How one nonprofit raised 50% over goal at their golf tournament

What if you could raise more money at your next event? What would that mean to your organization? Just think of all the amazing things you could do!

Like you, Lift Up, was grateful for their sponsor who chose them as their nonprofit of choice for their annual golf tournament. They were bringing in some extra money for their organization, but saw so many opportunities where they could engage donors better and raise more money so they could make a greater impact. This volunteer-run organization gives away 100% of the money they raise and tackle issues all over the world meeting the needs of people most other people don’t even know exist.

This year they set an ambitious goal of raising $80,000 to build a school in Peru. This was more than they had raised in the past, but they set themselves up for success so they thought they could do it. And they did, plus an extra $42,000 for a total of $122,000 raised!

So how did they raise 50% above goal at their event this year?

1. They took control of their event

   Instead of the golf event being a corporate event with a nonprofit benefactor, they turned it into a nonprofit fundraiser with a corporate sponsor. This allowed them to have more control of how the event was managed.

2. They invited the right people

   With having more control of their event, they were in charge of the guest list. So instead of stacking the room with corporate employees who knew nothing about them, they invited sponsors and business leaders in the area and created a higher end experience for the people who attended. If you are having a more intimate event and are unsure who to invite, check out this post I shared on hybrid events, but is totally applicable to any event where you need to be picky about the guest list.

3. The educated guests before the program started

   They had very short videos (less than 30 seconds) playing in the golf carts that would turn on when golfers pulled up to certain holes. This helped remind guests WHY they were there and educate them on the mission and the goal for the day. This helped keep golfers from being surprised when they showed up to the dinner and were asked to partner with them.

4. They added a Fund-A-Need brought in a Fund-A-Need Expert

   They brought in a professional auctioneer who’s expertise was in the Fund-A-Need ask. Yes, me. I’m the Fund-A-Need Expert. I was able to consult with them before the event to walk through their program and help them create a timeline that ensured we were doing the Fund-A-Need at a time when guests were most engaged. We had to make sure they were fed, but not lethargic. Energized, but not too drunk. So we created a short and sweet (5 minutes) lead up to the Fund-A-Need featuring the organization’s founder and then I stepped in and facilitated their very first Fund-A-Need, which raised $45,000 in 10 minutes. At this point we were at $85,000 for the day, but had not considered auction totals yet.

   As a fund-a-need expert, I’ve learned exactly what audiences respond to and how to build connections to the organization. This allowed me to take the key points and data shared by the founder and make it personal. Rather than $68,000 to build a school for a 1,000, I asked them to send 10 kids to school for $680, which had hands in the air faster than any $500 ask could have done. I was able to take their mission and make it personal. This allows for an ask that is shame-free and inspiring. Guests left the event feeling accomplished and impactful - which they were.

5. The had very specific goals

   Going into it, they were not just going to “see how much they could raise.” But instead, they picked 3 projects they wanted to fully fund, which came to $80,000. As we got closer to closing the gap, the audience was not willing to give up. As we surpassed our goal during the Fund-A-Need, I asked what other projects we could fund, and used those as new benchmarks for the audience as we moved into the live auction and closed out the evening.

Mission Success

Bringing in a Fundraising Auctioneer and Fund-A-Need expert will most definitely raise more money at your event, but the only way to have true success is to do the leg work first. The room needs to have the right people and they need to be prepared and educated about your mission. So how can you make your next event profitable? Consider these questions:

Does this guest list have capacity (or interest) to give?

How are some ways I can share our mission with them before the event even starts?

Do I have someone who can clearly communicate our mission and make an impactful ask?

Start with these questions and go from there.

As always - Happy Fundraising!

This is what happens if you have fewer items in your fundraising auction

Planning a fundraising auction or gala can take a lot of work and the idea of soliciting new items can be overwhelming. I get it! What if I told you that you don’t need as many auction items in your auction?

What if I told you having fewer auction items will actually raise you more money?

How?

Well, there are a couple reasons for this.

Supply & Demand.

Simple and straight forward. The fewer auction items available to your attendees mean that the bids will compound on the items that exists rather than being spread over hundreds of items. Not everyone will walk away with an item or spend money in the auction, but that is the magic of it. Those bidders will have more money to spend in your Fund-A-Need. So not only are your auction items raising more money, but you will begin to see more revenue in your Fund-A-Need.

Your mission matters

The second reason is that more and more, people are caring less about getting something in return for their money. When we remove distractions like hundreds of auction items, you can focus on the core of your mission which will lead to a powerful Fund-A-Need. Auctions are still a powerful for building momentum and raising literal thousands of extra dollars at your event, but a Fund-A-Need will capture donations from more of your audience and allow you to develop lasting relationships with them as donors.

CASE STUDY: Campfire MN

I had a first time client this year called Campfire MN (they provide outdoor education opportunities to underprivileged youth in our community). I do not have the official Fund-A- Need totals yet as it was very recent, but am happy to send them once I receive them.

Here is a note from their development person about the live auction,

“And in terms of revenue, our live auction did so much better than last year (6 packages gained $10,400 revenue) whereas this year 3 packages gained $13,000. Our Fund A Need was extremely successful as well! Thank you again.”

We intentionally reduced the number of live auction items to keep momentum high for the Fund-A-Need moment so we could engage more donors. In the live auction, with similar items as they had the year before, I was able to increase the average auction price item from $1733 (with another auctioneer) to $4,333 (with me as the auctioneer). The Fund-A-Need was increased from $28,860 in 2017 (with their previous auctioneer) to $38,550 in 2018 (with me as their auctioneer).

This is not an isolated experience. Time after time, I work with nonprofits who are tired of spending weeks or months soliciting items or paying out the big bucks to consignment shops who are going to take the majority of what they “raised” in the auction.

You can do this too!

How many auction items should you have?

For a Live Auction shoot for 4-6 items. This is enough to build momentum, but won’t be too long to take away from the mission of the evening or lose the interest of the non-bidders in the crowd.

For a Silent Auction try for 1 item per 5-10 guests. I can hear you sighing with relief from here. You. Are. Welcome.

Are you going to try reducing your items this year? Do it! You can thank me later.

5 Things to plan your Hybrid Fundraising Gala

Exactly one year ago, I opened up my inbox and found it full with emails from my contracted clients telling me they needed to cancel their fundraiser due to the pandemic. My heart sank, first for me as I watched my entire business disappear in an instant, but I knew I wasn’t the only one suffering a loss. All of my clients were having to give up their biggest revenue generator of the year, so I knew we couldn’t let that happen. For many of my clients fundraising galas are the only way they are able to do the work that they do. We had to do something - anything - to help them.

Enter Virtual Galas

Over the past year my clients have successfully transitioned their in-person events to Virtual Galas. It was scary and overwhelming for them at first, but then as we continued to see more success and figure out the tried and true processes for what made them work, it became a breeze! I even launched a course to help smaller nonprofits produce their own virtual galas on a shoe string budget!

Will virtual gala’s replace in person events?

Absolutely not! While we learned that virtual galas had many MANY benefits to them (lower overhead, more attendees, similar or increased net revenue, increased sponsorship opportunities, ability to attract new donors, less volunteer management, etc), nothing can replace the energy of a live event. We saw a lot of success with virtual galas last year, and they will continue to be profitable going forward but at some point as vaccines are rolled out, and people start to take off their masks, guests and event planners alike will be ready to party.

Enter Hybrid Events

What is a Hybrid Gala?

A Hybrid Event or Gala is similar to a live in-person event that offers a virtual option to engage guests from home.

5 things you need to know when planning for a successful Hybrid Fundraiser:

1. Choose a venue with GOOD and reliable internet. Live streaming an event takes up a lot of bandwidth and will require reliable internet for it to work.

2. Invest in a good event producer. Having a professional who can call the shots and keep the program on track and flowing well will bring your more money than you will ever know. Or maybe I should say NOT hiring aa professional event producer will to cost you more money than whatever their fee may be.

3. Hire a professional Fundraising Host (hint: that’s what I do). A traditional emcee or a volunteer charismatic emcee will not know how to engage both a live in-person audience while also engaging an audience through a screen.

4. Focus on Quality over quantity during the in-person event (and let the ticket price reflect it). Because the event can be open to anyone virtually, don’t be afraid to make it feel exclusive and charge a premium ticket price. Then, allow the people watching virtually join in on the event for free.

5. Find ways to engage your at-home audience in the live event. They want to be recognized and they want to know that the in person audience knows they are there! Thank virtual gala attendees by name during the fund-a-need! Involve them in the raffle. Work to engage them in the live auction.

Hybrid events are going to be the trend through at least 2022

So it’s time to start brainstorming and get planning on the event.

Was this helpful? Sign up to be the first to receive my FREE Hybrid Fundraising Event Guide when I release it! My Virtual Gala Guide helped THOUSANDS of nonprofits plan profitable virtual galas over the past year, and trust me when I say that the Hybrid Guide will be just as jam packed with tactical tips and tricks.

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