Corporate fundraising is on the rise! From charity socials to sponsored team-building days, many companies are taking the opportunity to give something back and spread awareness of important causes.
At our hotel in Malvern, we’ve put on a number of charity events, so we understand that organising one isn’t always a walk in the park!
From planning activities to enticing your audience, there is a lot to consider and sometimes, this can feel overwhelming.
To help settle your nerves and put your mind at ease, we’ve created a handy article which covers everything you need to know when planning a charity fundraiser.
Read on to find out more…
Choosing a Charity
Before you start planning your corporate fundraiser, you need to pick a charity!
You may already have a charity in mind but, if you don’t, it’s essential to think about the types of causes that your business wants to support. When choosing a charity, it can be useful to ask yourself the following questions:
Is there a cause close to your company’s heart or that aligns with your company’s values?
Do you want to support a local charity or a larger charity organisation?
What do your staff think? Is there a specific charity that a number of your staff are interested in supporting?
As well as asking these questions, it’s vital to remember that, by fundraising for your chosen charity, you are representing them. Not only do you need to ensure that you have the charity’s best interests in mind but you also need to be aware of any legal requirements that may apply.
To find out more about your obligations as a commercial business, take a look at this UK government guide to charity fundraising.
If you are still unclear about what might be involved, the best thing to do is to talk to your prospective charity. That way, they can give you an idea of what to expect from your commercial fundraising agreement.
Charity Event Ideas
Once you’ve selected your chosen charity, it’s time for the fun part – deciding how you’re going to fundraise! When picking an event or activity, you need to work out what will be most practical for your business.
If you’re a hospitality business and you happen to have a large function room or event space, you might consider a charity disco or fundraising ball. However, if you’re a smaller company, a sponsored walk or charity team-building day may work better for you.
Here are a few more ideas to get you inspired:
Company Bake-Off: Invite staff to channel their inner Mary Berry with a company bake-off. After all goods have been consumed, ask your staff members to vote on their favourite baked treat!
Company Talent Show: Unleash hidden talents with an office talent show. If you want to up the comedy factor, why not ask team members to pick a talent out of a hat? While your staff may not be natural singers, magicians or jugglers – it’s always amusing to see people try!
Company Quiz Night: Get your team’s competitive juices flowing with a night of trivia. As a bonus round, you could include questions that are company specific e.g. “how many vowels are in our company name?” or “what colour is the office coffee machine?”
Company Kayak: Take to the waters and race your way to the finish. For an additional challenge, why not see which team can get into their kayak the fastest?
How to Formulate Your Fundraising Plan
When it comes to your fundraising plan, your key considerations should be:
Fundraising Goals: Think about how much money you are hoping to collect for your designated charity. To get an idea of how much you could raise, reach out to your charity or research similar past events. This way you’ll have a more realistic expectation of what your business could achieve.
Event or Activity Budget: If you’re hosting an event outside of your commercial premises, you’ll need to factor in the cost of venue hire, activities and catering. Some venues will offer event packages or deals which are well worth exploring.
Remember to always leave some money in the pot for unexpected costs. You don’t want to be caught out at the last minute!
Time Frame: As well as planning a date for your fundraiser, you’ll need to think about how much time you have to get prepared. In the weeks leading up to the event, not only will you need to have all of your arrangements in place, but you’ll also need to promote it! So, allow enough time to raise awareness and collect donations.
If you want to maximise the fundraising potential of your event, you could consider accepting donations both before and after the event has passed.
Participants: Whether you’re planning an activity day or hosting a party, you’ll need to know how many people will be involved. Make a list of all participants along with any potential plus ones so that you know how to budget accordingly.
How to Sell Tickets for a Charity Event
If you’re planning a ticketed charity event such as a disco or charity ball, then you’re going to need to sell tickets! Nowadays there are many online ticketing websites available but it’s important to opt for a reputable company.
Our favourite picks are Eventbrite and Ticketmaster. Both of these ticketing websites can be linked to your social media accounts which can be very handy when setting up a Facebook event.
If you’re looking to save money on fees, you could consider selling tickets in person. However, it’s crucial to be aware that you may significantly limit your audience in doing so.
How to Collect Online Donations
Before you get started with collections, speak to your chosen charity to find out if they already have an online donation system in place.
If you would prefer to collect the donations yourself, there are a number of ways you can do so online.
Here are the most popular online donation methods:
JustGiving is a charity donation website that is perfect for corporate fundraising. The site offers a simple fundraising form that is very easy to set up and they do not charge a platform fee.
GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform which has recently grown in popularity. Once again, the company does not charge a platform fee, however, there can be small transaction fees which vary from country to country.
How to Entice Your Audience
As we mentioned earlier, you need to promote your corporate fundraising event!
When marketing your event online, take advantage of your social media platforms to attract donations and build up excitement. If you’re creating posters or graphics, make sure they stand out! Bold, colourful text and exciting imagery are surefire ways to get your message across.
When creating digital images, ensure that you consult with your charity to find out if they have any requirements for branding. It might be that they ask you to use their charity logo but want you to use a specific version of it. Or, they may have strict guidelines on brand colours, meaning that you can’t alter or adapt their imagery.
Lastly, don’t forget to tag your charity in your promotional posts! The aim is to spread awareness as much as possible so, including a website link or a social tag, helps your audience to understand what your charity is all about.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility?
Organising a charity fundraiser is a great way to fulfil your corporate social responsibility.
But what IS corporate social responsibility?
Gov.uk defines corporate social responsibility as “the responsibility of an organisation for the impacts of its decisions on society and the environment above and beyond its legal obligations, through transparent and ethical behaviour.”
Put in simple terms, corporate social responsibility is the steps that your business takes to better society and the environment. This could include; charity work, volunteering or sustainable business practices.
By fulfilling these responsibilities, not only will you be helping to support important causes, but you can also expect to increase customer loyalty, improve staff satisfaction and achieve a more positive brand image.
Corporate Fundraising at The Mount Pleasant Hotel
If you’re planning to hold a charity event for your company, why not get in touch with The Mount Pleasant Hotel? Our friendly Malvern Hotel is the perfect place to host a corporate charity day or team-building event.
With multiple function rooms and an award-winning restaurant on-site, we can provide quality catering, accommodation and equipment to meet all of your event needs.