Few weeks ago, we attended our sons’ school’s annual fundraising gala event. The evening was a feel-good factor with good food, beverages, treats as well as a combination of fundraising opportunities through treats, silent bidding, live auction and ‘raise-the-paddle’. Proceeds from the event would then be used for various school programs, enhancing existing resources and professional development for its faculty. Coming from the nonprofit world, I can see how the debate on ‘whether to gala or not’ is so prevalent, and for all the valid reasons. For one, it takes away huge amount of time and labor from the core work of the organizations. Often, there is pressure to meet set targets and the key then is really the ROI which may not be as convincing either. Dependency on the event proceeds also affects their overall operations and strategic planning.
So what makes a gala like this a success? For one, I as a donor am vested in the organization and hence have that level of connection, the bias. At the same time, here are some of the key takeaways from the way I saw the school organize and handle the event:
– A team dedicated to the event that had a mix of the school’s development team and several committed parent-volunteers. Their energy and passion really created a high prior to the event. This was key to driving the event from logistics to strategy.
– One could see the power of storytelling – one of the most inspiring forms of creating identity and engagement. This was in the form of students’ collective art work by grade, an engagement with each faculty based on their field of study (how about a round of mini golf with the PE teacher?!, and so on..), to support a common cause and thus amplify the mission of the school.
– The event created an environment to inspire giving to the school community; there were actionable items and a common narrative.
– There were no long speeches, no long video messages. Event was really designed to make it fun, lively and present the ask creatively.
In all, if done right, gala events like these are a decent ‘value for money (VfM)’ proposition through the supporters – donors, volunteers, the employees, the beneficiaries.
What are your favorite approaches to fundraising events? What are some of the Yays and nays?