How to get BIG results
Hosting a morning tea can be fantastic fun. And this year, we’re aiming to celebrate our 20th anniversary event with some BIG results. Remember that every dollar you raise helps Cancer Council in the fight against cancer.
Here are a few tips on how you can maximise your chances of success.
Tips for Fundraising:
1. Make it easy for your guests to donate
Be clear on how your guests can donate to your morning tea - whether online (at any time) or via cash donations at your event. Set up a donations box - and make sure everyone can see it on the day. Perhaps you could even include donations instructions on your invite. Also, remind everyone that they can donate any time. If people aren’t able to attend your event, don’t forget to remind them that they can make an online donation to Cancer Council at any time (link).
2. Get support from the local community
Visit local businesses and encourage them to make donations and support your event. Remember that donations don’t have to be cash. You can also accept goods that you can use as prizes. You could also approach local stores to ask if you can put up a poster in their window promoting your event. You could even host an auction.
3. Use social media. If possible, use social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, to promote your event to the greatest number of people. And don’t forget to like our Facebook page at the same time to get all of our morning tea tips and more!
4. Use local media
Approach local media - such as radio, newspapers and other press - to see if they can help you with your promotions. You can even put together a press release and send it to local publications. Consider giving your event a quirky theme, or local relevance, to make it more newsworthy.
5. Be organised. While the official date of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this year is Thursday 23rd May, you can hold your morning tea any day in May. Choose a date that you think will suit the most people, and give them plenty of notice. You can even send a ‘save the date’ email, text or written invite to friends, family or colleagues to let them know they should reserve the time.
6. Make it fun. By setting a theme for your event, and organising prizes, you increase the chances of people attending and making donations.
7. Encourage participation. Make everyone feel as though they are making a difference by encouraging them to bring some morning tea, or contribute a special talent to your event.
8. Set up your online fundraising page. This will allow you to promote all of the details of your event and keep everyone updated – it is also a great channel for people to donate direct to your morning tea!
Tips for the BIG event:
1. Host a charity auction or raffle
If you manage to secure goods to use as prizes, a charity auction or raffle can help you raise significant extra funds. Anyone can buy tickets to your raffle - and you can draw the winners at the event.
2. Charge an entry fee
Past years have shown that charging a small entry fee for an event - even if it’s just a gold coin donation - goes a huge way to getting great results when it comes to fundraising.
3. Have an open house
You could even consider opening your house all afternoon and then into the evening - so people with various commitments can still stop by and contribute to your event.
4. Ask people to donate their talents
If you have talented friends or family, get them to donate their services rather than money - then auction them off in order to raise money. For instance, you might have a friend who is a designer - or another who is a plumber. They can then provide their services to other guests as a donated prize.
5. Dollar-for-dollar matching
If you’re hosting a morning tea at work, ask your employer if they can support you by matching the funds you raise.
6. Hijack an existing event
To boost your results, you could organise your morning tea to coincide with an event that is already happening, such as your work or sport team meeting, end-of-month get-together, or celebration such as a birthday or Mother’s Day. That way you already have a captive audience.
7. Make a recipe book
Invite all guests to submit their favourite recipe - and collate them all into a book which you can offer for sale at the end of the event, in order to raise extra funds.