Request a Proposal
Request a Proposal
Whatever your event needs, we’d love to hear from you. Send us your request and someone from our team will get back to you soon.
Buy a Planning Book
Planning a Successful Major Donor Event
Learn the best ways to manage budgeting, logistics, sponsorship strategies, procurement, volunteers, scripts, storytelling, special appeal execution and more.
Request a Speaker
Experienced Strategists and Storytellers
Bring a member of the Swaim team to your next conference or speaking engagement.
Register for Elevate
Send Your Fundraising Event to School
Our fundraising event school is launching with a new platform in 2023, stay tuned!
We’re all looking for safe ways to move our missions forward and bring our communities together. We can help you hit fundraising goals with a hybrid or virtual event.
We have assembled a team that is ready to help you fundraise in the virtual and hybrid event spaces. Contact Samantha Swaim at Swaim Strategies to engage our team. She can be reached at 503-234-4546 or sam@swaimstrategies.com.
Webinars, Videos + Partner Resources
- “Event Sponsors: How to Get ‘Em and How to Keep ‘Em” — Tactical Thursdays episode
- “Fundraising Special Events” — iWave eLearning webinar
- “Fundraising Events That Raise More Money” — Bloomerang webinar
- “The Whole Picture: The Power of Storytelling for Nonprofits” – NXUnite
- “Safety Considerations for Returning to In-Person Events” — Elevate Conference session
- “Confidently Navigating Uncertainty” — Swaim Strategies webinar
- “Fundraising Events Post COVID” — Greater Giving webinar
- “From Virtual to Hybrid” – Greater Giving webinar
- “Take Your Fundraising Event Virtual” — Bloomerang webinar
- “Fundraising During Coronavirus” — Nonprofit Storytelling Conference webinar
- “Will COVID-19 Stop My Fundraising Event” — Group Infinity webinar
- “The Show Must Go On—Fundraising Despite the Odds” – Greater Giving webinar
- “Create Special Appeals that Raise Thousands” – Artisan Auctions video
- “No Dash Dessert Dash” – Artisan Auctions video
- “Crafting Your Nonprofit Event Appeal Story” – Bloomerang webinar
- “The Art of the Special Appeal with Samantha Swaim” – Greater Giving webinar
- “Equity in Your Fundraising Events with Swaim Strategies” – Greater Giving webinar
- “Creating Sponsorship Partnerships that Last” – Greater Giving webinar
- “Third-party Fundraising Events” – myRollCall webinar
- “Your Fundraising Event’s Special Appeal” – myRollCall blog
- “Elevate Fundraising at Your Event” – Movie Mondays video
- “Creating a More Compelling Special Event Using Stories” – Nonprofit Storytelling Conference Living Room podcast
- “Bring People Together, Create a Movement and Raise Support for Your Mission” – The Out Entrepreneur
- “How to Raise Paddles and Raise More Money” – Greater Giving
Book On-Demand Consulting
Our team of experts is ready to support you with on-demand consulting. Schedule as many time blocks as you need to feel successful on your next event. Choose from event strategy, storytelling and data + registration support.
“Planning a Successful Major Donor Event” is a guide to help you elevate your fundraising.
“Planning a Successful Major Donor Event,” written by Samantha Swaim + Kristin Steele, is a guide for planning an engaging and effective major donor event. Based on the major donor event model, this book includes tools and strategies that will help you amplify your fundraising with any type of event.
- Why: This book is designed to help you work smarter not harder on your events, giving you the tools and resources to ensure a bigger return for your time and investment.
- About: Using strategic fundraising best practices, you’ll see where you can increase return on your investment for your effort. Learn the best ways to manage budgeting, logistics, sponsorship strategies, procurement, volunteers, scripts, storytelling, special appeal execution and more. Plus, learn more about the science of giving to design events that deepen the relationship between you and your donors.
A Look Inside
News, Case Studies, Best Practices
Most Recent
Swaim News
Fundraising Strategy / Best Practices
Program Events
Donor Cultivation
Case Studies
Resources
Our team of strategists and storytellers love to share best practices that achieve fundraising goals.
Browse our list of speakers and reach out if you’re interested in bringing a member of the Swaim team to your next conference or speaking engagement.
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Samantha Swaim
Samantha Swaim has more than 20 years of event planning and fundraising expertise. She founded Swaim Strategies, a fundraising event consultancy, in 2004, working internationally with nonprofit organizations to produce impactful events that move missions forward. Samantha is the co-author of “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event,” the founder of the annual Elevate fundraising event conference and co-host of “The Fundraising Elevator” podcast. She travels internationally to teach nonprofit professionals the tools they need to elevate their impact through events.
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Kristin Steele
As a writer and teacher by trade, Kristin Steele partners with nonprofits to increase their impact and fundraising by strategically improving how they tell their story at events. Kristin helped start the consulting firm Swaim Strategies in 2004 and co-authored the book “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event.” She is also the co-host of “The Fundraising Elevator” podcast. As a passionate nonprofit advocate, she speaks nationally to help organizations generate change in their communities through their events.
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Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth is the data expert at Swaim Strategies. She believes data tells a story, and that story impacts people’s lives. When data is properly implemented, it informs decision-making, honors relationships with donors and supporters and creates more informed and successful events. Mary has worked extensively with many organizations to prepare for their events using Greater Giving and other event databases. She’s a certified data pro who loves taking chaos and turning it into order.
JULY 23, 2020
Bloomerang Webinar: Effective Event Storytelling
AUGUST 26-27, 2020
Greater Giving Thought Leadership Summit, Portland, OR
OCTOBER 29-31, 2020
Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, Chicago, IL
JANUARY 2020
Greater Giving Webinar: Creating Sponsorship Partnerships that Last
NOVEMBER 2019
Elevate Fundraising Event Conference, Portland, OR
OCTOBER 2019
The Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, San Diego, CA
SEPTEMBER 2019
AFP Indiana Chapter, Fort Wayne, IN
Girls Inc. National Conference, Arlington, TX
Greater Giving Thought Leadership Summit, Portland, OR
AUGUST 2019
Greater Giving Webinar: Equity in Events
JUNE 2019
AFP Advancement Northwest 2019 Forum on Strategic Fundraising, Bellevue, WA
MAY 2019
CenterLink Executive Directors Bootcamp
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Whatever your event needs, we’d love to hear from you. Fill in the information below and someone from our team will get back to you soon.