Dear Friends and Colleagues,
You’ve likely heard countless opinions about the practicality of hosting special events, enough to make you reconsider everything you once believed about the process. As you weigh the pros and cons of entering the special event arena, you’ll meet enthusiastic supporters who say, “Let’s get started already!” These leaders and stakeholders are eager to put all their energy into ensuring a successful outcome.
Still, you’ll also face skeptics who argue, “Let’s pass.” They believe that focusing directly on top donors will yield more fruitful results. You might find yourself torn between these two perspectives as you read this.
So, What Should Your Event Strategy Be?
When we consult with nonprofit leaders, we always advise considering all options. While special events are essential to an integrated fundraising strategy, preparation is key before committing. The potential revenue can be impressive and impactful, but it’s crucial to refrain from pursuing events at the expense of other revenue streams.
After thorough discussions with your board and colleagues, you’ve decided to proceed with your signature event.
- What happens next?
- What should you prioritize?
- More importantly, how do you set the stage for a successful event?
At Event Strategies For Success, we created this guide to help you navigate these critical questions. Today’s post offers tips and strategies to help you set the stage for event success.
This post is also part of a series designed to ground your conversations when planning an event of any size. One point we often stress is that events are not just gatherings but potent catalysts for change and touch-points for community building. Through experience, I have learned there is an Unseen Influence of Nonprofit Events Beyond Fundraising Galas.
A Common Question: Is Special Event Fundraising for Nonprofits an Art or a Science?
When the public sees special event fundraisers who consistently achieve success, many attribute their accomplishments to an elusive “IT” factor.
We at Event Strategies For Success always strive to create “magical” outcomes. Nonetheless, the reality is that a successful event strategy requires focused attention and meticulous planning. This is especially true for nonprofit leaders who are hosting their first event or looking to reinvigorate an existing one.
Over the years, we’ve had many unique opportunities to assess an organization’s event readiness, sometimes after they’ve made the leap. In our experience, when working to reinvigorate an existing event, leaders and their teams are often deep in the process. They hit a bump in the road and need to pivot quickly to guarantee a successful outcome as the event approaches.
We created our Signature Leadership Roundtable to support leaders, executive directors, and their teams in these situations. This program is designed for those who need to retool their event quickly but don’t have months to collaborate with a professional fundraiser and event planner.
Rather than a traditional 10-week collaboration, we condense our efforts into ten productive hours, aiming to propel you towards your event objectives. While expecting an overhaul in a single day is unrealistic, we offer actionable strategies that can instantly refocus and re-energize your planning efforts.
This is to say that planning fundraising events is rarely as straightforward as it seems. We often face challenges that most people don’t expect. Nonetheless, with experience, navigating these challenges becomes more intuitive. Now, back to our question:
How Do You Set the Stage for Nonprofit Event Success? By asking and answering the right questions!
Here are the top five questions for you to consider:
- Why are you hosting this event?
- Can you afford it?
- Do you have enough resources?
- How will you engage current donors while soliciting new ones?
- Who will tell your hero stories?
Why Are You Hosting This Event?
While raising money is important, your needs will often extend beyond fundraising.
Five Priorities to Consider:
- Recruiting board members and volunteers.
- Cultivating donors.
- Marketing the organization.
- Refining your organization’s mission.
- Raising your organization’s visibility.
Special events offer a unique opportunity for nonprofit leaders to energize and bring new life to their organization. Does every event have to lead with these priorities? Not at all.
We understand that organizations are fluid and need to change constantly. That said, from experience, we encourage you to think about this list and refer to it before, during, and after your special event.
Can You Afford to Host This Event?
This question tends to get a lot of pushback, and we understand that money is a sensitive topic. Yet, it’s a question that needs careful consideration. Even when all systems are go, we offer three words to guide you on your journey: Enthusiastic yet cautious.
Along with these three words, here are three points to consider:
- Unforeseen costs can arise even before you secure a sponsor.
- You may need to fund the event and your programs.
- You will need to determine how to manage costs of your event and fund your existing programs until you gain sponsors.
Do You Have Enough Resources for a Successful Nonprofit Event?
By resources, we mean both human and financial. If you and your team plan to manage and execute every aspect of the event while also running your organization, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the details.
Your plans should include a resource team to stay on track and deliver a successful event.
Your resource team should include individuals who will:
- Coordinate the fundraising campaign.
- Manage the honorees and their teams.
- Coordinate and manage all vendors.
- Motivate board members and teams.
- Serve as the point person for the venue.
We can’t stress this enough—you can’t run an event alone, nor can your client. Always overstaff with members from the organization’s team, supplemented by volunteers, to guarantee a seamless event for all attendees.
Engaging Donors Through Events: How to Keep Them Involved.
Donors as Ambassadors
In many cases, though not all, committed donors are introduced to an organization through attending an event. If they were moved by something they heard or saw, their curiosity led them to learn more. Now that they are committed to your organization, it’s important to find unique ways to keep them engaged.
Committed donors are the best ambassadors and can fill many roles, including:
- Making introductions to new supporters.
- Serving on the event fundraising committee.
- Agreeing to be an honoree.
Once a donor says yes, your work as a leader is just beginning. It becomes your responsibility—and honor—to find new ways to keep them engaged and motivated to do more. After all, their support could boost your organization’s success when you least expect it.
Who Will Tell Your Hero Stories?
As tempting as it is, remember that your event is not all about you. Events provide a platform for you to:
- Share the impact of your work.
- Amplify your beneficiaries, who are the true “heroes” in your story.
- Prepare your “heroes” to pay it forward for others to come.
What does this mean? Your beneficiaries are the heroes in your story. When including them in your event, treat them with care. A simple approach is to always applaud, never exploit!
There’s More to Come!
We hope you have found this guide helpful. To make it easier to remember and apply the key points, we have created slides for you to reference as needed. You can access them by visiting our newest resource: The Event Strategist Handbook by using this link.
We hope you have enjoyed part 1 of our series. Our second post in this series will address ways to Create Momentum for Your Event. We realize this is a lot of information to remember, so we have created slides for you to refer to as needed. You may access them by visiting our newest resource: The Event Strategist Handbook.
Parting Thoughts
While it may be obvious, we want to remind you that special events are not marathons—they’re sprints. Creating your dream event may involve many twists and turns, but with perseverance, a strong team, and the right resources, you will reach your goal.
Remember, not every event is a gala. Events come in all shapes and sizes, and they evolve over time. Based on our belief and experience, the tips and strategies in this guide can help shape discussions when planning your fundraising events. Please note that past success does not guarantee future results.
We are here to support you if you need help figuring out the details. To connect with us, The Next Move is Up to You.
PS: Remember to visit The Event Strategist’s Handbook to download a copy of the slides for your files.
Here’s to your success!
Monique
