In the current economic climate, fundraisers face a tough challenge: Trying to garner financial donations when donors simply don’t have as much to give.

And yet, that didn’t stop Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston from raising $1 million at its annual “In Party” silent auction fundraiser.

In a recent BizBash article, the hospital’s three secrets to success are revealed:

1. Keep it Simple. Organizers of the silent auction fundraiser moved away from overly elaborate decorations. Instead of expensive floral centerpieces, paper rectangles spanned each table, spelling out the party’s themes: innovation, inspiration and incredible care.

2. Reinforce the Cause. Event organizers also used the table centerpieces to constantly remind donors of their worthy cause. Every table included paper cards with detailed facts about the hospital programs affected by the event.

3. Make it Easy to Donate. Event organizers leveraged IML silent auction and pledge technology to streamline and simplify the bidding process. Guests were able to place bids from the comfort of their own seats. Plus, guests’ personal information was registered beforehand to make the bidding process even more convenient.

If you’re planning an upcoming silent auction fundraiser, implement these tips to ensure the current economic climate doesn’t stand in your way of raising funds.

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Silent Auction Fundraiser Raises $1 Million Despite Tough Economic Climate was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Large-scale events – from silent auctions to shareholder meetings – require careful planning, monetary resources and manpower. And a few tried-and-true tips for event planning don’t hurt, either.

In a recent podcast and whitepaper from promotional product retailer 4imprint, Paulette Wolf and Donielle Levine, authors of the book “Event Planning Made Easy,” offer what they consider the first and most important tip for successful event planning:

Establish the 5 “W’s” and 1 “How.”

One by one, those 6 elements include:

1. Who are the guests or attendees?

2. What is the event being planned?

3. Where will the event be held?

4. When is the event scheduled?

5. Why is the event being held—i.e., what’s the goal of the event?

6. How much is in the budget?

Of course, those steps are just the start. From there, the detailed work begins. We’ve come up with the next 6 “W” and “How” tips for event planning:

7. Who in my organization is willing and qualified to assist in the planning?

8. What channels should I use to promote the event?

9. Where can I find tools available to ensure full audience participation and interaction?

10. When should each planning milestone be reached leading up to the event?

11. Why did similar past events succeed or fail, and what lessons learned can be taken from those events?

12. How can I maximize fundraising ROI?

What tips for event planning would you add to the list?

12 Must-Read Tips for Event Planning was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Whether hosting a fundraising event for a school, church, non-profit organization or any other entity, certain planning requirements remain the same. In a recent post on The Fundraising Authority blog, several steps were identified to incorporate into planning. We’ve added to the list to create the 13 essential steps of any successful fundraising event.

1. Determine the event’s purpose. Is the goal to raise funds, gain publicity or develop a presence in a new market? In some cases, events have a combination of goals. For example, a charity dinner might be hosted to gain publicity for a non-profit organization, with a secondary purpose of raising funds.

2. Set a fundraising goal. The goal should be based on what the organization would like to net after accounting for all expenses. The event host committee, organization staff and key fundraisers can all help in determining this goal.

3. Plan for a budget. Budgets must encompass staffing, venue, food and drinks, entertainment, invitations, and security costs, among many other possible items. The most successful fundraising events also account for unexpected costs during budgeting.

4. Decide on a host committee. This group of donors, business leaders or celebrities can help an organization reach its fundraising goals by contributing funds and encouraging others to do the same. They may not be responsible for planning the event, but they’ll be vital to reaching fundraising goals.

5. Pinpoint the target audience. Determining who will be invited to the event will dictate much of the planning. For example, is the event geared toward a group of business leaders, parents of school children, families or other specific group?

6. Nail down event details. This includes choosing the location for the event, the food and drinks to be served, the required dress and special activities or entertainment for guests.

7. Ensure audience participation. A host of resources exist to help ensure maximum interaction among guests, including audience response text messaging systems or keypads with interactive quizzes.

8. Market the event to the target audience. Whether organizers choose to market the event through direct mail, telemarketing, word of mouth or via social networks, creating a marketing plan is critical. It may be helpful to think of the event as you would a product launch.

9. Create a procedure for ticket sales and donations. In addition to determining logistics like who will sell tickets and how they will be delivered, organizers should consider setting different contribution levels. For example, organizations could set a general ticket price for the actual event, and also offer a VIP level that would give attendees access to an additional reception.

10. Brainstorm ways to maximize fundraising. Successful fundraising events involve raising the highest amount of money possible. One way organizations can achieve this is through automated silent auction software. This technology allows guests to place instant bids during silent auctions directly from their seats.

11. Hold a quick event run-through. For all parties involved in running the event, organizers must ensure their roles and responsibilities are clearly communicated and understood. The larger the event, the more preparation needed.

12. Encourage audience participation. Audience participation is crucial for two reasons: First, it ensures all participants engage with one another and enjoy themselves. Second, the more audience interaction at an event, the more likely guests will be to donate funds. Discover how one high school was able to maximize donations at a fundraising event by soliciting audience response through electronic keypads.

13. Show appreciation to donors and participants. It’s important to keep all donors, vendors, staff and volunteers happy, so they will want to participate in future events. Saying “thanks,” even through simple notes, can go a long way.

Keeping these 13 steps in mind – whether planning a large or small affair – will ensure a successful fundraising event for all parties involved.

13 Essential Elements of Successful Fundraising Events was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

For charity organizations, a down economy presents a conundrum of sorts: the worse the economy, the greater the need for fundraising donations—and the greater the difficulty in securing them. When brainstorming fundraising ideas, it’s vital to consider how to maximize fundraising ROI.

But which fundraising ideas produce the best results? And which donor groups should be targeted to gain the most return?

Blogger Norman Olshansky, of non-profit consulting firm NFP Consulting Resources, presents some useful statistics to maximize fundraising (based on “Fund Raising: Evaluating and Managing the Fund Development Process” by James Greenfield) in a recent post.

In other words, to raise $1 through direct mailing general lists, you’d have to spend $1.15. But to raise $1 through soliciting major gifts, you’d only need to spend $0.05 to $0.10.

When you’re planning your next fundraiser, keep in mind which efforts produce the best results. Then brainstorm ways to maximize fundraising for the method you chose—whether that’s a direct mailing campaign or a gala.

For example, in October, Keep a Child Alive held its 2009 Black Ball to support children and families in Africa and India who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The fundraiser included such high-profile names as President Bill Clinton, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Sir Richard Branson. To maximize ROI and attendee participation, the group utilized a silent auction software system that allowed guests to pledge donations right from their seats.

The event experienced a 30% participation rate, compared with the less than 10% average participation rate of similar events. In the end, the Black Ball was able to generate more than $70,000!

What ideas do you have to maximize fundraising ROI?

Maximize Fundraising at Your Next Event was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

What better way to promote a cookbook and interact with readers than to offer them tasty dishes prepared by the actual chefs themselves?

Audience interaction is the recipe for success when it comes to the recent release of “Morton’s The Cookbook.” To commemorate the new cookbook, the legendary steakhouse is hosting book-signing receptions at more than 40 locations around the U.S.

But beyond just meeting the authors and obtaining an autographed copy, guests will be able to sample some of the cookbook’s recipes prepared by chefs from Morton’s and participate in a silent auction. All proceeds from the events benefit Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity that provides food to more than 25 million low-income Americans.

Combining Audience Interaction, Fundraising, Entertainment & Promotion
Morton’s has hit upon an idea that combines audience interaction, fundraising, entertainment and promotion. When planning your next event, ask yourself:

• Are guests interacting with one another and with my organization?

• Can my event be successful at fundraising?

• Are guests entertained?

• Does my event promote my organization?

Here are 5 ideas to ensure your next event, like Morton’s, combines all of these points:

1. Incorporate audience response keypads that allow your guests to place instant bids right from their seats.

2. Offer your guests interactive quizzes to create a lively, fun and even competitive atmosphere. You could even customize a quiz so the questions focus on your organization.

3. Incorporate audience response systems that are branded for your organization. Display your company’s logo on keypad screens and other devices.

4. Encourage audience interaction by allowing guests the ability to text message questions, thoughts and comments throughout the event to be shared with the group.

5. Inspire a little friendly competition with silent auction software and pledge technology that constantly updates guests with the highest current bids. Not only will you create excitement and interaction, you’ll also generate competitive bidding and increase the value of auction items.

Discover additional ideas on combining audience response, fundraising, entertainment and promotion at your next event.

Audience Interaction: The Recipe for Success for Cookbook Signing was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Photo Credit: Tiffany Oelfke

When you host a corporate meeting, fundraiser or silent auction, you risk rolling out a red carpet no different from any other in the eyes of your audience.  If you are renting out a conference center, in fact, you may be rolling out the exact same red carpet.

In helping thousands of organizations and non-profits host successful red-carpet events, audience response systems company IML has learned that audience interaction is key to a memorable gala or meeting.

Using our systems, organizations and non-profits have hosted red carpet events that have resonated so strongly, the shade of the red carpet transformed into a deeper shade of purple.

To share these successful purple carpet stories with you, and help you write some of your own, audience response systems company IML proudly launches our blog, “The Purple Carpet Event Blog.”

Concepts you find here will help you host successful red carpet events with topics including:

• Interactive voting solutions for efficient corporate meetings
• Creative ideas for exceptional fundraising dinners
• Profitable suggestions for silent auctions that exceed projections

We commit to ensuring the information you find on The Purple Carpet Experience will be invaluable as you plan your next event.

If you have questions or topics you would like to see in upcoming posts, please leave ideas below in the comments.

Audience Response Systems Transform Red-Carpet Events Into The Purple Carpet Experience was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com