3 Easy Steps to Avoiding Fundraising Event Panic

Do Fundraising Events Freak You Out? 

If the answer is yes, you're not alone. This is especially true if your small development team is responsible for delivering registration infrastructure, providing event swag like localized tee shirts, trophies, medals, and other things that are typically ordered centrally, or your team does the heavy lifting on participant recruitment. 

While one-time, high profile events are high-stakes (and can be high-anxiety), peer-to-peer events in multiple locations tend to turn up the heat - more so when they are scattered across the calendar, rather than all in one day.

Generally, panic ensues about a month out from the event date. That's when everything needed for the day-of has to be ordered - and typically, there are a handful of field event managers that are either too new to know what needs doing or are simply not attuned to the timelines. In a lot of cases, you're ordering based on an educated guess of what will be needed, not what you actually have current data for. That alone is anxiety-inducing. 

But this article is about panic avoidance. So let's get right to it.

Step 1. Plan Ahead

So basic, so simple. "Of course!" you exclaim, "tell me something new!" Sorry. Nothing new here. It's really that simple - plan out every step of the process, from the date and location to when and how registration will be open, to all the interconnected pieces and parts that culminate on the day of the event. If this is an event that's been done before, whether you personally have been involved or not, review every piece of information you can get your hands on from the prior event. Assess participation, costs, hiccups, problems and how they were overcome. Then map out what needs to happen and when - and share that with all the stakeholders involved - along with who is responsible for what.

Step 2. Start Early

This is the twin sister of Step 1. If your organization had started the planning process for its events 6 months prior, move the start time to 8 or 9 months prior. There may be some elements that can occur a full year ahead of the next event, and probably should. Securing a venue and solidifying a date, at least verbally, should be done immediately following your current year's event. You can begin communicating with potential sponsors as soon as these elements are decided. Speaking of sponsors, most corporate sponsors need to earmark funds with each new budget year. If you did not make the cut this year, lobby them early for next year's event. And continue to communicate with them over the course of the year, engaging them as appropriate with your mission. This activity will pay off when it's time to ask for the check.

Step 3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Schedule stakeholder calls and meetings at the start of the planning stage, whether it's a year out or 8 months out. Everyone who has a responsibility in executing a flawless event should be present and understand their role - and regularly contribute their progress. It's amazing what incredibly good information surfaces when people share their successes and pain points. As the event gets closer, the cadence of the meetings should increase. For my team, we "meet" monthly until four weeks before the event, then it is every two weeks. This gives everyone the opportunity to revisit their event checklist, resolve any open issues, and get pumped for an amazing day. 

Nothing makes me happier, when the event is behind us and we're reflecting on our success, than hearing staff and colleagues say, "Gee, it seemed a lot less crazy this year, and we did so much better!"

Remember, Plan Ahead, Start Early, and Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. You, too, will hear the sweet sound of "That was so much better than before" when it's all over. 

Good luck!