{"id":9878,"date":"2021-11-11T12:53:36","date_gmt":"2021-11-11T17:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.figmarketing.com\/blog\/?p=9878"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:12:40","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T19:12:40","slug":"planning-charity-events-a-step-by-step-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.figmarketing.com\/blog\/planning-charity-events-a-step-by-step-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning Charity Events: A Step-By-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated September 25, 2023, at 3:14 PM<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For financial advisors, planning for and putting on charitable events are a fantastic way to build a reputation in your area and engage with your clients and community members. First and foremost, charity events allow your firm to give back to the community and support a good cause. They can also be a source of great public relations and free local media coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charity events help you to form stronger bonds with clients and potential referrals<\/a><\/strong> through an important cause and a shared experience. By showing your clients your passion for philanthropy, you’ll help them get to know you as a person and not just as their advisor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Our experience shows that clients who develop a personal relationship with their advisor are happier, more satisfied, and less likely to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, planning charitable events allow you to market your firm without spending your own money. While these events require time, energy, and upfront investment, the revenue you take in from the event will cover the costs and the net proceeds will go to the charity as a donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the following planning steps and helpful tips for each stage of your process to guide your charity event planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Start Planning a Charity Event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Start planning far in advance of your desired event date. Ideally, give yourself at least six to nine months to give your team plenty of time to work through the planning for your charitable event. Think carefully about your internal and external goals for a charity event. Then, meet with key staff to discuss what you want to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your main objective should be to support a great cause in your community, but it\u2019s also important to think about the outcomes you want to achieve for your practice, such as:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
  1. Who’s your target audience for your event?<\/li>
  2. Do you want to bring together a group of your best clients and their friends?<\/li>
  3. Do you want to get media coverage for your charity event?<\/li>
  4. Do you want to establish relationships with centers of influence in your community?<\/li>
  5. Do you want to expand your use of social media through this charity event?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Think about what charities and causes would benefit from a fundraiser. Don\u2019t just arbitrarily pick a charity; dig deeply into your own interests and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What causes are close to your heart? Cancer research? Animal welfare? Hunger? Education? Having a personal connection to the cause is compelling and will help your clients and their friends understand why they should get behind it. Another savvy choice would be a cause that\u2019s connected to the philanthropic efforts of a target group of clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s important to be confident that the charity to which you’re donating the proceeds of your event is entirely above board. Charity Navigator<\/a><\/strong> and Guidestar <\/a><\/strong>are online services that you can use to check out the legitimacy of an organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We recommend choosing a charity that’s:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n