In the fundraising world, there is a definite major noticeable difference between the highly successful charities raising $100’s of $1,000’s of dollars, if not millions and those who either break even or raise very little. The difference is so large, it’s as if both are standing on different sides of the Grand Canyon.
The reason for the difference is based on these three criteria:
1. Time
2. Resources
3. Professional Fundraising Assistance vs. DIY Uneducated Fundraiser
Charity A – Successful
#1 – Time
A charity that has been established for many years has had ample chances to educate themselves on how to plan a successful fundraiser. They have gone through years of planning and executing their events. They have learned what works and what doesn’t. They have curated the right guests to attend and have had many years to educate everyone on the amazing work they are doing while showing social proof.
#2 – Resources
Over time, they have learned to build a fundraising infrastructure. They have created systems to identify high-level event sponsors and donors. They have procured a list of potential sponsors based on various surveys as well as being recognized in their community for the work they have done. Furthermore, they have held many fundraising events/galas and had time to educate their guests on how to spend and what their event entails. They have sought out Auction Item donors who can and do donate high-quality auction items for their live and silent auctions. They have learned from their guests in regard to what they like and will bid on.
#3 – Professional Fundraising Assistance
Routinely, successful charities will hire a “Director of Development” whose sole purpose is to plan, manage and run their upcoming fundraising activities such as Galas. These individuals are part of their paid staff and hired based on their professional experience as well as prior successes—they essentially hire their own Professional Fundraiser. The Executive Director of the charity knows that he/she does not have the time or knowhow to plan such an event; their focus is on handling the business of the charity and more importantly, its mission in the community in which it serves.
Charity B – Unsuccessful / DIY Uneducated Fundraiser
#1 – Time
A new or fledgling charity has not had the time to grow their base. Often they are solely volunteer-driven. They proudly proclaim “We are all volunteers,” meaning “We have no paid staff – our donations don’t pay salaries.” That statement in and of itself, unbeknownst to them, is actually detrimental to their success because it signals to other charities in the area that they aren’t competition. They haven’t had time to grow their base or to figure out how to plan a successful fundraising event. They haven’t learned what a successful fundraising event even looks like. Because they are volunteers, they do not have the time to devote their lives to the mission of the charity and how to raise more money.
#2 – Resources
Because they are “All Volunteers,” they don’t have the time to go out and meet potential sponsors and donors. They haven’t had the time to learn how to plan, manage, and host a successful fundraiser and often attempt to simply copy another fundraiser they saw from another similar charity. That is why these types of charities conduct “50/50” or “Money Wheel” raffles—which are not successful. They often rely solely on donated items, especially gift baskets for their auctions—because they haven’t had the time to evaluate whether those are effective. Often, after their fundraising events, they don’t even go back and study their event to see how to improve. Because they are “All Volunteers” living a full-time life, with a full-time job, with a full-time family and full-time commitments—they simply do not have the time needed to invest in the charity to help it grow.
#3 – DIY Uneducated Fundraiser
These charities are stuck because they have beliefs that greatly hinder their growth. Again, because they are “All Volunteer” (signaling that none of the funds raised go to pay salaries), they are against hiring a professional fundraiser—believing that if they pay someone to help with fundraising, it will take money away from their event, instead of increasing it. They do not have the time to educate themselves on successful fundraising trends, are not professional event planners, and do not know how to host a successful fundraising event. They falsely believe they can “Do It Yourself” and experience the same success as the much larger, more profitable charities. They have no clear direction planning the event—they guess on what to do next and what will help. They often focus only on the outcome of the event rather than the experience of the donor. They give away “Door Prizes” which local businesses donated to help raise money—but these are simply given away. They don’t understand event timelines, they make homemade flyers, and they don’t understand how important the venue is in appealing to major donors. They are simply guessing.
In Summary
The huge chasm between the highly profitable charities and the DIY Uneducated Fundraisers is rooted in the belief that “You must spend money to make money.” New or completely volunteer-driven charities must seek the help of a professional fundraiser—hired as a contractor—to help plan, execute, and teach them how to build a truly successful event.
Volunteer-led charities should not try to compete with larger, more experienced organizations or criticize them with comments like “Their Executive Director makes $100,000.00.” They don’t yet understand the importance of having a qualified professional in that role—and how much that person helps raise. Instead, they should focus on their own growth and mission—and seek help from a professional team like BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising. Contact BW today at 443.206.6121 or their website at www.BWUnlimited.com or by email at info@bwunlimited.com.
