Sometimes it’s not always about the big production
fundraiser, it’s about opportunity.
It came to the attention of St Eunan’s GAA club that the
biggest problem organisers of the Donegal Rally had was finding accommodation
for rally goers.
The subject was discussed by the club but it wasn’t until
two weeks out from the rally Vice Chairman of St Eunan’s, John Haran, thought
they should give it a go - The club grounds, O’Donnell Park, was now the
official campsite for the Donegal Rally 2016.
As time was tight someone was brought in to help with
promoting the campsite, by simply making a Facebook page and promoting it
through this and their club Twitter account, the online bookings soon
snowballed.
“At the
11th hour I decided to give it a go. That was about 2 weeks out and at that
stage we thought most people had their accommodation booked etc. Online booking
was going ok but I didn't have time to push it on Facebook or the expertise.
The club Treasurer then decided to get someone on board who could push
this…this proved to be a master stroke as the bookings began to flood in.”
With just two weeks of promotion the club managed to bring
in around €12,750 from online payments
alone!
There were more funds generated through cash payments, club
bar and club shop. By bringing people to the club grounds it gave the club the
opportunity to make the most of their bar and shop facilities.
“The online
booking was great as it gave us a lifeline… The experience with KlubFunder was
excellent and Ryan was always on the ball to help out.”
The power of social media promotion and the convenience of paying
online is clear to see from the dramatic increase in bookings following the
creation of a Facebook page to promote the campsite. People nowadays are constantly
checking their social media pages and can pay for something in seconds, the
success St Eunan’s had in such a short space of time is evidence of how
powerful online fundraising can be.
This just shows what can be done with an eye for opportunity and a
little work. The club has made a lot of money in a short space of time and now
has something to build on for future years as they will be able to plan ahead
and really make the most of the Rally weekend.