Case Study: Hybrid Events
Screentime Drive-In Gala with Clackamas Women’s Services
In 2020, the year of social-distancing, Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS)—an Oregon-based nonprofit whose mission is to break the isolation of survivors of domestic and sexual violence—faced a big question: How do we bring our community together to raise funds for critical services during a pandemic, when gathering in-person is not possible?
As an organization familiar with the strength and trust found within a supportive community, creating a joyful experience for attendees when everything felt so heavy due to COVID-19 inspired CWS to create a fun, interactive and distinctive. CWS wanted to offer a safe option to experience the power of gathering in-person, even in a time of social isolation.
They created a hybrid fundraising event called Screentime Drive-In Gala: a drive-in movie experience to watch the program on a giant inflatable movie screen, coupled with a livestream broadcast.
Attendees could join Screentime in one of two ways: by purchasing tickets to reserve car parking space at the a drive-in gala, or by tuning into the livestream at home. This offered donors a way to engage with the event in the way that most appealed to them.
Here’s why it worked:
- The community had a fun, one-of-a-kind way to gather safely and show support for CWS.
- The content was the same. Whether at home or in their cars, attendees watched or listened to the same livestream broadcast.
- The entire audience was able to engage in the appeal in real time and be recognized for their giving.
- CWS engaged community partners in unique ways for the event, including:
- Renting a local swim center’s parking lot for drive-in spaces (including multiple restrooms for guests with thorough disinfecting throughout the event).
- Engaging a community partner, the local roller derby team who happily masked up to deliver gourmet snack assortments to cars at the drive-in gala.
- Partnering with local businesses to build the snack boxes for folks to enjoy as a perk to attending in person.
- Partnering with the AV Department to provide broadcast audio.
Their hybrid event model was safer and less expensive than an in-person gala and more interactive and charming than a virtual event. It also offered opportunities to work with partners and gave donors a novel experience in a time of pause—and something to look forward to again in 2021!
Tune in for the 2nd Annual Screentime Gala with Clackamas Women’s Services happening Saturday, April 24, 2021.
Planning your next fundraising event? We’d love to hear about it. Reach out to us at swaimstrategies.com/rfp.
