Whilst Strictly is all about glitz and glamour, behind the scenes there’s a lot of planning to do and logistics to organise! Here are our “1, 2, 3, 4” steps for organising a fundraising event worthy of winning a glitterball trophy!

Step 1 - approach local dance groups

In the Strictly TV show, celebrities are partnered with professional dancers, who are responsible for creating and teaching them the routines.

To recreate the format for the show, you will need to recruit two groups of dancers - half of whom can dance, while the other half are enthusiastic beginners! Partner up those that can dance with those that can’t and there you go.

If you don’t have access to professional dancers, then local dance schools are a good place to look for participants. Dance schools are full of talented dancers, who will relish the opportunity to showcase their skills for a good cause!

Or, if you’re struggling to find anyone who can dance, you could tweak the format slightly and only have beginner dancers. Then, you could ask local dance instructors to provide a lesson or two to each couple.

Step 2 - broaden your reach with a hybrid event

Many people will be really keen to attend your event in person, so that they can be a part of the electric atmosphere.

However, for people with mobility issues, those living further afield, or just those who would prefer to attend from the comfort of their home, a virtual offering will enable them to be a part of the event too.

Many venues now have the capacity to live stream events. Whilst there may be costs involved, you will be able to offset these by selling virtual tickets for supporters.

Step 3 - promote to wider audiences

Whilst your Strictly competition will undoubtedly appeal to existing supporters, it is also a great way to introduce potential new supporters to your charity.

To encourage your existing supporters to attend, you can promote via organic social media, your website, email, text message and any other regular communication methods.

To attract new supporters who could be interested, why not test out flyers at your venue and  local dance centres? You could also run paid social ads targeted at groups who are likely to be interested in your event.

Step 4 - maximise your fundraising with a vote

Selling tickets to your event will be a quick and easy way to raise money for your charity.

On top of this, you can maximise your fundraising by adding an audience vote to proceedings - just like the real Strictly!

Text Giving provides a simple way to run your audience vote, whilst also raising money for your good cause. Simply register a different keyword for each dancing couple and ask supporters to vote for their favourite.

Track donations in real time to see which couple has come out on top and see how much has been raised for your charity!

Some inspiration for your campaign

Charities including Highland Hospice, Cynthia Spencer Hospice and mental health charity, Restore, have organised successful Strictly themed fundraisers. You can read their stories and other case study examples from charities in our Inspiration section.