Nonprofit events come in all shapes and sizes, and the type of event you choose to host largely depends on your organization’s unique audience, resources, and goals. However, virtual events consistently prove a useful tool to engage with donors and expand your reach.

Virtual events erase geographical barriers, letting supporters from across the country and even the world engage with your organization. They also eliminate the need for fixed expenses commonly seen in in-person events, such as venue and catering, leaving more budget for programs that expand your mission.

Best of all, any nonprofit can run a successful virtual event to bring in loyal supporters, increase donor engagement, and hit fundraising goals, as long as you have the right plan in place. That’s why we’ve compiled this quick virtual event-planning guide for nonprofits that are ready to host winning events!

Set Clear Goals and Know Your Audience

Before deciding to host a virtual event, think through what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are some questions you can ask to narrow down your goals:

  • Why are you hosting the event?
  • How does this event support the organization’s overall mission?
  • What specific, measurable outcomes are you hoping for?
  • Who are you trying to engage?
  • What expectations will your target audience reasonably have for the event?

Your answers to these questions will inform every other decision you make, from the audience you target with event promotions to the event management platform you use.

For example, are you hosting a fundraiser for your school’s sports team? Your event should be tailored to fit around students’ academic and sports schedules. Involve student athletes in fun activities at the event to increase support for your team!

Choose the Right Event Management Software

Finding the right virtual event platform is crucial to a smooth, successful, and engaging virtual event. When evaluating platforms, be sure to take the following into account:

  • Integrations: A platform that connects to your constituent relationship management (CRM) system allows you to easily capture attendee data and contact information and fold it into your existing database. Not to mention, these platforms can also automate event reminders and follow-up tasks.
  • Engagement features: Features such as an audience live chat, polls, and breakout rooms are great ways to keep your audience engaged throughout the event. Choose event management software that includes some or all of these features to ensure maximum engagement.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Especially for nonprofits with tight budgets, it’s essential to pay only for the features your event needs. Generally, an all-in-one tool will give you the best bang for your buck, since you’ll pay for just one platform and still access all the tools you need. Be wary of hidden fees or limitations, such as the length of the event or attendee caps.

When evaluating nonprofit event software options, prioritize platforms that offer flexible registration tools and real-time engagement tracking to ensure a seamless experience for both your team and attendees.

Build a Marketing Plan That Inspires Action

One of the most important steps in the virtual event planning process is generating excitement about your fundraiser! After all, your event will only be successful if it’s well-attended and guests have a positive experience.

Promote your event well in advance to maximize attendance.

  • Start early. Build buzz with teasers and save-the-dates. Plan your promotion campaign in advance to give supporters time to save the date for your event before their calendars fill up.
  • Use multi-channel outreach. According to Getting Attention’s marketing statistics, 39% of people say they’re extremely or very likely to respond to an advertisement when they see it across multiple channels. Promoting your event across different channels, such as email, social media, and direct mail, ensures that a wide variety of audiences view the campaign.
  • Segment outreach. Use your CRM to create tailored messages. Align your messaging and event promotions with the needs and preferences of the segment you’re targeting. This ensures a higher degree of personalization and a greater likelihood of these audience members responding to your campaign.
  • Create urgency. Highlight deadlines or limited-capacity breakout sessions. Encourage the audience to sign up quickly for your event with urgent cues such as, “first 100 registrants receive first pick of breakout rooms!”

Keep donor retention best practices in mind throughout your promotion tactics to ensure that your event attendees become lifelong supporters. Tactics such as sending personalized invites, highlighting your mission throughout the promotion, and quick follow-up will encourage attendees to continue their involvement with your organization.

Follow Up and Measure What Matters

Following up with attendees after the event locks in their engagement, ensuring guests don’t immediately forget about your work as soon as the event is over. By sending a thoughtful follow-up soon after the event has concluded, you can build stronger relationships that lead to attendance at future events, increased donations, and deepened loyalty to your organization.

For example, let’s say you follow up with Cole to thank him for attending the event. He’s so impressed with your genuine gratitude that he decides to visit your website and explore further ways to get involved. He finds your donation page, opts into recurring giving, and starts donating on a monthly basis.

According to CharityEngine’s recurring giving statistics, the average recurring donor sticks around for more than eight years, meaning your nonprofit could secure nearly a decade of consistent revenue simply by following up with attendees after the event. Here are some tips to make your follow-up stand out:

  • Thank donors for their attendance and highlight their impact. Use hard numbers to showcase the importance, like mentioning that their attendance allowed you to share your mission with 200 community members or that their registration fee contributed to the $5,000 in revenue raised.
  • Personalize your gratitude to help donors feel individually recognized. For example, have one of your organization’s leaders make personal phone calls to attendees who posted pictures of the event on social media. In this phone call, explain how their actions helped increase awareness about the event and generate interest in the organization’s cause.
  • Share helpful content. With the right promotion tactics, your event will attract attendees from all different backgrounds. Long-time donors, lapsed volunteers, and even community members with no context about your organization’s work will gather for the event. You can steward relationships with existing donors and cultivate relationships with prospective ones by sending educational information about your nonprofit’s background, current projects, and future plans after the event.

As you run different virtual events, refine your strategies over time based on what you’ve learned from previous events. Certain elements of your events may work best for different audiences, and some elements may not work at all.

For example, your data can reveal the highest-cost areas of your event planning process and help you reduce those costs for future events. Or, perhaps you’ll learn that some marketing tactics were more successful than others so you can replicate those approaches in the future.

Virtual events have changed the landscape of donor engagement and fundraising over the past few years. With the right strategy, technology, and follow up, your nonprofit can run a successful event that brings in loyal, lifelong supporters. To sum up, here are the critical steps your nonprofit must follow when planning your next virtual event:

  • Set Clear Goals and Know Your Audience
  • Choose the Right Event Management Software
  • Build a Marketing Plan That Inspires Action
  • Follow Up and Measure What Matters