To better understand which participant marketing and recruitment initiatives are working and which aren't, Event 360 interviewed seven organizations that rely heavily on peer-to-peer recruitment and fundraising: the American Diabetes Association, Church World Service, The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, JDRF, March of Dimes, the National MS Society, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The information obtained from our interviews has been summarized into seven short “myth buster” topics in this new Event 360 eGuide.

1. recruit
participants
more effectively
Research Participants

2. The Event 360 Approach
to Event Fundraising Generating a Sufficient Audience
The identification and use of critical success
factors is a key concept in strategy formulation According to data reported Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer The information obtained
and assessment. While often neither surprising
nor groundbreaking, they are the bread-and-
to the Run Walk Ride (RWR) Institute, JDRF, March of from our interviews has
butter to the success of any project. Event Fundraising Council, event Dimes, the National MS been synthesized and
360 has identified seven key success factors
needed to compete successfully in the world participation among the RWR Society, and Susan G. summarized into seven
of event fundraising.
30 has dropped by almost Komen for the Cure. The short “myth buster” topics:
20% over the last two years. events facilitated by these
1. Spending lots of
While several events (Pelotonia, organizations represent a
money on advertising
Making Strides Against Breast cross-section of stand alone
will net high volumes
Cancer, Take Steps for Crohn’s and series events with local
of participants…
& Colitis, Team in Training, and national operations.
Tour de Cure, Walk Now For 2. Social media will
Autism Speaks, and Relay for What we learned didn’t save the day…
Life) reported greater than 10% surprise us: there is no magic 3. It does not matter
participant growth, the overall formula or single tactic that whether a participant is
trends points to a simple reality: will result in higher volumes part of a team…
Well-Defined Strategy: Where are we going?
recruiting new participants to of participants. Instead, a 4. Involving corporate
Sufficient Audience: Who is our market?
your run, walk or ride is much tailored blend of targeted sponsors is optional…
Effective Ask: What do we need them to do?
more difficult than it was just a advertising, innovative
Impactful Experience: What do we offer to them? 5. My retention strategy
few years ago. social media outreach,
Robust Service: How will we support them? begins when the event
segmented communications,
Smart Data: How do we monitor our progress? is over…
To better understand what and other data-driven tactics,
Strong Leadership: Are we engaged, inspired,
is working and what isn’t, when executed together 6. Creativity and emotion
and on track?
Event 360 interviewed seven as part of an integrated are a luxury…
These success factors define the core
competencies and performance requirements organizations that rely heavily multi-channel recruitment 7. Data collection is
that are fundamental to an event fundraising
program’s success. They are based on Event on peer-to-peer recruitment and retention plan, are not important…
360’s 10 years of research and field work
as an event fundraising practitioner and and fundraising: the American the key elements of a highly
consultant.
Diabetes Association, Church successful strategy.
In this Event 360 eGuide, we examine the
Sufficient Audience success factor—and
World Service, The Jimmy
debunk seven participant recruitment myths.
2

3. Myth #1: Truth: Paid television and
radio advertising can increase
Successful organizations
employ a combination of
Bonus Content:
The Silver Bullet of Event
Fundraising Communications
Spending lots the volume of your voice and search engine optimization, Understanding your audience and
communicating your impact—these
of money on strengthens your position in
the marketplace. It usually
targeted digital/radio/television
advertising, social media
are the twin silver bullets of the event
fundraising communications process.
television and results in greater awareness presence and printed collateral.
Using analytical methods, you can
understand the motivations of each
radio advertising about your event, but it is This hybrid approach appears
and every participant-–were they
driven to register by the registration fee,
fundraising minimum, activity, cause,
unlikely to result in droves to be the most effective way
will net of new participants signing to establish awareness about
brand or other factors? What channel of
communication do they respond to best?
significantly up simply because they saw an event and to engage
Are they dedicated to us or do they
appear to spread their affinity to other
or heard your ad. Accurately individuals who are passionate organizations’ fundraising events.
high volumes understanding your audience about a cause.
Then, being able to tell people what
you’re going to do with the money
of participants is the silver bullet of creating
you’re asking them to give you, that’s
the second silver bullet.
effective communications as it If you do have the budget for
means each decision is based television or have received
on fact, not speculation. TV placement as an in-kind
donation, reaching your key
Individuals who are passionate audiences can be achieved by
about a cause often seek airing on networks ranking high
vehicles through which they against your chosen target, or
can channel their energy in by airing within specific shows
order to make a difference. performing well against your
A fundraising event acts as key market segments.
such a vehicle, and the most
effective recruitment strategy
we identified through our
research is, in fact, quite
simple: make it easy for
individuals to find the event
that matches their passion.
3

4. Myth #2: Truth: Facebook,Twitter,
Google+, Pinterest and the
The key to success in social
media is to be highly relevant
Bonus Content:
Golden Rules of Marketing Your
Event Through Social Media
Social media will myriad of other social media and laser focused. Content that • Peer-to-peer sharing is the best way to
get your event messaging heard.
save the day channels can be powerful
tools for spreading the word
is true to the tone of your event
and that stands out as unique
• Don’t take yourself too seriously.
It should be obvious, but social
marketing is about being social, and
about your event among to your followers can spread that means you need a good personality
individuals that are connected quickly, particularly if you ask to make your event likable.
• Inbound marketing is not enough. Each
to your cause and within your your followers to share.
of the tactics described in this guide
inner circle of supporters and can work on their own. But, for an event
to benefit fully from them, they should
followers. They can also be be combined with outbound marketing.
Never underestimate what a bit of paid
leveraged as a vehicle for your
promotion can do for your event.
participants to recruit team • You must have good content and solid
members and, of course, offers. Without well-produced, engaging
content, any and all tactics you employ
generate peer-to-peer financial will most likely fail.
support. Status updates, • You will need a strong call to action.
The tried-and-true, strong call to action
promoted posts and other is just as important in social media as
it is anywhere else. Be clear about
messaging tools allow your what you want your audience to do after
organization to communicate consuming your content or engaging
with your event.
in real time, but social media • Always add value. At the end of the day,
is limited by the same element if you are not providing some sort of
value to your event participants, you are
that makes it such an effective not doing your job and social media
will never work for you.
tool: the cacophony of
• Never forget that social is a two-way
messages can be deafening. street. No one likes being talked at.
Yes, broadcast your message, but
remember to keep the lines of
communication open in both
directions. When contacted, always
respond quickly and sincerely. Be sure
to mix up your messaging and use a
combination of content and offers.
Source: Marketo
4

5. Myth #3: Truth: Organizations that
actively encourage and support
Segmenting communications
from the moment an individual
Bonus Content:
Public Relations Tips for Events
It does not team building achieve higher registers is an essential
Clearly, PR efforts can have a dramatic
impact on event performance. Although
they are inherently local in nature, this
matter whether levels of participation and
retention—and their events
element of this strategy.
Participants who join your event
is also where personal relationships
are most likely to exist, which can be
a participant is raise more money. as individuals should receive
leveraged to publicize event activities.
Some of the ways in which PR can be
part of a team ongoing communications that leveraged include:
• Promote your event through local
Once engaged, individuals encourage starting a team, or media calendar sections.
act as evangelists, taking finding a team to join based on • Create a dedicated area on the main
event website for the media and
recruitment into their own affinities, geographical location develop a press kit for the series.
hands by spreading the word or other variables. • Establish local media partnerships—
not just for in-kind sponsorship or to
about the event to friends, support traditional PR—but for unique
family and colleagues, ways to gain coverage for the event.
For example, inviting a radio or
inviting them to participate television personality to participate in
the event allows for story lines from
on a team. Our research a participant’s perspective. Encourage
indicates that organizations the stations to create teams to further
engage the media in the event.
that actively encourage this • Pitch stories and interviews to local
activity from the beginning media featuring inspirational event
participants.
of the recruitment and
registration process have
more engaged participants,
lower no-show rates, and
increased year-over-year
retention.
5

6. Myth #4: Truth: Corporate sponsors
are more likely to remain
This appears to be a
missed opportunity for
Bonus Content:
Recruitment Success Factor Checklist
Recruiting committed to an organization many organizations for
✓ We have clearly defined and assigned
recruitment functions, responsibilities,
timelines, and objectives.
corporate over time when their
employees are engaged
various reasons: corporate
relationships are sometimes
✓
We have established goals to be
accomplished in terms of advertising
sponsors to through event participation. managed outside of the
impressions, leads, new participants,
and repeat participants.
form event Much like an individual events team, and events ✓ We have determined how our
recruitment results will be measured.
supporter, corporations staff may not be experienced
teams should need to be kept involved in working with corporate
✓ We have defined key messages for
each of our target segments.
✓ Our messages are clear enough and
be optional with the mission and entities. Cross-training staff bold enough to earn a place in the
minds of our target market.
activities of an organization can be an effective way of
✓ We have defined the personality
in order to ensure a lasting, bridging this gap. of the event brand. (i.e., Funny,
Emotional, Hard-hitting, etc.)
long-term relationship. ✓ We have defined the recruitment
campaign tone. (i.e., positive/uplifting
vs. serious/thoughtful; inclusive and/
Our research found that or family-oriented vs. individualistic
and challenging, etc.)
organizations that build
✓ We have an integrated communication
corporate team participation plan and calendar for the marketing
communications mix.
into their relationships with ✓ We regularly assess and optimize
corporate sponsors often the marketing communications
mix required to generate sufficient
find that their events’ participation from the target
audience.
largest-grossing teams are ✓ We have defined our competitors
its corporate teams. and know their strengths and
weaknesses, including evaluating
the income model, target audience,
fundraising performance and
attendance of those events.
✓ We use predictive modeling to
execute a more effective recruitment
strategy, achieve pre-set recruitment
objectives, and help understand: Why
will my registrants attrite? When will
my registrants attrite? Who can we
save? Who will register again? When
will they register? Which event will
they participate in next (for example,
will they migrate from walk to bike)?
6

7. Myth #5: Truth: Organizations that
achieve high retention rates
An important element in
retaining participants through
Bonus Content:
Is there an average benchmark for repeat
event participants, and for event donors
The retention point to the event day the event day experience that convert to recurring donors?
Among the last several run, walk, ride
strategy begins experience as the most
significant factor in driving
involves legacy recognition.
Recognizing repeat participants
fundraising programs Event 360 has
consulted on, the average number of
when the event participants back to the can drive individuals to
repeat participants was 34% and the
median was 30%. This is consistent
with Blackbaud's donorCentrics Events
is over starting line the following year. continually return to the Benchmarking group where five walk
programs averaged a 40% participant
event, especially in cases retention rate. Blackbaud's study also
reported that multi-year participants
Making the event experience where a legacy society exists. raised more than new participants.
fun, easy to navigate, Recognition can take the When building a retention program, it's
important to remember to segment your
interactive, emotionally form of a distinct t-shirt color, fundraisers and your $0 participants.
With limited resources, it makes sense
impactful, stimulating, and preferred registration line, or to focus your retention efforts on the
people most likely to fundraise again.
with an exciting finish line unique giveaways, and can
To the second question about converting
experience all contribute be modeled after successful event donors to organizational donors;
unfortunately, a benchmark doesn't
greatly to retaining participants fundraising tiers. exist here. We have seen this as high
from one year to the next. as 80-90% on some programs, but
this is by no means a benchmark, and
In addition to being the least your mileage will vary. Ideally, the
median number of donors per event
costly form of recruitment, participant should be at least three to
four. If the majority of participants have
ensuring a positive event-day only one donor, then you should examine
how effectively you are using tools to
experience is just as important encourage participants to ask for money.
as your up-front efforts. While it is often the case that an
event donor’s motivation to support
an organization is secondary to that
of supporting the participant, this is by
no means a reason to disregard such
individuals. In fact, such a donor is very
similar to an individual introduced to
you by a friend at a social event. The
burden rests with you to further engage
this individual if you wish to pursue a
deeper relationship and, if you do not
take the first step to engage, chances
are the relationship will never move
beyond the event.
7

8. Myth #6: Truth: There is a very
strong link between creativity
The bottom line: event
communication such as
Bonus Content:
How to Appeal to the Massive
Subconscious Mind
Creativity and and advertising effectiveness. direct mail, direct response Just 150 milliseconds after seeing
an image of a baby, people’s medial
emotion are While creativity cannot be
defined or prescribed, creative
advertising, email marketing,
search marketing, and social
orbitofrontal cortex—the part of the
brain associated with emotion—
a luxury ads tend to be enjoyable and media advertising are designed
becomes abuzz with activity. Pictures
of grown-ups don’t prompt the same
effect. An experiment in Scotland
involving, and different than to create immediate uplifts in showed babies also make people more
altruistic. Wallets were planted all over
other advertising. They tend registration and are usually Edinburgh with one of four photos:
a baby, a puppy, a happy family or an
to stimulate an emotional judged on this basis. elderly couple – or no photo. Nearly
90% of the baby wallets were turned
response. But if communication is in, followed by 53% of puppies, 48%
to immediately impact of families and 25% for the older couple.
Only one in seven of the other wallets
In other words, creativity and registrations, it must have without photos were turned in by good
Samaritans. Does your cause involve
emotion are no longer a luxury an emotionally powerful, babies in any way? Put them front and
center on your site and in social media.
if campaigns want to achieve relevant, new, believable, And just in case you ever lose it, in your
wallet, too.
financial success. Creativity and differentiating message.
Source: Roger Dooley’s book Brainfluence
fuels effectiveness, and ads And none of these factors may
that engage emotionally are have enough weight by itself
more likely to be rewarded. to compensate for poor
Of course, direct response isn’t performance by the others.
the only role of advertising. Rather, they are conditions
People are more inclined to which all need to be met if an
register for events they know ad is to generate the motivation
something about, rather than necessary to change people’s
events they have never heard behavior. It’s like a cake: if just
of, so you will still need to do one of the main ingredients is
some brand building activity missing, then the final result will
to help maximize your direct not be very appetizing.
response advertising.
8

9. Myth #7: Truth: Collecting and
analyzing the right set of data
“we love that so many people
just show up” but that limits
Bonus Content:
Analyze This: A Nonprofit’s Guide to
Event Fundraising Analytics
Our data won’t is critical to your ability to our ability to promote next • Visit www.event360.com/resources to
download a detailed guide highlighting
really reveal measure the efficacy of your
organization’s participant
year’s event to this group,
and to steward them as part
key metrics and best practices driving
event fundraising success.
anything we recruitment strategies. of our organizations larger
didn’t already family. Also, at the point of
If you are using television or registration be sure to ask
know radio advertisements, set up “how” a person heard about
unique phone lines for each the event and “why” they
segment to test response decided to register for
rates. Likewise, use unique the event.
URLs, discount codes, QR
codes, etc. in print ads and Finally, one of the largest
ensure the ability to track missed opportunities with
the source of traffic driven data is on the analytics side.
through digital ads. This will It’s not enough to have
tell you which channels are collected all of the right
delivering registrants and data if you and your team
are worthy of your continued aren’t visiting it on a
investment. regular basis to inform
your decisions about
Once someone decides how and where you are
to register, be sure to recruiting participants.
collect the name and At minimum, conduct a
contact information for complete analysis of your
each participant. It can be participant data at the end
tempting to tell ourselves of the event, to help set the
that “the team captains have plan for next time.
all of that information” or that
9

10. We help nonprofits
and corporations
use events to create
a better world.
To learn more, please contact Jono Smith at
773.247.5360 ext. 130 or email jsmith@event360.com.