Events

Nearly 10,000 gamers participated in the Xbox 360 Gaming and Giving for Good (G3) event Saturday, Oct. 1, to kick off support for Extra Life, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals gaming fundraiser on Oct. 15.

As nonprofit organizations continue to struggle with the economic downturn, compounded by decreased funding from the government, foundations and individuals, US Airways is again partnering with The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University’s School of Business, Philadelphia, to provide Delaware Valley nonprofits with valuable information and insights at a free half day program on Friday, Oct. 14.

“Relationship Fundraising:  Finding the Personal Touch in an Impersonal World” will feature six experts from various fundraising sectors.

Washington, D.C. area nonprofit organizations, hit hard by the economic recession and its lingering aftermath, are planning a 24-hour online fundraising event Nov. 9, in which they hope to attract 10,000 donors and raise at least $3 million.

The effort, called Give to the Max Day, is an effort to raise awareness of the thousands of charitable organizations in the area and to attract new, younger and digitally inclined donors.

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring young people from low-income communities to stay in school and to recognize business opportunities, announced its World Series of Innovation, presented by Microsoft, was selected as a featured event for the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Week from Nov. 14-20.

With the fall fundraising event season in full swing, here are five ways to sustain your fundraising event momentum throughout the year.

How can you best spread awareness about your special event to as many potential supporters as possible when you have limited budget and resources? Leverage social media to get the word out quickly and efficiently throughout your nonprofit's network.

Cold Stone Creamery and the Make-A-Wish Foundation invite the country to the 10th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social Sept. 27 for a free Sprinkled with Wishes Creation as the culmination of a month-long fundraising event. Proceeds from the event benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Throughout September, every Cold Stone store nationwide will sell paper wish stars for $1 each. The month-long fundraiser concludes with the 10th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social Sept. 27. During the social, Cold Stone will give away 3-ounce portions of the Sprinkled with Wishes Creation from 5-8 p.m., encouraging guests to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Announcing the 2011 Special Events Campaign of the Year, American Jewish World Service's 25th anniversary campaign.

The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research is proud to announce the honorees for the 36th Annual Awards Gala, which will take place Nov. 3rd in New York. The award winners are Bea Perez, chief sustainability officer at The Coca-Cola Co.; Scott Borchetta, president/CEO of the Big Machine Label Group; golf legend Arnold Palmer; and actor/comedian Drew Carey. Each honoree is heavily involved with nonprofit organizations and fundraisers dedicated cancer and AIDS research.

Opportunity is everywhere, and not just strictly in the form of donors and dollars. Sometimes it wears a mask, and it hides in plain sight. But most development professionals have the innate skills to find it, learn from it and use it to help with future challenges. Here are two examples of what I mean.