Organising your own fundraising event can be lots of fun, extremely rewarding and a great way to raise funds for animal free research! The first thing to do is to think about what you are already into and go from there. If you are a baking King or Queen, arrange a bake sale; if you love music, are in a band or know lots of musicians, organise a festival; if you want to celebrate a special event with lots of people, hold a dinner gala reception, the possibilities are endless! Check out our A-Z of fundraising ideas to get some inspiration.
There are lots of things to think about when organising an event and to follow our some top tips to help you. Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to provide a comprehensive guide to cover everything, so make sure you read keeping it safe and legal and let us know about your event so we can give you the best support possible.
Plan, plan, plan and plan again!
- Choose your date carefully and consider things like bank holidays, well known charity campaigns such as Red Nose Day, the Poppy Appeal and whatever else is happening in the local area on that day.
- Choose your theme and make it fun. Hold an ‘all you need is love’ themed disco or singles party on Valentines Day, or have a prize for the best dressed zombie and throw in some ghoulish games at Halloween.
- Write a timeline to help with your planning, both pre and post event .
- Identify your target audience, decide who you are going to invite and tailor it to them.
- Be clear on what type of event you are organising and how you are going to raise money. Will funds come from ticket sales, sponsors, raffles, alcohol sales, live auction, donations etc?
- Create a budget and stick to it. Remember to think about any costs that you may incur such as fees or expenses.
Keep it safe
- If you are holding your event on private or council owned land you will need to get permission from the site holder. You may also require a licence for your activities and you also need to think about health and safety and insurance which are covered in keeping it safe and legal
Planning done, time to book
- Have you asked the venue for a discount? Many venues offer a discounted rate for charity events.
- Once your venue is booked, make sure you confirm everything in writing.
- If you are using any suppliers or contractors, make sure that they are competent for the job and that you have read and double checked any contracts before signing. Always read the small print!
Get even more money!
- Ask local businesses to sponsor the event or donate prizes for it. Businesses often get involved with local fundraising so it’s always a good idea to ask them for help.
Get extra support
- Do you know a celebrity or think one might be interested in your event? Celebrities often attend charity events close to their hearts or if they can’t attend they might tweet about it and raise awareness about animal free research with their thousands or millions of followers!
- You could also ask your local MP or Mayor to make a personal appearance or present an award. Getting VIP support greatly increase your chances of media coverage and attendance.
Shout about your event
- Let us know about your event so we share it on our social media.
- Publicise your event on all of your social media; create an event on Facebook and invite all of your friends, family and colleagues.
- Tell your local newspaper about your event, they may run a story about it and include it in the papers events section.
- If you’re holding a large event please get in touch and we can help you with a press release.
- Contact your local radio and TV station as they may want to cover your event.
Thanking and banking
- After your event, make sure you thank everyone who helped you and was involved in organising the event.
- If you’re planning on doing more events for us you could organise a post-event breakfast meeting or pub lunch to evaluate your success.
- To pay the funds raised to us and to download a template poster for your event see our fundraising toolkit
Celebrate your success
- Share your photos with us on Twitter @AFR_UK so we can celebrate your event with all of our supporters.
Thank you so much for fundraising for us. Your donations will make a huge difference to humans and animals lives and we are incredibly grateful for your support! If you have any questions, please get in touch at hello@animalfreeresearchuk.org
