Pimp your Charity Event: 9 creative ideas for fundraising events with digital support

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online events became firmly established and are a great option for many purposes. However, they can’t fully replace in-person events. Fundraising events have always been a crucial channel for NGOs to maintain donor relationships, attract new donors and sponsors, and inform about their projects.

Digital tools also offer many great possibilities for offline events to motivate guests to donate and create a special event experience. Get inspired by the following ideas for your next charity event!

When planning the event, explore the available technological options. For example, many organizations already use fundraising software like FundraisingBox, which can be creatively utilized at events. The advantage: no additional event tool is needed, and the event data flows directly into the CRM.

For instance, a donation form can be adapted to serve as the registration form. If participation in the event requires a fee (e.g., a minimum donation), these forms provide everything needed. It is important that custom fields can be created and field labels can be individually modified, as with FundraisingBox. Features like contribution suggestions and donation projects can be used to offer different registration options in the form.

If you also use the FundraisingBox CRM, the registration data flows directly into the system and can be further processed there. For example, tags can be automatically assigned to all contacts who registered for the event via integrated workflows. Donation receipts can also be created and sent with just a few clicks. With a specially configured automatic thank-you email, you can confirm registrations effortlessly. After the event, you have all the necessary data to follow up with your guests, e.g., using marketing automation. Such tools can be seamlessly integrated with FundraisingBox.

Encourage your community to create fundraising campaigns and collect donations for your cause before the benefit event. The top three fundraisers (those with the most successful campaigns) can, for example, attend the event for free, be recognized on-site, or receive a sponsored prize.

QR codes linking to your donation form can be placed almost anywhere at an event. At a gala dinner, for instance, table cards are ideal, but they also look great in program booklets, on tickets, posters, or projected directly onto a screen. They allow your guests to donate easily and quickly.

FundraisingBox features a donation thermometer that shows all incoming donations to a campaign in real-time. At an event, there are many great ways to use it: for example, on the screen or stage projector. All guests can see the current donation status and are motivated to contribute. The host could thank the donors live.

Charity auctions can be a highlight of your event. Whether it’s artworks, in-kind donations, or experiences—almost anything can be auctioned. You can either use specialized software like OneCause or your FundraisingBox: let the highest bidders pay their contribution live via QR code and donation form, and display the total auction proceeds on the live thermometer!

Donating must be quick and easy, which you can ensure at your event (or at your info stand at another event) with FundraisingBox. Mobile payments like Google Pay or Apple Pay allow visitors to donate almost in passing.

Hybrid events combine the advantages of offline and online. With a live stream of your offline event, you can also reach people who live too far away or cannot attend the event for other reasons. Stream the entire event or just highlights (e.g., artist performances, special speeches, etc.)—this way, your event gains more reach, and you can attract additional new donors.

With VR, your guests can briefly immerse themselves in another world—such as your projects. These offerings are always well received because they provide a particularly immersive experience. People can playfully learn about your project work, become emotionally engaged, and then be asked for a donation.

Speaking of playful experiences, photobooths are always very popular at events. A new and interesting twist would be to equip them with AI filters, allowing your guests to create creative and funny pictures. If you have a sponsor on hand, you could arrange for them to donate a certain amount for each photo uploaded to social media.

Whether you are there in person or represented by a corporate partner, trade shows are always a great opportunity to inform about your mission and collect donations. The trade show should match your theme; for example, an animal protection organization could be present at pet shows, or your climate protection campaign could be presented at energy fairs. FundraisingBox can help here too, with a custom-designed online donation form that can be filled out at the booth.

Calculating the success of an event can be complex if you don’t use the right tools. With fundraising software like FundraisingBox at your events, you have all income in view immediately—both registration donations and those made on-site. The CRM makes it easy to keep track.

Nowadays, many other parameters can be measured for event success, such as sentiment analysis like knw.. This is the cutting edge of event technology: Guests are filmed with cameras, and AI evaluates the images—GDPR-compliant—and provides insights into attendees’ attention and mood. This is especially helpful when evaluating program points to create an even more exciting program for the next event. For large benefit events where substantial amounts are donated, investing in such analysis technology can be worthwhile.

Less complex but still insightful are small digital surveys that can also provide you with clues to measure the success of your benefit event. You can use QR codes here as well, so guests can easily find the questionnaire.

Almost every organization today has a portfolio of software and tools that serve different purposes. But it doesn’t have to stop there—many features can be creatively repurposed or used in unique ways. An online donation form can become a registration form, thank-you emails can serve as registration confirmations, and a fundraising campaign can be the centerpiece of the stage as a barometer. Explore the possibilities you already have!