Successful nonprofit events -- fundraising events, galas, friendraisers, 2-for-1 kitten adoption meetups -- can be great ways to boost awareness of a nonprofit’s mission, recruit new members/donors/directors, and supplement direct fundraising efforts. But they can also be expensive, time-consuming, and more cost than benefit if attendance and engagement are poor. [...]
Congratulations! You’ve worked hard to plan and execute an amazing event, and you even have a ton of ticket sales to show for it. While one of your biggest challenges is out of the way, your communication strategy to your incoming attendees can be a crucial component of your event’s [...]
Hopefully by now you know there’s no point in simply “doing” an event for the sake of the event itself. It’s a waste of precious time and resources unless everyone – your organization, your staff, your volunteers and your donors – feel they got their money’s worth. Of course, ‘worth’ [...]
My overarching philosophy of all nonprofit fundraising events, Galas and otherwise, is this: Make folks think they got more than their money’s worth! This holds true for everything they take away: Food, Beverage, Gifts, Treats, Fun, Friends, and, especially, Feel Good! When folks leave on a high, you’ll be well-situated [...]
Nonprofit special events are traditions. Comfortable old shoes. Sacred cows. They’ve either been around so long no one can imagine doing away with them, or they’re the beloved brainchild of an important donor, board committee or executive director to whom no one can say no. All too often, they’re simply [...]
The early months of the calendar year tend to be when nonprofit staff turn their minds towards donor cultivation. The year-end fundraising frenzy has abated and the time feels ripe for hosting house parties, behind-the-scenes tours, getting-to-know-you coffees, and cultivation events. Noble pursuits. But… don’t lose sight of why you’re [...]
One of the biggest challenges for any conference or event planner is getting funding. Love it or hate it, this one piece determines whether the rest of the conference efforts succeed or fail. Do you dread it? Have you ever considered the idea that maybe potential sponsors dread it [...]
I saw a disturbing social media post last week from a fundraiser describing her planning process for her upcoming gala. "It's a fundraiser" her Executive Director said, "so that means that everything for the event needs to be donated." Venue. Food. Silent auction items. Everything. Like I said, disturbing. It [...]
A successful auction consists of many moving parts: registration logistics, set up, pre-event marketing, software management, and much more. However, the most important aspect (and the most time consuming) is securing valuable, one-of-a-kind auction items that will attract the highest possible bids. Soliciting items is not a one-person job and [...]
SPECIAL EVENTS WORTH DOING MUST NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM. If you’re planning a special event, write this down on a sticky note, post it next to your computer, and make it your mantra. Or reap the consequences of doing fundraising the absolutely least cost-effective way possible. What a waste. [...]
The most extraordinary special event experience is one where, throughout the evening, your guests find themselves exclaiming (aloud to others or silently to themselves): Wow! Wow! Wow! When it comes to nonprofit fundraising events, the road to success is paved with impress. In our last article we looked at how [...]
Let me begin with a true story that’s informed every single special event I’ve ever developed. [TRUE STORY] Early in my nonprofit career, before I ran my first special event, I attended an Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) luncheon (it was called N.S.F.R.E. at the time) where Charlotte Mailliard (now [...]