When Laura Atwood, executive director of Bird TLC, invited us in for a five-hour consulting engagement before their annual gala, she was looking to assess whether to have a gala event at all or to partner with other organizations instead. What she didn’t expect was a complete reimagining of how her organization connected donors to the life-changing work happening every single day at their rehabilitation center in Anchorage.
The result? A gala that raised five times more than their previous event in 2023.
When we first met with Bird TLC, the constraint was immediately apparent: their venue was their own rehabilitation center. Beautiful, meaningful, but intimate and capacity was limited.
Most organizations would see this as a limitation. But Bird TLC had something more valuable than a ballroom: they had living, breathing proof of their mission in the form of eight ambassador birds and a team of dedicated staff who rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured migratory birds 365 days a year.
Over our five-hour consulting block, we worked together on several key areas:
Identifying the Right Sponsors
Through a strategic assessment, we identified specific business and individual constituents who not only had capacity to give, but whose values aligned with Bird TLC’s conservation work by finding the people who were already leaning in.
Reframing the Event Economics
We recommended a smaller, more intimate gathering at a higher ticket price. This shift was designed as an experience for people deeply committed to the mission, not a mass gathering with a light touch introduction to the mission.
Curating Mission-Centered Auction Items
Instead of generic auction packages, we worked with Laura and her team to create experiences that deepened donor connection to the actual work of Bird TLC. These were opportunities to join the team, to meet the birds they’d helped save, to understand the why behind every donation.
Pre-Committed Major Gifts and Paddle Raise Strategy
She identified two board members to help secure major donations and we identified key targets and solicitation goals ensuring that the paddle raise would succeed because the groundwork was already laid and the momentum was in place.
Bringing in Professional Expertise
To execute this elevated vision, we recommended hiring a professional benefit auctioneer to create an atmosphere of possibility and professionalism that made donors want to bid.
The event night was intimate. Guests got to spend time with Ambassador Birds, meet staff, and tour the grounds before gathering for food and the program.
Laura took the stage and was sure to address “the why” of their mission:
“We’re here tonight because we believe that each of us can be a compassionate steward of Alaska’s wild birds, and that inspiring the next generation of conservationists is vital to securing the future of migratory birds.”
She walked donors through what compassionate stewardship looks like in practice—the 365-day on-call shifts, the late nights, the scramble to accommodate every program request, the Avian Teen Crew, the ambassador birds. She showed them the human side of conservation.
And then she connected the dots: “Seeing all of you here tonight, I am confident that, together, we can keep Alaska’s wild birds flying free!”
The mission-centered live auction achieved 120% of estimated value.
Six businesses stepped up as sponsors.
Eighty people left that night having met the birds, met the staff, and felt the urgency and beauty of the work.
The numbers tell the story: $24,000 raised in 2023 and $120,000 raised in 2026.
When we asked Laura what changed, she was clear, “This shift was brought about by our pre-event consulting with Swaim and the addition of a professional benefit auctioneer.”
But dig deeper, and the real shift was about intentionality. Bird TLC stopped trying to fill a room and started building an experience for their most passionate supporters. They stopped asking for money and started inviting people into the why.
They took their constraint (a small, intimate venue) and turned it into their greatest asset—the chance to let donors see, hear, and touch the mission in person.
If you’re planning a gala or major fundraising event, ask yourself:
Sometimes the most powerful fundraising events aren’t the ones with the biggest attendance or the most elaborate production. They’re the ones where every element works together.
Bird TLC is an Anchorage-based wildlife rehabilitation center dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured migratory birds. To learn more about their work, visit their website: https://www.birdtlc.org/
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