5 Tips for Planning a Fundraiser

Elizabeth Micenko • April 23, 2019

Whether you’ve been placed on the planning committee or you need to design a fundraiser event on your own, there are a variety of details you need to work out to ensure you host an event that will help to entice your guests to donate to your cause.

You will have to take the size of your organization and your donor level into consideration, but regardless of these factors, there are five main things you should focus on to help ensure a successful casino night.

BudgetCasino Fundraising Events Pittsburgh

Even if you have the skills to persuade companies to donate event space, entertainment, food, and alcohol, you will still need to have a budget for other expenses such as staff meals, volunteers, transportation, and tips for vendors.

Before you plan any of the details, be sure to create your budget. This will help you to figure out what you have funding for. It will help your layout the event and show you if you can have a sit-down dinner or if the event will have to feature casual drinks and appetizers.

As you begin to receive donations and making plans, be sure to monitor your budget carefully. This will help you balance any unexpected costs that arise and can help you adjust your plans if needed.

Promotion

As you already know, people donating and attending the event is the key to success. While you are promoting the event, you will need a group of people who are willing to help promote the fundraiser to their co-workers, friends, and networks. This group or host committee will help to inspire donors to give and to attend the event.

A host committee is a group of people who already support your organization with their money and time. Not only should this group understand your organization, but they should also have an extensive network of people they can encourage to donate and attend your event.

Variety of Donation Opportunities

While attendees know they will have to pay for the cost of the ticket, you can also provide them with other opportunities to give at the event. You can do this through raffles or a silent auction. You can ask local businesses to contribute prizes for the raffle or auction to save on your budget and provide them with advertising at the event.

If you are certain the guests who are attending your event won’t donate more than what they already have; you can ask for them to sign up to volunteer and help your organization with upcoming initiatives and programs to engage them with your organization’s mission. This connection can help motivate them to donate again in the future.

Create an Experience

By making the event a fun and unforgettable experience, you can encourage your attendees to donate more to your fundraiser. One way to create an experience is to offer casino games.

From roulette, craps and blackjack to poker, wars, and slots, there are a variety of games available to help you create an unforgettable experience! In addition, there are wheel games, Over & Under, as well as a range of card games.  These games can help you create the ultimate casino experience for your guests and can help to encourage them to donate. If you are looking for a unique way to entice guests to donate, casino events are a popular way for Pittsburgh organizations to achieve their goals.

You can also use entertainers, high-class meals, or an unusual activity such as a dunk tank or dance marathon. You can also provide entertainment as a way to reflect the mission of your organization. Invite your clients to speak to your attendees or have a local school or arts program display their works of art. No matter what you choose for entertainment, it’s important that the entertainment reflects your organization’s uniqueness and provides guests with an unforgettable experience.

Follow-up with Attendees

This is one of the most critical aspects of an event. Following up with attendees after the event is crucial to establishing a relationship that will lead to their next donation. It is essential to promptly send out emails, make phone calls, and update your website after the event. Be sure to personally reach out to each donor or potential donor as well as the vendors and volunteers to thank them for their work to make the night a success.

Get Help With Casino Parties Pittsburgh

Planning and executing a fundraising event can be time-consuming, but with these tips, you can put your fundraiser on the fast track to success. At Casino Parties Unlimited we will set-up the games and provide dealers for your event. We are proud to be your top choice for providing entertainment at fundraising events in Pittsburgh.

Contact Casino Parties Unlimited to learn more about how we can help you make your fundraiser an experience that attendees will never forget!

Liz Micenko


For over 20 years, Liz has been working in the entertainment industry. She has spent the past 12 as an office manager for Entertainment Unlimited of Pittsburgh and helping develop Casino Parties Pittsburgh. Her expertise has help people plan wonderful Casino Parties and fundraisers.


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