Planning and Tips
It can be quite overwhelming to plan a successful fundraising event so we've put together a simple guide that should help make planning your event easier and more fun for you.
Decide on what kind of event
It might sound obvious but the first thing you need to decide is what kind of event you want to hold. You might already have an idea of what you would like to do but if not take a look at our A to Z of Fundraising Ideas page to get some inspiration.
Don't forget you could also take an existing event and turn it into a fundraiser for Dove House Hospice, for example your local pub might already hold a Quiz Night to get the community together so you could approach the landlord and find out if you could turn it into a fundraising event too!
Often the simplest ideas raise the most money and are the most popular so you don't have to think of the newest most unique event to get involved with raising money.
Theme your event to set it out from the others - why not give your barbecue a Beach Party theme and decorate with palm trees and sand and ask your guests to dress accordingly!
Choose a date
- Choose a date that you would ideally like to have your event on and double check other local events, sporting fixtures (like the World Cup matches) and national events and holidays to make sure you are not clashing.
- At this stage it might be worth making a rough plan of how long you think it'll take you organise the event so you can ensure you have enough time before confirming the date.
- Be aware of the school holiday dates - you might want to ensure that your event is in the holidays or you might want to avoid them altogether.
- Consider the weather at the time of year of your event and have a plan just in case your Garden Party is on the only rainy day in July!
Find a venue
You might be holding your event at home or in your garden but if you're looking for a different venue here are some things to consider:
Is the venue big enough for the amount of people going? (check the maximum capacity for public venues)
Is it easily accessible? (find out about car parking and the nearest bus stop/train station)
Check the venue for wheelchair access.
Are there adequate facilities? (Is there a catering area if you need one/ will you need to hire portable toilets etc..)
Some venues are not covered by the necessary licenses for alcohol and music so look in to this (see our Safe and Legal page for additional help).
Make a guest list
- Your event may be a strictly invite only affair or you might open it up to the public for maximum support - either way keep your target audience in mind throughout the planning process.
- If your event is open to the public remember to advertise as much as possible - see our publicity page for more help on spreading the word about your event.
- For an open event you will need to decide, if applicable, whether to charge for entrance on the door or whether to sell tickets in advance. If you have a maximum capacity it's best to sell tickets so you can keep an eye on the numbers.
- Once you've worked out who you want to come to the event you can work out a ticket price/entrance fee that will cover your costs and raise as much as possible for the hospice.
Get a team together
Although you might be the main organiser of the event it is worth asking some friends, family members or colleagues for help with the planning. If someone is particularly good with computers why not ask them to design posters or if someone is a fantastic cook why not ask them to bake a cake for the event?
Work out how many helpers you might need on the day of the event and ask reliable people in advance to put it in their diaries.
Set a budget and a fundraising target
- Work out how much you are likely to need to spend and from there work out how much you need to charge per head to cover your costs. Remember to take into account advertising and printing fees, any licenses you might have to apply for and any equipment hire as well as food and venue costs.
- Set a fundraising target that you want to achieve and plan additional activities in order to reach/succeed this.
- Tell the people coming to the event about your target - sometimes knowing how much the target is makes people more generous!
Advertise, advertise, advertise!
If you don't tell anyone about your event no one will come so shout it from the roof tops!
Produce posters and leaflets, put up banners and signs, contact the local paper and radio and send emails.
We have put together a publicity page to help you with advertising your event - please click here to visit it.
Do your research
- Speak to lots of suppliers etc. in order to get the cheapest price before finalising the details.
- Ask friends, family and colleagues if they know anyone who can provide their services for free or for a reduced price.
- Contact local business, shops, pubs etc. to ask if they can donate a prize to be used at the event.
Have a Plan B
Even the most well organised events can sometimes go wrong so make sure you have a contingency plan in case the weather turns bad or the compère looses his voice. It's also worth having some additional money with you on the day in case you need to buy something at the last minute like you run out of raffle tickets or there's no washing up liquid!
Make sure it's safe and legal
It is important that your fundraising event remains within the law and the appropriate licenses and processes are sought and abided by. It is also essential that you and your guests are kept safe and that any risks are kept to a minimum. We have put together a page with more information and help on keeping your event safe and legal - please click here to visit it.
Make a check-list
It may be an obvious thing to do but compiling a check-list is a great way to ensure that you haven't forgotten to do anything. It is also worth putting together a list of contacts to circulate amongst the organisers in case someone is ill or a supplier hasn't arrived when expected. We have put together a sample of a possible check-list and it can be found by visiting our resources page.
Tell us about it
We love to hear about fundraising events and activities that are taking place in the local community so please do contact us if you have any queries or if you think we can help you at all. You can also register your event with us by clicking here and we will then add it to our upcoming events calendar and on any relevant promotional literature we produce in the run up to your event.
Gift Aid it
If anyone comes to your event and makes a stand alone donation (i.e. they aren't getting anything back for their money like a raffle ticket or entrance into the event) ask them to Gift Aid it. If the supporter pays tax in the UK then we can claim an additional 25% back from HMRC - this means that if someone donates £10 we could claim £2.50 back, making that donation total £12.50. For further information on Gift Aid please click here or to download a declaration form please visit our resources page.
It'll be alright on the night!
- Double check all your equipment, brief volunteers and ensure that all your helpers get some time for a break and refreshments throughout the event.
- Decorate the venue with Dove House Hospice balloons, banners and collection boxes (please contact us if you would like some of these).
- Say "Thank You" to all your supporters and helpers and if you get a chance try to announce how much you expect the event to have made.
- After all your hard work make sure you enjoy the event.
- Visit our after your event page for details on what to do with the money raised and ways to say thank you.