Being in alignment with your storytelling partner matters. Sourcing a storyteller who is part of the community you work in is a wonderful way to deepen your story and your relationships at the same time. North by Northeast Community Health Center found out what a difference this makes at their first-ever fundraiser, Community Supper. As the only […]
If your organization supports a community that faces hardships, your event is a great way to celebrate how the community overcomes those hardships and thrives. Domestic violence support services nonprofit Bradley Angle does an incredible job of this with their annual GlamHer event celebrating survivors. By highlighting “after” stories of the power and potential of […]
Your larger work as an organization can be the perfect way to build a stronger and more connected annual event. The best way to do this is to dynamically dovetail your event with a more comprehensive campaign so that they can amplify each other. Trillium Family Services does a fantastic job of this with their […]
Your mission as an organization could be the perfect opportunity to bring more authenticity to the kind of event you put on, who attends and why. This was exactly what the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) had in mind when putting together their Battle of the Bands event. Designed to increase advocacy and fundraising […]
Your special appeal has the potential to be your largest source of fundraising income on the day of your event. The best way to harness this potential is to tell the most impactful story you can that positions your organization as the change agent in the life of those featured. Community Action did just that […]
Sometimes leaning into the political climate impacting your organization can bring the room together at your event. There are times when it makes sense to name the elephant in the room and its effect on those you support. When you get in front of it and frame it in a constructive way, you can direct […]
The honorees at your event are a great opportunity to have someone else tell the story of your mission and champion your organization. At their Oregonians Against Discrimination Business Leaders Luncheon this year, Basic Rights Oregon honored two local Portland businesses leading the way in recognizing and supporting transgender and LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and trainings. […]
Bringing donors into the traditions of your organization makes them feel a deeper connection to your work. And putting those you do the work for in the room with donors also lets them see your work in action. Camp Fire Columbia worked this year to make their student voices present in as many aspects of […]
Because events happen in a live and dynamic space, you can utilize them to activate your organization’s sponsors and partners in engaging ways that make them known and give them unique opportunities to be a part of your mission. Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives utilizes this idea at their annual gala which takes place as a […]
Likely no one is going to better convey the impact of your programs than those benefitting from them. Getting those voices on stage at your event brings the narrative from third person to first person quickly, and directly shows the impact of your work. This year Ethos Music Center used this idea to drive the […]
There can be a layer of remove between the work you do and your donors’ ability to experience it. Often the work of the organization is governed by confidentiality and other mechanisms that make it that you can only tell donors about it and hope they get it. There’s telling and then there’s showing. Events […]
This spring all of the incredibly hard cultivation work done by Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Development Director at Centro Cultural de Washington County, paid off at their annual Gala de Cultura. He spent over a year cultivating the event’s sponsors. And the return on his investment was huge. He expanded the organization’s ability to fundraise for […]
One of the biggest differences you can make in your appeal is to move it from a passive ask to an active one. With breakfast and lunch events—which don’t usually have some form of live auction—it might not come to mind to have bid paddles. But bid paddles enable you to tap into two of […]
