Comic Relief day for 2011 has been set for March 18th, so if you are thinking of organising an event or simply doing a spot of solo fundraising, now would be an excellent time to start planning what you will be doing and starting to publicise it. No matter what the event, you can always guarantee that following a few key principles will get the most from the event and encourage the public to donate.

First of all, see if you can make a spectacle of the event by involving as many people as possible. More people usually means more sponsors donating, plus you will get that added “wow!” factor of a large group of people acting out a single task. The second key thing is to do it in fancy dress. Twenty or thirty people doing a fun run might be confused as a jogging club, but if you are all in fancy dress then there’s no way passers-by are going to miss you. It’s part of the popularity of the London Marathon, every year fundraisers all across the globe don weird and wonderful costumes as they run the course, often attracting the attention of the cameras and roving TV interviewers.

Whether it’s a fun run, juggling or even sitting in a bath of beans, choosing an ace men’s fancy dress or ladies fancy dress costume to be seen in makes the whole thing far more audience-friendly, and you should see a notable increase in the donations that you would otherwise receive.

If possible, do try and involve the public especially if you are doing something musical or that people can join in with. Often people will try and shy away from being brought up on stage or in front of a crowd, but it’s easier to involve yourself if the people doing so are in costume and seem to be having a good time themselves. With a strong level of support you will find it easier to attract a larger crowd and get more people donating on the spur of the moment. Above all, have fun and good luck!