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 [...]
I've helped to manage my fair share of events: from small intimate dinner parties to galas that raise $200K. For the effort that goes into planning and executing any event, a nonprofit needs to be very pointed about what they are looking to achieve. My favorite ones are those that [...]
Multiple-year pledges have traditionally been used as a payment tool for large gifts for unrestricted use, capital needs, or endowment, allowing donors the flexibility to spread their gift over multiple tax years, for example. But multiple-year pledges for an annual gift have traditionally been regarded as a bad idea, either [...]
With the fall gala and fundraising season just around the corner, many nonprofit organizations that are busy planning events should also give careful thought to how to turn attendees into loyal donors. Many people who attend a fundraising event do so because a friend or a family member has invited [...]
For nonprofits, the importance of donor retention can’t be overstated. While acquiring new donors is still important (and always will be!), finding ways to inspire those first-time donors to become long-term supporters is more vital than ever. After all, new donors require significant resources to attract and secure, and over [...]
Mobile bidding technology is a great way to help you simplify and raise more money at silent auctions. However, an often-overlooked benefit of mobile bidding is the ability to learn from your data. The information that mobile bidding collects is a powerful resource for structuring a better silent auction. Learning [...]
Bloomerang, along with it’s funding partners Qgiv and GiveSmart, worked closely with the Rogare Institute of Philanthropic to recently release groundbreaking research on Special Event Fundraising. The report entitled Great Fundraising Events: From Experience to Transformation can be found here. […]