Q: How can we increase attendance at our Point of Entry^® Events?

Mackie in Texas

A: Create an in-depth Treasure Map^® for your organization to help you see which people are most connected to your organization and who would naturally want to learn more. Detailed instructions for creating a Treasure Map are available in Chapter 11 of Raising More Money—A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Lifelong Donors and in an article on our Web site, "Using the Treasure Map Exercise with Others." For even more information on Treasure Maps, you can go to the "Archives" on the Benevon Web site and scroll down to "Treasure Maps" to find more articles on this topic.

After identifying people to invite, the main thing to keep in mind is that you want the invitation process to be as personal as possible. To be successful in actually getting guests to attend your Point of Entry Events, you will want to invite people in-person (or at least over the phone), and the invitation should come from someone the person knows—not from a stranger. Less personal methods, such as mass mailings or flyers, are usually not very effective methods for attracting guests to your events. Instead, you should start by inviting the people you already know, and work outward from there. After attending your inspiring events, your guests will want to invite more people, and your circle of supporters will naturally grow wider.

Terry