Pulse: Shake the Money Tree

FS: The four objectives you lay out are all about the guest, i.e., the donor. Just how vital is it to remember that, yes, your cause/auction is important, but when raising funds, it's all about the guest/donor?

RO: Here's what I see sometimes. Event planners are great at putting on a party with all the logistics of securing a venue, inviting people, planning the menu, etc., but don't focus enough on inspiring guests to spend. Then after the event, they wonder why they didn't raise as much as they had hoped. Although a good portion of what I teach deals with the logistics of producing a fundraising event, I also show how important it is to grow relationships with guests, and how to get them in a spending mood.