Difference between revisions of "Special events"
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| − | This presentation by Staci Pierson, Manager of Special Events for the Rainforest Alliance, primarily focuses on the gala held by the Rainforest Alliance every year. This event encompasses a large number of special event components. The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests. It was founded in 1987 to conserve biodiversity by transforming land use practices, businesses practices, and consumer behavior. The first annual gala was held in the spring of 1990, with the goal of raising unrestricted funds, create awareness, further its mission, and attract new members and donors. This first gala was successful event, attracting approximately two hundred guests and raising about $20,000. By 2010, the gala drew about 600 guests and raised more than $1.5 million for the organization, with the costs about $250,000.<membersonly> | + | This presentation by Staci Pierson, Manager of Special Events for the Rainforest Alliance, primarily focuses on the gala held by the Rainforest Alliance every year. This event encompasses a large number of special event components. The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests. It was founded in 1987 to conserve biodiversity by transforming land use practices, businesses practices, and consumer behavior. The first annual gala was held in the spring of 1990, with the goal of raising unrestricted funds, create awareness, further its mission, and attract new members and donors. This first gala was successful event, attracting approximately two hundred guests and raising about $20,000. By 2010, the gala drew about 600 guests and raised more than $1.5 million for the organization, with the costs about $250,000. |
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| + | This article will address such components of special event fundraising as the overall format, event chairs and benefit committee, auctions, entertainment, venue selection, theme, program, awards, and promotion and printed materials. | ||
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==Development of a successful format== | ==Development of a successful format== | ||
| − | [[image:Pierson1.gif|right| | + | [[image:Pierson1.gif|right|450px]] |
Through the years we have tried a number of different formats for the gala. Some formats have worked, some have not (one of which is a roast). We have done a talk show format. We have done a more straight-forward format, where we were presenting awards to individuals, and we may have had a few speakers and a celebrity host to present the awards. | Through the years we have tried a number of different formats for the gala. Some formats have worked, some have not (one of which is a roast). We have done a talk show format. We have done a more straight-forward format, where we were presenting awards to individuals, and we may have had a few speakers and a celebrity host to present the awards. | ||
As I mentioned, in the early years, the gala was primarily a social event. By social event, I mean that it was primarily individual donors who were attending, not so many corporate participants. From 2001 to the present, we saw a shift. As Rainforest Alliance grew, we gained more and more corporate friends. So we actually successfully found a way to marry corporate and social events. | As I mentioned, in the early years, the gala was primarily a social event. By social event, I mean that it was primarily individual donors who were attending, not so many corporate participants. From 2001 to the present, we saw a shift. As Rainforest Alliance grew, we gained more and more corporate friends. So we actually successfully found a way to marry corporate and social events. | ||
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We also started putting more emphasis and attention on the honorees and awards. In the early years we usually had just one honoree per gala. Now in the years that I have been here, we generally have anywhere from eight to ten honorees each year. We also added a live and silent auction to the event, which helps generate more revenue for each event. It is definitely a big part of the event. | We also started putting more emphasis and attention on the honorees and awards. In the early years we usually had just one honoree per gala. Now in the years that I have been here, we generally have anywhere from eight to ten honorees each year. We also added a live and silent auction to the event, which helps generate more revenue for each event. It is definitely a big part of the event. | ||
| − | What has made our event such a success over the last few years is that we feel like we have come up with a formula that works fairly well. We have honorees that come in | + | What has made our event such a success over the last few years is that we feel like we have come up with a formula that works fairly well. We have honorees that come in — we honor both individuals and corporations. We have a pretty set program and awards ceremony that works pretty well. Granted, each year we take a look back at the previous events and we figure out what has worked and what has not. But there are definitely pieces in place that we come back to every year. |
| − | The formula includes having a theme for every gala. We also start the event with a cocktail hour, which gives guests an opportunity to mingle a little bit and get comfortable with their surroundings. We have a sit down dinner and an awards presentation. During the awards presentation is when we have our board chair, our president come up and give a few remarks. We present awards to the honorees and tell a little story about each honoree. We usually have some form of live entertainment at the gala, like a house band, a DJ or dancer singers | + | The formula includes having a theme for every gala. We also start the event with a cocktail hour, which gives guests an opportunity to mingle a little bit and get comfortable with their surroundings. We have a sit down dinner and an awards presentation. During the awards presentation is when we have our board chair, our president come up and give a few remarks. We present awards to the honorees and tell a little story about each honoree. We usually have some form of live entertainment at the gala, like a house band, a DJ or dancer singers. Of course we always try to recruit celebrity hosts. |
==Event chairs, sponsors, benefit committee== | ==Event chairs, sponsors, benefit committee== | ||
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Something else that we incorporate into our gala that has been really successful over at least the past five years has been to bring in event co-chairs. An event chair's role is traditionally to oversee and run a particular event, such as being in charge of the entertainment or the décor. You usually put an event chair in charge of a certain aspects or components of the larger program. | Something else that we incorporate into our gala that has been really successful over at least the past five years has been to bring in event co-chairs. An event chair's role is traditionally to oversee and run a particular event, such as being in charge of the entertainment or the décor. You usually put an event chair in charge of a certain aspects or components of the larger program. | ||
For smaller programs, we still stick to that format; however, for the gala we have gotten further and further away from that role. Even though we still do invite back co-chairs, they are usually individuals who have been honored in the past or they are corporations or individuals that we are looking to honor in the future. They actually have more of a fundraising role so they help us generate more revenue with each event. | For smaller programs, we still stick to that format; however, for the gala we have gotten further and further away from that role. Even though we still do invite back co-chairs, they are usually individuals who have been honored in the past or they are corporations or individuals that we are looking to honor in the future. They actually have more of a fundraising role so they help us generate more revenue with each event. | ||
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We have also brought on more sponsors each year. We have had to think outside the box a little bit, because we had some sponsors that wanted to give above and beyond what our normal benefactor levels were. But then we had supporters come to us and they wanted to get some sort of benefit; they wanted to have more visibility out of their giving. So we were looking at opportunities for sponsors to cover: they can be the cocktail hour sponsor; they can be an auction sponsor; they can be a dessert sponsor. We have had great success with dessert sponsors because we have a lot of coffee companies that we work with and they like to set up coffee corners and it gives them a lot of visibility. They also play an active role in helping us pick out desserts for the event. | We have also brought on more sponsors each year. We have had to think outside the box a little bit, because we had some sponsors that wanted to give above and beyond what our normal benefactor levels were. But then we had supporters come to us and they wanted to get some sort of benefit; they wanted to have more visibility out of their giving. So we were looking at opportunities for sponsors to cover: they can be the cocktail hour sponsor; they can be an auction sponsor; they can be a dessert sponsor. We have had great success with dessert sponsors because we have a lot of coffee companies that we work with and they like to set up coffee corners and it gives them a lot of visibility. They also play an active role in helping us pick out desserts for the event. | ||
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The awards themselves I think are something that helps make our gala unique and distinguished on its own. | The awards themselves I think are something that helps make our gala unique and distinguished on its own. | ||
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The first award that we ever presented at our gala was the Corporate and Individual Green Globe Award. For that award, we actually had a glassblower design a specific award for us. It is a great little glass globe that is very fitting and in line with our mission. | The first award that we ever presented at our gala was the Corporate and Individual Green Globe Award. For that award, we actually had a glassblower design a specific award for us. It is a great little glass globe that is very fitting and in line with our mission. | ||
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I would encourage you if you are planning to come up with an award, come up with an award that you can call your own. If you start Googling names that you want to use for your award, oftentimes you will come up with other organizations that are using that name as well. We actually just ran into that problem. In the last couple of years, we have discovered that there is a certification body that is also called Green Globe. When they started hearing that honorees were receiving this award, it created a bit of a conflict and some confusion, and they actually have Green Globe trademarks, so we have actually had to back out of presenting the Green Globe. We have now just narrowed down our awards down to the Sustainable Standard-Setter Award. | I would encourage you if you are planning to come up with an award, come up with an award that you can call your own. If you start Googling names that you want to use for your award, oftentimes you will come up with other organizations that are using that name as well. We actually just ran into that problem. In the last couple of years, we have discovered that there is a certification body that is also called Green Globe. When they started hearing that honorees were receiving this award, it created a bit of a conflict and some confusion, and they actually have Green Globe trademarks, so we have actually had to back out of presenting the Green Globe. We have now just narrowed down our awards down to the Sustainable Standard-Setter Award. | ||
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We also received a lot of feedback from the honorees and attendees that it was a little bit confusing to have so many categories. It was confusing to have a Corporate and Individual and Green Globe vs. a Sustainable Standard-Setter Award. This year it worked out fairly well and we are going to go with it again next year and stick with the Sustainable Standard-Setter award. What we have done now is each honoree receives both a plaque and a globe so they have a great takeaway from the event and a keepsake to remember it by. | We also received a lot of feedback from the honorees and attendees that it was a little bit confusing to have so many categories. It was confusing to have a Corporate and Individual and Green Globe vs. a Sustainable Standard-Setter Award. This year it worked out fairly well and we are going to go with it again next year and stick with the Sustainable Standard-Setter award. What we have done now is each honoree receives both a plaque and a globe so they have a great takeaway from the event and a keepsake to remember it by. | ||
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So now our galas are a very successful marriage of both a corporate and a social gala. We have a few components that I feel really contribute to making this possible. One component is keeping a short program. This enables the corporation to come in and allows them to have a lot of networking time and also a lot of social and mingling time. For example, if you have a board member that buys a table and fills it with their friends, they want to be able to chat them up, talk to them about the organization, keep them interested and make them want to come back next year. | So now our galas are a very successful marriage of both a corporate and a social gala. We have a few components that I feel really contribute to making this possible. One component is keeping a short program. This enables the corporation to come in and allows them to have a lot of networking time and also a lot of social and mingling time. For example, if you have a board member that buys a table and fills it with their friends, they want to be able to chat them up, talk to them about the organization, keep them interested and make them want to come back next year. | ||
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Life entertainment has also been key to a successful gala. Rather than having to do a stuffy event, where guests are just glued to their chairs through the entire evening, we have entertainment come in that helps break up the evening. | Life entertainment has also been key to a successful gala. Rather than having to do a stuffy event, where guests are just glued to their chairs through the entire evening, we have entertainment come in that helps break up the evening. | ||
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The year 2003 was when the we gave the first theme to the gala. That theme was “Sustainable Coffee.” It just so happened that at that time, Sustainable Coffee was the Rainforest Alliance’s most robust program that we had so it made sense to move forward with the sustainable coffee theme. It ended up bringing in a lot of coffee companies that we have seen come back through the years. | The year 2003 was when the we gave the first theme to the gala. That theme was “Sustainable Coffee.” It just so happened that at that time, Sustainable Coffee was the Rainforest Alliance’s most robust program that we had so it made sense to move forward with the sustainable coffee theme. It ended up bringing in a lot of coffee companies that we have seen come back through the years. | ||
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In 2004, we moved on to Sustainable Forestry. It was the same thing: We saw an influx of forestry companies come in and in turn we have seen them come back throughout the years. From 2005 to the present, we have managed to incorporate all of our programs. So we focus now on sustainable agriculture, forestry, and tourism. | In 2004, we moved on to Sustainable Forestry. It was the same thing: We saw an influx of forestry companies come in and in turn we have seen them come back throughout the years. From 2005 to the present, we have managed to incorporate all of our programs. So we focus now on sustainable agriculture, forestry, and tourism. | ||
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==Program: The Speeches and Awards== | ==Program: The Speeches and Awards== | ||
| − | + | [[image:Pierson5.gif|right|400px]] | |
Getting to the program: Keep it short! I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep it short. I do not know if anyone here was at our gala this year, but there might be some rumblings about how long the speeches were. Even though we try to keep our program to a thirty-minute program, some of the speeches ran on a little bit. Just remember that no matter how much time you give to a speaker, whether it is two or three minutes, they are always going to go much longer than you tell them to, which is unfortunate. | Getting to the program: Keep it short! I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep it short. I do not know if anyone here was at our gala this year, but there might be some rumblings about how long the speeches were. Even though we try to keep our program to a thirty-minute program, some of the speeches ran on a little bit. Just remember that no matter how much time you give to a speaker, whether it is two or three minutes, they are always going to go much longer than you tell them to, which is unfortunate. | ||
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What has worked really well for us is instead of having honorees get up on the stage, we have actually started doing sixty-second video clips, which I like to call “snapshots” of the honorees. They give a brief history of the honoree and more importantly explain to the audience why you are presenting them with this award. You can jazz it up with music and beautiful imagery and it is a great attention grabber from the audience. It is also a nice way to compliment your honorees and tell their story. | What has worked really well for us is instead of having honorees get up on the stage, we have actually started doing sixty-second video clips, which I like to call “snapshots” of the honorees. They give a brief history of the honoree and more importantly explain to the audience why you are presenting them with this award. You can jazz it up with music and beautiful imagery and it is a great attention grabber from the audience. It is also a nice way to compliment your honorees and tell their story. | ||
| − | We can find other ways to highlight the honorees as a lot of them actually do like to get up and say a few words. What worked really well for us was we started holding a workshop called “Marketing Sustainability and Certification Workshop.” We actually hold it the same day as the gala. It affords the honorees an opportunity to hold the spotlight a little bit. They have the opportunity to either give a brief presentation or participate on a panel discussion. At times our communications team will arrange for some media attention at the workshop, which is always great; honorees love that. But the workshop also adds a little bit of value to the companies that are coming in to attend the gala. A lot of them are traveling from around the world and by adding the workshop component, it gives them an additional opportunity to meet with Rainforest Alliance staff, other colleagues in the industry, and to talk about business practices within the industry. It is just another opportunity to mingle, which adds value to their experience at the gala. | + | We can find other ways to highlight the honorees as a lot of them actually do like to get up and say a few words. What worked really well for us was we started holding a workshop called “Marketing Sustainability and Certification Workshop.” We actually hold it the same day as the gala. It affords the honorees an opportunity to hold the spotlight a little bit. They have the opportunity to either give a brief presentation or participate on a panel discussion. At times our communications team will arrange for some media attention at the workshop, which is always great; honorees love that. But the workshop also adds a little bit of value to the companies that are coming in to attend the gala. A lot of them are traveling from around the world and by adding the workshop component, it gives them an additional opportunity to meet with Rainforest Alliance staff, other colleagues in the industry, and to talk about business practices within the industry. It is just another opportunity to mingle, which adds value to their experience at the gala. |
==Celebrities== | ==Celebrities== | ||
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In my experience in working here at Rainforest Alliance, I feel like some years it rains (in a good sense) in terms of getting celebrities involved in the gala, and when it rains, it pours. In other years, we might not have much celebrity turnout. For the most part, if you can get celebrities out to your event, that is great. Guests love seeing them and rubbing elbows with them. It attracts media attention, which is valuable. | In my experience in working here at Rainforest Alliance, I feel like some years it rains (in a good sense) in terms of getting celebrities involved in the gala, and when it rains, it pours. In other years, we might not have much celebrity turnout. For the most part, if you can get celebrities out to your event, that is great. Guests love seeing them and rubbing elbows with them. It attracts media attention, which is valuable. | ||
| − | If you do get celebrities I recommend getting a “step and repeat.” | + | If you do get celebrities I recommend getting a “step and repeat.” [Editor’s note: A “step and repeat” banner is a display, designed for photo opportunities, where the background has logos repeated in a step or diagonal alternating pattern. The term comes from photoshop, where it describes the process of duplicating an object.] I actually just did a step and repeat, which is taking photos of the celebrity with your logo in the background. I just did it a couple of years ago for the first time and I am still seeing traction from some of these images going up through the media. Of course, the media reports are going to be more about obviously the celebrity in the picture but then it is great to see your logo back there. You know these pictures will be in syndication forever, so you never know when these are going to pop up, so I highly recommend that. |
Something to keep in mind, though, is that recruiting celebrities can be extremely time consuming. I know that my team and I, when we look at celebrities, we see them doing great things and we want to get them involved. But tying to track down the information to get in touch with them by sending letters, making follow-up calls, trying to schedule meetings, and trying to find a way to get into touch with that celebrity is often quite difficult. Networks and any contacts that you have can be key. Tap into your board members. You never know who your board members might know and they can definitely be helpful in this situation. Your coworkers might have connections. Somebody’s cousin might know somebody, so do not hesitate to ask. If all else fails, there are a lot of celebrity recruiters out there. Generally their official title is publicist, but they can definitely help you find a celebrity that is a good fit for your cause. | Something to keep in mind, though, is that recruiting celebrities can be extremely time consuming. I know that my team and I, when we look at celebrities, we see them doing great things and we want to get them involved. But tying to track down the information to get in touch with them by sending letters, making follow-up calls, trying to schedule meetings, and trying to find a way to get into touch with that celebrity is often quite difficult. Networks and any contacts that you have can be key. Tap into your board members. You never know who your board members might know and they can definitely be helpful in this situation. Your coworkers might have connections. Somebody’s cousin might know somebody, so do not hesitate to ask. If all else fails, there are a lot of celebrity recruiters out there. Generally their official title is publicist, but they can definitely help you find a celebrity that is a good fit for your cause. | ||
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==Auctions== | ==Auctions== | ||
| − | + | [[image:Pierson6.gif|right|400px]] | |
Live and silent auctions have been a very big part of our gala since I have been with the Rainforest Alliance, since 2003 easily. They definitely help you increase your revenue at minimum cost, but I will admit that they do require quite a bit of work. It also depends on how much money you want to raise from your auction and how big you want it to be. | Live and silent auctions have been a very big part of our gala since I have been with the Rainforest Alliance, since 2003 easily. They definitely help you increase your revenue at minimum cost, but I will admit that they do require quite a bit of work. It also depends on how much money you want to raise from your auction and how big you want it to be. | ||
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You might want to consider some new technology to help increase your bids. In 2009, we used a technology that was developed for the Prince’s Trust Foundation in London, and we brought it back again; it worked great. The traditional method for dealing with silent auctions involves guests writing in their contact information on bid sheets. This new technology allows you to present guests with a “smart card” that they carry with them. This also offers a branding opportunity. If you can get an auction sponsor, you can put their logo on the card and you can also put it on the screen. Handsets are placed on the dinner tables, the auction tables, and are scattered around the room. What it allows guests to do is bid from wherever they are around the room. So they can bid at the bar, on the dance floor, in the restroom line; they can bid wherever they are. You set up these screens around the room so that guests do not always have to be running back to the bid to check how things are doing and if they need to up their number. They can look at any screen around the room and find out how they are doing. It is a great system. | You might want to consider some new technology to help increase your bids. In 2009, we used a technology that was developed for the Prince’s Trust Foundation in London, and we brought it back again; it worked great. The traditional method for dealing with silent auctions involves guests writing in their contact information on bid sheets. This new technology allows you to present guests with a “smart card” that they carry with them. This also offers a branding opportunity. If you can get an auction sponsor, you can put their logo on the card and you can also put it on the screen. Handsets are placed on the dinner tables, the auction tables, and are scattered around the room. What it allows guests to do is bid from wherever they are around the room. So they can bid at the bar, on the dance floor, in the restroom line; they can bid wherever they are. You set up these screens around the room so that guests do not always have to be running back to the bid to check how things are doing and if they need to up their number. They can look at any screen around the room and find out how they are doing. It is a great system. | ||
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==Event coordination== | ==Event coordination== | ||
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==Promotion and printed materials== | ==Promotion and printed materials== | ||
| + | [[image:Pierson7.gif|right|450px]] | ||
It is important to spread that word and get your event noticed. Obviously the more attention you get for your event, the more attendees you are going to have and the more funds you are going to raise for your organization. | It is important to spread that word and get your event noticed. Obviously the more attention you get for your event, the more attendees you are going to have and the more funds you are going to raise for your organization. | ||
In terms of printed materials, get the “Save the Date” card in the mail at least six months before your event. An invitation is great. Ideally, you want that going in the mail six weeks before the event and definitely no less than four weeks before the event. And a printed program is great. It is a great take-home piece and it is a way to highlight your honorees. You can put biographies in it, you can highlight all of your benefactors, you can offer special thanks to all of your auction donors in it. It is also another way to generate revenue because you can sell add space in your program. | In terms of printed materials, get the “Save the Date” card in the mail at least six months before your event. An invitation is great. Ideally, you want that going in the mail six weeks before the event and definitely no less than four weeks before the event. And a printed program is great. It is a great take-home piece and it is a way to highlight your honorees. You can put biographies in it, you can highlight all of your benefactors, you can offer special thanks to all of your auction donors in it. It is also another way to generate revenue because you can sell add space in your program. | ||
| − | You can also put together an auction | + | You can also put together an auction catalog or brochure. An auction catalog is time consuming; it takes a lot of paper and a lot of printing. We actually stopped doing this at one point because we noticed that guests were not picking them up when they walk into the gala. So now we actually just do a quick little brochure with a little one-liner about each item and it has the lot number on it. That has been much more successful and we do not spend as much money on it or paper. |
Solicitation mailing: Get those letters in the mail to your donors and constituents. Pre-sell as many tables and tickets prior to the event as you can. Do not be shy about using the Internet and E-vites as you can. | Solicitation mailing: Get those letters in the mail to your donors and constituents. Pre-sell as many tables and tickets prior to the event as you can. Do not be shy about using the Internet and E-vites as you can. | ||
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Media sponsorships are very helpful. A lot of times this is a sponsorship you may need to build up to. But you can get advertisement space donated in newspapers, magazines, trade journals, radio, and television. Granted, radio and television sponsorships are a little bit more difficult but sometimes you will end up with an honoree that garners some radio or television coverage, which is great. As an example of media sponsorships, we have a wonderful relationship that we have developed with National Geographic and they donated a two-page spread for us. On the left-hand side, it features the gala and on the right-hand side, it talks more about the general information of the organization and helps to drive people to our website. Do not dismiss your local news publications just because they might be small or might not have a very big distribution. Any advertisement you have for your event is good advertisement and it is great if it is free. So do not neglect any of your community newsletters. | Media sponsorships are very helpful. A lot of times this is a sponsorship you may need to build up to. But you can get advertisement space donated in newspapers, magazines, trade journals, radio, and television. Granted, radio and television sponsorships are a little bit more difficult but sometimes you will end up with an honoree that garners some radio or television coverage, which is great. As an example of media sponsorships, we have a wonderful relationship that we have developed with National Geographic and they donated a two-page spread for us. On the left-hand side, it features the gala and on the right-hand side, it talks more about the general information of the organization and helps to drive people to our website. Do not dismiss your local news publications just because they might be small or might not have a very big distribution. Any advertisement you have for your event is good advertisement and it is great if it is free. So do not neglect any of your community newsletters. | ||
| − | Get the word out in E-newsletters. Does your organization have an E-newsletter? Make sure that you include even a one-liner about it. Do any of your partners or your donors have E-newsletters that you can tap into? If you can get a photographer for a local E-newsletter that would be great. Create some buzz that way. | + | |
| + | Get the word out in E-newsletters. Does your organization have an E-newsletter? Make sure that you include even a one-liner about it. Do any of your partners or your donors have E-newsletters that you can tap into? If you can get a photographer for a local E-newsletter that would be great. Create some buzz that way. | ||
==Goodie bags and giveaways== | ==Goodie bags and giveaways== | ||
Latest revision as of 08:16, 16 October 2011
This presentation by Staci Pierson, Manager of Special Events for the Rainforest Alliance, primarily focuses on the gala held by the Rainforest Alliance every year. This event encompasses a large number of special event components. The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests. It was founded in 1987 to conserve biodiversity by transforming land use practices, businesses practices, and consumer behavior. The first annual gala was held in the spring of 1990, with the goal of raising unrestricted funds, create awareness, further its mission, and attract new members and donors. This first gala was successful event, attracting approximately two hundred guests and raising about $20,000. By 2010, the gala drew about 600 guests and raised more than $1.5 million for the organization, with the costs about $250,000.
This article will address such components of special event fundraising as the overall format, event chairs and benefit committee, auctions, entertainment, venue selection, theme, program, awards, and promotion and printed materials.
To read the rest of the article, please log in using your WANGO membership username and password (using the log in at the top, right-hand corner of the page). Not a WANGO member, but would like full access to the articles in the NGO Handbook? Join WANGO (http://www.wango.org/join.aspx) as an organization or individual member or purchase a year subscription for $30.
