Fundraising Tip of the Day: Knowledge is Power / Charity Competition

Fundraising Tip of the Day: Where small or fairly new charities go wrong.

Fundraising Tip of the Day: Creating "Hype" around your event

Charity Tip of the Day: Learn from my mistakes across 25 years of fundr...

The "WOW" Factor - How to “BRAND” your fundraising event

First do you understand what a “Brand” is?  Let’s take for instance Coca Cola, Nike, John Deere or McDonalds – each of these companies developed a logo or a “Brand” which allows just the logo without words, to clearly and quickly identify the company.  They pay marketing companies millions to not only develop their brand but to also invent their “Brand Strategy.” 

Why should a charity who is fundraising use branding or develop a brand strategy?  Because it will differentiate you and your fundraiser from all others in your area. 

Here are a few tips which will help you truly brand your event and set you head and shoulders above the crowd:

#1 – Developing a Brand:  Many people believe this is called a “Theme.”  That’s true but in order for you and your charity to develop a brand, there is more to it.  You first have to have a very “Eye Catching” event flyer that grabs people attention.  There is a proven scientific concept that says that someone needs to see something (7) times before they act upon it.  However, if your flyer is “Eye Catching” by being highly designed, you have a much higher chance of catching someone’s attention than the normal homemade flyers.  Plus a very “Eye Catching” Event flyer will impress possible guests and sponsors, showing them your event is of a much higher scale and not like the “Norm.”

#2 – Brand Consistency:  Once you have developed your charity event brand, everything surrounding it should remain consistent.  That goes from your Facebook Event Header, to your tickets and to your sponsorship flyer.  Everything should mirror the other to keep the brand consistent. 

#3 – Keeping the “Fun” in “Fundraising”:  Remember no one likes “Boring.”  By developing a high profile brand through your flyers, as discussed above, your guests will get excited because your brands high appeal factor.  They will immediately get excited, creating a “Buzz” surrounding your event.  Then they will weigh it against the others in your area.  Creating a “Buzz” will create “Fun” – people outside of your circle will also see your well branded marketing materials and also take notice.  Businesses will then be drawn in based on the appeal of your branding and also be drawn in because of the “High Appeal” and not like the normal every day, homemade fundraising flyers we all see everywhere.  You will be a “Cut above the Rest” and they will want in via a financial sponsorship.

As an example, our client The Unbridled Heroes Project – they work with adopt wild Mustangs from outwest who are being sold for meat and pair them with Veterans who are battling with PTSD.  Understanding that they work with horses but are holding a Gala, we utilized “Denim.”  From that, we developed the “2019 All American Heroes Diamonds & Denim Gala.”  The branding delivers the charity but also creates a fashion statement along with the high appeal via the diamonds and the consistent branding/marketing to draw attention to the event but also to create a “Buzz.”  As you can see, everything is consistent from the main event flyer, to the sponsor flyer, event ticket and Facebook Event Page Header:

2019 All American Heroes Bash benefiting The Unbridled Heroes Project

Remember, creating a brand is much more than just a theme.  It’s creating marketing materials that set your event a part of all others in such a highly competitive charity fundraising marketplace when everyone is fighting to get people’s attention.  Be different, be unique, be a “Cut above the Rest.”

BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising has its own Graphic Design Department which specializes in brand consistency for our clients.  We begin with the charity, then develop a title or name of the event then create a graphic design to all aspects of our clients marketing materials – creating a branding strategy for our charity clients across the United States.  If you would like to learn more about how BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising can help you create the “WOW” affect, contact us at www.BWUnlimited.com or email George at George@bwunlimited.com – we would love to help you.

The Founder – the story of “McDonalds” and how it relates to charities

For some time, I’ve been wanting to see the movie the “Founder” which is the story about Ray Krok and McDonalds.  So the other night, my wife and I rented it and sat back. 

Going in, I thought it was going to be the story about how an idea grew into such a massive scale.  How one man single handedly built an empire – a great business movie to watch and learn from. 

But what was about is simply this – if you don’t take your incredible idea and grow it or move it to the next level, someone else will.  What happened in the story (which holds true in regard to charities), two (2) brothers came up with the idea of McDonalds and how to serve their customers in a “Speedy” constant way.  They did not have a lot of their menu, their goal was deliver quality quickly over quantity in a time when “Drive Up’s with girls on Roller Skates” were the hit.

Well, the two McDonald brothers did want to franchise their store.  Along came Ray Krok who could picture the ability to expand.  The brothers fought it for all they were worth, but Ray saw otherwise.  He took their idea, eventually figured out a way to improve it then overtook the ownership making it what it is today – the most popular restaurant in the world, feeding at least 1% of the worlds population on a daily basis, well worth in the billions.

What Ray, with help, figured out was they were in the “Real Estate” business, not food service.  They bought the land that the restaurants sit on and lease it to the franchisee.  If the Franchisee doesn’t follow his direction, he revokes the land lease.  That easy.  The land then builds value and his profits go through the roof. 

What should a charity learn by this?  Well, what I’ve been preaching all along.  It’s not about how great your hamburgers are or your charity is, it’s about expansion, constantly evolving, staying fresh and consistent.  Its about expansion in that your charity must do whatever it needs to do to constantly grow, reach new people, new donor’s and spur growth. 

If you stay the same, but have a great idea, believe me…someone will “swoop” right in and steal your idea and grow it.  You will be just a memory like the McDonald brothers are and were.  Seriously, do you even know their names?

Now – how does a charity expand?  By following these simple rules:

#1 – Your web presence must be stellar – Your website is the face of your charity.  If is not “Top Notch”, donors and sponsors will go look, not be impressed and you will never know they were there snooping around.  It’s not like the old days when people came to your office – they first go to your website.

#2 – Be the Dancing Monkey – If people felt so strongly about your mission, you would have no need to host fundraisers.  There would be stacks of checks in the mail every day.  Give them what they want – a fantastic event that attracts people to it first, then to your charity.

#3 – There are no emotions in business – People will steal your ideas.  Let me give you a very real life example.  A long time ago, people use to attend my events and literally video tape what we were doing and write down everything we had displayed.  But what they did not know was the method or reason behind it.  They wanted to steal my ideas and do them on their own – they failed.  Why did they fail?  Let me tell you why, because they did not know what the reasons were behind certain things.  What I mean by there are no emotions in business is this – people don’t care.  Everyone, every charity is out for themselves and themselves only. 

#4 – How to expand – This takes work.  If you have the ability to expand your charity into other states, do it.  Allow people from other areas in the country to get involved.  Remember, you own the land (your charity), they are just opening a store on it.  You control what goes on.

These are just ideas, notions to consider.  But like Ray Krok and the McDonald brothers, if you don’t move forward with your idea, someone else will.

BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising is a North American Charity Fundraising Leader in a "One Stop Shop" convenient setting.  If you would like our help, contact us at www.BWUnlimited.com or call us directly at 443 206 6121.

Exciting & Vibrant - VS. - "Nobody likes Boring"

Absolutely nobody likes boring, absolutely nobody.  When it comes to marketing, do you remember walking through a Carnival when you were a child?  Bright Lights, Vibrant Colors, Music and a the Carnival Barker?  That is what drew you over to play the games. 

Charities need to keep that in mind when you begin to plan and design your marketing tactics.  Boring and “Plain Jane” catches no one’s attention – charities must keep that in mind.  Let’s begin with the flyer.  Fortunately, BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising is extremely lucky to have an incredibly artistic Graphic Designer in Bob Lynch of BV Plus.  Bob has designed everything for us including our various websites and has the ability to take my ideas of design and make them into something spectacular.

Lets start with Event Flyers – Us vs. Them

                    BW Version                                                         Their version

As you can easily see, Vibrant attracts attention.  Plus people want to know more about the event other than the name, date & time.  We even step it up by showing them some of the items as a “Preview” of whats going to be there for auction.

We even step it up because to be honest, the menu is one of the Key’s to a successful event.  I want to know what I’m getting for the ticket price you’re asking me to pay.  It is essential that your flyers, tickets and any type of print is exciting and vibrant – and that Ladies and Gentlemen is what BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising brings to the table. 

Eye catching, exciting and vibrant.  Even before your event, people think “Wow, I’ve got to go to this.  This isn’t that normal hum drum fundraiser at the local church or fire hall.”  Then they call and ask for tickets.

But – now here is the very most important thing – Now you must deliver the event that matches and even better, exceeds their expectations.  That’s where we come in.  We will plan and manage an event that no one anywhere in the world can put together.  People truly are “WOW’d” when they walk through the door.  Our events are exciting at the very least, literally we make them a controlled three ring circus.   Excitement breeds excitement, cash starts flowing and people are loving life. 

That is what we are about and that is why we, BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising is the best in the business of Charity Fundraising.  To learn more about how we can help you, contact us at www.BWUnlimited.com.