Revamping an Event for Greater Reach

Many organizations host events tied to programming. If you’re looking to broaden your base and acquire new supporters, there is an opportunity to redesign one of these events for larger engagement.

Photo Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Guide Dogs for the Blind holds bi-monthly graduations for their program participants graduating with their new guide dogs after going through a 2-week training course together. It’s an inspiring day when life-changing partnerships are formed and loved ones take part. This year, Guide Dogs decided to turn one of their graduations into a lunchtime engagement fundraiser and saw a whole new way to reach their existing supporters and bring new supporters into the mission.

Photo Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Normally, the graduations are held at the Guide Dogs campus in Boring, outside of Portland. For the lunch event, Tassels & Tails, they moved it to the Hilton in downtown Portland on a Saturday. Many of those in attendance were families and friends supporting the graduates and the puppy raisers or they were donors. But moving it to a more central location and building in a lunch component allowed more new people to attend and learn about the organization. It allowed people to be a part of an event that had been more out of reach before.

Photo Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind

In order to engage their donors, Guide Dogs held a ticketed lunch before the graduation where donors could connect with Guide Dogs staff, volunteers and graduates. This allowed for a more intimate environment for donors to deepen their connection with the organization before moving into the public graduation ceremony.

Photo Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Tassels & Tails was a great example of revamping an event for broader outreach. The communal, celebratory feeling brought people into the Guide Dogs mission in a new, welcoming way. It also helped that there were adorable guide dogs everywhere.