Donations and support are the two things that all fundraising and charitable events are organised for. The organisers are looking to recruit volunteers, more donations or contacts that can help them to increase awareness of their cause in the long run.

An after dinner speaker can help in this endeavour in many ways. They attract more publicity for your event, especially if they have a celebrity factor, they can influence more people to attend your event, and they can help to raise funds through auctions.

Publicity
If the after dinner speaker you choose is famous or enjoys notoriety among the general public then you are sure to have increased publicity for your event. more people will find out about the event if a person of notoriety speaks out about it in the media or on the internet.

Increase Attendance
When it becomes public knowledge that a person with celebrity value will be speaking at your event, the number of attendees will increase. Fans of the speaker, anyone that thinks they will be entertaining and people with a general interest will want to attend. You will also receive more attendees who have a genuine interest in your cause but who only came to know about the event through the publicity of the speaker.

Boost Donations
Some of the best after dinner speakers will bring an item to your event that can be auctioned off to raise even more money for your cause. If the speaker is a sports star then signed pieces of their uniform or signed balls are a popular auction prize as are signed photos or CDs/DVDs if they are in the entertainment industry. Concert/gig tickets and even dates with the speakers are some of the more special auction prizes that have been bid on at previous charity events.

Getting as many people as possible to your event and then having them donate their time and money is the sole reason why most charities put on events. Most events charge a set price for tickets or per plate if it is an event with dinner unless it is being held as a thank you to the organisation’s members. So if you are having a dinner and dance evening, you could charge

In order for charities to be able to do their work, they need support in monetary and physical forms. Whilst many people pick a handful of causes to support on a regular basis, many people are prepared to donate their time and money to a one off, worthwhile cause. Charitable events have been organised for centuries and a variety of people attend them. The royal family are probably the largest benefactor family in Great Britain, raising millions of pounds for various charities and causes, the Prince’s Trust being one of the most notable. But people with less money also give to charity, every level of society has members who donate.

When compiling an invitation list, make sure people from your target audience are included. Women are the biggest benefactresses of breast cancer research, men for testicular and prostrate cancer. Wealthier people tend to sponsor charities working with animals and there are people who focus their charitable giving on local causes. If you know people already donating to your cause, invite them and you will raise more money at your event.

After dinner speakers are a good way to increase the guests at your event. If you choose a celebrity from the world of sport, music or politics, they are sure to attract more guests and many bring items to auction which can raise large and unexpected amounts of money.

Through funny speeches and exciting anecdotes, an after dinner speaker will make your event memorable. This will hopefully create future donations from guests that had not previously donated but now remember your cause and want to support it.

To raise a lot of money in little time, events prove the best forum. They can take a long time to plan and can be expensive but try to use caterers that offer discount for charitable events or use food suppliers from the local region who are more likely to donate food and drink for the event. Make your event a success by hosting it at as little cost as possible, and raising as much as you can.