Planning Your Fundraising Calendar

Ever wonder why some fundraising events seem to do really well, hold the exact same event the next year, and no one turns up? Some things can’t be prevented – a killer strain of school sores, or a typhoon – but here are some critical factors to make your fundraising as accessible to as many people as possible. Take the time to carefully consider your annual fundraising calendar.

How many events are you going to run?

Assuming you’re planning your fundraising calendar for the entire year, you’re not in a sprint. Even though four big events sounds really exciting in January, you and your fundraising committee need to remember volunteers get tired and need a break. The Practical Fundraising Directory goes into more detail about which activities are more time consuming than others, we recommend alternating large and small fundraisers.

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Choose Your Event Dates Wisely

(AKA don’t make people choose between you and the footy final)

You, or someone on the committee needs to work out what national, local and international events fall on your fundraising dates. Olympic opening ceremonies, royal weddings, local school fetes or markets etc. All of these things filter out a few more potential ticket holders. Don’t forget events within your own school, for example, camps, or big games being played at other venues. For your longer-running campaigns, like chocolate fundraisers, consider holding them earlier in the term when people aren’t too pre-occupied with assignments or end-of-year concerts to return their money on time.

On the other side of the coin, research events your fundraiser can hook into – a big home game, for example. If you hold a fete right next to the playing field, ticket holders have ongoing entertainment, and you’ve attracted extra people without even trying.

Look at the Practical Fundraising Handbook for more details.

Written by Mandy Weidmann