Biking, Bowling, or Eating for Your Charity?

These are all fund raising ideas and events that bring in money for your charity.

The question is, should you put on an event which might bring is more money, but is less efficient, or should you put on an even that will bring in tons of money, but the cost to put on the event is more?

Events like bowling for dollars don't raise very much money. Less efficient fundraising events like walkathons and galas yield tons more cash.

Charity Navigator is promoting its 2007 Special Events Study, which tries to convince donors that they shouldn't support charity special events because they are so darn inefficient fundraising vehicles. The hyper-rational donor is better off writing a check directly to the organization.

But let's take a minute to think this out. If your goal is $100,000. Would it be wiser to plan one event that brings in $125,000 or ten events that bring in $10,200? If you are looking only at efficiency, the ten events that end up costing $2000 to put on would be the way to go. But you have to think of all those volunteer hours, venues, and organization.

If you put on one event that gets you to your fundraising goal, even if it costs more to put on, might that not be the most effective fund raising idea?

Charity Navigator is a wonderful service, but should not be used exclusively when planning your charity donations. Going out for the evening at a nice dinner, with amazing speakers and entertainment is the social element lacking in their analysis. That is a balance you need to make as a donor.