Events

BEKKI WILKINS, event manager of serious illness charity THE WILLOW FOUNDATION, and SAM DIMOND, founder of event production company SPOTLIGHT SOUND, discuss whether charities need a complete operational rethink when it comes to fundraising events.

In the last four years, we have seen the zeitgeist of the 21st century change to affect every part of society. We know that the global pandemic, the war in Europe and the subsequent cost of living crisis have all had a profound effect on the way we live. For organisations which deal with fundraising such as charities this shift in behaviour has been felt acutely. For charities in particular it has, in some cases, caused a complete operational rethink.

When societal behaviours change, charities must be aware of what new drivers are behind people’s behaviours and decision-making. According to CAF’s UK Giving Report 2023, in 2023, charity income from fundraising events was down to 15% from a pre-pandemic 2019 of 23%. Event planners must dive deep into why this is and what makes people want to attend certain events over others.

It means looking at every part of that event strategy to design and build an event which is true to the charity brand and intention but also brings something new and desirable to the table. Event production and design are fundamental to this.

Integral to success

Fundraising events are integral to the success of a charity for many different reasons. Firstly events raise awareness of the work that charities do. All charities have their loyal and lifelong donors who are the lifeblood of the organisation, but they also work hard to attract new donors. The drop in donors and the rise in event costs mean that many charities may need to rethink their approach in 2024. With the fundraising space so saturated with events, ensuring your event stands out is becoming increasingly difficult.

Word of mouth and making sure your event is the hottest ticket in town, while ensuring costs, are met is the stuff that keeps charity event planners up at night. How that event looks and the PR around it are paramount to its continuing success in attracting fresh donors. People’s opinions and experiences of past events are a valuable resource, therefore ensuring guests come away from an event with a positive outlook and the desire to share it with friends is important and forms much of the basis of all event planners’ future strategies.

Over the last ten years, charities have utilised social media to spread the word and publicise their events and also to share the success of them more. Social media reaches all generations. We know that each platform garners interest from different age groups. Cross-promoting events via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube ultimately maximises interest and reaches more people. To go one step further and share the success of the event across social media starts to build its reputation amongst a new audience and cement long-lasting impressions. Making an event “Instagrammable” is the key now.

Red carpet event

The traditional red carpet event is still very popular and remains the basis for many fundraising events and awards. However, ensuring visual backdrops and lighting for photos is something we will start seeing more of at traditional events, as will be pop up photo booths and big hashtag signs. More influencers on guest lists are also said to help with that Instagram effect. The traditional event will start seeing the infiltration of modern themes while still retaining those traditional themes.

This fits in with the latest Enthuse report that despite all age groups wanting to get involved with fundraising events, Gen Z is most enthusiastic at 61%, closely followed by Millennials at 60%. Overall, 61% of under-40s expect to attend a charity event in 2023 while 31% of over-40s expect to attend.

Charities put on the same awards and events ceremonies year on year. They tend to work with the same venues and the same event production companies. For example, The Willow Foundation hosts the London Football Awards which brings together some of the biggest names in football at The Roundhouse each February. Alongside is the Willow Ball which is a traditional ball with a three-course meal and fundraising auctions, this year at the Grand Connaught rooms. The revenue comes from ticket and table sales, the raffle and live and silent auctions.

People know what they are going to get as the format remains similar each year. Events like this are vital in keeping charities operational and able to help people. Last November’s Willow Ball raised around £200,000 of revenue for the charity which is a great sum but still £50,000 down on the year before. The cost of living crisis affected corporate spending and subsequent fundraising in 2023 and the expectation is that it will do the same this year.

Whilst striving to keep a traditional experience for existing donors as the basis for fundraising balls and award ceremonies, event planners are having to look at costs and how to make events more modern. This often comes down to event design. An event production company can make or break an event. Events need good PR and this comes down to ensuring that it gets into the papers for all the right reasons.

The right emotion

Designing and producing a charity event which is immersive, inviting, spectacular and creates the right emotion in people at a cost price is not easy. Each year the audience wants a little more spectacle at the events they go to. For charities, production costs are one of their biggest outlays. This is the area where cost savings will look to be made in many cases.

Many venues prefer charities and companies using the premises to use production teams that are affiliated with their venue in some way. One reason for this could be the perceived safety of a team that knows the venue and has an understanding of how its owners want the venue to be perceived. It should be said that many good production companies not affiliated with a venue will always adhere to health and safety manuals and ensure a venue is used as it should be.

Venues which insist on using production companies affiliated with them can be problematic for charities in particular as costs can vary wildly between production companies. For some charities working with a trusted event designer and producer is paramount, and the risk of working with someone new to the charity who does not understand their intention in the same way is too high.

This returns to the idea of good PR surrounding the event. Events can garner bad publicity for many reasons. Something as small as having the general public too close to the celebrity waiting area could cause problems on the night in front of the waiting press. With the actual running of the venue, technical issues can mean that an event is talked about negatively and that is down to the event set up and production team.

The production on the night needs to be technically smooth. Awards ceremonies need screens, lights, music, microphones, talk-back radios, mixing desks and more. Finding the right production and set-up company is imperative. If you have bad production your event can crash. If the audience is unable to hear the speakers on stage or a light is shining directly in their eyes, this can all have a strong impact on the success and reputation of an event.

If an event company which regularly works with a charity has a proven track record in producing a slick event time after time and at good value the charity will likely continue to work with it.

Ahead of the curve

The other consideration is design. Each year there are new trends when it comes to lighting and sound as well as new technologies to employ. Colour schemes are also important, as is venue layout. Event production teams must be ahead of the curve in helping to provide that added spectacle to the event as that is integral to attracting new donors.

For example, it could be that a certain type of music is popular amongst the audience and could be used for intros into awards or speakers themselves. This adds to the overall atmosphere of the event. It is the production team that sits with the event planner at the beginning of the planning process who gets this right.

But things are looking optimistic according to the Enthuse report, with more than 44% of the UK public saying they would be likely to take part in a fundraising event last year. Whilst it remains to be seen if that was in fact the case, the outlook for this year it is positive. For that 12% who were undecided about whether they would take part in fundraising events, this still represents a potential opportunity for charities to get people involved in their causes. This may mean trying new ways of immersing people into a more experience driven event.

MARK IND, the new CEO of HEARTBEAT, describes how he came to the cardiac charity and is continuing the focus on holding events as a major aspect of its fundraising activities.

Heartbeat, a cardiac charity based in Southampton, is run by a small team but it has big ambitions. Celebrating our 30th anniversary this year, the charity has raised more than £20 million over that time. This has been achieved through fundraising activities ranging from cycle sportives and golf days to large scale charity balls and galas, as well as theatrical spectaculars. Events are a great way to spread the charity’s message, get people to dig deep and to showcase the charity’s many achievements.

Deeply immersed in supporting the work of the Cardiac Centre at the University Hospital Southampton, we raise funds to contribute to the prevention and cure of heart diseases as well as rehabilitation. As well as providing support for patients and families being treated in Southampton.

The charity, formerly known as Wessex Heartbeat - now just Heartbeat, has grown substantially over the thirty years, and its new title mirrors that growth. When Wessex Heartbeat was in its formative years it was mostly supporting patients and their families who were from the Wessex region. It now looks after people from Guernsey to Gloucestershire and the name needed to reflect this.

New perspective

I joined the charity six months ago, bringing with me a new perspective as well as a very personal reason as to why I wanted to get involved in running the charity.

My son Alex was born in September 1998 and after five days became blue and breathless and was rushed back into Winchester Hospital, where he was born. It was thought at that point that he had a very serious heart condition, so he was transported at speed and “blue-lighted” to the Wessex Cardiac Unit at the now University Hospital Southampton (formerly known as the “General”).

It was there that he was diagnosed with a blocked pulmonary valve, two holes in his heart, and a faulty ventricle as well as having all his organs the wrong way round – he was given a 20% chance of living. It was a terrifying time. But Heartbeat was there for us.

As a family we made it through those dark days and Alex is now a football loving 25 year old and, although still under the watchful eye of the Wessex Cardiac Unit, is eternally grateful for the amazing care and treatment he received from so many incredible surgeons, cardiologists, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff at the hospital.

I was previously from a background in hospitality and I wanted to do more for the charity which had given so much to so many.

I wanted to give this my all, and of course fundraising is at the core of what we do at Heartbeat. Making sure there was a strong strategy in place for that was my top priority.

Heartbeat has gained recognition not just for its excellent work in the cardiac sector but for its ability to organise and execute highly successful fundraising events. These events have not only helped to support the charity’s Rotary Heartbeat House - a place for patients’ families to come and stay while their loved one is receiving treatment, but also to fund groundbreaking projects like the 3D cardiac modelling software, which is revolutionising the approach of surgeons to invasive cardiac diagnostic testing.

Detailed blueprint

Costing £600 per heart, surgeons can utilise specialist cardiac modelling software to easily scan the patient’s heart using non-invasive methods such as a CT scan or an MRI. This creates a detailed blueprint of the heart, which can then be sent to a 3D printer. The printer will produce an identical plastic model of the heart, offering an in-depth look at the organ and any defects it may have.

My thirty years of experience in hotel management brings with it excellent knowledge of event management, along with the small team including Tina Tolley and Tina Richardson who have been putting together events for more than 25 years.

The latest success was a musical extravaganza put on by the charity. “Musicals from the Heart” saw Broadway singers and Broadway legend Earl Carpenter, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and BBC local radio presenter, Lou Hannon all come together at the South Coast’s largest theatre, the Mayflower, for a night of musical theatre and fundraising. The charity’s patron, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Edinburgh. was also in attendance.

We want our events to make an impact. We want people to have a great time and remember it for a long time too. Anyone who has been with us for the evening knows that our events are about raising awareness, hearing from patients who so very kindly share their experience and also hearing from some of the staff from the hospital. It makes it real for people and they get a better insight into just how much good they are doing by supporting us.

If they walk out from the event afterwards having been touched by the work we do then that’s brilliant.

Our objective is not just to generate top line revenue or income but to maximise profits, which we can then channel towards our initiatives. Also, it’s not about how much we make but how effectively we utilise the funds raised.

Meticulous planning

These events are not easy to put on. “Musicals from the Heart” took two years of meticulous planning before it came to fruition. The event was a testament to the team’s commitment to generating revenue for everything we want to support.

Our fundraising objectives are defined by three core principles: raising and re-raising awareness, generating profitable revenue and income, and effecting positive and evolutionary change through the projects they support.

I’ve come on board with a clear vision. I see the potential to build on Heartbeat’s past successes and take our fundraising efforts to new heights. With my experience in event management and over 20 years of fundraising expertise, I hope to complement the fantastic hard work the team is already doing. And to keep it going.

As Heartbeat continues its mission to enhance cardiac care, our focus on fundraising excellence remains steadfast, with more exciting events to come.

LIZ TAYLOR, owner of event management company the TAYLOR LYNN CORPORATION, says how to maximise the catering for your charity's gala dinner including introducing a wow factor.

There was a time when the catering for a charity's annual gala dinner could be nothing less than a five-course gourmet seated meal, interspersed with a Loyal Toast to allow guests to smoke! Times have moved on, formats are far more innovative and flexible, and of course smoking is a no no!

Anyone who worked in the charity sector in the early 2000s will remember those dinners. They were lavish, costly, and went on until the early hours, with guests dozing off during the auction.

With guests paying a premium for tickets and various charities vying for their custom these events had to be perceived as being extravagant and exclusive. Used as an opportunity to entertain valued clients, individuals and companies wanted to impress their guests and get value for money. In those days steak was king - now it’s a steak pie that creates the wow factor. How times have changed!

As an organiser you become responsible for all aspects of delivery and it is important to appreciate that whilst guests are not impressed with course after course, they do expect contemporary quality fine dining.

Premium prices for tickets

Guests are paying premium prices for tickets, they are entertaining important clients, they are wearing black-tie and dinner dresses, and it’s a special occasion. Delivering all this is not just a vehicle to attract repeat attendees but it is also to ensure that guests do enjoy themselves. If they are having a good time then they will be inclined to dig deep and support the raffle and auction.

So, how do you give your event that wow factor, while at the same time ensuring that you keep costs down, raising as much money as possible for your good cause?

For those on restricted budgets, the best option is to buy inexpensive, more straight-forward food, but deliver it in entertaining and exciting way that guests will enjoy. It is not the recipe that counts, but the creativity with which it is presented.

Sausage and mash, fish and chips, and even pie and peas are on the menu at the most exclusive of charity galas. However, while the food itself may be more informal, the focus on flavour and cutting-edge presentation has made the catering a more central talking point than it ever was before.

To explain… you may have beef and ale or chicken and mushroom pie on the menu, but it will be served in an unusual individual dish, with a mini jug of hot gravy on the side. Or hot homemade soup – poured from vintage tea pots and drunk from an eclectic mix of vintage tea cups. Inexpensive - but effective.

Fish and chips is a popular choice because it can be wrapped in paper, specially printed for the event with your sponsor´s or charity´s logo, and served on exclusive glass plates or cardboard trays. It´s challenging to serve, as frying fish and chips for the masses and serving all together is a chef’s nightmare, but it is inexpensive, fun and is everyone’s guilty pleasure.

Sharing platters is a popular choice. People love to share food, and tapas style menus allow people to have a little bit of what they fancy, without being over-faced by a heavy meal. Platters can also be a great conversation starter by putting the food at the heart of the social occasion, and encouraging guests to interact from the start.

Keeping costs at bay

Tables with a Lazy Susan (turntable/rotating tray) in the middle are another sociable option which allows you to keep costs at bay. Even if you stick to serving a more traditional main course, you can use this design to save time and serve one less course, by placing desserts and cheeses in the centre of the table at the end of the meal.

When choosing catering, the sit-down meal is now only one of a number of options available. The traditional buffet table with a white starched tablecloth has been replaced by trendy food-stations, which are built to form part of the décor, which look great and save money on extra props and decoration at the same time.

Using this option, the food becomes a theatrical part of the evening. Think kebabs and pizza vans, burgers, Asian inspired nuts and noodles, and duck spring rolls wrapped while you wait. You might even want to think about having a celebrity chef, or a finalist from one of the many TV cooking shows to cook live on one of the stations.

If you are on an even smaller budget, you could still serve up a high-end event by opting for a cocktail style party with an extra special twist. Again presentation is the key. Bite-sized sushi, sea-bass and mini-burgers are tasty choices for canapés. Serving them on slates or light-boxes rather than traditional trays adds a quirky twist. You can also add to the theatre of the occasion by dressing the serving staff to match your theme for the evening.

Drinks are an essential part of the catering, the choice of which can easily be overlooked in the early planning stages. Having a champagne drinks reception is lovely, but it also sends the budget sky high. Cocktails, while fun, can also put pressure on the budget as well and are difficult to follow with wines.

Prosecco, however, is very in vogue and a much more affordable option. Served on its own – sub-zero temperature – and it is delicious. It is also the base for the famous Bellini at Harrys Bar or a serve with a number of other fruit syrups for guests to personalise their fizz.

Position of the bar

When choosing a design for the room it is important to think about the position of the bar. You may think that it is a good way to cut costs by using the venue´s own bar facilities, but a bar outside the main function room is a disaster! It’s a "never do" thing. It is key to keep everyone in one space, so always bring in a portable bar for the venue to serve drinks from. Trust me, it’s a planner’s trick.

Circular bars can be great focal points for a room and can be a fantastic decorative addition. For example a rotating fairground carousel bar adds a striking feature to any room and is a wonderful talking point.

The way the drinks are served adds another twist. Popcorn cartons filled with a secret cocktail recipe and topped with fresh popcorn are almost as exciting as the plastic zip-up bags – complete with a plastic goldfish inside and a straw – filled with vodka, lime and soda. Or to add to the dramatic effect, you can have staff deliver cocktails, such a watermelon and lychee martini, to the table in ornate bird cages – at a price of course, with a percentage going to the charity.

A pick ´n´ mix sweet station is another relatively inexpensive way to add to the fun, fairground feel and to keep people involved and excited. The cost of these are relatively inexpensive and if you charge per bag you can cover the cost of the stall and raise additional money for the charity! Guests not only buy for themselves but end up taking something home for their children!

Sponsorship of food or drink is another way to help manage costs on your catering budget. You might, for example, get a local wine company to sponsor your drinks reception, or a local cheese-maker to sponsor the cheese course. These are all great ways to bring down overall costs. However, during the planning stages you need to make sure that your venue will allow you to bring in outside food and drink. Some venues allow this, some don´t, and some will allow it for a fee. Make sure you know what the deal is, so that there are no nasty surprises on the day.

Ultimately, as a charity’s event planner you are looking to showcase a fantastic night and raise as much money as you can. But it’s not a one event thing. The aim is for each guest to leave claiming it was the best night ever..and wanting to book for the next one, and the next one!

FRANCESCA PEARSON, head of the MEETING SPACE at MEDICITY, explains the "unconference" concept, how it reflects the charity model, and how it works to create better charity staff, volunteer and supporter events.

When did you last attend a charity conference, or any other conference for that matter, which left you inspired and fired up to tackle your work with renewed vigour? The truth is that most of us are still prepared to register for an event, pay our fee, turn up and sit through scripted keynote presentations as passive recipients of someone else’s agenda.

If we are lucky there are workshops to choose from and maybe an exhibition to wander round during breaks. The more enlightened organiser might even have encouraged pre-event networking through Linkedin or Twitter. However, the majority of today’s conferences still conform to an acceptable pattern; it’s what we expect but it’s unchallenging and might not achieve a great deal.

Charity event organisers will be used to arranging a variety of gatherings, from conventional meetings of volunteers or staff field workers, workshops, to exhibitions and large scale conferences. However, when science, technology or creative experts get together, they tend to like to do things a bit differently.

Peer-to-peer learning

Not for them the traditional supporter or fundraising conference dominated by big-name keynotes, carefully selected panels and tightly packed exhibition halls or auditoriums. These are busy people who want results if they are giving up valuable chunks of their time. So they opt for the unconference, an event trend which is growing in popularity because it enables peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and creativity.

American designer and entrepreneur Joshua Kauffman has facilitated unconferences around the world: “So much of life and work is overly structured that it doesn’t give us, or our ideas, the room to run and grow freely. By contrast, the unstructured high energy environment of the unconference amplifies ideas.”

So the unconference could provide an alternative format for the charitable sector to consider as you seek innovative ways to enthuse volunteers, impress funders and better understand the communities you support.

What is an unconference?

This event format is participant designed and led, and gives everyone who attends the right to suggest a topic for discussion and to choose a time slot and a space for their particular session. The key to the unconference is the freedom to explore and solve problems outside a traditional rigid event structure. Such an approach was born out of the US technology revolution of the mid-1980s which required innovators to truly think outside the box.

What is exciting that the unconference concept challenges charity event organisers to consider why they are bringing people together, what their needs are and how best to harness their enthusiasm, expertise, knowledge and desire for progress. Otherwise, why bother?

How does an unconference work?

Ideally, the delegates at an unconference are already part of a community and share a common goal. This suits the charity model well because most people will come into regular contact either as sponsors, volunteers or staff, drawn together with a common aim to improve the lot of your target group.

There may already be a high level of knowledge, experience and expertise which participants are prepared to share and to learn from. Pre-gathering discussion online is to be encouraged because this can stimulate the topics which people might choose to tackle on the day.

Once everyone has assembled, there should be an explanation about how the day is likely to unfold and an understanding of the "rules of engagement", especially for anyone new to the format. For this you should appoint a facilitator with a firm grasp of unconference principles, but who can apply a light touch to the oversight of the day.

Ideas for discussion can be written on a white board, typed and projected onto a wall or collated from Post-It notes. Some people might choose to collaborate by merging topics once they see what others want to contribute, but very quickly the topics, times and location for discussion are sorted – and the unconference is underway.

Leading an unconference session

You won’t know until the start just how many of the delegates will choose to join your discussion session; it’s not the number who attend but their interest that is important. Think carefully about your aim, set clears goals and be prepared to be creative and experiment during the discussion. Assign a note-taker so that a record can be posted online afterwards for others to share.

Find out how much each individual in your group already knows about the subject; but don’t let any one person dominate the debate and encourage introverts – all are equal. The session should be interactive and discussion-based; allow the conversation to flow, ask open questions and listen to what is said – and unsaid.

Your session will last just as long as it needs to. Be prepared for people to leave or join you at any time as they are responsible for their own learning and level of input throughout the day. If you are attending a discussion, remember you are a participant, not the audience, so you have a responsibility to contribute and help fellow delegates get the most from the experience.

Where do I hold my unconference?

Venue design and quality of hospitality can influence the outcome of the unconference. Sector-specific locations are ideal, so if you run a charity working with medical or health communities you might decide to choose a university research centre or teaching hospital seminar space because participants will feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings.

They might be less inclined to open up in a more public, neutral venue inhabited by strangers. Well lit, open atria which can be divided to take any number or combination of people work well. Look for plenty of quiet breakout spaces, and flexible seating arrangements. You want participants to feel comfortable, relaxed and free to move from one session to the next.

Having a central point for refreshments will allow people to continue their discussions one to one or in small clusters at any time on the day, and I hope it’s now apparent that a buffet lunch or supper with plenty of healthy options, rather than a formal seated meal, is most conducive for maintaining the energy of the unconference.

Example of an unconference

In March this year, the unconference format was used to excellent effect by social enterprise Team Blood Glucose (Team BG). They support everyone at risk of, and those with, diabetes and launched the Twitter-based Great Britain Diabetic Online Community #gbdoc in August 2012. Since then they have handled over 60 million impressions across 26 countries and facilitate a weekly Tweet chat. "Living well with diabetes" was the UK’s first patient-led and attended gathering of its kind.

Diabetes is a complex condition and its management can require diet, drugs, exercise as well as mental health support. It involves families, friends and work colleagues and possibly, end of life care. Team BG are concerned that health professionals try to treat the condition rather than the patient so chose the unconference format to explore the issues, identify approaches that have worked for others and examine how these might be applied to the wider community.

In self-organised conference tracks, participants used time slots and breakout spaces throughout the day to tackle issues they live with on a daily basis.

Part-time nursery nurse Alex Wild from Nottingham has lived with Type 1 diabetes since she was 4 years old and is part of the #gbdoc online community. She says:

“A conference of this type was ideal for people living with diabetes. Many of us living with the condition are accessing social media for advice and support, and I´ve seen a huge online community grow from that. Almost all of us have found that the best people to turn to for support and advice are other people who are also actually living with diabetes.

"A conference where we, the delegates, set the agenda and topics to be discussed meant everyone got out of it just what they wanted - which is how we´d prefer our diabetes management to be, with us setting the agenda, rather than being directed by healthcare professionals.”

Further planning your unconference

There are plenty of online resources to help you understand more about unconference styles and facilitation, but I’d recommend you talk to organisations like Team BG which have put the theory into practice. The unconference certainly throws convention to the wind.

Delegates are active, not passive; nobody is giving a presentation and overloading the event with Powerpoint slides; everything is unrehearsed and unexpected. That said, behind the scenes planning, especially the choice of venue, will give your gathering the chance to truly fly.

DALE NELSON, banqueting manager at MANOR BY THE LAKE, outlines some principles for tailoring the menu for your event to its nature.

Any charity event organiser can simply pick up the bill for standard fare at an event, but if you really want to make an impression, personal touches matter and that’s why when hosting a charity event the menu should speak volumes about your charity and brand.

Every charity is different, and will have different styles and different ideas of what a perfect event should involve. Food, and therefore the menu is at the very heart of this and will be the central focus.  It will be what starts conversations and be one of the main things people will remember when post event evaluations take place. So take time to know your guests and create something bespoke for them.

Even  if it is a daytime seminar, volunteer or staff training event the food can make an important impact. In all cases, first, determine what you want to achieve.  Say you are organising a fundraising lunch or dinner, do you want to provide your existing supporters or potential donors  with a heavy 3-course meal or a light bite menu?

Of course cost comes into it, and you will know how best to price the occasion to keep within your budget, which no doubt will incorporate some realistic estimates of returns from the occasion.

Here are some tips for creating the perfect charity event menu once preliminary decisions have been made:

Know your guests

Find out how many guest are attending the event as this will help to determine the amount of food that will be required which is crucial. Of course, you don't want to over order because you haven't got your final numbers right.   However, you never want to have too little!  It is important to understand the expectations: is a full 3-course meal expected or will it be a selection of light snacks coupled with a drink-focused reception?

Secondly, what is the profile of guests attending the event? Consider their professional level, location, age, ethnic background and how regularly they attend these type of events. By taking all of these considerations into account you will be in a much better position to have a menu that will be most suitable for each particular event.

Find out preferences

Once you have determined the profile of the guests you are catering for, understand it. At the same time, you need to think about the character or image of your charity. This will help you to decide what type of menu you will offer.

Attendees who have come to support a charity providing care for the elderly or promoting a healthy lifestyle might not want a burger or a rich food like venison or duck! Think things through to rule out certain foods and then do some research to ascertain what guests will enjoy the most.  It goes without saying that you should make provision for those with special dietary requirements, but see more about this below. 

Choice of dishes

Offering choice at the actual event may not be practical in terms of budget at a formal lunch or dinner, but it should be when there is a buffet or food being taken round by venue staff.  Ensure that you are able offer choices to suit all. Offer at least two starters, mains and desserts.

Also ensure that the food suits the occasion, for example, for seminars, training sessions and lunchtime meetings to sell a project to key donors, keep the menu light with "brain food". For chewing over funding targets and other figures maybe coffee and comfort food, and for treating your volunteers and staff for a job well done something more indulgent!

If it's a buffet of hors d'oeuvres, plan a menu of several different items with a total of four to ten pieces per person. Choose a variety of dishes that will suit all. Have some savoury, sweet, rich, light, hot and cold items.

Be seasonal

If you want to make an impression, ensure that you are aware of food trends and seasonal items. This will make your menu pop! Fresh fruits and vegetables will always have a better flavour and colour when they are in season so make sure these are incorporated into your menu. It will also help, as at certain times of the year certain foods are more easily available than others, so do bear this in mind.

Another consideration when choosing your menu is to incorporate the time of year. For example, if it’s Christmas, you should be focusing on warmer, festive food.

Timing of the food

Timing is essential. The time of a meal can be the best guide to creating the perfect menu.

If you are serving lunch, you might want to keep the food quite light and have lighter  drinks too. In contrast if the event is in the evening for dinner it might be more appropriate to offer heavier courses with a bar and a choice of white or red wine, or indeed the opportunity of both.  Think about what’s most appropriate at the time the event is being held.

Ask around

Discuss the menu with people who have attended such events of yours before or otherwise just supporters who you know would take a friendly interest.  Run possible options by them just so you know you are on the same lines.

Before any event, you have to find out if any of your guests have any dietary requirements or preferences so they can be addressed in the menu. You should be able to provide vegetarian, gluten free or other options. With healthy eating becoming increasingly important there should also be an option of lower calorie substitutes such as steamed vegetables and salad as a side dish.

Setting up the event

Finally, once the food has been considered and agreed make sure the venue is also suitable. Choose an appropriate room and layout which support your objective. If you are serving a formal dinner, ensure that there are enough tables, glasses, cutlery, candles etc and that they are of a suitable standard.

Charity events can be extremely preference based, so be sure that you follow the above advice when it comes to organising the menu.  Once the menu is signed off talk to the venue to ensure there are no surprises on the night.

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