How To Run A Pledge Celebration Event
Celebration is an important part of life.
It can be wonderful to take the time to celebrate people making significant commitments to help others can. It helps to affirm our commitments, recognises the significance of the decision, and helps inspire others.
PISE (Positive Impact Society Erasmus) have had success in hosting Pledge Celebrations in the past, in 2022 they had 10 people sign a pledge together. How they ran their event:
“The event started with a song challenge and the winners won a book in the end.
Afterwards they signed the pledge and to celebrate they went to a restaurant. Everyone had a good time and they were all happy to be able to celebrate and pledging together.”
Photo from the PISE Pledge Celebration!
Groups celebrations
If you organise a group which has Giving What We Can members (such as an effective altruism group) this can easily be done as a part of other events such as your first event for the year, or in conjunction with a Giving What We Can event such as a Pledge Panel or Giving Game. Another alternative would be to organise formal dinner. This will give signing the pledge an air of importance and celebration just like at other important moments in your life. Furthermore the significance of this evening will be reinforced by the social bonds created.
Let your members know you're running the event and now is a great time to let you know if they pledged or are considering doing so. If you're not sure who's pledged you can also check your members names against the public members page.
Feel free to get in touch with us and we can invite other members who live nearby and give you a list of pledge anniversaries for the event.
Individual celebrations
Just taken a pledge yourself? Consider having a party with your friends or family to celebrate.
Perhaps include this as part of your birthday or anniversary celebrations.
Two married members reported that they started off with a Try Giving pledge on their first anniversary and have been increasing their joint pledge by 1% every wedding anniversary and celebrating it each year.
Physical Pledge certificates
A physical pledge is normally mailed to members within the first 2 months, it can be nice to sign these at the event. If you need a paper pledge earlier then contact us and they can be mailed early, or the template given for you to print yourself.
Take photos holding their pledge forms and share this on social media afterwards, alongside quotes from the members.
How to host a pledge celebration: our top tips
- Set a date and time for the party and invite your guests. Consider choosing a date that may have some extra significance, such as New Year’s Day or Giving Tuesday.
- GWWC are happy to email existing pledge members to attend the party or speak on a panel, just reach out to community@givingwhatwecan.org and let us know!
- Set a location for the party. This could be a community centre, a cafe, a park, or even your own home. Make sure there is enough space for everyone to gather and sign the pledge.
- Plan the celebration activities. This could include a brief introduction to the Giving What We Can Pledge and its goals, followed by a group signing of the pledge. Consider having a guest speaker or panel discussion on effective giving, or hosting a fundraiser for a charity of your choice.
- Provide refreshments and snacks. This could be a potluck-style gathering where you ask people to bring a plate, some light tea and coffee or a meal at a cafe or restaurant.
- Don't forget to celebrate! After signing the pledge, you might like to take some time to celebrate your commitment to giving with music, games, or other fun activities.
- Consider sending out reminders to your guests before the party, so they have time to prepare and learn more about the Giving What We Can Pledge. You could also provide information about the pledge on your group's website or social media page.
- Create a welcoming atmosphere at the celebration by decorating the space with posters, banners, and other materials that reflect the spirit of giving and the goals of the Giving What We Can Pledge.
- Make the pledge signing process as easy and convenient as possible. This could involve providing pens and pre-printed pledge forms, or setting up a computer or tablet where guests can electronically sign the pledge. (Don’t forget to take photos once the pledges are signed and share them on social media and with us at GWWC!)
- Consider providing information and resources on effective giving to your guests. This could include information on how to research charities, make informed giving decisions, and maximise the impact of their donations. Also providing copies of Doing Good Better or The Life You Can Save may be helpful.
- After the party, follow up with your guests to see how they are doing with their pledge and provide support and encouragement as needed. You could also plan additional events or activities to help your guests continue to engage with the Giving What We Can Pledge community. You can also encourage pledgers to get in contact with the GWWC staff at community@givingwhatwecan.org
Need help?
The GWWC team is excited to help support you in running a Pledge Celebration. If you need help with resources, materials or funding for books or frames for pledge certificates, please let us know!