How to Run a Fundraiser Dinner
Raising funds for charities and non-profit organizations is a continual process. The act of generating revenue can become taxing at times when one tries to come up with different avenues to pursue in order to raise money. One option for a fundraiser is a charity specific dinner. Organizing and running a fundraiser dinner takes pre-planning and a focus on details. The event should be planned well enough in advance to ensure that the maximum amount of people can and will attend.
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Things You'll Need
- Charity brochure and information
- List of interested donors
- List of past donors
- Event location information and menu items
Instructions
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Choose the level of fund raising you are aiming for. Use the organizations past performance in fund raising efforts to determine the amount of money you want to raise. Review past donation amounts to obtain an average amount received for donations. Keep this figure handy for planning purposes.
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2
Determine your budget for the event. Take in to consideration money needed for location rental, equipment rental, food, beverages, service staff, entertainment and decorations. Secure quotes and pricing from more than one vendor for each expense you will incur and make selections based on both pricing and quality.
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Reserve the venue for the event. Choose a location large enough to handle and host your anticipate number of attendees. Make sure to choose a location the suits your needs for dining and additional space.
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Send out invitations to potential attendees as soon as the date and base price for the event is established. Do this as soon as possible to gauge whether or not additional donors and attendees need to be invited to reach to the minimum number of attendees required to turn a profit.
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Contact local businesses and organizations and request donations for the dinner. Request items for a silent auction to be held during the fundraiser dinner to generate additional income.
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Contact local and regional bands, musicians and deejays. Find someone who will donate their services to the event to provide entertainment for free. Offer to allow them to promote their services while performing at the event. Keep venue size and location in mind when selecting an entertainer. For example, if the fundraiser dinner is in a small restaurant do not hire a large band, opt for a single musician.
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Make sure to collect all fees for the dinner when reservations are made. Keep a running log of reservations, monies received and expenses incurred. Allow attendees to make additional donations when they reserve a space at the dinner and continue requesting donations even from those not attending the event.
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Tips & Warnings
Start the process of planning a fundraiser as soon as possible to ensure the best pricing for expenses incurred will be obtained.
Do not solicit or raise funds for a charity that does not exist.
