COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT: A PRIMER

Part 2 of 2

In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced key components of a comprehensive community outreach plan. What follows is the remaining two components as well as some practical steps in devising such a plan.

1.     Critical Steps

Below are three key steps in identifying the need for and devising a community engagement plan:

Step 1: Review inclusive engagement strategies. What is the scope and goals of the issue/process?

Step 2: Identify appropriate personnel and timeline to complete strategy development. Who are the stakeholders in the process?

Step 3: Collect data necessary for completion of any analysis of racial or cultural biases. What are the stakeholders’ interests/concerns?

2.     Evaluate

Finally, to assess the success of a community engagement plan, four important questions must be answered:

a.     Is the community’s role clearly identified when examining the non-profit organization’s community engagement activities?

b.     Is a comprehensive community involvement plan developed and circulated throughout the organization?

c.      Are community involvement results clear and have been incorporated into the organization’s long- and short-term strategic plans?

d.     Is the community involvement process considered successful by all stakeholders (especially, the community leaders and members)?

Key Success Factors

As we have seen in the first part of this blog, it takes a great deal of effort to devise an effective and inclusive outreach strategy. Below are three key success factors in developing such a strategy:

a)     Enhance Relationships & Engagement: There is a greater likelihood of engagement from underserved communities when organizations take steps to improve their relationships with those populations.

b)     Enrich Knowledge Gathering: Strengthening connections with communities through knowledge gathering allows those constituents to play a key role in determining relevance and appropriateness of an organization’s outreach programs.

c)     Embrace Organizational Change: In order for community engagement to flourish, organizations (and individuals that represent those organizations) must be open to organizational changes that are responsive to community needs/inputs and allow for shared power between communities and the organizations that serve them.

Strategic Actions

Below is a simplified “checklist” of key action items in tackling important steps in developing an effective plan:

1)     Staffing & Organization:  Designate a lead staff within the organization as the liaison person with the community.

2)     Communications & Outreach:  Create a clear identity and message to carry out the organization’s outreach efforts.

3)     Accessibility & Transparency:  Make sure the process is open and accessible to all stakeholders.

4)     Evaluate the Process:  Include evaluation of the overall process and of specific community-based activities.

Wrap-up

A non-profit organization, whose mandate calls for serving a specific segment of population, must not lose sight of the fact that its success depends on its ability to reach out and engage the community it is founded to serve. To be successful in this endeavor, the organization must devise and implement a comprehensive community outreach strategic plan. In this two-part blog, we have summarized the key steps in such an undertaking to ensure an enduring mission for the non-profit organization in question.

As counsel to many non-profit organizations, Your Great Event helps its clients develop enduring and effective community outreach programs.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT: A PRIMER

Part 1 of 2

Introduction

Some non-profit organizations are established to serve a particular segment of population, known as the “community.” A non-profit organization that is set up to serve such a specific stakeholders must develop effective outreach strategies to better understand and help that community. If a non-profit organization’s mission includes reaching out to engage and serve a particular underserved community, then it is incumbent upon it to follow specific and targeted strategies to connect with that community to better understand—and respond to—its needs. This blog sets out the basics of how a non-profit organization should go about developing effective outreach strategies. What follows is a de facto checklist of dos and don’ts in devising such a strategy.  

Definition: What is Community Outreach?

Before delving into the details of what should constitute the contents of a viable strategic outreach plan, a good starting point would be to have an agreed-upon definition of what “Community Outreach” is.  Community outreach refers to efforts that connect a non-profit organization’s day-to-day activities to the public it is established to serve. Outreach is not marketing. It’s key component is education through which the organization reaches out to—and engages—the community. Outreach strategies should always be developed in such a way to be perfectly linked to the organization’s mission, objectives, and strategies.

Highlights of A Strategy

Community outreach and engagement strategies discussed below are intended to be practical guides—road maps, if you will—for a non-profit to build bridges with underserved communities that it is set up to serve. While a community outreach strategic plan may take many forms, there are basic principles that must be included in any such strategy. Regardless of the specific measures that a non-profit can take, the following is a list of the general subjects such a strategy should cover. In other words, what follows is in effect a “table of contents” for a comprehensive outreach plan:

1. Overview – To cover the Race and Social Justice Implications of Community Engagement.

2. Essential Steps for Creating Lasting Community Engagement – To cover Cultural Sensitivity, and Six Best Practices for Inclusive Community Engagement. 

3. Quick Guide – To cover Important Processes in the Development of Effective and Inclusive Community Engagement.

4. Critical Steps – To cover the Development of a Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Community Outreach and Engagement.

5. Evaluation – To cover the Development of a Mechanism for Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Community Involvement Plan and the Execution thereof.

1.     Overview

Community outreach and engagement strategies must be drawn in a way to help develop and implement outreach and community engagement processes that involve people of diverse races, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. 

Here are the five pillars that such a strategy must be founded on:

a)     Create effective processes and forums with opportunities for underserved communities to fully participate. 

b)     Identify the impact of institutionalized racism and cultural impediments on a proposed community engagement strategy. 

c)     Identify and use instruments that help select racially and culturally appropriate public processes and forums. 

d)     Identify strategies to generate increased interest and involvement in the entire spectrum of services aimed at underserved communities. 

e)     Identify and use culturally sensitive stakeholder and data analysis tools that recognize and utilize communities’ cultural values and knowledge.

2.     Essential Best Practices

Effective community engagement takes careful planning; and the recognition that each community that a non-profit works with offers a unique opportunity to broaden the organization’s understanding of what constitutes a community. Here are six critical steps in building bridges to connect with the target group:

1. Building personal (by the organization’s management at all levels) relationships with target population;

2. Creating a welcoming environment;

3. Increasing/improving access by community members;

4. Developing alternative methods for engagement;

5. Maintaining an active presence within the community; and 

6. Partnering with other organizations and non-profits with synergistic missions.

3.     A Guide for Developing Effective Strategies

To be successful, there are important steps for a non-profit to follow when developing and promoting an inclusive community engagement. Below is a simplified “how-to” list:

a.     Define Scope of Work:  Identify the decisions to be made and determine where and how the target community can influence decisions. 

b.     Identify Stakeholders:  Who does this affect directly or indirectly, positively or negatively? 

c.      Define Roles:  Define roles for the organization and other stakeholders. 

d.     Incorporate Racially & Culturally Appropriate Engagement Activities:  Assess scope of work for incorporating the above-mentioned six strategies for more inclusive engagement.

e.     Create an Inclusive Community Engagement Plan:  Prepare a community engagement plan that includes key activities, milestones, and products on the plan timeline.

In Part 2, we will introduce the remaining two components of a comprehensive community outreach plan along with a few practical steps. Stay tuned.

The ABC of An Integrated Marketing Plan

Smaller or newer non-profits often struggle with so many “bread and butter” issues. Putting in place an effective marketing is often one of those. In meeting their mandates, one of the key challenges that many smaller non-profits face is how to allocate limited resources to what appears to be unlimited tasks. This brief blog summarizes what could constitute the pillars of a good start-up marketing plan for any new or small non-profit organization. While these principles are broad in nature, they do provide a simple road map for devising a workable marketing plan.  Needless to say, there needs to be a lot of flesh put on the bones outlined here; and to do so, requires further research into some of the steps identified below:           

1.     Know your target market/audience—Your organization’s mandate likely appeals to a range of possible audiences and an effective outreach strategy may require a slightly different approach for each.

2.      Highlight the value proposition your organization offers. Unless you can demonstrate the value-add of your organization, it is not likely to be able to sustain its appeal.

3.     Determine your organization’s main goals in undertaking multi-faceted marketing. What do you need to accomplish and what would the end result look like?

Once these fundamental questions have been answered, you are ready to launch a marketing strategy that would include, among others, the following steps:

1.     Develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan made up of:

a.     A strong—and active—social media presence;

b.     Using an effective e-mail marketing tool to connect/stay connected with your stakeholders;

c.      Expand/build on your website marketing;

d.     Consider a possible video marketing tool;

e.     Harvest the power of blogging;

f.      Improve/involve/take advantage of your stakeholders’ presence on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

2.     Find viable outlets for cost-effective print (as well as traditional/digital media) marketing/advertising

3.     Evaluate the possibility of engaging influencers with broad appeal to your target audience

4.     Assess the pros/cons of free promotional products

5.     Put in place systems to harvest contact information of all donors, supporters, etc. who may have attended one of your events, if applicable, or have visited the organization’s website or social media pages

6.     Introduce/evaluate an effective CRM system

7.     Don’t underestimate the value of “word of mouth” advertising. Your advocates can be a powerful sales force 

In Conclusion: Using the above guideline, you are ready to start out the development of a comprehensive and multi-faceted marketing strategy to build on/enhance your existing standing.

Let the professionals at Your Great Event lend you a hand in devising an effective integrated marketing plan.

Marketing on a shoestring budget

Some smaller non-profits find themselves in the perpetual cycle of having to allocate limited resources to unlimited needs—that is, having to run their operations often with very scarce resources. In the face of other immediate and urgent needs, sometimes marketing is forced to take a back seat. Yet, marketing is like the lifeblood that many such organization need to survive.  Without it, the organization may have to work twice as hard to sustain business on an on-going basis. There lies the dilemma: How to start/maintain a marketing strategy when the funds are barely covering the day-to-day operations.

In this blog, we will identify some cost-competitive measures that can help a struggling non-profit to make the leap into the big league.

1. Who’s the Audience?

Knowing your target in marketing is probably the most important first step in devising an effective marketing plan. You can’t be everything to everyone. The organizations that zero in on their target audience have the most success in reaching them. Before committing any resources to any advertising or promotional efforts, develop a good understanding of your target audience. Based on that, you can devise an effective messaging strategy. No outreach program can be successful without a solid understanding of who the target audience is regardless of the cause. 

2. Content is King

After all, marketing is all about content. However, content can be expensive. Thus, enters creativity in re-using/re-purposing/re-cycling content. “Home-made” messaging can be as effective in reaching target audience. Brief and to-the-point messages can be easily posted on various social media outlets, which then opens the door to more useable content.  Depending on available resources, blogposts, e-books, etc. be created using the same basic content.

3. Automation to the Rescue

“Necessity is mother of the invention.”  With limited resources, a small non-profit can use all the help it can get. Once the audience is clearly identified, a roadmap can be devised to determine touchpoints that lend themselves to automation. Marketing automation ranges from e-mail blasts to on-line postings to newsletter release.

Automation of marketing tools can also be costly. However, the trade-off is the elimination of the need to add to personnel which will be far more costly. 

Putting It All Together

Marketing is the necessary evil that many smaller non-profits would rather do away with. However, marketing can also be the lifeblood that fuels the organization, thus ensuring its survival. While many marketing tools can be cost prohibitive for a non-profit on a tight budget, there are creative ways to get better/bigger bang for the organization’s bucks. By re-cycling content, the organization can save significant sums. Likewise, automation provides an attractive avenue to keep some costs down and avoid having to add staff to payroll expenses.

Your Great Event is proud to be a counsel to many non-profits in devising their marketing plans.

Fundraising Events in A New Era

As the pandemic drags on, events of all sorts—including fundraising galas and the like—are taking on new dimensions. Technology that took on the center stage during the pandemic will continue to reshape the fundraising events’ landscape. Even when we return to the “good old in-person galas,” there are fundamental changes that will likely survive the return to normalcy.

Technology Rules

As in-person galas were suspended at the outset of the pandemic, the progressive non-profits jumped on the virtual event band wagon. Nearly two years into the pandemic, virtual events appear to be here to stay—albeit in a slightly different format. Even with in-person events in full swing at some non-profits, “hybrid” has become the new buzz word. Now—more than ever—mobile devices will be the glue that tie in-person audiences to remote participants. 

The pen and paper planners will soon feel lonely among “digital generation” that will lead the streaming of important events or using state-of-the-art event technologies to roll out impactful events.

Data Management

In-person registrations will give way to online log-ins which will provide planners with a wealth of information on active participants. Even at in-person events, there are a myriad of smart technology sensors to track the behavior of participants, their active involvement in silent auctions and even F&B consumption. There will even be a direct tie-in with e-commerce.

Virtual Events: Here to Stay

Virtual/hybrid events have rapidly evolved from the early days of the pandemic. There are now countless platforms for streaming events—each with its unique features. Both planners and participants will likely have to accept the fact that there is no getting away from virtual events of some sort (likely, in tandem with an in-person event—or maybe not). Like all other novel technology responses, virtual event planning will continue to evolve providing participants with increasing features to use and to be engaged.

One of the critical components of successful virtual events will continue to be connectivity. Connectivity will likely be as important as content. Thus, bandwidth and speed will dictate how well the organization is equipped to retain active remote participants. 

All-Important Safety

The pandemic brought on hyper-awareness of the growing importance of safety to successfully attracting participants to in-person events. There is now considerable pressure on event organizers to provide participants with the needed peace of mind if they are to attend an all-important fundraiser. The all-too-familiar Covid-19 health and safety protocols will likely be enshrined in most event planning companies’ modus operandi—and technology will only magnify the importance of adhering to such protocols; AND help alleviate any concerns prospective participants may have.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Event suppliers have had to evolve and adapt. Pandemic and technology have given rise to new business opportunities for the event industry suppliers—including venues, catering companies, A/V providers, creative agencies—and yes, event planning companies. These challenges will likely lead to new business opportunities for all provided each service provider recognizes the importance of collaboration in delivering impactful events. 

To sum up, looking into the future, the pandemic may be viewed just as much a blessing as a curse. History will show that from the ashes of all calamities have risen newer and bolder solutions. Event industry may look back at the pandemic as much an opportunity to innovate as a lasting disaster. Like many other sectors of economy, the better fit organizations will not only survive but prosper.

Strategic Messaging: On Virtues of a Communication Plan

Most successful business enterprises have a communication plan of a sort—implicit or explicit—to guide them in their dealings with their stakeholders—customers, employees, boards of directors and their business community. This, unfortunately, is not always the case with non-profit organizations notwithstanding the fact that the need for a documented communication plan may even be greater at a non-profit. Some smaller non-profits are outgrowth of specific causes that may have given rise to their very existence. The urgency of dealing with everyday requirements or the lack of adequate resources—financial and human—may be the underlying reasons for not having developed a documented communication plan. This is not a good excuse for larger organizations. Yet, they too often lack a properly produced plan. In the latter case, the “bureaucracy” of the organization may sometimes be the reason for the absence of—or use of—a plan. 

The long-term success of an organization—non-profit or for-profit—rests on its ability to properly document a clearly enunciated communication plan to guide it through its many phases of growth. Some of the key reasons are:

1. Improved Relationships

Communication plans inevitably improve internal and external interactions among personnel as well as the outside stakeholders; and provide a roadmap for smooth relations across varied audiences. Working from a documented plan is a safe route to ensure efficient use of resources and a consistent and coherent messaging.

A communication plan can provide an effective means in dealing with and/or using many common tools used by many non-profits—such as e-mail, social media or print literature. The use and coordination of all channels of communication is critical to the timing and messaging that the organization produces. This is particularly the case for larger non-profits with their sometimes complex and departmentalized organizational structures.  

2. Coordinated Interactions

The larger non-profits invariably end up with more complex and departmentalized organizational structures that at times may impede coordination among various internal departments when it comes to messaging and/or interface with stakeholders, supporters, donors and the public. As some non-profits grow, “walls” seem to be erected among their various departments. At times, this results in conflicts among internal staff or in the organization’s dealings with its various audiences. 

Coordinated messaging among the organization’s stakeholders (the staff, the board of directors, donors and supporters, volunteers, etc.) is key to the organization’s ongoing success; and in its ability to weather various external challenges. Continued coordination of messaging by the organization among its many internal and external audiences will ensure a consistent and enduring mission and strategies.

3. Effective Outreach Programs

Almost all non-profits have a number of different audiences—each with its unique needs and idiosyncrasies. Successful non-profits have a communication plan clearly broken down to address the needs of its various audiences. Lumping all your audiences into one big cluster can be fatal to your long-term objectives—and to your longevity. Audience segmentation is one of the pillars of a good and living communication plan.  In dealing with the organization’s audiences, one size never fits all. Care must be taken to properly identify and develop specific strategies to deal with each of the organization’s stakeholders. 

In summary, there are multitude of reasons why any non-profit organization—regardless of its size—should develop a comprehensive communication plan. A good communication plan will act as a guiding light in steering the organization clear of troubled waters; and to ensure that its message is clearly articulated and understood by its various audiences and stakeholders. The lack of one is akin to the proverbial “shooting from the hip” syndrome. To sum up, communications is the lifeblood of any organization when it comes to dealing with each and every entity that it somehow touches—and thus, a must to ensure its staying power.  

To develop an effective communication plan for your non-profit organization, call on the professionals at Your Great Event. 

Fundraising E-Mail Dos and Don’ts

E-mail has become an invaluable tool in fundraising campaigns. However, to use this tool effectively and successfully, important steps must be taken to ensure success. There are important lessons in how to use this vital medium to achieve the desired results—which is high open rate. Sadly, some non-profits take the “spray and pray” approach to e-mail blasts in the hope that by spraying the largest number of recipients their prayers for reaching the desired donor universe will be answered. Nothing could be further from truth. Indiscriminately using the “click and send” approach may result in big disappointment—the worst being the dreaded unsubscribe requests. 

What follows are simple steps to ensure this important tool is used effectively and, in a manner, to bring about desired results.

1. Subject Line

Many people—non-profits professionals among them—wrongly believe that their e-mails are always read. Sadly, nothing could be further from truth. Research shows that less than 25% of e-mails are opened—including fundraising e-mails from prominent non-profit organizations. That makes the subject line a critical success factor to having higher-than-average open rate. Never lose the sight of the fact that the objective is to create e-mails with great subject lines and compelling and inspiring messages to grab the attention of the maximum possible donors.

2. Content

Content is king when it comes to reaching the target audience and to avoiding the dreaded “unsubscribe” requests. There may be a misconception on the part of some non-profits that certain words trigger spam designation. This, in fact, is a false assumption. It is not the words that trigger spam but rather the organization’s reputation. Combined with a great subject line and inspiring and engaging content, the organization is bound to have a stellar reputation leading to a much better-than-average open rate and therefore less chance of its e-mails ending up in spam filters. 

3. E-Mailing Frequency

Some non-profits are of the view that fewer e-mails will lead to higher open rate and therefore more donations by dedicated donors. This is, in fact, a false assumption. E-mailing your stakeholders on a regular basis will not only ensure that your e-mails are not targeted as spams but also improves the branding of the organization and keeps the non-profit visible in the eyes of target audience—i.e., loyal donors. While this is not to encourage overwhelming your stakeholders with pointless e-mails, regular inspiring e-mails can do magic for the organization when it comes to its outreach goals.  

4. Spam Filters

Open rate leads to fewer e-mails ending up in spam filters. The more people read your e-mails the better the delivery rate to the inbox instead of the spam filter. The simple rule of thumb is that good e-mails are more likely to land in the right folder. Conversely, bad e-mails are prone to be caught in the spam filters. 

5. The Dreaded Unsubscribe

E-mail administers at some non-profit organizations are of the view that the feared unsubscribe requests are signs of rejection. False. Contrary to popular belief, unsubscribe requests have no adverse effect on the organization’s reputation. Furthermore, unsubscribe requests are effective tools to “cleanse” e-mail lists and make sure they are constantly evergreened. The goal is not to have the largest e-mail list. The goal should be to have a list of engaged audience that will constantly help improve the open rate. In fact, the organization may elect to send “re-engagement” e-mails soliciting the approval of the subscribers to remain on the mailing list thus ensuring a great open rate.

6. Conclusion

E-mail remains an instrumental tool in the success of any fundraising campaign or in the on-going survival of any non-profit organization. Done right, e-mail can be a great weapon to recruit and/or retain committed stakeholders or donors. However, the abuse of e-mail by some junk mail originators have made it difficult for non-profits with their worthy cause to be victims of e-mail pitfalls. The above simple steps should help avert falling in some of these common downsides. E-mail lists should be viewed as organic devices that can help the organization maintain a healthy and viable list of devoted donors and supporters.

Your Great Event is a leading event planning and consulting company dedicated to the success of non-profit organizations in California.

Effective Outreach Strategies: Notes from A Survey

As pandemic restrictions are relaxed, many non-profit organizations are putting their plans for their fundraising events in higher gear. Fundraising galas are one of the best ways to reach the organization’s key donors and stakeholders. They bring out the committed supporters of the organization and the cause it stands for. The success of many such events depends largely on effective outreach strategies employed by the organization.

Many non-profits rely heavily on their mailing lists of donors and supporters. Others use more personal tools such as telephone calls, text messages or hand-written letters. The perennial question is what method is most effective and least objectionable by the target audience?

Your Great Event was recently engaged by one of our non-profit clients to conduct a survey of what method of communication was best to keep in touch with donors in the pandemic era—and perhaps beyond. What follows is a summary of our findings.

The success of some non-profits in raising funds during the pandemic was somewhat of surprise even for the organization. The pandemic handed more than a few challenges to some non-profits, one of which was that staying in touch with donors who were stuck at home became very difficult if not impossible. The more successful organizations devised novel ways to keep the connection with their donor community alive—and not always with overt financial contribution requests.

The survey also revealed that the progressive nonprofits benefitted from learning a thing or two about the people who support them. For instance, contrary to popular belief, donors welcome meaningful phone calls. They open individually-addressed letters, while they are somewhat leery about generic emails. Communiques were favorably viewed if they contained important information about the organization and especially its staff. Thank-you notes signed by employees were very favorably received.

What follows are the highlights of our findings:

1. Personal Connections Are King: Donors crave information. Dedicated donors welcome the non-profit’s efforts to remain in touch especially during the pandemic isolation.

2. Phone Calls Are Welcome: Contrary to the popular belief, purposeful and personal outreach by the non-profit’s executive and key personnel are never considered intrusive.

3. Don’t Overdo Texting: Donors welcome one or two content-driven text messages—but don’t over use this medium. Some online auction platforms have a tendency to bombard recipients with minute-by-minute text messages. Careful: You don’t want your primary texting number be blocked.

4. Snail Mail Delivers: Tastefully and genuine letters hand signed by the non-profit’s executive director or employees collectively get attention. Take care to make sure your letter is not tossed as junk mail.

5. Donor Engagement: Key donors are valuable sources of spreading the gospel and can be very effective ambassadors for the non-profit. These days, donors’ social media accounts can be invaluable tools through which to spread the word.

6. Empower Employees & Volunteers: Employees and volunteers play pivotal roles not only in their assigned functional fields, but can also be invaluable in their own personal outreach tactics. The organization can only benefit from each staff member’s unique and individual way of reaching out to existing and prospective donors. Entrust your young army of dedicated staff and volunteers!  

7. Borderless Philanthropy: Gone are the days the non-profits’ causes were considered local. The pandemic opened up a “Zoom world” making the core cause of the non-profit—and therefore its fundraising efforts—a global effort. Don’t shy away from broadening your message to reach a much larger national—or even global—audience.      

As we look to post-pandemic, a few of these lessons will have lasting effects on non-profits’ ongoing fundraising success. The most important one being to let the organization’s principal donors know that they remain a part of the organization’s viability. 

Your Great Event is the premier event planning company dedicated to the non-profit sector. Let our professionals give you needed advice on fundraising best practices.

Planning Maskless Events

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that fully-vaccinated people can now choose to go maskless. What does that mean for the fundraising and gala events? Is it time for jubilation?

To say that the nonprofit sector has been getting antsy to shed masks and resume in-person events is an understatement. So much of what this industry stands for—and needs—is based on synergies that arise from gala events and the collegiality that influences the success of such gatherings. Needless to say, therefore, that the past 15 months have been very trying for many nonprofits—both financially as well as operationally. 

Meanwhile, many of the event planning companies that cater to nonprofit organizations scaled back—and in some cases, threw in the towel. On the flip side, some donors and supporters of many nonprofits feel that they have lost their “connection” to their favorite causes. While virtual or even hybrid events have made every effort to fill the void, nothing works like an in-person event where supporters can rub shoulders with, and try to outbid, one another at a live auction.

The question now is how do we may the jump from rather impersonal virtual events to exciting yet safe in-person fundraisers? 

For a period to come, some participants will be somewhat leery attending a gala dinner maskless—even after the elusive herd immunity has been reached. The onus to ease the minds of such segment of donor and supporter population will shift onto the event planning company that is recruited by the nonprofit to roll out the first few post-Covid in-person events. This may sound rather onerous a task on an event planning company. Thankfully, however, new tools are emerging on the horizon to help organizers to breathe easier.  

For the foreseeable future, the attendees will be needing reassurance and peace of mind that taking part at a large in-person event can be safe. Thanks to emerging health screening protocols organizers can now safely provide that needed assurance. A robust health screening platform must meet specific criteria to be both reliable and trustworthy by those that going to be subject to: It has to be secure. It has to be efficient. It also has to be cloud base to free up the operators from the constraints of physical devices. 

Neither the organizers nor the event planning professionals can afford to have tens of potential attendees queued up at the entrance to the event waiting for the results of their instant health screening. There need to be simple and enforceable guidelines on how to collect data from prospective attendees; and how to grant them admission to the event.

A robust health screening platform is the best guarantee to secure participation of the largest possible audience weary of their—and their love ones’—safety. It is only with such a tool that event organizers can win their stakeholders’ backing by attending large in-person events.  

As we fast evolve to a maskless and vaccinated world, a reliable health screening is the best insurance a nonprofit organization can put in place to buy itself and its supporters the peace of mind that will only invigorate its gala event—with attendant financial rewards.

Your Great Event is one the leading event planning companies providing advanced health screening protocols for its clients. Let our professionals help you win back your valuable donors as you plan your post-Covid in-person event.

Virtual Events in All Shapes & Forms

With the pandemic still playing havoc with in-person events, many event planning companies have had to learn the art of organizing virtual events. Virtual events come in all shapes and forms.

Claudia Zervos, General Manager at Your Great Event, was recently quoted in a blog post with her best picks in virtual event themes--12 Virtual Event Ideas From Professional Event Planners (hoppier.com).

According to Zervos, virtual events have blossomed during the pandemic. While some virtual events have taken the format of a webinar, others are for more elaborate. In addition to the client’s budget for a virtual event, there is also the matter of the degree of creativity the client (or its event planning company) is prepared to put in the conceptualization and production of a virtual event much like an in-person event in the days gone by.

She went on to say that “one of the more entertaining/engaging formats we have rolled out has been the virtual casino-themed events. For the non-profit sector that we specialize in, this particular theme has been very successful in keeping the audience engaged—AND supportive in the fundraising goals of the organization.”

“In addition to virtual casino events,” continued Zervos “other virtual events that have been greatly successful have involved participation of an entertainer/comedian. Celebrities have always been a draw for many fundraising events—whether or not they are virtual.”

According to Ms. Zervos, detailed guidelines to key participants in any virtual event can translate in success. This, of course, is in addition to flawless technical aspects especially streaming which can make or break a virtual event. This is again an area where the technical capabilities of the event planning company become critical in the success of the event.

Reminiscing Good Ole Days

When the Coronavirus pandemic struck back in early 2020, no one expected it to last anywhere like a year—or longer as it has turned out. The optimists thought the clouds of this infectious bug would clear in a few weeks as did some previous epidemics. The cynics contended that it could take a few months. Both turned out to be wrong. As we enter the second year of this devastating global calamity, the future of in-person fundraising events and galas remains unclear.

The traditional gala affairs consisting of hundreds huddled together in a hotel ballroom for hours may be slow returning. Both the organizers and attendees will remain leery about some events. The burden of ensuring the health and safety of participants will continue to weigh heavily on event planners for some time to come. It only takes one asymptomatic infected participant to play havoc with the wellbeing of all and ruin the experience for many.

To the chagrin of many non-profits or charities, the future of large-scale galas in the near term will likely be hybrid of some sort. Digital experiences that emerged in response to the lockdowns are likely here to stay. Much like future of workplace that will now possibly always involve some remote work, fundraising events will also take on different shapes and forms—at least for the balance of 2021.

Virtual and hybrid events that quickly emerged during the pandemic opened up new avenues for planners. Last year was a big year for virtual events although the format was still new to many event planners—and evolving. Virtual engagement remains one of planners’ biggest challenges throughout this transition. When done right and in tandem with some in-person sessions, virtual or hybrid sessions can only add flavor to an overall program.  But offering an event that is geared as much towards an in-person attendee as one that’s online is not as simple as blending both elements together. There is a lot to consider to ensure a successful event regardless of whether or not it is entirely virtual or hybrid.

Organizing a virtual or hybrid event can be a challenging prospect for the unfamiliar, but it doesn’t have to be.  Virtual events have now become somewhat of a norm during this pandemic. That makes it important for the planner to master all the requirements to ensure that the event runs smoothly and it is engaging and inspiring for all.

There are glimmers of hope that we may soon be able to look forward to welcoming our attendees in person and offering some of elements that made incentive programs such sought-after perks. For now, it is encouraging that the planners do have other gears in their tool box to keep their clients engaged. 

Your Great Event offers a portfolio of event planning and production services, including digital experiences and state-of-the-art platforms for virtual event production, editing and streaming. 

Fundraising Challenges during a Pandemic

Non-profit organizations and charities have paid very dearly during the pandemic. Few organizations can claim that they were able to meet their fundraising goals in 2020. Glimmers of hope, however faint, are now on the horizon. As vaccination efforts take hold, we will be able to look forward to a more promising future when it comes to fundraising events.

While grand in-person galas might still be a few months away, some charity fundraising events can now be safely planned as a stopgap measure to help the organization with its immediate financial needs.  Golf tournaments, virtual and hybrid fundraising events can be held with complete adherence to the CDC guidelines to help the organization raise the badly-needed funds while preparing for the traditional galas in the fall and beyond.

At Your Great Event (YGE), we are proud to have helped our loyal clients to plan successful fundraisers even during these challenging times. From virtual events to hybrid digital affairs to golf tournaments, we have been able to help our clients navigate the stormy waters of fundraising during a pandemic.

When done right, a golf tournament and/or virtual gala can be vital tools in a non-profit’s struggles to prevail over the devastating effects of this pandemic on its financial viability. Spring 2021 can be a prized opportunity to hold a stopgap fundraising golf tournament and/or virtual event while gearing up for a grand affair in the fall or winter 2021.

While we all eagerly wait for the clouds of Covid-19 to clear, it is incumbent on astute organizations to seize all available branding opportunities to both raise/reinforce awareness of their cause and to view these interim events as warmup for return to more traditional fundraising events and galas.

Let the professionals at Your Great Event help you take advantage of all possible fundraising opportunities during these challenging times.

The Future of Virtual Events

The world is at the verge of rolling out a number of effective vaccines against the Coronavirus. Optimistically, we can assume that Covid-19 will be largely behind us in the coming months. One of most impactful results of the isolation that was brought on by the Coronavirus was the suspension of all in-person events. In that respect, the event industry was perhaps most adversely affected by this pandemic. 

The desire to attend in-person events is rather a human need. As social animals, we cannot remain isolated for long periods without consequences on our human psyche. Yet, one of the outcomes of the pandemic was the blossoming of virtual events—from technical meetings to fundraising auctions. A subset industry—digital experiences—quickly grew to serve the needs of event planners albeit with different criteria for success.

The emergence of this subset industry notwithstanding, it is fair to assume that virtual events are here to stay. There are many benefits to both organizations and participants in attending virtual events even when in-person gatherings can safely resume. Among the many benefits are significant cost savings and ability to bring together talent from close and afar. 

As the new trend took hold, we at Your Great Event had to hone in our digital skillsets and capabilities. From managing the physical logistics of an event, we had to sharpen our skills in live streaming the proceedings of a meeting or managing multiple contributors from the four corners of the globe. While the power of face-to-face meetings is undeniable, we had to convince our clients that we can bring the impact of the live experience to a virtual space.

Turning a face-to-face event to a virtual experience at first seemed daunting to many of our clients, but our technical knowhow gained our clients’ confidence; and the events in the digital space became more accepted and increasingly popular. As expert virtual event produces, we guide our clients through our design concepts that begin with setting strategic objectives, agreeing on content curation, culminating in a finely-choreographed and impactful broadcast. 

Whether live or hybrid, a successful virtual event can be an effective replacement to an in-person gathering if it follows a series of critical steps, including:

• Goal setting and defining critical success factors

• Technology platform evaluation and management

• Budget management

• Content management and choreography

• Incorporation of entertainment, if any

• Presenters/MC/entertainers training, onboarding and coaching

• Sponsor and auction management, if applicable

• Streaming processes and technologies

• Video editing and post-production processes

• Archiving

Events create and strengthen connections, help in raising badly-needed funds for a non-profit, and reinforce brand recognition among attendees. In a virtual world, that’s more vital than ever. Your Great Event can be your go-to resource to help you unite your stakeholders in a shared, interactive journey. So, as we transition from an all-virtual mode to face-to-face events, don’t discard virtual events completely. They can remain effective instruments in your organization’s toolbox to maintain cost-effective and creative connection with your attendees and supporters on an on-going basis. 

To explore the merits of virtual events in a digital space, let one of our professionals guide you through the steps and the values to be derived. 

Golf Tournaments: Safe Events in a Pandemic

As in-person fundraising events remain out of the question for many non-profits during the coronavirus pandemic, there is one safe alternative: golf tournaments. Golf tournaments were always a safe go-to vehicle for fundraising during normal times. But these are anything but normal.

Your Great Event has developed an enviable reputation as a golf tournament planning company. Over the last 25 years we have rolled out countless golf tournaments for our clients as fun and engaging events to support their fundraising goals. Among the many golf clubs we have been working with in Southern California are: Annandale, Brookside, Palos Verdes, Old Ranch Country Club, Lakeside and Wilshire Country Club. Golf tournaments strike many targets all at the same time: an opportunity for experts and novice to team up in support of the organization’s cause. Golf tournaments were often followed by a gala dinner to bring together golfers and nonplayers in a bash. They were also carried out often along with a silent and/or live auction to further support the cause.

As the pandemic hit, many organizations simply gave up on any in-person events including golf tournaments. This was folly as a viable and safe in-person event is ruled out hastily. As a recognized golf tournament planning company, during this pandemic Your Great Event has been helping many of our non-profit clients hold highly successful—and lucrative—golf tournaments with utmost attention to all CDC-prescribe health and safety measures and guidelines. In particular, there appears to be a pent-up desire by many to venture out. However, health and safety precautions prevail and participants reluctantly give up the desire. 

As golf planning professionals for many years, we are hyper vigilant when it comes to protecting the health and safety of our clients and their guests. Consequently, we have developed a wide range of measures to ensure everyone’s safety while providing ample opportunity to have fun and support the client’s fundraising needs.  

While the underlying principles of planning a golf tournament remain the same, the variables are quite different during a pandemic to provide the client with peace of mind and the participants the assurance that taking part in a fundraising gold tournament would not in any way expose them to health and safety risks.

To explore a golf tournament as an effective tool in your fundraising goals in a pandemic, call on the professionals at Your Great Event to help you with the step-by-step procedure to guarantee success in every respect and help you raise your organization’s profile in the process.

Branding and Promotions Strategies for the Post-Covid Era

Promotion and communication strategies are not the realm of for-profit enterprises alone. Nonprofit organizations have a keen interest in proactively promoting themselves to maintain their standing in front of their existing and prospective donors and other stakeholders. In the post-Covid environment, competition for precious donations by committed donors will become fiercer.  Now, more than ever, nonprofits have a vital stake in ensuring that their message remains relevant and current to enable them to continue to attract and serve their donors. 

The first introduction to most nonprofits is often through their website. Websites have replaced business cards and carry equal—if not more—importance. Stale and out-of-date websites will not be serving the best interests of the organization. For donors, nonprofits as a whole represent unlimited needs for the donors’ limited donation budget. Vying for donor contributions—and attention—is like a make-or-break pitch for a new television series. Consequently, donors view a nonprofit’s digital presence (website, social media, etc.) with sharp and critical eyes. Unfocused, outdated, or unsophisticated websites and social media presence will likely deter sharp-eyed donors from making any donations. A good and attractive website and social media presence must meet some basic criteria including:

1. The Cause: Nonprofits all share one important common thread: They stand for a cause. The organization’s mission must be enunciated in a clear, concise, and captivating language on their website and/or any social media platform. 

2. Tell a Story: A nonprofit’s website is a powerful vehicle to tell a compelling story about the organization’s raison d’être. It is also an opportunity to construct a solid branding foundation for the organization. In today’s “sharing digital world,” the story has to be sharable in order for the organization’s stakeholders feel the urge to forward to their network of friends and colleagues. In addition, it has to meet the key 21st century digital expectations.

3. Click to Donate: The lifeblood of a nonprofit is the donation streams they have to be able to generate. It is critical for the nonprofit to have an easily locatable donation button with seamless back-end infrastructure to allow for quick and secure donation processing. An extension of this feature is the “text-to-donate” feature that could be incorporated into the organization’s website and social media presence.

4. Get Involved: Nonprofits rely heavily on committed volunteers. Volunteers are stakeholders that may not be able to make financial contributions but often give generously of their time to an organization because of their sincere belief in its mission and cause. Contributions of volunteers cannot be underestimated. The organization’s website and social media presence must provide easy-to-find ways for the committed volunteers to get involved. 

5. Mobile Devices: Today, a lot of people rely heavily on their mobile devices for everything. A nonprofit’s website must be easily and seamlessly accessible on all mobile platforms and devices.

6. Ongoing Communication: A nonprofit’s website must provide an easy-to-signup way for the nonprofit to join for the organization’s newsletter and other communication lists with effective opt-out features.

7. Financial Transparency: To attract potential donors able to make sizable donations, a nonprofit must provide an easy-to-find way to view its annual reports and other key financial data to support their financial management of the funds they have secured through donations.

8. Back-end Infrastructure: Finally, a responsive website should provide the organizations with key analytics including page views, etc.to enable it to keep abreast of how its website and other social media accounts are being used. This is the only way the organization can finetune its digital presence on an ongoing basis.

Now, more than ever, nonprofits’ websites and social media presence play a key role in keeping up with the times. In the challenging times we find ourselves, nonprofits have a great stake in ensuring that their digital presence serves them now and for years to come. To maintain a current digital presence is an evergreening process.  To sustain and prosper in good times and bad, a nonprofit organization can no longer rely on old methods of branding and fundraising. In this digital era, a slick and up-to-date website and social media presence is a must.

For an evaluation of your website and/or social media presence, reach out to the professionals at Your Great Event.   

Text to Donate: A Valuable Apparatus in a Nonprofit’s Toolbox

Second in a series

As the event industry adapts to the suspension of in-person gatherings, including fundraising galas and auctions, it is paramount for nonprofits to devise ways to continue to solicit donations from their stakeholders. Today, this has gained increased urgency as in-person fundraising events are not feasible, and nonprofits’ funds could be running low. Virtual events are being pursued rigorously by many nonprofit organizations. One effective tool to continue to solicit donations is what is called “text to donate.” Text to donate can be a very successful tool to collect donations in the Covid-19 era and beyond. 

Text to donate is an effective mobile fundraising tool to solicit funds using donors’ mobile devices—mostly cell phones. Research has shown that unlike e-mails or even personalized postal mail, text messages have a very high open rate—of approximately 99%--which make them a great medium for communication with an organization’s stakeholders. This enviable open rate offers nonprofits a unique opportunity to reach a much larger pool of donors. An advantage of text to donate is that it can be used at a virtual fundraising event or for on-going fundraising purposes. 

Here are some of the benefits of text to donate as a fundraising tool:

1. Increased Participation: As indicated above, text messages enjoy very high open rate making them a very effective tool to reach potential donors and improve the success rate of a fundraising campaign. 

2. Valuable Data: Text to donate provides the organization with valuable contact and financial information of donors (name, address, credit card details, etc.). This is prized asset for a nonprofit for future outreach campaigns. 

3. Discrete:  Text to donate allows for donors’ information including their donation amounts to remain confidential thus providing them with an incentive to take part even with smaller donation amounts.

4. Instant Payment Collection:  Text to donate provides the nonprofit with near-instant cash from the proceeds of donations thus allowing the organization to get access to much needed funds very quickly.

5. Easy Follow-up:  With all of donors’ data readily available, sending thank-you notes, follow-up messages or receipts become a lot easier and can be accomplished far timelier. Furthermore, the organization can custom tailor its outgoing message depending on who the donors were.  

To be successful as a fundraising tool, text to donate should meet some basic criteria:

1. Keyword:  To be effective, text messages must have a catchy keyword to improve their open rate. Creativity is key here. Try to capitalize on the organization’s mission or trademark or other name recognition elements.  Don’t underestimate the power of association.

2. Layout:  The design of the page is very important. It should capture both factual information as well as branding elements. The layout should also incorporate all the needed information—especially, the number to be dialed to make donations.  If the text to donate is being used at a virtual or in-person event, the layout should be formatted for various devices such as tablets, etc. and for display at the event. 

3. Social Media Campaign:  Today, social media platforms play an important role in information propagation. Social media can be a goldmine in getting the word out about the event and how to make donations using text to donate—for both attendees at an event or for reaching out the larger universe of donors. Today, with the sharing features of most social media platforms, the organization’s message can be rebroadcast to a much larger audience without much effort on the part of the nonprofit.

4. Mail Outreach:  E-mail and postal mail continue to offer alternative vehicles for reaching out donors. Mail outreach provides an opportunity to the organization to get the word out about an upcoming fundraising event or alerting/guiding them to register for a fundraiser. 

These unsettled times are particularly challenging for some nonprofits. The inability not to be able to hold important in-person fundraising events has been very hard on the finances of many nonprofits. Any novel ideas to generate badly-needed funds is welcome. Text to donate, as part of a virtual fundraising event or independent of one can offer the nonprofit an innovation tool to continue to solicit donations. If done right, text to donate can be a very successful vehicle not only to raise funds but also as a valuable branding tool.

For help with your next fundraising campaign or to devise a text to donate platform, reach out to the professionals at Your Great Event.

Virtual Fundraisers: Which One & How To

First in a series

As Covid-19 ravages the event industry, it is particularly playing havoc with nonprofit organizations’ fundraising goals. Many nonprofits count very heavily on fundraising galas and auctions in the spring to beef up their finances as they face a new fiscal year. Needless to say, then, that the stay-at-home orders in effect at most US states have had devasting effect on some of these organizations putting their very existence in jeopardy.

Faced with lockdowns, some organizations have started to reach beyond the proverbial box to save themselves from oblivion. The new buzz word these days is “virtual”—be it a company’s routine daily staff meeting to more ambitious undertakings such as fundraising events and auctions. It seems everyone has jumped on the virtual bandwagon. Virtual fundraisers offer numerous benefits to the host organization including sizable savings in room rental, catering, and related costs associated with traditional in-person events. It is no surprise, then, that virtual fundraising events of any kind are popping up everywhere. However, to be successful requires some initial legwork on the part of the nonprofit. 

In these series, we will list the most popular online events and pros and cos of each. To start with, here is a list of more popular virtual events with highest probability of financial and branding success for the organizing nonprofit:

Virtual Galas 

A fun online event is a virtual gala. Sure, it might not bring with it the same dinner plating and glamor of dressing up for a night out for the donors and their friends, but providing a way to bring the organization’s stakeholders together for a virtual gala can keep them engaged. The success of virtual galas depends largely on the organization’s board of directors and their commitment to the cause. At the gala, key stakeholders can play host to virtual tables to spread the word. Best yet, the nonprofit is not limited to the number of seats at a table for its fundraising needs!

Using peer-to-peer fundraising tools, the nonprofit can have its board members become table captains, and then rally their network to support the virtual gala. One of the better-known peer-to-peer tools is Salesforce with their elegant and mobile friendly forms which allow the organization to slash overhead with real-time donation forms [integrated with Salesforce]. In a nutshell, the success of virtual galas lies in how dynamic and exciting the host can make the event to maintain audience engagement throughout the event. If finances of the nonprofit allow, recruiting a celebrity to play host or make an appearance will add a great deal to the appeal and pizzazz of the event.

Online Auctions

Online auctions are already very common event at in-person fundraisers. This might be one of the most direct correlations between a traditional in-person event and an online event. If a nonprofit is looking to host an auction for its fundraising, there are many new software to quickly convert offline donor and supporter data to an online auction. This would give the organization the same benefit of allowing its stakeholders to support it by purchasing gifted items, delivering the same value.

Online Gaming Fundraisers

Online gaming tournaments are considered a safe bet when it comes to using them as a virtual fundraiser.  This fundraising option works because it brings people together around a common interest and a common cause. It enables them to use their hobby to make a positive impact. While it’s known that online gamers can be very competitive, it is less known that online gaming tournaments are very successful in raising funds for supporting charities. Online gaming as a fundraising tool can be very versatile allowing the organization to structure something as simple or complex as it deems appropriate. The key to success in using online gaming is to find out which online game(s) people in the organization’s network would be excited to play for a great cause. It should be a multiplayer game with scores, and there should be some kind of time limit, so that the tournament doesn’t go on indefinitely.

There are many more virtual fundraising options. The key to success of any such event is following a few important steps to guarantee success:

1.     Date & Time

The date and time must be carefully selected to ensure maximum participation regardless of what online fundraising option is being promoted. Equally important is the format. The more interactive a virtual event, the higher likelihood of success.  

2.     Event registration and donation page

Whether or not the nonprofits decides to have an entry fee or opts to run it as a peer-to-peer fundraiser, there is a need for a custom event registration page. The organization must also be able to accept online donations for the event. A custom online donation page is easy to create and excellent for participants to share with their friends and family. 

3.     Use an email and social media campaign to get the word out

The success of virtual events rests heavily on the outreach the organization initiates. A mass email must be sent to the organization’s entire community broadcasting the event and letting them know how they can participate/support. The same steps must be taken towards getting the word out on multiple social media platforms. Creating a social media event campaign allows for the broadcasts of the event beyond the organization’s established network. It allows supporters and donors to invite their friends and family thus contributing to the success of the event.

To plan your virtual fundraising event, let professionals at Your Great Event give you a hand in choosing and organizing a successful endeavor. 

COVID-19: We Are Here for You

As the global community grapples with the personal and business implications of the Coronavirus, we at Your Great Event want our loyal clients and suppliers to know that we understand the enormous challenges we are collectively facing during these trying times. We are here for you to talk, to answer questions or to search for solutions. We view our partnership with our clients and vendors as a long-term commitment to their personal and business wellbeing.

While our industry’s business paradigm is under strain, our focus remains on the safety of our clients and associates. We are confident that once the challenges we all face with COVID-19 are passed—and they will pass—we will be ready to once again support your business and meeting goals. In the meantime, you can count on us to remain steadfastly committed to your personal safety and business success. Here are some of the proactive measures we have put in place: 

Fact-Based Practices: We have always been a group of companies that are driven by facts. During these unsettled times, we continue to only rely on credible information from respectable nonpartisan scientific organizations in making decisions—or pronouncements—that affect our clients, suppliers and our team members.

Open for Business: While we will never put our employees at any risk, we believe in continuity of service—albeit in different format. Acknowledging our governmental agencies’ guidelines regarding social distancing, we remain committed to carrying on with business using technology as our support. Our associates are all fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to fully carry out their duties remotely without adversely affecting our operations in any way.

Deferred Programs: we are encouraging all our clients whose programs are affected by Coronavirus to postpone their events instead of canceling them. We will continue to work diligently to provide flexible terms and proactive communication regarding dates and availability for postponed programs at any of our group of companies.

Virtual Events: Should you wish to consider an alternate format for your planned meeting, we welcome the opportunity to support any virtual events with our creative solutions including engaging digital formats for effective group experiences in a virtual setting.

Financial Health: We consider ourselves fortunate in having a sound financial health to weather these volatile times without adversely affecting our operations or impacting on our commitments to our clients. 

We consider ourselves blessed in having the most compassionate clients, dependable suppliers and dedicated team members. We thank our clients for their loyalty and wish everyone in our community good health and safety in these difficult times. We will be here for you when this volatile storm is behind us.

The Trends in Fundraising Event Planning in 2020

Contrary to what may appear at first sight, fundraising events are undergoing changes that affect the nonprofit sector’s ability to hold [financially] successful events. Like many other fields, event planning is not static. Nor is planning fundraising events.  The following trends influence planning for fundraising events in 2020 and beyond.

1.    Innovations

While many fundraising events use the same basic formula (i.e., registration, silent and/or online auctions and a gala dinner possibly with some performances), to attract and retain attendees, some novel approaches may be in order. The millennial attendees, for example, look for more engaging opportunities when they choose to attend a fundraising event.  In addition to the customary auction setup, try entertaining “exhibits” to spice up your event. Add a virtual reality booth for guests to experience the new technology. Bring in live streaming technology to liven up the cocktail reception hour. Set up a “social media corner” for real time interaction among attendees. These will all add to your chances of successfully raising needed funds while creating lasting positive impressions.

2.    Networking

Fundraising events should be viewed as an opportunity to keep loyal donors engaged. Create opportunities for the participants to interact with one another, have fun and view your event as an opportunity to do business with possible new or existing business colleagues. Engaged donors make for repeat donors. Provide multiple breaks in the program for participants to interact with one another. Set up zones so that participants, without feeling guilty, can quickly have a break for a side meeting or to relax before returning to the event fully recharged and ready to engage.

3.    Assimilation 

Successful fundraising events should create opportunities for participants to interact with one another for more synergies. That means organizers must be keenly aware of the needs of ALL participants. A fundraising event should not be an insular experience for those committed to the cause of the nonprofit organization. Use social media platforms to create a “bond” among participants. Remember the event is not only intended to raise the immediately-needed funds, but also an opportunity to cultivate lasting loyalty to the organization’s cause.

4.    Immersive Experience

Fundraising events should be welcoming and fun for participant to ensure the organization’s financial goals are successfully met. Every effort should be made to make the atmosphere relaxing and immersive. From the silent auction portion through to the gala dinner and entertainment, the goal should be to make participants engaged and energized to take active part in the fundraising efforts. The choice of entertainment, if applicable, should also reflect this goal.

5.    CSR

Nonprofit organizations do not operate in isolation. They too must have a set of CSRs (corporate social responsibility). Donors respond far better when they are made aware of the organization’s broader goals and commitments. The fundraising events are unique opportunities for the nonprofit organization to propagate its CSR goals. In tandem, fundraising events should make every effort to take advantage of major corporate donors’ CSR commitments as a vehicle to enhance their fundraising success.  

Success should not be viewed in the narrow context of the how much funds were raised during the event, but also as a continuum. A good event planning company with bona fidecredentials in fundraising can help the organization evolve and keep abreast of the trends that can positively affect the success of the3 fundraising event and raise the organization’s profile at the same time.

To take advantage of the emerging trends in fundraising event planning, let professionals at Your Great Event help you in the design of your next event.

Engaged Donors: Vital to Enduring Success of Nonprofits

Top on every nonprofit’s wish list is committed donors that make for repeat donors. However, to the dismay of most nonprofit organizations, statistically only 30% of first-time donors continue to support a nonprofit on an ongoing basis. Nothing is more costly to a nonprofit’s efforts to build a reliable pool of loyal donors than one-time donors.  Nonprofit organizations with a good track record in fundraising recognize the importance of cultivating engaged donors. 

Donor engagement strategies that ensures donor retention requires data and analytic systems to enable the nonprofit to routinely assess donor management in terms of effectiveness and retention. The successful nonprofits have developed the critical know-how to move beyond the donor management to create lasting donor relationships on a scale. 

To bring about donor engagement, fundraising has to be viewed as a process, not a one-time event. One cycle should lead to the next. Ideally, one cycle should ignite the next, thus consistently expanding the nonprofit’s donor base while strategically building the organization’s internal capabilities. Immediately after a successful fundraising event [whether it is a gala dinner and/or an auction], is the time to kick your outreach efforts into higher gear to capitalize on your success and strive for improved ROI.

What exactly does that imply for a nonprofit organization’s senior management? It means focus on efficiency and improved processes. It means systematizing internal processes. It means waking up knowing your priorities because capitalizing on post-fundraising success is a great problem for a nonprofit organization to have. Even more important is devising ways to reach out to the new donors you successfully attracted to your last fundraising event. Regardless of the specifics of the fundraising activity, the organization’s primary goal should always be to generate revenue through the existing donor base and to attract new donors. 

We now live in an era of new nonprofit organizations popping up all the time—some dedicated to unique/obscure causes.  Operating in this competitive area makes donor retention even more vital to the long-term wellbeing of the nonprofit. Donor retention has become the single most challenging task for many nonprofits.  As stated earlier, statistically 70% of donors are just one-time donors. The challenge is to convert that high percentage into engaged and repeat donors.  

Successful nonprofit organizations recognize the importance of good engagement, with an emphasis on donors’ financial resources. Effective management of your donors is just as important to successful management of the funds those donors provide. Optimal donor engagement should include data and analytic systems to routinely assess donor management in terms of effectiveness and retention. A strong and comprehensive strategic plan should be flexible enough to rapidly respond to changes in donor data, whether those trends are driven by internal or external forces.

In summary, a nonprofit doesn’t just need a fundraising plan, it needs an “engagement plan.” An engagement plan not only helps the nonprofit to understand its donor needs, it will also help to distribute the work to effectively bring each closer to the organization’s mission. A manifestation of a donor-centric culture is when everyone including the board of directors is actively involved in donor engagement—which is the key to continued success.  

Your Great Event provides consulting services to nonprofit organization on a wide range of issues including developing effective donor management strategies.