The question I get asked most often when it comes to organizing a charity fundraiser is, “When should we have it? Is there a better day? A better time?” If you were to ask five different people who have applied for benefits in the past, you would probably get five different answers that would really confuse you, right?
For my money, and to make the most money, I’m all for Saturday nights from 5-10 pm Before I give you the pros of one Saturday night, let me give you the cons of other nights. There are some who think that Friday night would be a good time for a charity event. Their reason is that people have had a rough week at work, are thrilled that it’s finally Friday (TGIF!), and are ready to party and spend. The downside of Friday is that most of your guests are probably still at work at 5 p.m. I lived all day. Some may even need to grab a bite to eat before leaving knowing they have a long night ahead of them. So they may not arrive until 6:30 or 7:00 pm The long night ahead creates another problem. These people have been up since 6 am and gone to work at 7. Will they really be in the mood to party and push until 10?
Sunday presents a different set of challenges. Right, you wouldn’t have to run like you did on Friday and maybe you could even bring the kids. But partying, spending and drinking until 10 is out of the question for most people. Monday morning is right around the corner and it’s not just a work day, but for 9 months of the year it’s also a school day.
Which brings me to Saturday. Mom and Dad have had a leisurely day of perhaps grocery shopping, catching up on chores, and doing some yard work. At about 3pm, Mom can start getting ready for the benefit with a shower or bath and she has all the time in the world to put on makeup and party clothes, all with the help of wine in hand! There is no rush and her guests are in the mood to reward themselves after working around the house all day. They can come early, spend a lot, stay late, and then sleep late!
What about the Sunday morning church service? Most people will optimize service by skipping after doing a good deed the night before!