Nonprofit occasions produce a whole lot of highly effective information. It’s vital to have the instruments you should gather, analyze, and leverage that data for the best outcomes! That’s the place an occasion software program’s information reporting performance is available in.

Take into account these key options:

• Occasion attendee supporter profiles to trace ongoing engagement;
• Budgeting and income instruments to find out ROI calculations;
• Actual-time occasion information reporting;
• Birds-eye view and in-depth choices.

Matching Reward Automation

Do you know that nearly 27 million individuals work for corporations that match presents? However roughly 78% of this group has no concept that their employers provide these packages?

That’s why growing consciousness of match alternatives is important⁠—and your occasion software program can assist! Matching present software program, or occasion fundraising software program with a devoted matching present part, ought to:

• Accumulate supporter employment information via e-mail area screening or with an built-in firm search device;
• Present donors and occasion attendees with employer-specific matching present pointers (eligibility standards, on-line varieties, and so forth.);
• Robotically comply with up with match-eligible or unknown donors post-engagement to remind people about matching alternatives and drive extra profitable matches to completion.

Organizations that improve matching present efforts by using high software program choices are inclined to see elevated occasions and different fundraising experiences. In lots of instances, it’s the equal of a two-for-one sale on charitable donations!

Sponsorships Administration

Corporate sponsorships play a key position within the success of nonprofit fundraising occasions, offering essential monetary help, in-kind donations, and promotional advantages. To maximise sponsorship income and streamline administration, nonprofits ought to leverage occasion fundraising software program with devoted sponsorship performance.

These instruments ought to:

• Observe sponsor outreach and commitments to make sure seamless communication and follow-up.
• Handle sponsorship tiers and advantages by organizing completely different sponsorship ranges and the perks related to every.
• Facilitate sponsorship agreements by storing contracts, monitoring deliverables, and automating reminders.
• Present branded recognition alternatives throughout occasion pages, ticketing platforms, and digital advertising and marketing supplies.
• Generate sponsorship impression reviews to reveal ROI and strengthen long-term partnerships.

Company Volunteer Performance

Greater than possible, your group’s occasions are going to depend on devoted volunteers to run easily and preserve environment friendly and cost-effective operations. And plenty of of those people may even qualify for volunteer incentives (equivalent to volunteer grants and paid volunteer day off) via their employers! For that purpose, equipping your crew with the appropriate corporate volunteer software is a should.

These sorts of instruments ought to:

• Accumulate employment data as supporters register for volunteer occasions;
• Display in opposition to a volunteer incentives database to uncover the alternatives;
• Present volunteers with company-specific directions and submission kind hyperlinks;
• Robotically comply with up with actionable, focused reminders.

Integrations

Increase your occasion software program’s attain with seamless integrations⁠—particularly with the instruments your group already makes use of on a day-to-day foundation.

Software program integrations primarily kind unified techniques between various platforms, permitting completely different instruments to talk to at least one one other. Due to this fact, integrating your occasion fundraising software program together with your group’s present fundraising options empowers your expertise to do extra with much less guide duties and configurations.

As you contemplate fundraising occasion software program integrations, this would possibly embrace:

• On-line donation instruments;
• Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms;
• Knowledge administration techniques;
• Company giving software program;
• Volunteer administration software program;
• Advertising and marketing and outreach options.

Choosing the appropriate occasion software program is a vital step in maximizing the success of your fundraising efforts. Whether or not you’re targeted on streamlining ticketing, optimizing donation processing, participating supporters via peer-to-peer fundraising, or enhancing company giving alternatives, the appropriate instruments could make a major impression.

By leveraging key options like matching present automation, company volunteer performance, information reporting, and extra, your group can unlock new income streams, strengthen donor and volunteer relationships, and finally drive higher occasion success. To not point out, seamless integrations guarantee your occasion software program works in concord together with your present fundraising and donor administration instruments.

The way to Make Your Fundraising Occasion Software program Selection

As you’re employed to slim down your occasion expertise choices, listed here are a number of greatest practices to bear in mind:

• Set a software program funds to information your shopping for choices. Among the best methods to slim down your out there choices is to enter the shopping for course of with a set funds in thoughts. This manner, you possibly can dedicate your time to the software program your group can afford. As you search for cost-effective options, remember to contemplate base value, startup prices, ongoing charges, expansions or add-ons, scalability, and extra.
• Take into account bundling occasion instruments with a complete fundraising platform. Whereas some occasion instruments are made out there in an à la carte or piecemeal format, others are supplied as a bundle in an total fundraising software program bundle. Within the latter situation, your event-specific expertise could also be built-in immediately with a web-based donation device, CRM, and extra for an all-in-one answer. Many organizations choose such a software program assortment for ease of use and seamless communication between platforms.
• Search software program with matching present performance. Past typical occasion software program options, one ingredient that may drastically enhance your crew’s fundraising efforts⁠—event-based and in any other case⁠—is matching present performance. Company matching presents allow many donors and occasion attendees to double their impression in your trigger. Fortunately, instruments like Double the Donation integrate with top event platforms to allow seamless match identification and automatic follow-ups.
• Request a demo to see potential instruments in motion. Earlier than you make your ultimate choices, it’s a good suggestion to request some demos. Many corporations can present entry to a pre-recorded video, although a dwell demo presents a extra personalised encounter. As you expertise the software program in motion, contemplate how the instruments will look from a consumer’s perspective⁠. And don’t be afraid to ask questions, both!

With the appropriate occasion software program in place, your nonprofit can create extra participating experiences, improve donor and volunteer participation, and amplify its fundraising impression for years to come back. It’s not one thing you wish to miss out on.

Ultimate Ideas

Within the latest previous, occasions of every kind have turn into more and more technology-based⁠—from progressive in-person components to digital and hybrid experiences. And it’s vital that your nonprofit has the instruments to maintain up with the instances!

As you look to revolutionize your group’s occasion choices with highly effective software program, we suggest exploring Double the Donation’s integration companions. Many of those top-of-the-line fundraising software program suppliers provide impactful instruments that may convey your occasion endeavors to the subsequent stage. Then, don’t overlook to issue matching presents into your technique, as effectively!

Need to be taught extra? Take a look at these different instructional assets to raise your group’s occasion, office giving, and total fundraising methods: