Ninja Learning

The best way to ensure that your event is remembered fondly by your guests is to give them a personal connection to your cause and the donations they've contributed. Claire shares her top tips for doing this effectively...

Everything you do for your event comes down to this one thing: raising the cash for your cause or charity. What can you sell? What should you avoid? Check out what Claire has to say about money-making best practises...

Although you'll probably be raising money for a charity or a good cause, it's important to remember you are not working for them. Why? Check out what Claire has to say about the legalities and financial aspects of fundraising representation...

Great event creativity is a duality. You have two hats to wear. Hat #1 is that of the creative director: you want to dream up some big and brilliant ideas. Hat #2 is the commercial director: you need to get real and bring them back down to earth so that they are do-able.

If you want to go fast, go solo. If you want to go far, get a team. The chances are you're gonna need some help to land your event effectively - and this means working with volunteers. Friends. Family. Colleagues. Friends of friends. They all have a huge part to play in making your fundraiser a success.

Your event will only be as strong as your guest list - and your ability to work smartly with that list. Like many things in life, Pareto's Law applies. 80% of the action will be driven by 20% of your guests. The trick is to find them early.

Your venue will be the most $$$ expensive item in your event budget. And, even if you're getting it for free it'll still be the most important thing in the mix. You can't leave anything to chance and you have to get value for your money.

Choosing your event venue is one of the funnest parts of the planning. But we do have some golden rules, and also some common sense tips to help you get it right.

Here's an important word for you: appropriateness. Your fundraising success is down to your ability to fill your event with a bunch of energised, generous people. The best way to get them engaged is to ensure that your event is on point and appropriate for them and their needs.

If you've got a stack of $$$ cash to spend, then fill your boots with all the bells and whistles. But the reality is most of us don't - we need to operate on a budget. And even if we do have some funds to get our event going, we need to recognise that it's often someone else's money we're using.

The smartest part of a fundraising event strategy is knowing what you can't do, right from the get-go. Don't let yourself get lost in flights of fancy...