How to Promote a Charity Function

The success of your charity function depends on the variety of methods you will use in generating publicity. While well-established functions may need little else but word-of-mouth advertising to succeed, most functions will benefit from some well-placed newspaper and Internet ads and articles. Promoting your event doesn’t have to be costly, thanks in large part to the popularity of the Internet. You’ll be able to reach large numbers of your supporters without breaking your budget.

Things You'll Need

• Press releases
• Flyers
• Newsletter

Instructions

1. Use your organization’s contact list to inform your supporters. Send save-the-date emails to your entire list three months before the date. Reminders should be sent two weeks before the event and then again at one day before the event.

2. Time the printing of your company’s newsletter to coincide with your pre-event publicity push. Make sure that you can get the newsletter in your supporter’s hands several months before the event.

3. Appoint an event committee member to serve as the publicity chairperson for the event. All publicity efforts should be handled by this person in order to ensure that efforts are not duplicated.

4. Promote the event on your charity’s website or blog. If you have neither of these, it is easy and cheap to start a blog on either wordpress.com or blogger.com. Mention new details about the event at least once per week in the weeks leading up to the function. Be sure to include information about where and when the event will be held. If your members have blogs or websites, ask them to mention the function too.

5. Send press releases and PSAs to local newspapers and radio stations several weeks before the event. Be sure to include the five Ws and one H in the first paragraph – who, what, why, where, when and how. Make reminder calls or send reminder emails two days before the event. If you are not sure what newspapers serve your area, take a look at the US newspapers list in the Resources section.

6. Contact the planning or assignment editors at local TV stations one week before the function and ask that they consider covering your event. Make reminder calls one day before the event.

7. Make flyers on your computer and post them in local businesses. Ask everyone on the event committee to take flyers and post them around town.

8. Place ads in local newspapers if you can afford it. If your budget is tight, consider placing an ad in a weekly newspaper rather than a daily newspaper. Run the ad at least one week before the event takes place.

9. Invite a reporter at a local TV station to serve on your event committee. Often reporters will mention on air that they will be attending an event, giving you great free publicity.

10. Ask local celebrities or dignitaries to attend, and if they accept, ask if you can include this information in your publicity materials. A local sports figure or politician can be a big draw for a charity event.

Tips & Warnings

• Take plenty of photographs at the event to use for your post-publicity efforts and in advertising for next year’s function.

Resources

• WordPress website
• Blogger website
• US Newspaper list