Bite-Sized Case Study: A Diplomatic Fundraiser

The Cause

The Intentional Charity Bazaar is formed by a group of diplomats residing in Ireland. The charity supports a wide variety of causes in Ireland and overseas: “The International Charity Bazaar (ICB) is a voluntary fundraising organisation of the Diplomatic Corps in Dublin.With the support of 50 or more Embassies and friends in the local community, the ICB raises funds for registered charities in Ireland through two annual events: the Diplomatic Ball and our annual Bazaar.

The Event

The Diplomatic Ball is an annual event hosted by the ICB. Each year a different embassy takes responsibility for the organising the Ball. It's a wonderful way to introduce cultural variety and ideas to the event. The Ball was organised by the US in 2016 and this year it was the turn of the Kenyan embassy. Over 150 people attended from a diverse range of countries, including Nigeria, Belgium and the U.S.

The Fundraiser

The Ball featured both a silent auction and raffle. Having used paper bids in previous years, it was the first year the Ball had opted for a digital auction platform. GalaBid was delighted that the move was a great success. The switch to digital fundraiser increased participation rates and raised more money.

Interesting Prizes

Each year the organising embassy promotes something from their home nation as part of the prize package. This year Kenya provided an amazing safari experience at the Kulalu Camp in Kenya.

Self-run or with GalaBid On-Site?

The ICB opted to have our team on-site to help make the event run smoothly. With lots of last-minute prizes arriving throughout the night, we were delighted to help organise the arrivals and quickly upload details to the auction site

What We Loved

Communicating effectively with people from over 50 nationalities is tricky. The language barrier can make event participation difficult. With only a short amount of time to go until the Diplomatic Ball's fundraising auction started, only half the guests were registered for the auction. The MC stopped the event and asked everyone to get their phones out. He then proceeded to demonstrate the registration process. Within a few minutes the registration numbers doubled with almost all the guests registering!

Takeaways

1. Think about changing the theme of your annual fundraising event each year to keep it fresh and interesting.2. Prizes with a special connection to the event or cause will create engagement with your guests.

3. If auction registration rates are low, make en masse registration a fun part of the event.