Events play a pivotal role in how buyers and customers build relationships with brands.
While it's true that events are viewed as a way for businesses to make more money, they also allow audiences to understand what businesses care about.
So, if your company is passionate about rescuing animals, donating to local food banks, or going green, events are the perfect way to amplify your cause.
As the holiday season approaches, ask not how much money you can raise for your business, but how much money your business can raise for others.
We've rounded up the top eight tips for selling tickets for charitable events.
We commonly see pricing approached in two ways:
Flat ticket prices work best for events where guests participate in the same experience together, like a group workshop, walk, or class. Typically, these events have a 1:1 offering: one ticket for one experience.
Tiered pricing works best for events that offer a variety of experiences. For charitable events with heftier budgets, this range of offerings allows you to help cover the spread while still making a substantial contribution to your foundation.
Tiered pricing is most commonly used for events that provide GA and VIP experiences like:
Adding a pay-what-you-can donation ticket benefits guests whether or not they can make it to your event. If they have the means, attendees can choose to contribute additional funds. And it still gives any guests who can’t attend an opportunity to give back.
In this example, the organizer offers three options: a standard dinner ticket, an elevated dinner ticket, and an open donation ticket for those who can’t attend but still want to participate.
While the ultimate goal is to raise money for your cause, don’t let cost be a barrier to giving. Raising awareness of your charity holds value, too. Offer discounts for those who want to attend but can’t meet the minimum contribution limit. While they may not be able to provide a monetary donation, they might become volunteers or spread the word about your fundraising efforts with their network.
In this charity walk example, the organizers offer both a 50% and 100% discount option to allow anyone interested to attend.
The more transparent you can be about what the ticket price covers and how the donated funds will be used, the better. Since people can be naturally skeptical of where their money is going when they donate it, ensuring a high level of detail could be the difference between selling tickets or hearing crickets.
In this example, the organizer provides explicit details about what’s included in each ticket and notes that 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit.
Whether you’re partnering with a non-profit organization or simply need a few extra hands on deck come event day, offer a volunteer option during registration. This can be in the form of a yes or no question on your form or a separate ticket that allows guests to attend free as volunteers. However you go about it, keep track of how many volunteers you need. Whoever can’t help out this time around could be someone interested in helping with the next one.
In this example, the organizers offered a set number of free tickets for volunteer slots at the event.
Sponsors make your events go ‘round, but they aren’t always easy to come by. Make sure to showcase the ones you have on your event page to inspire new recruits. Bonus: Add an opt-in option to your form for those who are interested in learning more about becoming a sponsor. The more support and resources you have, the more you can offset event costs.
Let’s face it: life happens. If plans change and a guest suddenly can’t make it, the last thing they should feel is confusion or frustration about what they should do next. As a best practice, you should link your refund and cancellation policies in your main event touchpoints: landing page, registration form, confirmations, and emails. Guests value the ease of accessing the information they want when they want it. After all, nobody likes being betrayed by the fine print, especially regarding money.
When in doubt, discount it out. This tip is tried and true for a reason — limited time offers work. If you’re struggling to meet your attendance or fundraising goal, last-chance discounts are a great way to incentivize late sign-ups. While you won’t be making money on the full ticket amount, your new rate will encourage a steady stream of ticket purchases that will get you to the number you need.
Looking for a cause? Check out the 2023 Cause Calendars for America’s Charities and YouGiveGoods.
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