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Who they are:
Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. The inspiration piece comes from community volunteers who not only deliver lessons to young students, but also share their professional experience.
In the process, these volunteers serve as role models helping positively shape young people’s perceptions about the importance of education, as well as critical life skills. To help students prepare for life outside of the classroom, Junior Achievement provides proven lessons that promote financial capability, work and career readiness, and business ownership.
What they did:
Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania held an event called “Celebrating Success,” which featured local business leaders who have made significant contributions to the economic and civic well-being of the Erie County region.
During the reception, the evening’s honorees were each awarded a customized plaque. This award was given to individuals who had shown strength and resilience and were a shining example of achievement within the community. At the event, all guests received one complimentary drink ticket followed by a cash bar.
Create an Informative Event Page
Junior Achievement designed their event form with all the information attendees needed to feel prepared for the event. This helps participants know exactly what to expect when arriving. For example, along with the address, they inserted an image with the exact location pinned to their event form so participants could see where the event was being held, nearby parking, and landmarks to look for when they got there. There is also a helpful map widget included on the event form which gives the attendee GPS directions from their current location to the event’s address.
Another awesome feature Junior Achievement of Western PA has incorporated on their event registration form is a donate button. This button allows event prospects to view all information about the celebration and gives people the option to make a gift directly to the cause. For example, if someone wants to attend the event, but can’t due to a conflict, the donor has the option to give directly to the organization in lieu of purchasing a ticket.
Promote their event on social media
Lastly, Junior Achievement of Western PA had excellent social media coverage leading up to the event. First, they created a Facebook post which announced when event registration opened, while also promoting the Facebook event page that was created for Celebrating Success.
Leading up to the event, they created a post that showcased the honorees that would be attending the event with a little snippet about what makes them special, and they also shared their registration link multiple times. Each post had a graphic attached to help spread the word about the event, boost engagement, and of course, get viewers excited for the event.
What you can do:
Incorporate Events into Your Year-Round Fundraising Plan
It’s important that you not only have a great, engaging event donation form to encourage one-time and monthly gifts but that you also include events that will engage your community and spread your mission to those that may not have otherwise heard about it. Adding a calendar widget to your event form helps remind supporters of your event to increase attendance. Designing a beautiful, branded event form will motivate others to attend your event as they get a good sense of what the event will be like. Taking care of your attendees is the best way to achieve your goal. Adding detailed directions and fun images to your event homepage is one of the best ways to make your donors feel valued. And of course, events like peer-to-peer fundraisers or galas with auctions can really help when it comes to hitting your fundraising goals!
Powerful Impact Statements
Donors want to feel loved and appreciated by the organization they give their gifts to, so include personal images on event donation forms, event registration forms, and on your social media platforms. This will help your supporters feel like they are a part of your mission. Making your event registration page user friendly, packed with as much information about the event as possible, will help you increase attendee numbers. Don’t forget, your event attendees and supporters want to feel engaged! When donors feel valued and prepared, they are more likely to give a gift to your cause and help support your mission.
Promote your event on social media
Think of social media as another way for more people to hear about your organization who may have not heard about it otherwise. Social media is a tool that is essential for organizations to utilize to help spread the word about all the exciting things your nonprofit is doing. From sharing exciting milestones, to sharing your organization’s unique culture, to promoting your events, social media can help get the word out about your organization and what it is doing to make your community great. Don’t stress too much over social media. It’s supposed to be a fun place where your supporters can stay up to date about all the things your nonprofit is doing, like events to attend and more.
Check out this on-demand webinar for an ultimate content guide, full of tips and tricks, to help your nonprofit organization level up their social media accounts to reach as many supporters as possible. The more you post on social media the greater the chance of spreading your organization’s mission to those who are interested in making a difference.
What’s Next?
Not a Qgiv client but want to learn more about online donation forms? Request a demo today or give us a call at 888.855.9595.
