Planning a nonprofit fundraising or awareness-building event takes a team! This group of individuals can have a huge impact on your event.

In this episode I share:

- The typical structure of the planning team

- When you should or shouldn’t have co-chairs

- Which roles should be held by organization staff, when possible

- The importance of matching the person to the role

- What not to do with your planning team volunteers

Event sponsorship is arguably one of the most challenging and stressful aspects of planning a fundraising event. Part of that stress is driven by the fact that there are IRS rules about what you can and cannot do and there’s a fine line where sponsorship can unintentionally drift from sponsorship to advertising.

I discuss this fine line with my guest Jess Birken, of Birken Law. In this interview Jess and I discuss:

• When does sponsorship become advertising?

• What does it mean when that happens? What are the consequences?

• How can you prevent this from happening or plan ahead

Jess shares her best tips and advice for creating a win-win value proposition with your event sponsors

For nonprofits, sponsorship packages all tend to look the same; logos on websites and printed materials, tables at the event, social media mentions, etc. So how does a nonprofit stand out from the competition and create long term relationships with their sponsors? The answer…Sponsor Activations.

In this episode I share:

• What is a sponsor activation?

• Why a hybrid model of the tiered package + activations is preferred.

• A step by step process for coming up with activation ideas and pitching them to sponsor prospects.

Sponsorship sales is one of the most important, yet most daunting, tasks for your fundraising event.  It’s not just something you can dive into.  There’s a lot of prep work that needs to happen behind the scenes before you can begin.  I break it the prep work down into 7 steps.  

In this episode I share:

• Why you should have a clear definition of your target audience

• How to break down creating a budget and set your sponsorship goals into easy steps.  

• The importance of having realistic and measurable sponsor goals and benefits

• The best place to start when creating a sponsor prospect list

This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT.   Planning fundraising events is not easy.  These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the challenging aspects of planning an event. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. 

Working hard is important but so is taking time off to recharge.  When you don't allow yourself time off, both mentally and physically, from work you risk burning out.  It may seem counterintuitive but you also reduce your effectiveness when you don't take time off.   If you need permission to take a much needed break, you'll get it here. 

Are you heading into the new year excited and ready to take on your first event? Or are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious? If it’s the latter, it may mean you simply need to do some year-end tasks that will set you up for success for next year’s events.

In this episode I share:

Why you need a recap for all events

Why you should start recruiting your planning team now

The importance of organizing your digital files and event “stuff”

How to create an event kit and what you should put in it

This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT.   Planning fundraising events is not easy.  These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the frustrations and conflicts that come with planning events. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. 

In today’s PPT we’re going to talk about the last couple of weeks leading up to your event. This time can be stressful but you also have to deal with many things out of your control. Learning to deal with those issues is key to long-term success.

What is an event script?  Why would you need one for a small nonprofit event?  I answer these questions and more in this week’s episode.      

In this episode I share:

- Why you need an event script, no matter how small your event or program

- What should be the maximum length of your program

- The format and content of your script

Being nervous on event day is understandable. Your mind is filled with all kinds of scenarios of what could go wrong.

In this episode I share:

• The three ways to minimize issues

• The five areas where problems tend to arise

• How to keep your cool on event day

There are many lessons learned each time you and your team plan a nonprofit fundraising or awareness building event.  An internal recap document is how you capture those lessons and use what you've learned to build on and improve your event the next time around. 

In this episode I share:

• What an internal recap is and why you need one

• The input you need for a thorough recap

• The structure + dos and don’ts for your recap

The weeks leading up to an event can be chaotic. There’s a lot happening and there will be lots of questions about what’s happening and when. The easiest way to ensure everyone is on the same page and minimize questions is to create two documents that will keep you on track on event day; a Show Flow or Run of Show and a packing checklist.

In this episode I share:

• What a Show Flow or Run of Show is

• How it’s different from a timeline and why you need one.

• How to create an event packing checklist.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of a nonprofit. They provide staffing and labor in areas where nonprofits typically can’t afford to hire staff, especially when it comes to events.

In this episode I share:

• The types of event volunteers you need

• The structure of your planning team

• How to create a volunteer grid for the day of the event

• Why and how you should plan for continuity when changing volunteers

A theme can turn a ho-hum event into a memorable experience. When done well, a theme can seamlessly tie your mission to something fun and interactive.

In this episode I share:

• The purpose of event themes

• The best type of theme for a nonprofit event

• A brainwriting process for coming up with a theme

The Listener Action Item for today's episode has the exact steps for hosting a brain writing session to come up with an event theme.

After a year of producing a large number of events, I hit a wall.  I experienced event burnout.  

I don’t ever want anyone to go through what I did.  While this isn’t a foolproof method for avoiding burnout, it’s a cautionary tale.  

**I am not a therapist or a mental health professional, so if you are feeling there’s something more than just event burnout happening in your life, please seek help from a professional.  

This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT.   Planning fundraising events is not easy.  These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the frustrations and conflicts that come with planning events. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. 

In today’s PPT we’re going to talk about an inner conflict. The struggle with perfectionism.

Perfectionists have a lot of good qualities and make great event planners.   But perfectionism has its downsides.  It can impact your relationships, self-esteem and lead to burn out.  It can also cause you to procrastinate.    

If you struggle with perfectionism, I want you to know you're to alone. 

Giving someone hope can change their life. The word HOPE, however, should not be part of your event, especially a fundraising event.

Planning an outdoor event comes with its own set of unique challenges and tasks on your to-do list. Learn about the logistical factors you need to consider and how to handle them.

Event strategist Jen Gilhoi talks about why having an external event recap is important, who benefits from it and how to implement it for your next nonprofit event.

This ONE thing is actually several things; systems, processes and procedures. Having processes & procedures for your event can provide clarity, ensure nothings falls through the cracks, create consistency and will help you conserve your time and energy.

Are you the leader of a nonprofit and are looking for someone to chair your next event? Maybe you’ve been asked to lead an event or are thinking about stepping into the event leadership role,

Before you start recruiting or before you say ‘yes’, learn the 7 skills or traits event leaders need.