The charity dinner is a staple in the fundraiser’s diary of events. It’s an opportunity to woo high profile corporate sponsors and show them how appreciated they are, by giving them an evening to remember.

We asked fundraising expert Chris Bray for his advice on organising the perfect charity dinner for VIP donors. Chris is Head of Marketing and Income Generation at Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice. Prior to that he was Head of Conferences at the MS Society.

Chris says…

1. It’s important to have an established network

A charity dinner is a good choice of event for organisations looking to connect and engage with key stakeholders and supporters, together in one place. Generally it’s considered a very cost effective method and is likely to deliver the required levels of ROI without any reputational risks for the charity involved.

However, it can go wrong if you don’t have the right audience and you don’t have involvement from key stakeholders. I’ve seen a few crash and burn because of this.

Related: How to run stand-out charity events

2. You need to differentiate your event

The market is fairly saturated and the people who are on the circuit attending these events as corporate guests can get a bit bored. If you just roll out the standard run of the mill event it might not be enough to excite them, so it’s often advisable to look for another angle.

Sometimes its better to wrap the dinner around an awards programme. That way you can recognise people in the community and will be more likely to be able to find a celebrity to endorse the event, which will assist with marketing.

Related: How to organise a killer awards show in 10 simple steps

3. Be careful not to offend

When planning your event, bear in mind the image of your organisation. The food, venue and entertainment should all be in keeping.

For example, a lavish five-course meal for Oxfam might be perceived by certain media as crass. Be aware and have robust rationales and FAQs for staff.

Related: How to advance your charity career

4. Don’t be afraid to approach high profile venues

While you don’t want to go overboard, it’s still important to choose a venue that will meet your sponsors’ expectations – The Dorchester is a favourite with many national charities.

I have always used a prestigious venue, especially for awards. This is particularly for the benefit of the other participants because many have never been to London before.

Most five-star hotels are actually fairly competitive. They see this type of event as one of their important markets, so it’s worth approaching them and seeing what they can do for you.

Related: 10 Unusual, fantastic fundraising event ideas

5. Your event doesn’t need to be huge

Ask yourself why big is important. If it isn’t important then don’t be big. You can put on a really good event for 25 people if they’re the right ones. If you’re trying to attract 25 major donors or corporate sponsors it might actually be better to focus on the key ones.

It works particularly well if you have a compelling story to tell about someone your charity is involved with raising money for. Likewise, if you have some new research or information an event like this allows you to share it with your VIP donors first. It’s a good strategy to trickle it out.

Related: 5 Great online fundraising event ideas

6. It’s not always about how much you can raise from the event itself

Establish the key aims and KPIs of the event. Do you have a specific fundraising target or do you simply want to call people to action?

Sometimes it’s not about raising £50k from the night; instead you get your key donors together, tell a compelling story and say “we’re going to be writing to you soon and want you to get involved.”

Involve the audience with the journey, use the event as the trigger for action and invite them back to see outcomes and achievements. Just asking for money doesn’t always yield the best results.

Related: Lessons in fundraising for charities

7. Think about your audience when sourcing auction prizes

Charity auctions and raffles can be really successful if you’ve got the right prizes. Ideally you want to start a bidding war, so try to think about which guests may be competitive with each other and what they might want to bid for. It also helps to wait until the guests are a bit merry before starting the auction!

Related: 10 Ways to raise more money at your next fundraising event

8. Don’t underestimate the importance of networking

Companies often use this type of event for corporate networking. Many guests simply attend to catch up with their friends, so be sure to include plenty of opportunities for mixing and mingling. Letting potential guests know who has already bought tables can be an effective marketing tactic.

Related: Your quick guide to event sposnsorship

9. Hire professionals

To pull off a high quality event you need to work with expertise. While you can lean on volunteers to staff the event and help with other aspects, it’s worth hiring a professional event organiser to oversee the process and keep a tight hold of finance management.

Related: How to engage donors with fundraising events and social media

10. Show your donors appreciation

If you’re building a relationship with someone they need to feel the love. Sometimes it’s the little things, like sending out a handwritten note at the end to say thank you.

It’s listening to your donors and sponsors. Reach out to them with a post-event phone call, email request for feedback or even chat whilst they wait for taxis at the end of the evening. These are useful ways to track insightful comments when deciding next/future moves.

Related: How to build loyalty for your fundraising events

Conclusion

Adhere to these top 10 tips when planning a dinner for your VIP donors and you’ll be sure to pull off a fantastic evening. However, Chris points out measuring the direct results of events like this can be difficult.

“You have to accept the intangible nature of many outcomes,” he says. However, building a strong relationship with your key sponsors will always pay dividends in the long term.