3 Tips To Make Your Christmas Carol Fundraiser A Roaring Success

Posted by Ben Crook on 12 December 2017

Whatever your budget, there are a number of easy ways to make your Christmas carol concert a roaring success; whether you’re looking to spread awareness of your cause, raise some extra funds or simply spread a little Christmas cheer!

1. Raising funds

Do you want to charge people to see the concert? If so, you’ll need to create an event online, with a ticketing system. We would recommend using a site like Eventbrite, which will allow you to easily promote the event online, whilst dealing with ticket allocation and distribution.

If you’re not going to charge people to see the show, think of other ways you could encourage people to donate to your cause. Traditional cash collections have worked well in the past, but as we are becoming a cashless society, its important to consider other ways people could donate. You could implement a system which enables people to pledge via credit/debit card. Create banners with your website’s donation page URL, which could also be printed as brochures or leaflets for people to take home. You could also have a card reader at the event, so people can donate using their credit/debit card. If you’re looking for regular donations, take along forms people can fill out in order to set up a standing order.

Another way to raise funds before your carol concert is to ask local businesses to sponsor your event. If you have corporate partners, you could get in touch to see what they can do. They may be willing to donate money or goods, in exchange for advertising space at your event.

2. Location, location, location

When looking for a venue you’ll need to consider what type of space is suitable for the nature of your event. You need to ensure the space will be filled as it wont look as impressive with empty seats. A lot of venues will charge to hire their space, so this will need to be taken into account when creating a budget. Community centres like local churches and village halls may be a great option for a regional fundraiser, as they will be less costly or even free of charge.

Tip: Fundraisers in New York should check out our blog on the best New York fundraising venues

Alternatively, if you have the space and resources, you may be able to save money by holding the event on your own premises. Whichever location you choose you will need to consider the following:

• Seating
• Sound system
• Decorations
• Ticket collection
• Donations
• Refreshments

Tip: Don’t forget to look into health and safety. Candles and decorations go hand in hand but are a fire risk. Also ensure wires are tucked away and someone is on hand to clean up spillages and prevent wet floors.

3. Make the most of your staff

Utilise all of the resources at your disposal including your staff! If members of your team are not keen to get on stage and sing, they may have other talents that could come in handy. Could they bake treats, hand out refreshments or act as stewards? You’ll need team members to collect donations at the event and safety deposit boxes on hand to store away large amounts of cash.

It would be great to have a special guest speaker, not only to help increase the number of attendees, but to also give you the opportunity to let your audience know how your cause makes a difference. However, ensure this is kept short and sweet, as you do not want your festive and fun Christmas carol concert turning into a presentation.

The festive season is a time when people are feeling at their most giving, so its important you utilise this to raise as much money for your cause as possible. For more information on how best to fundraise this holiday season, take a look at the rest of our Christmas fundraising tips and tricks in our blog.

(Stats from the Network For Good)

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.