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.
This comment will be posted on what some are calling, with irony intended, "Happy Sequestration Day." Following shortly, I will be heading to Washington, DC, for a series of what can be called fund raising events. These will consist of calls I will make on various Congressional offices to seek funding support for the humanities, a field in which I have spent most of my life. What may make these events "good"? In some cases, a good outcome may be something as simple as encouraging a member of Congress not to vote against federal support for the humanities. In other cases, the event will be good if it bolsters the hand of a current supporter. Events, including "good" ones, come in many shapes and sizes. A common challenge in all events that are fund-raising oriented includes, as you say, trying to build a sense of community around a mission. I will remember that in Washington, DC, in coming days. Meanwhile, I am very glad you are continuing to blog and that you will keep working with that fourth grade class. I'm sure the events surrounding that activity will be full of buzz and goodness. -- JKR
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Sarah on the value of events and shudder to think that my favorite organizations would go entirely virtual. I recall that, in the big city (Seattle) there was a distinct fall season and a spring season and the invitations piled up. My least favorite format was the huge evening gathering with free flowing alcohol and a large number of auction items. By the time the speakers got to the podium, the audience was so raucous that no one even listened. Interestingly, over time, there seemed to be a trend toward breakfast events, which guaranteed a short program (no auction, no alcohol, hah) and, from my experience generated just as much money. The most successful event I ever attended was a breakfast fundraiser which actually ended 15 minutes early. People loved it and why? Because they had an extra 15 minutes to connect with all the people they really came to see anyway. In that setting a whole lot of business got transacted over breakfast, before and after.
ReplyDeleteHere in the Methow, I love the chance to see so many friends all in one place, so the format doesn't matter quite so much. Also, I think our audiences tend to be very respectful. Still, a short program is always best. A theme that carries forward from year to year can be a real draw (like Room One bowls)and while generally I'm not a fan of the live auction format, I wouldn't rule out the dessert auction (or perhaps some variation of it!).
Maggie