Organising a fundraising event is a lot of work. More often than not, the workload is too much for a single person to handle. If you are overloaded with different event management assignments, you should definitely consider delegating your tasks.
Working long hours can damage your health, plus you won’t be as effective as you would be if you shared the workload among several people. But delegating your tasks will only work if you choose the right people for the job.
Here are a few questions every event planner should answer to ensure that all the assignments are delegated to capable individuals.
Who’s in Charge?
Sometimes fundraising events gather hundreds of volunteers and staff members that are in charge of everything – from serving foods and drinks to entertaining the guests, organising raffles, auctions and so on. It’s hard to keep up with what all of them are doing, which is why you should make sure to split everybody into teams and establish team leaders. According to research, it’s best to split them into teams of 5 to 12 and establish a team leader for every team.
But, whom to pick as a team leader? These team leaders have to emit authority and determination. Also, they have to have excellent logistics skills to ensure that everything runs smoothly. For a team leader, it’s important to think fast and solve the problems that can appear.
You can always do a little test to determine which people will be the best team leaders. Ask them to quickly solve certain problems that often happen on charity events, and see what they come up with. These team leaders will be in charge of many people on the floor, so make sure you choose wisely, otherwise you will have a complete mess on your hands.
Who’s Greeting the Guests?
The person meeting and greeting the guest is the first person your donors will see when they enter the fundraiser. The success of the fundraiser and the amount of money that people donate will in many ways depend on the first impression your organisation leaves on the guests. That’s why it’s important to choose the right person for the job. When interviewing potential candidates, pay attention to the talkative people with a friendly tone of voice and helpful attitude.
They are the ones that will represent your organisation the way it should be represented. However, a great attitude won’t be enough. Meet-and-greet staff members will have to provide concise and clear directional and other information to guests, which is why they’ll have to be well informed about the venue, the food, the entertainment and everything else your guests may need before the event starts.
Who’s Doing the Speeches?
For speaking at the event, its best to find a person who is experienced at performing in front of big crowds. That’s why many fundraisers book a celebrity for their events. Many celebrities like to support various goals and would be honoured to participate in an event that echoes their values. There’s a variety of local, regional and national celebrities to pick from – from business personas and politicians to professional athletes and actors.
But don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Experts say that your chances of finding a celebrity that will speak for free increase drastically if you create a list of 3 to 5 celebrities, and then try to reach them one by one until one of them agrees to participate in your event. Celebrities are not afraid to talk in front of large crowds of people and people love to hang out with celebrities, which is why a celebrity figure is the perfect option for this job.
Who’s in Charge of Online Donations?
Your celebrity host can help you host a charity auction, but if you have your mind sent on organising a mobile-friendly silent auction, you are going to need a tech-savvy staff member at your fundraiser.
Tech savvy people can help donors at the fundraisers with all kinds of technology requirements – whether it’s online donations, online silent auctions or donating via the designated site. For this job, you’ll need someone who not only knows what to do, but also knows how to explain the process to others in simple, understandable language.
Bonus Tip:
Whenever you can, try to use volunteers for these assignments. Volunteers can save your organisation up to £2M a year, so make sure you play your cards right and find people who are willing to help you out for free.
Some events include thousands of volunteers and staff members. So you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for some help. By making sure that everybody is doing the jobs that they are actually good at, you will make the event more of a success. Also, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of the pros, especially if you are trying to pull off something more elaborate.
You will be judged on every detail, so make sure that things run smoothly if you hope to make a good impression.
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