Special Events in the Time of COVID-19

Special events, especially galas, have always played a critical role in an organization’s philanthropy plan. Whether you love them or hate them, they raise needed funds and foster feelings of good will amongst party-goers.

The most successful events are those that are truly mission-focused — especially during this past year, when events went virtual by necessity.

Like most nonprofits, my client had an immediate moment of panic with the sudden shift to shelter-in-place last March. We were forced to abruptly cancel an event for 1,000 and, as the seriousness and seemingly endless nature of the pandemic became clear, we began to rethink all of our in-person fundraising events. We were, of course, quite nervous: how do we hold an event virtually? Will people want to attend, not just one, but several virtual events? Will they be generous?

The answer was a resounding yes. Why? I believe it’s because we were truly mission-focused in our virtual events, maybe even more so than during “normal” times. Every decision the special events team made — from planning to execution — was focused on the impact the organization would have on people in need. Of course, offering a good bit of entertainment was important, too. But the mission-focus was absolutely critical.

For my client, that meant each event had a specific, important “cause” donors would support. For example, our typical three-night Christmas concert became a one-hour, pre-taped Christmas variety show. Donors could purchase sponsorship packages that included everything from delivery of a tin of popcorn to an in-home dinner for 10. Donors were also given the opportunity to make a free-will donation to support the annual Giving Tree that provides Christmas gifts, needed supplies, and meals to people in need throughout Chicago. The free-will response was overwhelming! The organization raised more through simply by asking for free-will donations than they ever had through the raffles, auctions, paddle raises of years’ past.

Likewise, its St. Patrick’s Day event — typically a tented party with food, live entertainment, raffles, etc. — offered a pre-taped cooking demonstration along with musical and comedic entertainment. Once again, donors were invited to make a free-will donation, this time to support local restaurants and provide meals to homeless shelters throughout the city. The response was tremendous. Through contributions, my client and a handful of local restaurants hit hard by the pandemic provided more than 2,000 meals to homeless shelters that day. As we debriefed on the event the next day, we agreed that perhaps this could — indeed should — be our new St. Patrick’s Day tradition.

We look forward to the time when we can safely gather again for events. And we’ve surely learned a lot about hosting them and about what truly motivates our donors. One thing is certain: we will be sure we offer concrete, specific ways donors can have an immediate impact on the people we serve. We will be truly mission-focused.

By Molly Galo, Senior Consultant, HPS Chicago

New Donors – Yay! Now, how do we keep them?
Every fundraiser I know worries about donor retention. How do we keep our current donors happy, engaged and involved? We know that it is a lot easier to retain our donors than it is to find new folks to support our organizations. And while it is important to dedicate a significant amount of our time building and fostering relationships with our donors and friends that continue to give to us, it is also critical to add new donors into the fold. To find these new donors, we often work with our Boards, committees, volunteers and our staff to try and cultivate new relationships with people who we think will be inspired by our missions.
So, what do we do when we have the good fortune of securing new donors? What is our plan to keep them? I recently read an article that shared some staggering numbers about new donors. Once we have them – it’s hard to keep them after the first year. When a donor gives her first gift online, on average, a second gift only happens 22 percent of the time (and 29 percent if a gift is made off-line).
Here are just a few things you can do to try and keep these first-time donors from falling away from your organization:

• Pick up the Phone! Regardless of the first gift amount – it could be $5 or $500 – call this new donor. Doing just this has shown that 40 percent of new donors continue to give when they are called and thanked. We work hard to build relationships and a simple phone call can be the start of a wonderful new relationship. Take the opportunity to learn why they gave and what is important to them.
• Thank! – Send out a thank you note within 48-72 hours after you’ve received their gift. Hand sign it. Write a note. The more personalized the better.
• Engage! – Find more opportunities to engage your new donors. Do you have a volunteer opportunity that you could let them know about? Be sure to send them your newsletters and make sure that they know what they are helping to support.
• Nurture! – Share stories with your new donors. How is their gift really making an impact? Share about a client that has been helped, a family that their gift has impacted, and how your partnership with your donor is making a real difference.
• Keep Track! – Have a system to track new donors. Circulate the names of your new donors with your Board and committees. Find out who knows them and have them reach out as well. Make it easy for your volunteers and provide copy they can use for an email or a phone call. Can you imagine how great it feels to be a new donor and get several thanks you’s from a variety of folks involved with the organization?

Having a simple plan in place for welcoming and thanking new donors will go a long way in ensuring they are here to stay. And, just think…that first-time donor from today might just be your top major donor of tomorrow!