Connecting to a Statewide Campaign

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 Black & Gold Gala, held in May during Mental Health Awareness Month. During the month of May, Trillium puts big star-power behind their campaign to honor the mental health heroes among us by honoring one Oregonian every day of the month for their work.

Trillium’s Black & Gold Gala also has a mental health awareness theme, and takes cues from the Keep Oregon Well campaign by capitalizing on the opportunity to honor mental health heroes and donors with a red carpet, support from superstar advocates Logan Lynn and Sheila Hamilton and a program oriented to break down stigma and bring awareness to the good work being done statewide.

The event shines a light on heroes at every opportunity, starting with a private honoree reception, pins worn by heroes to call them out at the event, a red carpet walk and photo for every hero, opportunities for heroes to take the stage and tell their story and hero recognition as the event-finale, with a chance for each hero to come to the stage and receive a plaque of recognition. Trillium takes every opportunity to see and celebrate the deep and powerful commitment made by largely unsung heroes among us, and their event is a blast to attend because of it.

By concentrating the energy of their event on a larger, longer, year-on-year statewide campaign, Trillium Family Services lives their values out loud and reminds their audience what they’re fundraising for.

photos by Andrea Lonas