Explained: Fundraiser Save the Date

Save the dates are often confused with invitations, but there's a distinct difference. A save the date commonly takes the form of a digital message (e.g. text or email), letter, or card, which is sent to a recipient. The purpose of a save the date is to inform the recipient, a potential guest, of the date of an important event. Save the dates are typically sent six to nine months before the associated event takes place.

Charities in the nonprofit sector continually adopt concepts from the greater world to improve their fundraising efforts. For example, technology now plays a vital role in revenue generation for nonprofits. Digital options like Paybee, which is an all-in-one fundraising platform, offer charities an arsenal of tools to assist with creating income streams. From secure payment processing and virtual fundraising events, to social media sharing and guest management, Paybee has the ability to streamline many nonprofit workflows.

Another concept that has been adopted by the nonprofit sector is the use of save the dates. In terms of fundraising, save the dates are used to inform supporters of the dates of upcoming fundraising events. This allows potential donors and volunteers to mark the day on their calendars, ensuring that they reserve some time to partake in the fundraising festivities.

As mentioned, save the dates are often confused with invitations. While a save the date is used to inform the recipient of the date of an event, an invitation is a formal request to the recipient for them to attend the event. You can think of a save the date as preemptive to an invitation.

Key components of a save the date are the date of the event, a note to guests informing them that they'll eventually receive a formal invitation, and a call-to-action to register for the event early. We'll explore key components in more depth later in this article, along with a comprehensive definition of a fundraiser save the date, an explanation of why save the dates matter, steps to creating an effective save the date, and more.

What's a Save the Date in the Context of Fundraising?

A fundraiser save the date is a digital message (e.g. text or email), letter, or card sent to potential guests and volunteers to inform them of the date of an upcoming fundraising event.

When sending a save the date to inform recipients of an upcoming fundraising event, there are some boxes to tick:

• Name of the Event

It's vital to include the name of the event as part of a fundraiser save the date. This helps to describe to the recipient the nature of the fundraiser. You'll want to be creative when it comes to determining a name, as this will help your nonprofit to drum up excitement and interest. Let's say that your organization is hosting a hot dog eating competition dedicated to raising money for its mission. An intriguing name for this hypothetical event could be: "Wieners for Winners," "Hot Dogs for Hope," or "Big Bite Benefit." Each of these names plays on the theme of hot dog eating, while recognizing the charitable nature of the event.

• Date & Time of the Event

This is arguably the most important aspect of a save the date. The date of the event should be included without doubt, and if your organization has a time established then it should be included as well. The more information about the date and time of the event that you can provide, the more effective your save the date becomes. Offering recipients this information allows them to make time to partake in your fundraising event, which will help to boost attendance.

• Venue

Sometimes save the dates are sent before the key details of an event have been ironed out. If you've secured a venue for your event early, include this information as part of your save the date. This will inform recipients of the location of your fundraiser and they'll be able to make travel plans ahead of time.

• Purpose of the Fundraising Event

What's the purpose of your fundraising event? This is a question that you must ponder before composing your save the date. Your fundraiser might not have a specific purpose; it could be for the general benefit of your charity. If so, specify this! You can be as specific or as vague as you like, just be sure to include the purpose of the event on your save the date. Anything from "fundraiser to benefit our mission" to "charitable fundraising event for the benefit of local youths" will do the job.

It's best to remember that a save the date can be mostly vague. Formal invitations are used to provide more specific information. So, if you're unable to be specific when composing your save the date, there's no need to worry. Ensure that you include, as a minimum, the date of the event and a note describing it as a fundraiser. This will provide potential guests and volunteers with enough information to make time for your event, and enough information to know roughly what to expect of the event.

Why a Save the Date is Important Ahead of a Fundraising Event

Save the dates are vital to the success of fundraising events for a wide variety of reasons. Firstly, they help to generate early awareness. Sending save the dates will inform potential guests and volunteers of your organization's fundraiser way ahead of time. This level of early awareness spawns a string of other benefits that we'll discuss below.

Early awareness can help to bolster the attendance of your fundraising event. When guests are aware of your fundraiser ahead of time, they can mark the date on their calendar. This allows them to keep the date free, specifically to attend your event. The earlier potential guests are aware of your fundraiser, the more likely they'll be available on the date of the event. When potential guests are available on the date of your event, they're more likely to attend; this will result in higher attendance.

You can begin building anticipation for your event with an effective save the date. By providing small details about your event, within a save the date, guests can begin to understand what to expect of your fundraiser. This will help to generate excitement and anticipation for the big day. Drop small hints about the theme of the event, what special activities can be expected, and other minor details that can stimulate the imagination of potential guests.

Through a save the date you can encourage potential guests and volunteers to RSVP/register early. This will help your nonprofit to gauge attendance figures ahead of the event. Via RSVP or early registration, potential guests and volunteers can inform your organization of their intention to attend or not to attend a fundraiser. Save the dates should include a distinct call-to-action to encourage recipients to RSVP/register early. This information can be useful for a number of reasons. For example, early attendance figures allow you to choose an appropriately-sized venue, effectively cater for an event, determine how many volunteers are required, and more.

Off of the back of early attendance figures, your organization can attract sponsors for an event. By informing potential sponsors of the number of guests expected to attend your fundraiser, you can persuade them to support it. In this case, the more guests that have registered early, the better! Businesses are more likely to sponsor an event that will have a high attendance. This is because a well-attended fundraiser will offer them more exposure than a poorly-attended fundraiser.

How to Create an Effective Fundraiser Save the Date

Crafting a compelling fundraiser save the date requires thought, care, and attention. By following the steps in this section of the article, you can produce a save the date capable of stirring up high levels of anticipation for your fundraising event, while informing the recipient of the key details:

1. Clear and Catchy Title

At the very top of your fundraiser save the date should be a clear and catchy title. If you decide to send your save the date as an email, include title at the top of the body of the email and in the subject line. In order to achieve clarity when writing your title, make the text larger, bolder, and stand out from the remainder of the save the date. Let's run through a quick example to assist with your thought process. Hypothetically, you're hosting a quiz night dedicated to raising funds for a local homeless shelter. Here are some catchy title ideas: "Mind Over Homelessness," "Brains for Benefit," and "Shelter Smarts Showdown." Notice that the title ideas offer an insight into the purpose of the event, which is an important consideration to make.

2. Highlight the Purpose of the Event

Below the title, include a short sentence that briefly describes the purpose of the event. Remember, it's reasonable for a save the date to be vague. If you don't yet have all of the details, don't worry. Let's refer back to our hypothetical fundraising event. In this scenario, your short sentence could read: "A quiz night fundraiser in support of [Name of a Local Homeless Shelter]" or, less specifically, "A quiz night in support of the local homeless population."

3. Include the Essential Details

Next, it's time to provide the recipient with the essential event details. Most importantly, you should make a note of the date of the event. If already determined, you should also include the time of the event and the venue/location. It's important to both name the venue and supply its address. The more information you can provide recipients, the better. This will help them to plan ahead for the big day.

4. Add a Direct Call-to-Action

One of the goals of a save the date is to gauge event interest. This can be achieved by including a direct call-to-action. A call-to-action is designed to encourage recipients of a save the date to take action on something. In this case, it will be responding to an RSVP or registering for the fundraiser early. In our hypothetical example, our call-to-action could read: "RSVP to: [Your Organization's Address], or register early here: [Registration Link]." If you are sending your save the date in a digital format, be sure to include a hyperlink to your event's registration page.

5. Logo & Branding

Make it easy for recipients to recognize the sender of your save the date by including your organization's logo and organization-specific branding. This helps to tie the event to your nonprofit and establish trust between the recipient and your save the date. They'll quickly realize, after seeing your logo and branding, that your save the date is worth acknowledging.

6. Offer a Teaser of What to Expect

This segment of your save the date should piggyback on the purpose of your event. After briefly describing your event's purpose, include a short teaser of what guests can expect. This can be anything from activities and food options, to raffles and competitions. When writing a teaser: keep it short, keep it simple, and keep it relatively vague. The goal is to offer enough information intrigue and excite recipients, but not enough that you remove your event's surprise element. In our hypothetical example, our teaser could read: "Join us for an evening of fun, including a quiz, tasty bites, and a raffle."

7. Make it Simple to Share on Social Media

In order for your fundraising event to gain more traction, ensure that your save the date is easy to share on social media. Of course, this requires choosing a digital message option. But, in this age of modern technology, a digital save the date is usually the best choice; digital save the dates help to save costs and are simple to send in large quantities. A quick way to make your save the date simple to share on social media is to produce it in an image format. Popular image formats include PNG and JPEG. It might also be worth including another call-to-action requesting the recipient to share your save the date via social media. In our hypothetical example, our social media call-to-action could read: "Share this save the date with your friends and family on social media."

8. Offer an RSVP/Early Registration Option

An RSVP/early registration option can be included as part of the call-to-action in your save the date, as mentioned earlier. If you decide against including a dedicated call-to-action, ensure you add an independent RSVP/early registration option. In our hypothetical example, our RSVP/early registration option might read: "RSVP: [Your Organization's Address], or register early: [Registration Link]." If you opt for a digital save the date, then the registration link should be formatted as a hyperlink that takes the recipient directly to your online registration portal.

Using a combination of the above elements, you can craft a compelling save the date for your fundraising event. It's crucial that your save the date is relatively informative, well-designed, and intriguing. This will guarantee that the interest of every recipient is piqued, increasing the likelihood of their attendance.

Top Tools and Templates for Creating Fundraiser Save the Dates

There are tools available to streamline every aspect of operating a nonprofit organization. As mentioned in the intro, all-in-one fundraising platforms, like Paybee, offer charities an array of useful features that can simplify many processes. In this section of the article, we'll focus on the best tool at your disposal for creating a fundraiser save the date.

The Best Free-to-Use Option: Canva

Canva is the best free-to-use online graphic design tool. It can be operated entirely within your internet browser window. You'll have to create a free account to use Canva but it's simple to log in using your Google account, if you already have one. Once you have accessed Canva's interface, click the "Create a design" button in the top-right corner of the page and search for "save the date." This will give you two options: "Save The Date Card (Landscape)" and "Save The Date Postcard."

The difference between these two templates is their size; the save the date card (landscape) template is 6 inches by 4 inches and the save the date postcard template is 5.5 inches by 4.3 inches. Click the one that you prefer in the drop-down menu. This will open a new page. On the right side of this page will be your blank template and on the left side of this page will be the menu. There are multiple tabs in the menu, double-check that you have the "Design" tab open. At the top of the design tab, search for "save the date." This will return a list of prefabricated save the dates that you can use and customize.

You'll find that many of the prefabricated options are designed for weddings. However, there are generic options available that can be used for fundraiser save the dates. If desired, you can begin without choosing a prefabricated design. Some of the prefabricated designs have a little crown in the bottom-right corner of their thumbnails. This means that they're a "Canva Pro" option, which requires a paid subscription. If you don't wish to upgrade to Canva Pro, choose a prefabricated design without a crown icon.

Once you have decided on a prefabricated design, you can begin customizing your save the date to fulfill your nonprofit's needs and preferences. The menu, especially in the "Elements" and "Text" tabs, has a huge variety of design options to choose from. Remember: avoid options with a crown icon if you don't wish to upgrade to Canva Pro. After you have finished customizing your save the date, click the "Share" button in the top-right corner. This will allow you to download your save the date and/or share it via other platforms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Fundraiser Save the Date

Avoiding common mistakes in the design and creation process will allow you to produce an extremely effective fundraiser save the date. Below are the common mistakes to avoid when creating a fundraiser save the date using Canva, or any other tool:

• Overloading with Information

Don't overload your fundraiser save the date with masses of information. Remember: it's fine for a save the date to be relatively vague. Most importantly, you'll want to include the date of the event and a brief description of its purpose.

• Forgetting a Call-to-Action

A call-to-action is what helps to persuade a recipient of your save the date to RSVP or register early for your event; a call-to-action can also be used to encourage a recipient to share your save the date with friends and family on social media. Forgetting to include a call-to-action is likely reduce the attendance of your fundraising event.

• Omitting Key Details

You'll want to be sure that you include all of your event's key details. Date, time, and venue are three key pieces of information to add to a save the date. Forgetting these details negates the purpose of a save the date.

• Using Unreadable Fonts

Choose an easy-to-read font when designing a save the date. Recipients must be able to read the information that you're providing them via a save the date. If you use a font that's unreadable, recipients will have a difficult time extracting necessary information.

• Failing to Proofread

If you think you've finished designing and writing a save the date, you haven't. Double and triple-check your work. Spelling, grammar, and design errors are unprofessional. Avoiding spelling, grammar, and design errors will result in a more professional and effective save the date.

A save the date that avoids the above mistakes is a save the date that will produce great results. Another mistake to consider, which isn't related to the creation process, is sending your save the dates too late. Typically, you'll want to send them six to nine months before the associated event. This will give recipients time to plan for the day of the event and your nonprofit time to follow up with a formal invitation that contains comprehensive event details.

FAQs

Q: How early should I send out a save the date for a fundraiser?

A: Save the dates should be sent six to nine months before the associated event. This allows recipients time to plan for the day of the occasion and your organization time to follow up with a formal invitation that contains all of the necessary details.

Q: Can I use digital save the date announcements instead of physical ones?

A: Absolutely! It's recommended that you choose a digital format when creating and sending save the dates. Digital save the dates are more cost-effective, easier to mass produce, can contain useful hyperlinks, are easier to share on social media, and so much more! The benefits of choosing a digital format are extensive.

Q: Which tools or platforms are best for designing save the date announcements?

A: Canva is the best free-to-use platform for designing save the date announcements. For a comprehensive guide to using this online tool, see the "Top Tools and Templates for Creating Fundraiser Save the Dates" segment earlier in the article. If Canva doesn't work for you, other options include Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Microsoft Publisher. While GIMP is also free-to-use, you'll likely have to pay to use Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher.

Conclusion: The Power of a Well-Timed Fundraiser Save the Date

Fundraiser save the dates are powerful; they play a variety of roles in the event-planning process. From building anticipation and providing potential guests with vital information, to securing attendance and encouraging early event sponsorship, save the dates shouldn't be overlooked. Let's recap some of the key points from this article.

In the context of fundraising, a save the date is a digital message (e.g. text or email), letter, or card sent to potential guests and volunteers to inform them of the date of an upcoming fundraising event. Save the dates are crucial ahead of fundraisers for the following reasons:

• Provide early awareness for your event to potential guests and volunteers.
• Allow you to begin building event anticipation.
• Encourage potential guests to RSVP or register early, which gives expected attendance figures.
• Off of the back of expected attendance figures, you can secure event sponsorship.

Use these tips to create an effective fundraiser save the date:

• Use a clear and catchy title.
• Briefly highlight the purpose of the event.
• Include essential event details (date, time, and venue).
• Add a call-to-action.
• Implement your nonprofit's logo and branding.
• Offer a small teaser of what to expect at the event.
• Make it easy to share on social media.
• Offer an RSVP/early registration option.

The best free-to-use tool for creating a save the date is Canva. Canva can be operated within your internet browser window. It's loaded with templates that can be customized to create eye-catching and informative save the dates. Remember to avoid templates and design elements with the crown icon if you don't wish to upgrade to Canva Pro, which requires a paid subscription. Below are the common mistakes to avoid while using Canva, or any other design tool:

• Overloading your save the date with information.
• Forgetting a call-to-action.
• Omission of key event details.
• The use of unreadable fonts.
• Failure to proofread.

You should also ensure that your save the date isn't sent too late. Six to nine months before the associated event is a good time to send. Now that we've reached the conclusion of this article, you have the knowledge required to approach save the date creation with confidence. If you're looking for assistance with establishing fundraising events, contact Paybee. This all-in-one fundraising platform can help your nonprofit to plan and host galas, auctions, and many other types of engaging fundraisers.

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