$100,000 by the end of 2021.
That was our big goal last year for the Hello Seven Foundation, a non-profit we launched to support Black moms and non-binary parents by providing funds for life-saving and life-changing services before, during, and after childbirth.
And, in true Hello Seven style, we smashed that goal in just 30 days, raising over $143,000.
One big fundraising push that helped us pass our goal was our inaugural Holiday Dinner, hosted in December at the Rodgers Ranch.
Not only was this a super-memorable event for the donors who attended, it was also a very effective way to raise funds for the Foundation in a short amount of time.
If one of your 2022 goals is to raise money for a charity or non-profit, here are some tips on how you can create a fundraising event that will garner a lot of attention, raise a lot of money, and help a lot of people in need.
#1 - Make it easy.
Hosting a fundraising event can feel overwhelming, but there are ways you can make it easier for yourself and for your guests.
Ask yourself these questions:
How can I make it easy for folks to sign up for this event?
How can I make it easy to reach my fundraising goals?
How can I make the planning process as easy as possible?
For the Holiday Dinner, we created a very simple Typeform to accept donations and collect donor information. One ticket for the Dinner was equivalent to the cost of helping one Black mom in need.
We ran a couple of social media posts and sent a couple emails to promote the Dinner, and that was it.
We originally planned to sell enough tickets to fill one table, but we quickly sold out those spots and added another table!
When you make your mission and goal as clear and simple as possible, you’ll find people who want to support your cause.
#2 - Make use of what you already have.
Whatever your fundraising event might need — people, a venue, entertainment, refreshments — tap into the resources you already have.
Our Holiday Dinner planning team included Rachel’s husband, her personal chef, her best friend, and me, her Executive Assistant.
If she wanted to, she could have hired an event planning company to pull the whole thing off. Instead, she reached out to her circle of friends, family, and colleagues for help.
Rachel also used her own space, the Rodgers Ranch, as the venue for the Dinner — not only because it was more convenient and cost literally $0, but also because she wanted to create a more intimate atmosphere for our guests.
Whether you want to plan a 5-star dinner or a charity chess tournament for your fundraising event, reach out to the people in your circle.
Take stock of all the resources you already have access to, and figure out how you can make the most use of them.
#3 - Make it unforgettable.
Fundraising does NOT have to be boring. (I mean, even the word “fundraising” has “fun” in it!)
When Rachel downloaded her vision of the Holiday Dinner to me, she had some really out-of-the-box ideas. She wanted the entire experience to be luxe, classy, and memorable for all attendees.
Her vision included…
- The Poetry Fox — an amazing wordsmith that can take any word you give him, no matter how random, and turn it into a whole poem in a matter of minutes.
- A tour of the ranch for attendees — and not just any tour, a horse-drawn carriage tour.
- A 5-star, 4-course meal, paired with different types of wine, to the background music of a live cello player and violinist.
And we made it all happen!
Now, your fundraising event doesn’t have to be as elaborate as this. But the point is, bring the fun to your fundraising efforts.
Taking donations in tin cans gets the job done, but creating and delivering a unique experience gets potential donors even more excited to give.
Our Holiday Dinner helped us hit our target quicker than we expected — and now, we’re aiming to 10x our initial goal.
In 2022, we want to raise $1 million to support 1,000 Black moms and non-binary parents in need. We’ve got big plans for how we want to raise those funds, but two of our simplest ways is by inviting folks to:
1. Donate directly right here. No amount is too big or too small.
2. Share these social media graphics with your online audience to help us raise awareness.
We’re so excited for what 2022 has in store for the Hello Seven Foundation — and we can’t wait to see you host your very own fundraising event one day!
xo,
Bethany Edwards
Executive Assistant, Hello Seven
