How the internet has revolutionised event fundraising

Events have always played an important role in fundraising. Whether organised by the charity, an individual fundraiser or a third party, events have a unique way of bringing communities together and raising money at the same time.

In this blog, we look at some of the changes that have happened to event fundraising over the last few years.

Events can reach a wider audience now

In the past, the only people who could participate in fundraising events were the people who lived near enough to get there. Now, better technology means that location doesn't have to be a barrier anymore.

Here are just a few ways that charities can reach a wider audience in their fundraising events.

Invite supporters to take part in virtual events

Virtual events allow people to take part in events at a time that suits them, wherever they are in the world. For example, you could encourage participants to run a marathon over 30 days. Using technology, supporters record their miles by running around their own area, and this is uploaded to a central portal for the charity to verify that they have completed the challenge. A certificate can be emailed to the participant or medals can be sent by post.

Perfect for: Sports challenges, such as running and cycling events.

Popular with: Individual fundraisers who enjoy sport or want to get fit.

Complement events with technology

Events bring people together to share an experience. The only problem? It requires a group of people to all be in the same place at the same time. Depending on the event, it may be possible to use technology to remove some of the time and location barriers. For example, if a Christmas event involves a light switch-on, charities can now create virtual Christmas trees for supporters to light up with their own festive messages and donations at a time that suits them.

Perfect for: Community events that require audience participation, eg. switching on lights, hanging messages from a tree, planting flowers, etc.

Popular with: People who cannot attend but still want to support.

Broadcast events using livestreaming

Invite supporters to watch events from the comfort of their own homes when you use live video streaming technology, such as Facebook Live. You don't even need fancy equipment - a mobile phone and an internet connection is all you need to get started and reach more people.

Perfect for: Performances, conferences and concerts.

Popular with: People who cannot attend events due to location or time.

Events can raise more money now

One of the other great things about the internet is that it allows people to raise money online.

Better for the charity

• No more keeping fingers crossed hoping that people are actually raising money - Charities can keep track of how many fundraising pages have been created and keep an eye on their progress.
• No more waiting for paper sponsorship forms to be posted in - Sometimes the forms used to arrive several months after an event. Sometimes they never arrived at all.
• No more endless administration - Processing lots of cheques and adding records to a database takes a long time.

Better for supporters

• Easier to ask - People can use their social media profiles to share their fundraising pages. That's a lot easier than knocking on neighbour's doors or separately asking friends.
• Easier to give - When someone chooses to sponsor the event participant, they don't need to be carrying any cash on them. They can use their cards and pay online instead.

Summary

Thanks to online technology, it's now possible for your fundraising events to be more inclusive and raise more money.