So, you’ve heard your business buddies suggest offering a scholarship to attract more diverse attendees to your in-person event. It sounds like a great idea, right? After all, who wouldn’t want their event to be a sold-out success with a room full of diverse voices and perspectives? And yes, you’d love to have a scholarship that marginalised people are eager to apply for, but something just doesn’t feel quite right.

You’re concerned that a scholarship might come across as tokenistic or performative. This concern is valid and worth paying attention to.

Here’s the truth: Scholarships alone don’t attract diverse communities to in-person events. What really draws a diverse crowd is inclusion.

Scholarships are a tool for making your event more equitable, allowing people who are already interested in attending but might not have the financial means to do so. But remember, these individuals already wanted to attend, even before the scholarship was offered.

So, if scholarships aren’t the magic solution to bringing diversity into the room, what is? The answer lies in creating an inclusive event.

Inclusion is what truly attracts a diverse audience. When marginalised people see that they’ve been considered in the planning and marketing of your event, they feel valued and welcomed. After all, no one wants to attend an event where they don’t feel like they belong.

This doesn’t mean you should abandon the idea of offering a scholarship. Instead, think of inclusion as the foundation that will attract a diverse audience, and the scholarship as the cherry on top that makes your event more accessible and equitable for those who need it.

Let’s explore some of the key steps to creating an great event scholarship that marginalised communities will love.

Key Steps on How to Create Event Scholarships that Diverse Communities Will Snap Up:

Build Trust with Marginalised Communities:

Before you even announce your scholarship, work on building trust with the communities you want to attract. Engage with them authentically, show up for their causes, and make it clear that you’re committed to their inclusion beyond just offering a scholarship.

Ensure the Scholarship is Meaningful:

Your scholarship should offer real value. This means covering not just the ticket price, but also any additional costs like travel, accommodation, or childcare, which might be barriers for marginalised people.

Communicate Inclusively:

Make sure the language and imagery used to promote the scholarship reflect the diversity you wish to attract. Avoid stereotypes, and instead, use language that resonates with the values and experiences of marginalised communities.

Be Transparent About the Selection Process:

Clearly outline how recipients will be selected for the scholarship. Transparency in your selection criteria helps build trust and shows that you’re serious about equity and fairness.

Follow Up with Support:

After awarding the scholarship, continue to support the recipients. This could mean checking in with them before the event, ensuring they feel welcomed during the event, and following up afterward to see how their experience was.

By following these steps, your scholarship will not only be snapped up by those it’s intended for, but it will also feel genuine and meaningful to those who apply.

But Remember, Scholarships Alone Aren’t Enough

As important as these steps are, it’s crucial to remember that scholarships are just one piece of the puzzle. To truly attract a diverse audience, you need to focus on creating an inclusive event from start to finish.

There are four key parts to making your in-person event inclusive:

The Planning

During the planning process, are you genuinely considering the needs and wants of marginalised communities? Inclusion starts here. This means thinking about accessibility, representation, and creating a space where everyone feels seen and heard.

The Policies

Policies play a crucial role in keeping marginalised people safe at events. Having strong inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, along with attendee agreements and community guidelines, sends a green flag to marginalised individuals who often face discrimination. These policies create a safer environment for all attendees, ensuring that everyone feels protected and respected.

The Marketing

You could have the most inclusive event in the world, but if your marketing doesn’t communicate that inclusivity, you won’t attract a diverse audience. Your marketing needs to clearly show that your event is a space where marginalised people are welcomed and valued. They won’t buy a ticket if they don’t see how their needs or desires will be met.

The Scholarship

Scholarships are a powerful way to embody social consciousness and responsibility. They allow you to support marginalised communities by making your event more accessible to those who might otherwise be unable to attend. But, remember, a scholarship will only be successful if the other three parts of your event are inclusive. Without inclusivity in planning, policies, and marketing, a scholarship risks coming off as tokenistic or performative.

When you build an event on the foundation of inclusion, your scholarship won’t just be a gesture; it will be a meaningful way to make your event accessible to those who truly need it.

By focusing on creating an inclusive environment, you’ll attract the diverse crowd you’re aiming for, and your scholarship will be the tool that ensures everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Want to Take It a Step Further?

If you’re ready to create an event that organically attracts marginalised people and fills the room with a diverse audience, I can help. My 4-week 1:1 package is designed to guide you through the essential steps to make your event inclusive, from planning and policies to marketing and scholarships.

Together, we’ll work on:

Inclusive Planning: Making sure your event considers the needs of diverse communities from the start.
Effective Policies: Setting up guidelines that create a safe and welcoming space for all attendees.
Targeted Marketing: Crafting your messaging to clearly communicate the inclusivity of your event.
Scholarship Design: Creating a scholarship that supports those who need it most and enhances the accessibility of your event.

The package includes 4x 1:1 Zoom sessions, video presentations, and access to my inclusive policy templates.

The investment is $900 AU, and once you’ve learned my Inclusive In-Person Event Framework, you can use it for all future events.

Interested? Book your first session here, and I’ll help you take the next step towards hosting a truly inclusive event.

Have questions? Let’s chat! We can jump on a quick 15-minute clarity call to see if this package is right for you. Book a clarity call here.

Let’s work together to fill your event with a diverse crowd that truly wants to be there.