The Un-Event

A dependable revenue stream that grows—ah, paradise!

Have a fundraising challenge you want to crack? Weary of doing the same old, same old yet hoping for different outcomes? Do you want the over-the-top results that come from superior strategy?

Email me with your particular problem and I’ll arrange a quick consultation offering you a practical solution you can implement. I may even use your situation to share with my readers. Names are changed, of course!

I had a delightful conversation with Cyndy recently. Cyndy is the executive director of an environmental nonprofit in the Southeast. She reached out to me ostensibly to get direction on how to execute a reverse auction at an upcoming event.

I say “event” because, as Cyndy described her situation, it sounded much more of what I’ll call the “un-event.”

When I hear a charity is doing another fundraising event, my mental images are of auctions, table sponsorships, and overpriced and over-cooked meals, all in an atmosphere just this side of a circus. Throw in a rock band and uncomfortable chairs and the description is complete.

Sound familiar?

This is decidedly not what Cyndy is doing.

The organization that Cyndy leads has a history of funding their entire program from gate receipts and memberships. They’ve been prudent and responsible. Now, they’re embarking on a major expansion with the construction of a nature center. The land has been gifted, so they are in the early stages of planning a capital campaign to fund the construction of the facility.