How to run a FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN Part 3

What Will Motivate Support for Your Issue or Organization?

Every organization needs support to be a success and fundraising is no exception. One of the most important factors in motivating support is how you present - or market - the need. If a need is presented as something that touches the person's life in a personal way, then that is a strong motivating factor. If it is also presented as something that will fill the need or fix it, then that is good too, but it depends on what the need is.

As has been mentioned before, many people don't like to think that they are pouring funds into a black hole that will never fill. That is, that the need will always exist no matter how much is given to support it. They prefer to think that their contribution will play a part in becoming an answer to the problem, to the point that the need may be filled at some date in the future.

For instance, to take a simple example would you like to support a deprived, third world person all of their life - and remember they will have children who will also require support - or would you rather help them attain the means of supporting themselves? If a campaign for supporting third world persons is aimed at the latter, then many more people will be motivated to give to it.

Careful strategies must be applied to the fundraising advertising and media campaigns to motivate people in the correct way. Another important factor is emotional appeal, but for the ordinary raffle perhaps the biggest motivator is to have fantastic prizes.

While some people will be motivated to support your fundraiser simply because it is a good cause, most people like to have the chance to win something that they would never buy for themselves, usually because they can't afford it. That's why the trailer load of groceries - plus trailer- is such a good raffle prize. Other good prizes these days are trips away, even overnight or for the weekend. The location need not be exotic, but it does need to be somewhere else than local.

Cars and boats are also prizes that will have people snapping up tickets, but there are rules and regulations in each state to govern these kinds of prizes, so be sure you find out what they are before you start.

Finally, encouragement is a good motivator for your sellers. Pick a leader who knows how to keep in close personal contact with your team and encourage them to go their hardest.

How Will You Communicate Your Message?

A compelling message will communicate your ideals and goals not only to your helpers but also to the wider community from which will come your sponsors. Decisions are usually taken based on emotion rather than logic, so your message needs to appeal to the emotions and create a compelling reason why people should act and act now. In these busy days, you need to be able to present your goals in a clear and concise way that people can understand with a minimum of effort.

There are many ways to communicate your message in these days of modern technology. While a telephone or cell phone is essential, it is limited because you can only reach one person at a time with it. You have email with which you can keep everyone abreast of all developments and any changes that might occur. Email can be sent to a great many people all at once, if you have their email addresses.

Snail mail has a part to play also, with real life addresses much easier to get hold of if you don't know a person's email address. You can certainly make use of newsletters, brochures, leaflets and flyers and if you can get visual aids to go in them, so much the better. Graphics play an important part of any message and most people will look at the picture before they read the words around it. If the picture interests them they will read on.

What about a website? The Internet is often under-used in this way. Once you have a website dedicated to your cause, it is simple matter to place the website address on all your communications. You could even have badges advertising it.

CDs and videos will also help get the message across. Many people who have no time to read can listen to a CD on their way to and from work. Visual learners much prefer to see something on a video than read about it. Those who work with computers would find it a simple matter to go to a website.

How you communicate your message may depend a great deal on your perceived target market. Students prefer email, but an older age group may rather receive snail mail. Not everyone has the time or the will to go to too much trouble to access your message, so make it as easy as possible. Try and communicate it in only one action. For instance if someone receives a letter asking him to go to a website, he may decide to put that off until there is more time - which never comes. Had the letter adequately explained the message, he would have no need to go to the website.

How to Attract Media Attention to Your Fundraiser

Every fundraiser will be the better for a spot - or big splash - of media attention. How to get media attention will need to start right back in that brainstorming session you have to find an unusual or innovative way of making money. While the local carwash may be of interest to those with dirty cars, it's hardly likely to be considered a juicy media piece.

On the other hand, if you can get a celebrity to do it for the first hour and maybe give away his autograph at the same time, then that is big news. It doesn't have to be a national film star of course; you may have a homegrown celebrity in your district that would help out. Otherwise, a popular or well-known businessman could lend your event a bit of weight and 'newsworthiness' in some way.

The first step is to write a media release and send it off to the local paper. In your press release, you need to state your mission and your goal, while making it all sound very exciting. But keep it professional at the same time. It should be no longer than one page, shorter if possible. Editors are usually short of space and time.

Don't just email it to 'the editor'. See if you can find out the name of the events editor and send it to him by name - by snail mail as well as email. A lone email can easily get lost amongst all the others. Don't forget to include your contact information in both, and an invitation for the press to attend the event. After about a week, follow up with a phone call if you haven't heard anything from the editor.

The local radio is also part of the media; so don't forget to alert them to your function. If you have several in the area, send the same kit to them all. With luck, you may be given a few free plugs, or offered an onsite live remote broadcast on the day, if it is considered newsworthy enough. And if you have a local television station, so much the better. They may decide to give you some attention, depending on their own needs of the day.

Online media attention is a good advertising too. PRWeb.com is a good place to start with free submissions, or for a nominal fee you can have your event on Yahoo News or other online news outlets. It's definitely worth looking into.

More to come in Part 4...