What is Non-Profit Event Planning?
In this section we’ll look at at Charity, Fundraising, and Non-Profit Event Planning, including:
CONTENTS
IN THIS SECTION
01 What is Non-profit Event Planning?
A definition of non-profit event planning — with examples of different charity, fundraising, and non-profit events.
02 Careers in Non-profit Event Planning
Why become a charity / fundraising / non-profit event planner? Career advice and employment information.
03 Being a Non-profit Event Planner
What does a non-profit event planner do? Read a real charity / fundraising / non-profit event planner job description by Farida Haqiqi, former Events Manager, The British Red Cross.
04 Pros and Cons of Non-profit Event Planning Careers
Pros and cons of being a charity / fundraising / non-profit event planner by Farida Haqiqi, former Events Manager, The British Red Cross.
What is Non-profit Event Planning?
Fundraising Events
Fundraisers (aka benefits) are events where the objective is to raise money for an organization or cause. This might be achieved by one or more of the following methods:
Photo: Viva Glam for the M.A.C AIDS Fund / Elton John AIDS Foundation
Other Charity / Non-Profit Events
Charity / non-profit events are, for the most part, fundraisers — although some charity / non-profit events are held for the purpose of education and awareness, rather than raising money.
For example, a charity / non-profit might hold a press launch event whereby a celebrity endorses a particular long-term fundraising initiative. No fundraising is done at the event and no tickets are sold to it, rather the objective is to communicate an on-going campaign to the media. In 2013, Beyonce launched Gucci’s new charity Chime for Change, which aims to raise and awareness for girls’ and women’s empowerment by sharing ‘powerful stories’ from females around the world.
Alternatively, a charity / non-profit might hold an educational or informative event, such as a meeting or conference, to discuss matters relevant to their cause. For example, Amnesty International holds an annual human rights conference in Washington DC.
Non-Profit Fundraisers
While not all charity / non-profit events are necessarily fundraisers, not all fundraisers are necessarily charity events either. Non-profit organizations, such as political parties, also hold fundraisers to raise money for their campaigns.
Alternatively, individuals and foundations might hold a fundraiser to benefit a political party.
In 2007 Oprah Winfrey raised $3m for Barack Obama’s election campaign by hosting a fundraising event for 1,500 people in the grounds of her California Estate.
CHarity / Fundraising / Non-profit Events
Fundraisers and charity / non-profit events can take many different forms, one of the most common being a gala dinner or ‘ball’ consisting of a drinks reception, dinner, entertainment, speeches, auctions or raffles, and dancing. However, there are many other different types including:
In The Next Section…
02 Careers in Non-profit Event Planning
Why become a charity / fundraising / non-profit event planner? Career advice and employment information.