Charities Need To Organise Fundraising Events To Benefit From Your Donation
A BBC News article today revealed that the cost to charities of fundraising in some cases wipes out the donation a person has made. According to the article last year the average direct debit annual contribution was ninety pounds. However, it has been found that fundraising companies hired by the charities were charging an average of one hundred pounds per signature, therefore costing the charity money! That also assumes that the people who sign up will commit to the full twelve month direct debit and not cancel it sooner. I think this is outrageous and certainly will not be signing up to any direct debits by any other means than going to the charity’s website and registering direct.
Charities would be far better off investing in some good quality fundraising equipment and hosting events throughout the year which involve the local community, provide entertainment and raise money for their cause. Portable staging is great for hosting an array of events and can easily be moved around the Country. The advantages of this are twofold; they can raise awareness and improve sentiment towards their cause by organising fun activities. The cost of organising these events throughout the year should be considerably lower than the two million plus pounds per year that they pay to fundraising companies.
Good quality portable staging could be used for events such as community plays, fashion shows, recycled fashion shows, music events, community fairs, talent shows, dancing events, bake sales, karaoke nights, bingo nights, casino nights and so much more. Once the initial investment in the staging has been made the costs are considerably reduced. A great advantage of portable staging is that, by its very nature, it can be dismantled and arranged in different sizes and layouts. It is therefore highly versatile and can suit almost any venue, inside or out.
Engaging with a local community, helping them to understand the need for their donations and the good it will do, will be far more beneficial than accosting people on the high street or cold calling them at dinner time. Employees and volunteers from the charity can be at the event encouraging people to commit to a direct debit. Someone who has an enjoyable day and talks to a charity worker about the cause is far more likely to honour their direct debit than someone bullied into it by an overbearing charity street hawker whilst they are hurrying to the shops or work or home.
John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including portable staging, folding tables, stacking benches, seating and furniture accessories.
