Event fundraisers are popular because they work! The primary purpose of any event fundraiser is, of course, to raise money for the organization. The second most important reason is to raise awareness. Successful event fundraisers grow over the years—and a good event team looks back on what has worked and forward to the future. 

Since COVID-19 forced in-person gatherings to cease, there had to be another way to gather and continue Fundraising. Online event fundraising has been around for quite some time, and many groups have used online fundraising. But now, organizations that exclusively employed in-person events before the pandemic have had to adapt to socially-distanced events or online events. 

Another new kind of event is the Hybrid event. Hybrid is a very broad term used to describe the mix of online and in-person events. The good news is that both hybrid and online events flow nicely with each other and can be modified based on the needs and abilities of the organization.

It’s likely that event fundraisers will no longer be exclusively in person. To maximize the giving opportunities, more and more organizations will start to offer a hybrid component. In some cases, the entire event will be online without an in-person component. Both can be successful. To determine which is best for you, read through the fundraising activity options and choose those you have the staff, volunteers, and capability to promote. 

Hybrid Event Fundraiser

A hybrid event takes place both in person and online. The headcount in the physical room will be determined by local COVID-19 mandates—and, just as important, the audience tolerance level of public gathering. The party in the room could be similar to previous in-person events, with food, drink, and socializing. The fundraising part is where there will be some changes.

• Broadcasting the show. Employ an audiovisual strategy to broadcast the most important and exciting part of the party and stage show. As is the typical approach for virtual events, try to keep this 45 minutes. No one wants to watch others eat a meal or dance. They are tuning in to give and support the case. Make it worth their time.
• Fundraising before, during, and after. Fundraising for a hybrid event has a few more layers than an on-site party.
• Include an online Auction so that anyone can bid from anywhere. The more bids that come in, the higher the final income.
• VIP tickets and swag are desirable. Upsell in-the-room sales with VIP seats, drinks, and tables. Upsell virtual attendees with VIP swag boxes so they too can be part of the fun. Each of these provides a margin of income that adds to the final revenue.    

Online Only Event Fundraiser

An online event fundraiser takes place exclusively online. The benefit here is that there is usually little to no cost to attend, and the doors are open 24 hours a day. Additional benefits are that it may take less effort because you can focus exclusively on the fundraising and not be distracted with party planning. However, the trade-off is no in-person party or event with face-to-face socializing. But this does not make the fundraiser any less meaningful. Here are some strategies you can employ to keep your online fundraisers sharp:

• Use the event website to maximize the messaging and fundraising. The event website is your room, dance floor, and entertainment, so make it special. Take the time to brand or theme the website to match your organization’s tone and objectives.
• Provide multiple ways to give that are impactful to the individual. It may be in the form of bidding on auction items, making a merchandise purchase, raffle purchase, or a cash donation. Each person has their own personal philosophy as to how they want to give. Provide multiple options and, most importantly, make it easy to give.
• Adding in a live virtual event with an online event is also a consideration. It can be a short live program led by an emcee or auctioneer. Make the time purposeful with compelling and engaging content. Include speakers, testimonial videos, and some fun. At the virtual event you can auction off a few live auction items, pull a raffle, or spin a wheel. The paddle raise is one of the most lucrative portions of the virtual event.

Online Fundraising Elements

An online-only event fundraiser has no live or in-person event or activity. An online event may consist of:

• Auctions
• Donation campaigns
• Peer-2-peer giving campaigns
• Raffles
• Merchandise sales 

Each of these components can be its own fundraising event or combined for a more extensive fundraiser. 

Auctions

Auctions are great when your audience wants to “get something in return” for their donation. Auction items are mostly donated from local businesses and then auctioned off with an online auction platform. All the proceeds go directly back to the organization. Item donations are not limited to local companies, though. Many chains, sports teams, manufacturers, and national corporations may join in the giving. Check out this Mega Donation Pinterest board with over 200 pins to find inspiration for donation requests! 

Here is some more information about the different types of auctions:

• As the name suggests, an online auction happens exclusively online. It can occur in conjunction with a hybrid event where you want to offer the auction items to those in and out of the room. Using an online auction allows gala or party attendees to bid, as well as anyone outside the room.
• Silent auctions are typically an in-room activity.  Bidders can write their bid on a sheet of paper, and the highest bidder wins. This format allows for only those in the room to bid, limiting the activity to the gala or party attendees.
• Live auctions are conducted with an auctioneer and reserved for special auction items. It can happen as part of a hybrid auction, bringing in more bidders and higher bids. The live auction would need a broadcast feed and a platform with which to manage bids.

Donation Campaigns

Donation campaigns within an auction are highly recommended. There is a 1:1 ratio of an auction item to the winning bidder. The auction can only collect final bids from the highest bidder, so many supporters may bid those items to a higher level, but only one person wins. Most likely, those losing bidders still want to support the cause, so make this as easy as possible. Therefore, include easy-to-use buttons to make a financial donation. Make the increments something reflective of past contributions and tell the story at the same time. What exactly will those dollars support? Photos and videos showing how gifts will make a difference go a long way! 

Peer-2-Peer Giving Campaigns

Peer-2-Peer giving involves getting a known influencer to open their channel and audience to your cause. It sounds complicated—like you might need a superstar—but there are plenty of influencers in your orbit that are willing to help! You just have to ask and make it easy! You’re looking for a person with a different or unique (not necessarily completely different) network from yours. 

Tip: When you set up your online giving platform, provide as much content and information to your influencer as possible, like messaging, hashtags, images, and links. You might also ask the influencer to record a short video about why they choose to lend their voice.

Raffles

Raffles can be large or small, but both have the same purpose—to raise more money for the cause. Choose a prize and price point that will appeal to the audience. When selling a smaller raffle ticket (say $5-$10), be sure to offer a raffle bundle for a higher total sale. Jumbo raffles can be profitable as well—think a $1000 Airbnb voucher. Selling 100 tickets for $25 will yield a net $1500 in revenue, and the voucher provides a great incentive to philanthropic-minded people. Plus, if you can find a sponsor to purchase the voucher, all ticket sales will be profit. Raffles are a game of chance that some people, no matter what the cause, will open their wallets for on any given day. Be aware of your bylaws and local ordinances!

Merchandise Sales  

Supporters will purchase swag items, VIP services, and products when they know a portion of the proceeds will go back to a charity. Selling these items can work as a standalone activity, too.

Final Thoughts 

One of the most important parts of planning a virtual or hybrid event fundraiser is choosing what platform you’ll work through. Using a platform that can handle all types of event fundraising is ideal. It makes it easier to switch from one kind of event to another in case of an emergency, but it also means the platform can be used from year to year as the needs and wants change. Seek a product that is easy to use for the organization and your audience, and when choosing the format for your event, keep your audience and local COVID-19 guidelines in mind! 

About the Author

Laurie Hochman has a passion for helping groups exceed their fundraising goals. After using Auctria for many auction fundraisers, she joined the team to help others boost their auction fundraising for many wonderful causes. Auctria has helped 30,000 auction fundraisers bring in over $300M.  

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