Events

The first time I understood that I did not sell stuff was when a client said, “I need to buy some X,” and I asked “why?” She stopped with her hand in the air. She stayed there a bit. Finally, she said, “I can’t answer that.” For any decision you make, ask yourself why you made that decision, and whether anybody needed to make that decision. Rinse and repeat until you get to your true purpose...

What is it about nonprofit boards, leaders and staff who so easily catch events fever and lose their way on thinking objectively about this topic? If that sounds familiar—if hardly any argument or reasoning will dissuade your leaders from organizing an event—then make the best of it by doing the following...

Meet Brian Merkel, calendar cover model for 2017. The Lino Lakes, Minn., dad is one of 12 fathers in the first-ever “Dad Bods” calendar being sold as a cheeky fundraiser for Spare Key, a Twin Cities nonprofit that makes mortgage payments for parents who have a critically ill or injured child. The dozen dads pictured…

While running corporate philanthropy at a public company, I received thousands of emails and letters requesting sponsorships for various nonprofit events. The majority of inquiring organizations approached corporate philanthropy the same way as 30 years ago: Sponsor our event, buy a table, give us a copy of your logo to display. But amidst an exploding…

Many nonprofits host an annual event as a fundraiser. From guest speakers to walks/runs, conferences to silent auctions, there are many types of events to help raise money. No matter what type of event you host, using email marketing is a smart tactic to get the word out. And, because sending an email invitation is…

Santacon is known as a day of holiday-themed, beer-fueled revelry that delights some and annoys many others. However, there’s one bright side to the event that fills city streets with hundreds of drunk Santas near the holidays: It raises tens of thousands of dollars for charity each year. It’s not clear how much money Santacon—which…

Nonprofit software developer Blackbaud is predicting record donations on #GivingTuesday, the global day of giving that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Established five years ago, #GivingTuesday encourages charitable giving following the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days. Blackbaud is a founding partner of the movement, and has been tracking data on donations…

Dennis Daugherty wanted to give back, so he decided to host a charity golf tournament for Make-A-Wish Foundation. It would be perfect. Picturesque greens, the whoosh of swinging drivers cutting through the fall breeze, golfers raising money for a great cause—you can't beat that. But there were two minor problems...

At Turnkey, we often say that the activity used in a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising endeavor does not matter. Getting a “yes” in P2P fundraising is about the relationship between the potential donor and the peer doing the asking. The relationship between the donor and the organization is a distant second in importance. Here’s proof...

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is drawing ire from women's groups for holding an annual fundraiser at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. The Komen Foundation is known as the largest breast cancer organization in the country. Its decision to keep next year's event at a club owned by the presidential candidate who has…