Take Your Nonprofit Fundraising Events into the Future with PayBee

In-person fundraising events are no longer what they once were.

Thanks to the 2020 pandemic, virtually all nonprofits and charities had to hit the “pause” button on their traditional fundraising events. In-person gatherings experienced major restrictions or were no longer allowed. Even after over a year of mass vaccinations, 2022 still finds people hesitant about meeting in large groups. Masks and contactless interactions have become the new normal, and nonprofits have had to make major adjustments.

Fortunately, technology has adapted to the changes. Not only are virtual fundraising events more common now, the same online platforms that make these fundraisers possible also benefit in-person fundraisers and the more recent hybrid fundraisers that allow people to gather in-person and online simultaneously.

Let’s take a closer look at the PayBee fundraising platform and see how its online tools can be applied to common problems faced when hosting modern in-person and hybrid galas. Read closely — odds are you’ll find something that will help make your fundraising events more efficient regardless of whether you’re holding them online or at face-to-face gatherings.

Registration

The Problem

Ask any events management team and odds are they’ve had issues managing their guest list. Not only do ticket buyers not provide their full information in registration, they also often buy tickets for entire groups — and then fail to inform the event planning team who will be attending. This becomes a major issue when working out seating arrangements and meal options.

Equally problematic, guests don’t always receive adequate reminders of the upcoming event, meaning your fundraiser might not be as well-attended as you hoped. This creates an issue with audience participation and the overall enjoyment of all the guests in actual attendance.

The Solution

PayBee’s online platform sends ticket purchasers confirmation emails with links that send them back to the ticketing page. Your guests will be required to fill out all of their pertinent information early on, vastly improving your database and helping your team manage the upcoming event. You can even choose the specific types of information you want them to provide (i.e., name, email, dinner choice, vaccination status etc.).

Group ticket purchasers can also send evites to their invitees, which require them to fill out all of their information before confirming the invitation. All of this information gets entered directly into PayBee’s system, helping your team keep on top of everything. To top it all off, guests receive reminder texts and email notifications as your event nears, ensuring a good turnout.

Check-in

The Problem

Managing guests has always been a challenge, but it’s particularly difficult after 2020 thanks to safety guidelines that require contactless check-ins at your event venue.

Likewise, if you’re holding a hybrid event, you’ll be dealing with two sets of guests — one in-person and one online. That’s great for attendance, but managing so many people at check-in can be problematic.

The Solution

The PayBee Mobile App allows your event team to check guests in with a simple and easy smart phone scan, even collecting and storing credit card information at the time of check-in. Guests can even enjoy on the spot registration using the PayBee App, which is convenient for them and great for attendance.

Live and Hybrid Auctions

The Problem

Live auctions are always popular events at fundraisers, but keeping track of all of your bidders can be problematic. It gets even more complicated when you decide to hold a hybrid auction where people can bid both online and in-person. Unless you have a system for keeping track of all the bids, your auction may encounter some hiccups which will interfere with your guests’ enjoyment.

The Solution

PayBee’s system allows both live and online audiences to bid on auction items simultaneously. The PayBee Mobile App provides a particularly effective and convenient way for people to place bids directly from their smart phones and mobile devices, enabling them to be entered directly into the PayBee system. The entire live auction can also be livestreamed from the in-person venue, allowing the online guests to feel fully immersed and involved in the event.

One great feature PayBee offers is our “magic paddles.” Since in-person audiences enjoy using physical bidding paddles during a live auction, our system automatically generates bidding paddles for each guest, complete with a unique number and a QR code to be scanned through the PayBee App. By doing this, guests can keep a running shopping cart of the bids placed and donations made during the fundraiser. The code can also be used to purchase items and close out their cart to checkout. This makes auctions easier for your event team to manage and more fun for your audience to participate in. 

Silent Auctions

The Problem

Silent auctions are an excellent way for your event team to build buzz for your upcoming fundraiser. Because these online auctions can begin days or even weeks before your actual event, they allow you to start generating revenue prior to your fundraiser. And since people are engaging in your fundraising activities early on, they’re much more likely to participate in your main fundraising event.

However, uploading so many auction item descriptions and photos onto your website can be taxing on your event team. Then there’s the issue of keeping people engaged with your auction and regularly visiting your web page.

The Solution

PayBee’s online platform automatically generates a separate landing page for your silent auction. You’ll also be able to bulk upload your auction item information, saving time. In addition, people who participate in your silent auction will receive text and email notifications with bidding updates, encouraging them to return to your website and place additional bids if they’ve been outbid.

If you’re planning on hosting a silent auction at your in-person or hybrid fundraiser, the PayBee Mobile App also allows your guests to participate in mobile bidding from the in-person event. And if you receive multiple bids online and in-person, the system allows all of these bids to blend seamlessly, keeping everyone involved.

Check-out

The Problem

Much like your check-in process, check-outs today need to be more contactless and efficient. Many in-person fundraisers don’t want guests to be stuck in long lines during check-out — however you still need to collect any outstanding donations or pledges.

The Solution

By collecting credit card information during check-in with the PayBee Mobile App, guests can auto check-out and avoid lines. Alternatively, guests can check-out via smart phone with a simple credit card swipe. Guests with one of PayBee’s “magic paddles” can even check-out on their own by scanning the QR code on the paddle. Providing multiple options makes the entire check-out process faster and more convenient for everyone.

Follow Up

The Problem

Guests with pending donations need to be reminded to pay what they pledged — which can be problematic considering the number of guests virtual and hybrid fundraisers can attract. Your team will need to stay on top of all financial transfers to ensure your fundraiser collected all of its revenue.

In addition, your event team will need to properly analyze your fundraising statistics in order to improve future events. Sorting through all the data can be time consuming, however, straining your resources.

The Solution

PayBee’s system makes it simple to stay in contact with donors. One-click email reminders will inform guests with pending donations of what they need to pay. PayBee also automatically keeps track of all the financial transfers and provides you with a detailed breakdown of all associated funds and account fees. This makes your bookkeeping much easier to handle.

The automatic reports also include details of donor information from each of your fundraising activities. Knowing which fundraising activities received the most attention (and the most donations) helps your event team determine which activities to repeat in future events and which ones need to be altered.

Final Thoughts

Virtual, hybrid, and even in-person fundraisers may be experiencing new issues with the way people are currently participating in fundraising activities, but fortunately, technology is up to the challenge. By taking advantage of the online tools PayBee offers, your events team will be able to make every stage of your in-person and hybrid galas — from registration to check-in to the event itself — run more smoothly. Even time-consuming activities like check-out and follow-up are much easier to manage now thanks to the PayBee system.

To get a first hand look at how the PayBee system operates, sign up for a free demo of the PayBee system. You’ll be able to interact with PayBee’s intuitive online platform and even participate in a mock live auction to see what your guests will experience. Most importantly, you’ll be able to ask any technical questions to PayBee’s team of experts, letting you determine if PayBee can take your nonprofit fundraising events to the next level. Sign up today!

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