It’s September and, in Knoxville, that means one important thing: the season starts. And I don’t mean the football season. I mean the almost equally competitive charity fundraiser season.
This time of year, it seems that not a day goes by that we don’t open our mailboxes to find elegant invitations or “Save the Date” cards notifying us of some fabulous upcoming event. The price tags for attending these soirees generally range from $75 to $300 per person (for the really swanky ones). And in many cases, the events really are swell. But with so many crowding our calendars, they also can get a little monotonous. Many of us are developing what I call “event fatigue.”
So, please have mercy and consider these suggestions as you plan your next charity extravaganza:
1. Be unique. Most of us really, really, really don’t need to go to another single event in some ballroom that goes like this: silent auction, dinner, live auction, dance band. We have been to dozens and dozens of those. Instead, play up something that makes your event or your cause unusual. Ijams Nature Center has its fundraiser outside at the nature center. That’s unique. Dinner at the zoo? Unique. Knox Heritage is having an auction in the historic L&N train station. Again, different. The Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum is having its fall fundraiser in the garden, of course, which is perfect. Are you raising money for a performing arts organization? Then, for goodness sake, have that performing arts organization perform at the event! We don’t need to go to Cherokee Country Club or a hotel ballroom one more time for a silent auction, dinner, live auction, and dancing to a band from Atlanta or Nashville or somewhere like that. Please.
2. Keep it short on week nights and short-ish on weekends. At Moxley Carmichael, we consider 9 p.m. to be the absolute latest to end an event on a week night. Eight or 8:30 is even better. Here’s something to think about. If your guests are sitting under a tent surrounded by a bunch of wild animals in east Knoxville and they are still being served their dinners at 10 p.m., you need to rethink the flow of the event. We attended that particular party and left during the live auction and before the band had struck the first chord. That’s not good for fund-raising.
3. Jazz up the silent auctions. It takes a little creativity, but you can do it! For instance, it is not much fun to bid on a restaurant gift certificate when you know the cash value of the certificate. It’s just boring. Instead of dinner for two at a particular restaurant, make it dinner for two with someone interesting at that same restaurant. Politicians, sports figures, newscasters, performers. All make good additions to a nice gift certificate. Same goes for golf. Instead of a foursome at one of the local courses, offer golf for three with someone interesting. Tons of notable people play golf and would be happy to help out a good cause. You can get so much more money for an item when the value truly is unknown or, even, priceless.
4. Check the calendar to see if you will be competing with another event on a particular night. It’s OK to compete if the two organizations have different target audiences. But, for instance, Center Stage benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and Oysterfest, benefiting Childhelp Tennessee, are on the same night every year. I think one of them should change because the same folks would likely attend both events if they could. Because Knoxville has gotten so lively, it’s impossible to avoid all conflicts, but at least pay attention and try to avoid going head-to-head with a similar event.
OK. That’s all for now. Get back to your event planning. Oh, one other thing. Our client, the Knoxville Convention Center, is a lovely facility. Prettier than the hotel ballrooms and bigger than Cherokee Country Club or Club LeConte. It can accommodate a large dinner crowd and still have room for the biggest performing arts groups in our community. Even one with the initials KSO. Just saying.
Update: Got good news today from Children’s Hospital friends that Center Stage in 2011 will be April 9 and Oysterfest is set for April 16. So glad Alan and I will be able to go to both next year! Great job, folks!
Excellent points, I will forward this to some non profits where I serve on the Board.
“Ain’t that the Truth”
Excellet piece
Amen! Once again you have performed a Useful Public Service. Even so, none of the organizations I am associated with would ever be guilty of such a lapse of judgment!
LOL. My pile of invitations looks pretty much like yours. Excellent suggestions!
Bravo! As someone who both plans and attends these types of events, this is good advice and will BENEFIT these organizations (pun intended).
Thanks, everybody. I’m sure I’ll see all of you out on the fund-raising circuit!
Amen and amen again on the length of the event. Most folks already understand and appreciate the good works and the need. A short, interesting program is much appreciated. I have heard dozens of people say that they just will not go to another event from “Fine Organization X” after being held hostage to endless speeches, films, testimonials, etc. going on for hours.
It isn’t just the invitations, Cynthia. It is the multiple mailings from the same org pleading for financial support.
I support those whose mission I personally believe in. Inevitably, at one or another nonprofit, the staff rejects that concept, sometimes rudely. It makes me uncomfortable even when I am helping others.
Great tips! Love the idea of creating unique experiences and not just the same event for a different organization! There is SO much to see and learn about Knoxville, surely we can create something unique in each experience.
So many nonprofits are run by people who don’t really understand what fundraising and development are all about. Either staff or Board or both think that the best way to raise money is to have an event. As a coach and consultant, I try to discourage events and instead point folks toward fundraising activities that will engage donors and build relationships.
I have a couple of articles on my blog about conducting, evaluating, and retiring events (http://getfullyfundedblog.com/category/special-events/).
Sandy Rees, CFRE
Fundraising Coach
http://www.getfullyfunded.com
Great points. And just to point out, the Evening under the Stars the benefits the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra perfectly fits all your criteria: no auctions, a Beautiful and original location (Sherry Lee’s home) the jazz musicians performing before,during, and after dinner…and it ends early! Please come!
Amen Cynthia, you said it as no one else I know could have and I applaude you. We need something NEW for our money.
Great points Cynthia!
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