How to Guides:
Getting "Event Sponsors" to pay up afterwards
Running a sponsored event is only half the battle. Collecting the sponsorship money is the other half, and it can be quite disappointing to see many pledges not eventuate into real money. Here’s a few tips that should help reduce the hard work involved in sponsorship collection – and reduce the ‘bad debts’. Most of them revolve around the use of technology.
Key Points:
• Have a definite and achievable target. Something concrete like a new computer.
• Make it fun. Create a theme that the participants and supporters can enjoy.
• Get sponsors to pledge a fixed amount – pre-schoolers especially are variable performers!
• Get sponsors to pay at the time of sign up – especially if they’ve pledged a fixed amount.
• Engage people in the process - provide evidence of participation & success
• Inform them afterwards of the success of the venture – show them the new equipment etc
• Thank them
Use technology – it works!
• Get people’s email addresses/cellphone address books too so that they can easily be reminded of the
event/payment. This is much easier than calling/door knocking.
• You could have all email contact/reminders managed by one person to ensure follow ups happen.
• Don’t just ‘door knock’ locally, get your participants to use their email lists.
• Take photos at the event to provide evidence. Create stories around them (like a theme) to make it fun.
• Use social networking sites such as Facebook to promote your event to supporters, they’ll see the results and be more likely to pay up. Or send emails with photos.
• Provide a bank account for people to transfer funds to via internet banking.
Oli’s mum trawled her cellphone and email list for likely targets to sponsor Oli’s efforts: grandparents, other relatives, family friends, even business colleagues. She told people of the event and what it was raising money for (new stereo and waterplay table). And, knowing that 4 year olds are completely unpredictable on the day, asked everyone for a fixed amount pledge. $84 was pledged.
Oli’s bike was dressed up as a horse & he as a knight – ‘Sir Oli’. His mum took photos & afterwards put three of them into a powerpoint slide with a story about Sir Oli & his trusty steed doing the deed. She emailed this, along with an account number for payments. Only one follow up was required, and several people paid more than they’d pledged, because they enjoyed the story so much.
CASE STUDY:
First Stop for NZ Fundraisers
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