At GiveSignup we’re lucky to host a ton of incredible events on our platform that benefit a wide variety of causes and communities. We’re continually impressed with how these organizations use our platform to create impactful events that raise money and awareness for those in need.
In this article we’re sharing a few standout events of the last month. We hope the below examples serve to inspire those getting ready to put on an event, as well as give some ideas of tactics they can use to achieve their goals.
Run For It!
Run For It! is a hybrid event raising funds and awareness for community agencies and charities in an eight-county area spanning Maryland and West Virginia. Participants can choose between a 2k and 5k and have the option to join in-person or virtually. They also list which events are timed, so potential registrants can make the best choice for them.
To raise funds, Run For It! has both individual and team fundraising options, though neither is required. That said, our own data shows events with fundraising switched on outraise those that don’t by 738%. Having the team option adds a social element that can make it even more engaging for participants and encourage them to raise even more. They also have a fundraising leaderboard on their homepage, adding a competitive element.
Along with fundraising options, Run For It! also used GiveSignup’s sponsor feature to showcase businesses and organizations in the community that support the event. With it they can track which sponsors have committed and who’s paid the sponsorship fee as well.
They’ve also taken advantage of GiveSignup’s free email tools to let the community know about registration opening and other important information. In 2023 17% of all transactions on the platform came directly from emails sent from the platform, showing its importance as a marketing tool.
All of those small efforts add up and play a part in making events more successful and there’s no better proof of that than the fact that Run For It! has more than doubled their fundraising goal.
Base 2 Space
Base 2 Space is a fun-filled event in Seattle where participants take on the challenge of going to the top of the iconic Space Needle using just the stairs (832 to be exact). In its eighth year, Base 2 Space raises funds for the Space Needle Foundation and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, with lifetime donations exceeding four million dollars.
When you look at their event website, it’s clear that they’re taking intentional steps (no pun intended) to bring in the most dollars possible. Similar to Run For It! they utilize both individual and team fundraising and do have a fundraising minimum for every participant. Along with minimums they also created multiple pricing periods, increasing the price of registration as event day got closer. They also offered age-based pricing for the event, potentially encouraging families to participate together.
Along with those tactics, they also gamified the process using GiveSignup’s milestone badges. Each time a fundraiser reaches one of the milestones, they get a new badge. Research shows that these types of rewards and achievement badges can encourage people to strive for more. They also chose to include a fundraising leaderboard on their website, helping stoke the competitive spirit of participants.
Base 2 Space also created helpful resources for first-time fundraisers. For example, on their website they have a Fundraising Tips page that gives suggestions on things fundraisers can do to improve their fundraising. With GiveSignup you’re able to add multiple pages to a website making it easier to add those additional resources. Some other registration platforms just have single pages, so it’s not ideal to add anything extra.
They also utilized some of GiveSignup’s free email features, like automated emails for people with incomplete registrations. It’s a simple feature to switch on and generally increases registrations. GiveSignup also includes options for automated price increase emails, and registration follow-ups. All of which have default templates you can edit to include specific messaging.
All of these small actions add up to have a large impact on fundraising results. And Base 2 Space is a great example of that fact.
Hattiesburg Half Marathon
The Hattiesburg Half Marathon is a community event focused on raising funds for a number of different charities in the Hattiesburg Mississippi area. Now in its 13th year, the event attracts well over a thousand participants each year and is a staple event in the community.
They offer a number of different events to cater to a wide range of runners, including a 5k, 10k, and half marathon (hence the name). They even have an option to participate as a “charity cheerleader” for those who aren’t able to run or walk in the other events. Having a variety of options makes the event more inclusive and allows for all interested to participate.
Those choosing to participate in the run and walk events are required to join as fundraisers. Individual fundraisers are able to tap into their personal networks to help events raise even more money for their events. The Hattiesburg Half Marathon also chose to have multiple charity partners for the event, which gives fundraisers an option of who they want to raise money for. It also makes it easy for events to support multiple organizations with one event.
Another GiveSignup feature they took advantage of is the ability to have multiple pricing windows. Price changes can be a big motivator to get people to get people to take action. In fact, our research shows 26% of registrations within three days of a price change, or event close. To double down on that, they also turned on the automated emails for price increases – which is an option for all GiveSignup events.
They even created a dedicated page on their website addressing what a charity runner is. The page also answers a few common questions about pricing, as well as shares how to register to be a charity runner. There’s even some tips about tactics participants can use to meet their fundraising goals. Taking the guesswork out of the process and giving people tools to meet their goals goes a long way in making people comfortable and potentially more likely to participate.
Moving forward
By incorporating features such as team fundraising, gamification, and targeted communication, these organizations not only elevate their fundraising efforts but also strengthen community ties. We hope these examples inspire others to think creatively and strategically as they prepare for their own events, ultimately driving greater impact for the causes they support.
If you’re ready to get started now, you can create your own free event on GiveSignup here.