Wishing you good times, good cheer, and a fruitful new year.
All of us at AmFund want to thank you for your trust, loyalty, and support in 2016.
We hope to see you again in 2017!
New Year, New Face!
We are pleased to present you  with AmFund's shiny new website! 
                 wwww.AmFund.org

2017: The Worst Dates to Hold a Fundraiser

Out of 365 days a year, only about 76 nights are ideal for fundraising.  With as many as 21,000 nonprofits in the country, all vying for those ideal dates; there’s a lot of competition for donors’ attention.   That’s why savvy organizations first check their local calendars to make sure the special event date they’re eyeballing, doesn’t compete with other local nonprofits’ fundraising events.  You never want to schedule your “Black and White Ball” on the same weekend another local charity (competing for YOUR donors) is holding its annual “Paws for a Cause" Gala.   

But that’s’ just “step 1” in choosing the right date...

National holidays compete for everyone’s attention.  During Christmas and New Years, people go to office parties, family parties, friends gatherings, and they have oh so many opportunities to over- indulgeSome organizations succeed with long-established New Year’s Eve Balls, but in general, you are competing for attendance with parties galore. Also, many of your 50+ age supporters (the ones who tend to have the most potential for at-event fundraising) simply don’t want to venture out when “the big partiers” are out on the roads.

Also avoid major holiday weekends, federal holidays and other certain times of year. In addition, check with your local chamber of commerce to make sure that your date doesn't conflict with other major non-fundraising events. 

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
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OTHER DATES TO AVOID
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  • Martin Luther King Day

  • The week before and after April 15th (tax time) *

  • Passover and Easter

  • Mother's Day

  • Memorial Day Weekend

  • The last two weeks in August (vacationers' last hoorah and kids back to school and college) 

*Psychologically, just before, and just after they have paid their taxes, people are more concerned about their personal finances. So for fundraising purposes, it's better to stay away from this time of the year. 


  • Labor Day Weekend

  • Halloween

  • Thanksgiving Week

  • Giving Tuesday (You will be
    competing with every
    organization on that date)

  • The last two weeks in December

  • The first week in January

  • Presidents Day Weekend

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No one can accurately predict the weather six months ahead of time, but weather can still be an issue.   In the Snow Belt, those first early winter flurries can keep more people home than bigger snowfalls later in the season. By then, everyone is re-accustomed to driving in less-than-optimum conditions.
WEATHER
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Sports can prevent real challenges.  The World Series (a particularly gripping series this year),  Super Bowl, NFL Season Kick Off, Final Four, March Madness, along with various championships and more, can grab the attention of potential attendees who might prefer to sit at home and watch the game.

SPORTING EVENTS
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SATURDAY NIGHTS
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Once you clear away competing clutter, which night of the week is best?  There’s a good reason most donors prefer Saturday night events.  People are rested.  They have time to “gussy up” and will probably be going out for dinner anyway on a Saturday night.  So why not give them a great dinner, some entertainment and the chance to support your cause!  And, if they would ordinarily have spent the night with friends… so much the better!  Have them invite their friends and buy an entire table!  (That’s so much better than inviting the office staff… but that’s a topic for another newsletter!)

Friday nights are the next best, followed by Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  But your event timing is squeezed between a long work day causing tiredness and burnout by 9 PM.  So if you have an event on Friday night, move it along quickly and complete your fundraising before 9 PM. The party can continue after that, but "get your money in the bank" by 9 PM.   After helping to sponsor thousands of silent auctions at events nationwide, the team at the 501(c)(3) AmFund (American Fundraising Foundation) has learned to close the fundraising portion early while attendees still have energy and excitement to bid and give!  After their meal, and speeches, they mentally shut down and wonder think “how soon can I get out of here?”  Wade West, the founder of AmFund says especially on a work night; never make the mistake of asking for donor support after 9 PM.  By then, the best intentions have faded, and wallets slam shut.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
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THURSDAYS
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Thursday nights are in a league of their own.  If you are seeking to cultivate younger twenty-to-thirty-something supporters, they might be fine.  But you may be putting in a lot of work for a limited result.  Often Thursday night events attract more singles, rather than couples, and their primary focus is meeting people and finding a date for the weekend!  For organizations who want to grab the full attention of your guests to share your mission and inspire as much support as possible, Thursday nights can be hit or miss at the most. 

Golf outings typically take place during the week, most often on Mondays. That’s when most courses are least busy after heavy weekend use and prices for tournament play are cheaper. Just make sure that it is not a Monday following a busy holiday weekend.

When it comes to ladies luncheons, weekdays are best and we find that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are best of all! Working women often use Mondays to get organized for their entire week and Fridays are often jammed with projects that need to be completed.

OTHER TYPES OF EVENTS
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Do you want our financial support at your next nonprofit Fundraising event?

AmFund helps more than 100 organizations a year nationwide by sponsoring silent auctions at their special events.  Its goal is to be the largest or among the largest supporters of the evening.  They carefully screen organizations to help where they can have the greatest impact.  One of the many things they take into account is the date of an organization's event.

American Fundraising Foundation
1411 Edgewater Drive Suite 103, Orlando, FL  32804 | (407) 895-8000