Hosting Successful Virtual Fundraising Events: 5 Considerations

Modern life is more fast-paced than ever. In fact, according to a recent poll, 60% of American adults believe there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Many of your nonprofit’s donors likely feel the same. They may have every intention to support your cause, but life gets in the way.

That’s where virtual fundraising events come in—eliminating the need for your supporters to worry about travel, childcare, or mobility issues when attending. Plus, there are plenty of virtual event ideas to engage your community, from auctions to scavenger hunts.

With all of your attendees separated by screens, however, planning a seamless and engaging event experience is essential. Let’s walk through five considerations to set your next virtual fundraising event up for success.

1. Building a Virtual Event Toolkit

Before you can plan and execute a stand-out virtual event, you need reliable, comprehensive technology to facilitate it.

For example, if your nonprofit is planning a virtual auction, you might research online auction software with tools and features such as:

• Mobile bidding. Streamline the bidding process by allowing your attendees to view, track, and update their bids in real time from their smartphones. 
• Livestreaming. Capture the live excitement and broadcast your event in real time, helping attendees feel like part of the action. Many live-streaming platforms include chat features, enabling guests to connect with each other and find a sense of community from afar.
• Sponsorships. Integrating sponsorship features into your event software allows you to showcase partners prominently, offering them valuable exposure while helping you cut down on event costs and boost your fundraising potential.
• Payment processing. Efficient payment processing solutions are crucial for handling donations and bids quickly and securely, providing attendees with a hassle-free way to support your cause during the event.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to choose the right virtual event software—this decision involves setting a budget, reading reviews, and requesting demos. Take this opportunity to identify any additional tools that could enhance your event and streamline processes for your planning team, such as generative AI platforms to support marketing content creation.

2. Securing Corporate Sponsorships

According to 360MatchPro, corporate sponsorships are a mutually beneficial partnership between a company and a nonprofit. The company funds your event or project, and in exchange, your organization publicly recognizes the support on its website and other marketing materials.

Follow these best practices when securing sponsorships for your nonprofit:

• Research local businesses that align with your mission and values. Start by identifying local companies whose corporate social responsibility goals match your nonprofit’s mission. This alignment increases the chances of securing a sponsorship and fosters a long-term partnership that benefits both parties.
• Create virtual event sponsorship packages. Design tiered sponsorship packages that offer businesses different levels of visibility and benefits. These packages can include options like logo placement on event materials, mentions during the event, and featured content on social media platforms.
• Draft up a sponsorship agreement. Prepare a clear and detailed agreement that defines what each party can expect and gain from the partnership. It should detail the length of the sponsorship, ways your sponsor will be recognized, and all logistical aspects to ensure everyone understands their roles and contributions.

Beyond covering event costs, many companies are willing to provide volunteers and in-kind donations, such as auction items. These could include signed memorabilia from popular sports teams, exclusive experiences like private vineyard tours or cooking classes with renowned chefs, or high-tech gadgets such as the latest smartphone or tablet. 

3. Promoting the Event

While virtual events allow your nonprofit to reach a broader audience, you still need to get the word out to these potential attendees first.

Incorporate a variety of marketing channels into your strategy, such as:

• Your website. This should serve as the central hub for your event information. Update it regularly with event details, compelling calls to action, and easy registration links to ensure visitors have all they need in one place.
• Email. Utilize email campaigns to connect with both past and potential supporters. Craft messages that spotlight the special features of your virtual event, and send personalized invitations that speak to the interests of different audience segments.
• Social media. Leverage your social media platforms to create buzz and foster engagement around your event. Post regular updates, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive posts and polls that encourage followers to share and comment.
• Text messages. Send concise, timely text message reminders and updates leading up to your event. This direct line of communication is perfect for last-minute announcements and helps keep your event fresh in everyone’s minds.

To maximize the impact of these efforts, use the information in your nonprofit’s database to segment your audience and send tailored communications to each group. For instance, you might send a message to past event attendees highlighting previous event moments they might have enjoyed and promoting new guest appearances at your upcoming event.

4. Engaging Virtual Attendees

While virtual fundraising events offer many benefits, the format can make it challenging for attendees to feel connected with one another. It’s easy for them to get distracted by their surroundings when participating through a screen.

Use these tips to maintain attendee engagement throughout your virtual fundraising event:

• Create live polls and Q&A sessions. These interactive elements keep your guests actively involved and allow them to share their opinions, making your event more personalized and responsive to your audience’s interests.

• Incorporate gamification through challenges and quizzes. Spice up your event with interactive quizzes about your cause or fun challenges, such as a virtual scavenger hunt. These elements keep the energy high and are a great way to break up the fundraiser aspects of your event. 
• Use breakout rooms to encourage attendees to socialize. Facilitate smaller, more intimate group interactions with breakout rooms. This setting allows attendees to discuss topics in depth, network with their peers, and build connections that can deepen their sense of community and involvement.

Put yourself in an attendee’s shoes. What would inspire you to attend a virtual fundraising event? Many people are drawn to help make a difference and connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about the same cause. Use these insights to guide the engagement strategies you implement during your event.

5. Follow Up After the Event

A successful nonprofit event not only fulfills its immediate fundraising goals but also sets the stage for higher attendance and engagement the next time around. Immediately following your event, SchoolAuction.net recommends sending personalized thank-you messages to attendees without any additional monetary requests. Instead, focus on the impact of their donations and everything you’ll be able to accomplish thanks to their support.

To effectively gauge attendee satisfaction and gather valuable insights, consider sending a post-event survey. You might ask questions such as:

• On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied were you with your overall experience?
• What did you enjoy most about the event?
• On a scale of 1-5, how easy was it to access and navigate the event?
• What improvements, if any, would you like to see at our next event?
• Would you attend another virtual event hosted by our organization? Why or why not?

Although it may not be possible to act on every piece of feedback, analyzing these responses will help you understand which elements of your event were most effective and which areas you should prioritize improving in the future.

Track metrics such as attendance, total funds raised, and average donation amount to assess your virtual event performance. By doing so, you’ll be able to make strategic improvements and plan more successful virtual events year after year.