Party Ideas for Nonprofits

Nonprofits depend on donations.

Nonprofit organizations spend every penny made toward achieving the goals of the company. The result is a lack of funding for extracurricular activities and causes, namely fundraisers and parties. To hold a successful party for a nonprofit, you'll need an arsenal of creative ideas and cheap ways of executing them.

Donor Appreciation

All nonprofit parties should show donor appreciation. This serves to build rapport with donors and bring in donations for the sake of the party. Advertise the name and logo of each donor, invite representatives from each donor company and give short announcements during the party, listing what each donor has done for the organization. Most importantly, explain to party guests how your nonprofit put the donations to use in the community.

Collecting Donations

To collect maximum donations, provide multiple ways for party guests to donate in small amounts. Ideas include a small, sliding-scale cover charge, sliding-scale donations that earn raffle tickets for a future raffle, donation buckets placed randomly throughout the party and the opportunity to bet on a fun contest during the party, such as an arm wrestling contest between representatives from donor companies.

Party Themes

Nonprofit party themes don't have to be constrained to donor appreciation alone. Incorporating an alternative theme, such as a costume party, dance party, or fundraiser for a specific cause rather than for the nonprofit in general. Your theme could be an outlet for raising funds, justifying a sliding-scale cover charge or providing an event such as a costume contest upon which guests can bet. Party themes also lend themselves to entertainment, making your nonprofit party more than a simple fundraiser and leaving guests feeling satisfied after spending their money.

Entertainment

Entertainment for a nonprofit should be as simple and enjoyable as any other party. To decide on a type of entertainment, think about your guest population. What age range are your guests? What kind of a lifestyle do most of your guests lead? Ask local bands or a local disc jockey to donate their time and talent, hold fundraising raffles with prizes that are relevant to your guests likes and interests, or play group games that your guests will enjoy.

References

• PartyIdeaPros.com: Non Profit Events
• Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog: Fundraising Event or Best Party in Town?
• Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog; Guest Post: Good Ideas Party