In Defense of Events

Well, I decided I'd keep writing for a bit (and I'm going to help my daughter's class put together a proposal for their legacy gift to their school).  Thanks for continuing to follow along!  Here's what I've been thinking of this week:

Fundraising events often get a bad rap.  If you simply compare revenue to expenses (including staff & volunteer time), too many events can look high risk, little reward.  They can also become the convenient excuse to avoid meeting donors one-on-one.  It's too easy to get so caught up in what the centerpieces will look like, that you can lose sight of the mission. 

I agree that events can be tricky.  You have to know why you are doing them, what you really want out of them, and you have to be grounded in what it will take to pull them off successfully.  They certainly aren't a panacea and you can't let them detract from your efforts to get to know your donors and their stories individually.

All that said, I love a good event. 

I love the energy.  There's nothing quite like a room abuzz with people who share the same hopes, dreams, and values for a mission.  A good event can inspire your staff, your board, and your donors to really feel that progress is possible and that you are, in fact, building a movement.

I love the chance to express an organization's personality.  If you are a serious organization, then host a serious event.  If you are a creative organization, hold a creative one. A good event shows and differentiates the culture of your organization in a way that's hard to do in direct mail or even one-on-one conversations.

I love the idea of philanthropy as a collective action.  On many levels choosing to give and to whom is a deeply personal, individual act.  I think it is important for the future of philanthropy for us to also see it as a group effort.  There's something magical and meaningful about people meeting each other at events that are for causes bigger than their own entertainment.

I love the idea that philanthropy can be the centerpiece of our civic life. I find it inspiring to think that at least in my little rural community, our social calendar is most often filled with fun events that support charitable causes.  Years ago, Harvard Professor Robert D. Putnam wrote a seminal article (now book) called Bowling Alone, in which he laments the passing of the community bowling league (and other "civic" commitments like the Elks Lodge, etc.) as a harbinger of an isolating new culture that could doom our social capital and democracy.  I'm feeling more hopeful, however, than I was when I read that article in grad school.  If well-executed charitable events can replace the bowling league as the "thing" we, as a society, choose as a core place for making connections, I actually think we're on to something even better.

In an era of conference calls and Facebook, texting donations and online giving, I stand as a strong supporter of the well-planned, thoughtful, old-fashioned, gather people together event.   I think we need events because we all crave community.  Savvy nonprofits that really will change the world have to start by building a sense of community around their mission.  Match the craving with your mission, throw in some fun, and you've got yourself the makings of a movement.

What do you think makes a good event?  Do you love them or loathe them?