On this planet of peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising, success isn’t solely outlined by the day of the occasion itself. Whereas it’s tempting to spend all of your time fascinated about the occasion and creating new components to maintain it enjoyable and interesting (as an occasion geek myself, I get it), the reality is that the participant journey begins lengthy earlier than every participant arrives at your occasion and continues lengthy after the occasion is over. This journey is simply as vital to your occasion’s success as something you introduce on occasion day. From first impressions to closing remarks, each step issues.
Guarantee First Impressions Final
When contributors first hear about your occasion, they start forming opinions. Is that this fundraising occasion price their time? Is the registration course of simple? Do they really feel welcome and excited to lift cash to your mission after signing up? Your job is to ensure the reply to all these questions is a convincing “sure.”
It’s simple to think about registration and pre-event communications as set and overlook or automated processes — get individuals signed up, ship them a couple of emails and transfer on. However these are missed alternatives. A participant’s occasion expertise begins the second they register, and each touchpoint from that time ahead ought to be designed to construct anticipation and engagement.
The best way contributors really feel throughout these early interactions units the tone for his or her whole expertise. Properly-placed welcome emails, fundraising ideas tailor-made to their wants, motivating and provoking touchpoints, and clear directions make contributors really feel supported. And that’s the place you begin constructing loyalty.
Discover the ‘Enjoyable’ in Fundraising
Fundraising will be seen as essentially the most difficult a part of the participant journey, and it occurs lengthy earlier than occasion day. Supporting your contributors throughout this part is not going to solely elevate extra money to your mission, but in addition provide the alternative to get to know a number of your attendees. It will make assembly them on occasion day a lot sweeter.
A powerful communication technique that gives actionable ideas and celebrates milestones retains contributors engaged and energized. Nevertheless, if the instruments or communication miss the mark — like sending generic reminders to fundraise to contributors who’ve already hit their targets — it could really feel impersonal and irritating. Personalize your outreach as typically as potential.
Right here Comes Occasion Day
Occasion day is the end result of months of effort. It’s the second when contributors lastly see the affect of their onerous work. However it shouldn’t be the one focus of your occasion planning. The whole lot that leads as much as the massive day contributes to how contributors really feel once they arrive. If their journey main as much as the occasion was optimistic, they’ll be much more excited to expertise your occasion in individual.
Introducing new components can elevate your occasion or give your contributors a contemporary perspective. But when contributors had a irritating expertise with registration or fundraising, these components won’t be sufficient to maintain them coming again. Ensure that new event-day components complement — fairly than overwhelm — the expertise.
Individuals ought to really feel like all the things has been designed with them in thoughts. For instance, a brand new mission second or activation can construct camaraderie, however not if it’s disorganized or onerous to seek out. Is your occasion website simple to navigate? How does the movement really feel? Ensure that to brainstorm solutions to those questions when creating your new components.
Observe Up and Request Suggestions
Each occasion is a studying alternative, and suggestions is your greatest device for understanding how contributors expertise every stage of the journey. Sending post-event surveys and gathering suggestions from key stakeholders means that you can hear immediately from contributors about what labored and what didn’t. Use this perception to enhance future occasions and combine new components that actually improve the expertise.
The participant journey issues simply as a lot as any new event-day component you introduce. From first impressions to post-event follow-up, every touchpoint performs a vital position in shaping the participant’s expertise. By contemplating how new components match into your entire journey and making certain every stage is considerate and supportive, you’ll create an expertise that’s memorable, partaking, and will get contributors already fascinated about subsequent 12 months — this 12 months.
The previous submit was offered by a person unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed inside don’t immediately replicate the ideas or opinions of NonProfit PRO.
