Organizing a Fundraising Conference
If twenty nonprofit organizations were presented before you and you were asked to choose just one to donate to, how would you choose?
Let me guess... you'd give to the one with which you had a common interest, correct? If you had a child with arthritis, you'd most likely give to the National Arthritis Foundation so your contribution could go toward helping to find a cure for that particular disease.
People don't give just because an organization has needs, they give most often to organizations that meet their needs.
So the question is, as a school, how do you meet the needs of those most likely to donate to your organization?
Hosting a one or two-day informational conference is one way to do just that. It can also put your organization on the map and in their constant radar. Let me explain how by giving you a very specific example.
This past weekend I attended a Cochlear Implant Conference in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The Conference included one and a half days of hour-long informational lectures for parents, teachers, and anyone else interested in obtaining the latest information on cochlear implants.
This conference has carved out a particular niche and become so popular because it has met a particular need of its supporters. How has it done this?
Information They Want & Need First and foremost the conference offers valuable information. It's a central place where people know they can hear about, see, and even try out the latest technology, discuss the most effective teaching techniques, hear from surgeons, and much more.
All of the lectures are given by volunteers - volunteers who are experts in their field. This may include a surgeon, a psychologist, engineers who manufacture the technology, and even the users of the cochlear implant who give feedback based on personal experience.
Same Time & Place This conference takes place every two years at the end of June, at the same location, and is hosted by the same nonprofit organization. Because of this, those individuals with an interest in cochlear implants know exactly where they will go to obtain the latest information and see the latest technology and they mark their calendars two years in advance.
Same Format The conference always follows the same format. Saturday is a full day of hour-long lectures, with 20-minute breaks between each set of lectures. Sunday is similar to Saturday but only runs for half the day. Lunch is included each day.
Several Topics Four to five lectures on different topics are taking place simultaneously each hour so that attendees can choose a topic that best interests them.
Informational Exhibits Exhibit tables are set up throughout the weekend in the lobby so that attendees can speak to representatives from the companies with products and services related to the topics of discussion. These exhibitors are also event sponsors.
It's important that these exhibit tables offer information relative to the conference topics and are not generic vendors. This goes back to the idea that people are supporting your organization because it meets their needs, so don't use this as a time to hard-sell to them.
Guest Speakers Finally, this conference has an inspirational guest speaker that presents as the first opening lecture on Saturday. There are no other lectures offered during this time-slot so that everyone can attend. This year the guest speaker was Curtis Brown, a deaf major league baseball player.
So how do you turn this conference into a school fundraiser?
Follow the Format Design a conference using a similar format as that mentioned above.
Choose a Topic Choose a main topic of discussion that can have many different threads to appeal to a wide variety of people. Following are a three examples of broad conference topics and a some examples of individual lectures for each.
CHILDREN & FAMILY – School-related issues at every grade level.
- Kindergarten (K Teacher) – transitioning from part-time preschool to full-time kindergarten.
- Public vs. Private (Guidance Counselor) – Is there a difference now and later on in life? Discuss different types of programs available in your region.
- Special Education (SPED Director) – Understanding the IEP process.
- Special Education (SPED Chairperson) - What services are available now and at the college level?
- Middle School (Psychologist) – What issues is my child dealing with now?
- College Prep (College Admissions Rep.) – When to begin looking at colleges. How to research them. How to complete a college application.
- Military – Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines. Is one of these the right choice for me?
BUSINESS IN THIS MARKET – Work-related issues and how to survive and thrive in a changing economy.
- Riding the Wave – Understanding past slides in the economy in order to predict future changes.
- Expanding Your Skill Set – How to take the skills you have and adjust them to a changing economy.
- Technology Update – What's the latest and greatest technology available.
- Databases 101 – Using a database to build your business.
- Marketing – Who makes up the market for your business what's the best way to reach them?
- Management – How to be a great leader.
CRASH COURSES! - An entire weekend of crash courses in everything from decorating to dog-walking.
- Decorating – Design your dream room in 60 minutes.
- Plumbing – Learn how to fix a clogged drain.
- Tiling – Learn how to tile a backsplash.
- Court Reporting – An introduction to the keyboard.
- Microsoft Publisher – Be your own graphic designer.
- Microsoft Powerpoint – Learn to create professional presentations.
- Legal – How to write a Will.
- Health – What to eat and not eat for a healthy lifestyle.
- Crochet – Learn to crochet a scarf
- Landscaping – Tips to achieve a polished yard.
- Publishing – How to get a book published.
- Inventing – How to bring a product to market.
This list of individual lectures under each of these broader topics can go on and on. If you're having difficulty, simply ask the people that you would hope to attend your conference exactly what they'd like to hear discussed.
Reserve a Location A school already has the perfect set-up for multiple lectures. Each lecture can take place in a separate classroom and they may already have enough overhead projectors available if the lecturer needs them to present.
Reserve the Lecturers All lecturers should be (non-paid) volunteers. Business owners should be willing to lecture in exchange for being able to hand out their business cards and having their name and business name printed in the program book. College and military representatives will likely be willing to lecture to potential recruits because it makes good advertising sense.
Obtain Event Sponsors Getting sponsors for this type of event should be fairly easy if you set the parameters that the sponsors must be relative to the information presented at the conference. Allow each sponsor to set up an exhibit table in the lobby for the duration of the conference.
Market & Sell Your Conference Advertise, advertise, advertise. Get the word out to families, businesses, and retirement homes not only in your own town, but also in surrounding towns. Charge a fee to attend the conference. The fee should cover any expenses and include a nice profit for your organization.
If this is your first year offering the conference, keep the fee reasonably low. Make the luncheon an optional, separate expense.
Print a Program Book Aside from advertising, one of your main expenses will be printing the program book. You'll need to have all lectures listed along with their times. Once a person pays for the conference, this can be emailed to them as an Adobe .pdf file, but they should also receive a printed copy upon arrival.
Be Professional Finally, present your organization in a professional manner. Be serious about what you've organized so that your attendees take you seriously.
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