In the time of COVID-19, nonprofit organizations are being challenged to get creative in their fundraising efforts. For many, that means pivoting to virtual events online. Online events are great, but they can lack the community-building aspect of an in-person event. Interacting with your supporters and creating a celebratory atmosphere can be hard to accomplish online. Here are a few ideas for hosting an event that is contactless, but still allows for a sense of community and togetherness – a drive-through contactless fundraiser! We’ve broken it down into nine easy steps to help you plan this fun community building event.
1. Secure a Location
Look for a location that has ample room – a parking lot or other open area for many cars to drive through, preferably located in a high traffic area where people driving by will be curious to stop and check out the event. An ideal location is a school or business parking lot during non-working hours (early evening or weekends are best). If there is a local bank branch with multiple drive-through teller lanes, approach them about using their space for your event. Be sure to offer them the opportunity to become an event sponsor!
2. Select Your Date and Time
As mentioned previously, off hours or weekends are best for an event when the parking lot or other chosen area will be mostly free of cars. Work with the owner of the space to find a date and time that works for all. To maintain high energy, keep the time frame short. Estimate the number of participants and how many minutes it will take for each car to finish the planned route. Do the math to estimate an overall good time frame. If you make the event too long, participants will be spread thin and you’ll miss out on creating a fun, high energy atmosphere. Better to have a lineup of cars waiting to donate than blocks of time with no cars at all.
3. Recruit a Sponsor
Once you have a location and date, seek out one or more event sponsors. A sponsor can help you spread the word about your event and make a matching or outright donation to your cause. If you are using the parking lot of a business complex, approach the businesses and the complex owner about sponsoring your event. By inviting people to your event, you are providing visibility to the businesses in your chosen location, so it is to their advantage to spread the word and help you make your event a success!
4. Decorations and Entertainment
Plan a route for your drive-through event and create signage to direct cars to follow a designated one-way path. Use traffic cones with directional signage, chalk markup directly on the pavement and volunteers to direct cars. Better to go too big than too small with directional signage to avoid confusion on where to go. Be sure to have ample signage to direct people to the event, including signs on the main road promoting the event to those who are just driving by.
Make it a true celebration and party atmosphere! Decorate the parking lot with balloon columns, car lot pennants, streamers, or fun inflatables. Book a live band or DJ. Invite your staff, volunteers, and sponsor employees to attend to greet and cheer those driving through. Make “thank you” and other fun signs for them to hold to express gratitude to participants.
Hope for good weather but plan for rain. Think about finding a sheltered location (again – bank drive through!) or consider renting tents to cover the lanes designated for giving, entertainment and volunteer stations.
5. Contactless Games and Other Fun
To make it extra fun and interactive, plan a game or two. One idea for a contactless game is “Spin it to Win It.” Set up a spinner and prizes under a small tent. As participants drive through, volunteers can spin the wheel, see what they have won and hand them the prize. Work with local businesses to donate prizes for the game.
Create a fun Instagram photo op. Have volunteers create large decorated “frames” with text like “I donated” or “I love [your organization name]” or other fun sayings. One volunteer holds the frame up while another snaps a photo of those in the car. Post these photos to your Instagram account, and provide signage with event-specific hashtags for participants to use on their own posts!
6. Contactless Giving
The main goal of a contactless fundraiser is to raise funds while keeping your staff, volunteers and donors safe. The best way you can do this is to make sure you have a contactless donation system in place. We have found that the very best way to encourage onsite contactless giving is to use a QR code that donors can simply scan to give. It may sound complicated, but it is really very simple. Use a donation platform like CHEQRPAY which provides your organization with a QR code payment system that is made for mobile. Creating a CHEQRPAY account is free and easy to use. Simply sign up for a free account, create a campaign for your fundraiser and download your contactless payment QR code as an image. Now you can paste this QR code onto any display or print material you plan to use at your fundraiser. Include the code on large posters, fliers or even project it on a screen. When a donor scans the code with their mobile device, they are automatically taken to a mobile friendly payment page to make a donation using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Credit Card or EFT bank transfer. As you design the route for your drive through fundraiser, plan to direct the cars through one or more “giving lanes.” Post the QR code at each station and participants will simply scan the code with their own mobile device to donate.
7. Treats and Goodies
Entice people to attend by offering treat or goodie bags to all who drive through. Approach your sponsors and other local businesses for swag, snacks, coupons, or other fun giveaways. Local food trucks might be interested in attending to offer samples. The more attractive you can make your giveaways, the more folks will want to drive through.
8. Safety First
Make sure all your volunteers are socially distancing and wearing masks throughout the entire event. If they are working at a station that involves handing something to the participant in the car (game prizes, thank you gifts, food, etc.) make sure they are wearing gloves and have access to hand sanitizer. Supply water and individually packaged snacks for volunteers.
9. Promote and Get the Word Out
Enlist all your resources to get the word out. Be sure to communicate why you are holding the fundraiser, how the funds will be used and the impact you seek to make. Have Board members invite their social circle. Email your current donor base. Invite your sponsors to promote the event to employees, or better yet, have those employees invite their social circles. Assist your sponsors by providing them with message templates to send out. Use social media, local media outlets and sites like Eventbrite to spread the word a couple of weeks out. Include your donation page link in everything you post and your QR code on everything you distribute. Give folks the chance to give even if they cannot attend. Let people know this will be a contactless event where credit card payments will be accepted so they know what to expect.
By hosting a contactless drive-through fundraising event, your staff can see all the smiling faces of your supporters as they come through the event route. The celebratory atmosphere will create a feel good, community building opportunity for your organization, sponsors, and donors. Be sure to thank everyone who participates, and report results to your sponsors and donors via email and social media. If you decide to host a drive-through fundraiser, share your results! We would love to hear your ideas and feedback.
