Give friends and family a fun night in, alleviate that cooped up feeling and serve a greater purpose – raising awareness for pancreatic cancer. All of these goals can be accomplished by hosting a virtual fundraising event online and we guarantee it will be an exciting and fulfilling experience. The big difference between an in-person event and a virtual event is moving everything to a video conferencing platform and selecting an activity everyone can participate in – we’ve plenty of ideas and resources for you!
5 Steps to Get Started
- Choose a Virtual Event Idea
- Ask a Friend to Help Plan & Co-host
- Create a Fundraising Page
- Choose a Video Conferencing Platform
- Follow our Virtual Event Checklist
Step 1: Choose a Virtual Event Idea You’ll Enjoy
Make your virtual event interesting and memorable with a few fresh ideas. Here are some suggestions to get your imagination going! Give your event some purple pizazz when you order a Purple Spirit Box and send them to attendees to share amongst their households.
- Scavenger hunt at home
- Game night (virtual card & board games)
- Wine & Cheese Tasting
- Pajama Brunch
- Holiday Trivia Party
- Simultaneous crafting projects
- Teach a yoga class
- Amateur Music concert
- Amateur a cupcake wars baking class
- Netflix Watch Party
- Costume party
- Pre-Thanksgiving Family Reunion
- Do crafts or a DIY project
- Video Game Competition
Example: A Virtual Scavenger Hunt is a game anyone can participate in right from home. Each household team can scour their home and the web for funny items or mysterious clues. Split your event attendees into teams and turn the hunt into a race, or you can award points based on the originality and absurdity of the answers. Prompts or theme ideas: Family photo gone wrong, terrible present, elaborate decoration, getting a stocking full of coal, pet dressed up in Christmas clothes, Drunken Santa and more!
Step 2: Ask a Friend to Help Plan & Co-Host
This is an optional step, but really, everything is more fun when you do it with friends. Brainstorm ideas, divide up tasks and spread the word together. And if you want to go it alone, that’s fine too!
Step 3: Create a Fundraising Page
A fun event idea combined with a cause you care about will inspire people to not only attend your virtual event but also make a donation. Your online gathering will serve a greater purpose – raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research and patients services. So, don’t hold back, present a strong call to action to drive donations and attendance.
Fundraising is key but it can be kept simple. Two easy ways to collect donations are:
Event Fundraising Page
When you set up a fundraising page you’ll have a link to direct donors and event attendees to give. Follow up each donor by sending them a link to access your event!
Facebook Fundraiser
When you start a Facebook Fundraiser, you can direct people to your Facebook Fundraising Page to give. Follow up each donor by sending them a link to access your event!
Step 4: Select a Video Conferencing Platform
Video conferencing tools have become a popular way for people to communicate with family, friends, and the organizations they care about. Around the world, people are getting creative in how they are using livestreaming thanks to inexpensive technology. New to hosting online events? Check out this collection of resources.
- Zoom – Allows free video meetings for three or more people for up to 40 minutes with their free plan. The next tier lets you set up video calls for up to 100 participants long.
- Skype – Up to 10 people can join a Skype group video call. Skype is free to download and works on phones, tablets and computers with webcams.
- Google Hangouts – If you have Gmail, that means you already have a Google account you can use to set up Hangouts for free. Up to 25 people can join a video Hangout and up to 150 people can join a voice-only Hangout.
- Houseparty App – This app was made for up to eight participants can participate on a FaceTime-like call. It also features third-party games that can be played simultaneously throughout the call.
- FaceTime – You can set it up as a Group FaceTime with up to 32 people (requires newer devices and updated iOS).
Step 5: Follow our Virtual Event Planning Tips
This virtual event checklist will help guide you as you dig into the details of your virtual fundraising event. From start-to-finish, we’re helping you set up your fundraising page, select an event idea, plan an event agenda, thank your attendees and more!
*Resources and articles
LA Times: How to have Zoom parties that are actually fun
LA Times: Ultimate guide to hanging out with your friends online
Style Caster: How to Throw an Epic Zoom Party Your Friends Will Never Forget
Team Building Blog: 32 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas in 2020
