Next Tuesday, May 11, I’m bringing back Gail Perry and Claire Meyerhoff for an encore presentation of the single most popular webinar we’ve ever hosted at Nonprofit Marketing Guide: Turn Your Fundraising Event into the Best Party in Town. I asked Gail why it’s so critical that nonprofits think about their events not as, well, events, but as parties. By the way, Gail is not only a stellar fundraiser, but she’s well-known for throwing incredible porch parties at her house. Sounds perfect for a book party, doesn’t it? (Hint, Hint, Gail!)

Here’s what Gail had to say about the difference . . .

Well, let me ask you this: would you rather go to a “fundraising event,” or “the best party in town?”

Somehow the words “fundraising event” make me feel tired. But talk about throwing a party and it sounds like lots of fun!

So maybe it would be a good idea to study the art and science of throwing a real party. There would be lots of payoffs if your organization could just throw “the best party in town.”

What benefits would your organization receive?

Well, for starters, it would be a whole lot easier to recruit your event chair and the committee, wouldn’t it?  And that magic ingredient, BUZZ, would start going around town – and people are going to get wind of what you are up to. And they would mark their calendars; they’d start asking about the event; they’d start finding out when the invitations are going out.

All of a sudden your event is standing out from all the myriad nonprofit fundraising events all over town. People are talking about it. Now that’s a great place to be! Now when your committee members go out to sell sponsorships and tickets, the people they are pitching have already heard of your event and they would be more open to buying. It will be easier to sell everything if you have decided you are going to throw a fun party.

And after the party, the BUZZ lingers. When you send out your annual fund letters, your supporters still have a happy feeling in their stomachs about your party. They’ll probably be more generous because you are higher on the radar screen compared to all the other organizations in your area. And when you go out to enlist new board members, you’ll get a more positive response. Your potential recruits know you are a happy go-getter group who can have a good time while you are working to change the world.

There’s nothing that says charitable work needs to be boring or dreary. If you are having a good time, people will want to be with you. They will want to come to your meetings, to your events, and they will be much more open to feeling the energy of your cause.

And if you can turn anything into a party – from your annual fundraising event, to a committee meeting, to a tour, to a donor appreciation event, to a committee meeting and even your board meeting, then wonderful things will happen.

Ready to make it happen? Join us on May 11 for Turn Your Fundraising Event into the Best Party in Town and May 25 for Powerful Programs and Amazing Auctions for Your Fundraising Party when we’ll share secrets for creating the best party in town. We’ll have a good time, I promise. Come help us turn the webinar into a party too!

Published On: May 4, 2010|Categories: Fundraising|