It seems every week there’s a fundraising event aimed at generating support 
for a local non-profit.
Golf tournaments, soccer games, bazaars … spring is the busy fundraising season. You name it, you’ll find it.
All seek to maximize turnout and dollars raised. Most face similar challenges, including:
• Competition from other events
• Miniscule budgets
• Volunteers doing the bulk of the work
Sadly, many volunteers lack basic marketing knowledge. This inhibits effectively spreading the word about their event, helping to conspire against success.
So, as a public service, I’d like to analyze the May 7 Jewish Food Festival at Poway’s Temple Adat Shalom.
This event offers everything you’d expect: food, music, dancing, educational materials, crafts … the works.
Since December, a team of eight volunteers (including me) has implemented a marketing plan aimed at delivering solid results without many resources.
Hey, it’s a non-profit fundraiser. Of course, the marketing budget’s skimpy. Despite that they’ve worked wonders, developing:
• A snappy tagline
• A revitalized web site
• Online event calendar postings
• A twice-weekly campaign encouraging Facebook connections to share news and invite their friends
• Printed signs for placement in area store windows
• Print ads targeting specific local communities
• Publicity appearing throughout San Diego County
• Promotional postcards mailing to homes within two miles of Temple Adad Shalom.
The team also coordinated a food drive with Interfaith Community Services.
Then sales promotions were used judiciously to increase awareness, attendance and participation, with fliers placed in hotels to attract regional visitors.
A mailing campaign was also done to potential sponsors, and in-house publications maintained a steady drumbeat to the most obvious audiences.
Every marketing tool used consistent designs and language. Combining good organization, a desirable destination and comprehensive marketing, current projections show double the turnout from the last Jewish Food Festival.
Has it been perfect? Hardly. Business cards should have been made for those selling program ads and a budget for radio, billboards and TV would have tied it all together nicely.
Then again, they’d probably have had so many visitors that they’d run out of food.
The only disappointment: Someone being reluctant to co-sponsor light pole banners out of fear of associating his company’s name with the word “Jewish” due to rising societal anti-Semitism.
Despite such setbacks, food festival organizers anticipate great results, setting an excellent example for other non-profit fundraisers.
Get more information about this great event at http://www.sdjewishfoodfest.com
