Let’s Get Together, Yeah yeah yeah: Special Events

by Jenn Raley Miller, Management & Communications Specialist, do good Consulting

Have you ever said anything like the following?

“When I got to the conference, I headed straight for the registration table, picked up my packet, and knew exactly where to go. The workshops were so engaging, and the keynote speaker was fascinating! I’m excited to get back to work to put into practice all the things I learned.”

“The gala was wonderful! I loved having a chance to meet other people who are just as passionate about the cause as I am. It was moving to hear personal testimonies from people whose lives have been changed by the organization’s great work. Plus, the food was delicious. Next year, I’m bringing friends.”

“This conference was such a waste of my time! Everything was totally disorganized – they didn’t even have nametags for the participants! Half of the sessions were completely different from the description in the program. I’m going to tell all of my colleagues they shouldn’t bother going next year.”

“I can’t believe I paid $50 a ticket for this event. The food is terrible, the program is dull, the room is stuffy… this organization really doesn’t have it together.”

It’s the time of year when non-profits and associations gear up for their annual events. As these quotes illustrate, an event can go very well – or very badly. More importantly, how well or badly the event goes can have an impact on a lot of people – not just the people who attended, but their friends, your board, your staff, and your volunteers.

Why do organizations have events anyway? It’s not a good way to raise money. According to Charity Navigator, the average charity spends $1.33 to raise $1 in donations from the event. However, an event can be a good way to raise awareness about your organization or your cause, bring new supporters in contact with your organization, and/or provide a way to recognize volunteers and staff members. Conventions are a great way to generate energy and educate like-minded people about your organization’s subject area.

Before deciding to do an event, whether it’s a golf outing, an auction, or a conference, ask two key questions first:

• Why are we doing this event?
• Can we do it well?

If you don’t have good answers to those questions, you’re likely to end up with stories like the two complaints recounted above. Make sure you know why you’re doing the event (build relationships with new and existing supporters; generate publicity; train grassroots volunteers for your cause). Equally important, make sure you have the resources (budget, people, time) to do it right.

Here are do good Consulting's TOP 10 TIPS FOR PLANNING A SPECTACULAR EVENT:

1. Put one person in charge. An event of any size needs clear leadership: someone who can set the vision, and make decisions when things get hectic.
2. Give that person a team. The leader should not be expected to do all the planning or execution alone. Pulling off a successful event requires a variety of skills, relationships, and perspectives. Put together a committee for the event composed of board members, staff, and volunteers.
3. Match the event to the organization, the purpose, and the attendees. A canned food drive on the beach for an animal shelter doesn’t make much sense. Pick a theme that fits with your organization. Plan a program that incorporates activities that are relevant to the theme and engaging to your expected attendees.
4. Plan, Part I: Timeline. Plan out the timing of what needs to happen and when: when to book the space, when to send out the invitations, when the speakers need to be finalized, etc.
5. Plan, Part II: Budget. Know how much the organization can spend on the event. Plan expenses to ensure that you don’t go over budget. Don’t expect revenues to exceed expenses. Try to get sponsorships and discounts whenever possible to cover event costs.
6. Advertise. The point of the event is to get people to come, right? Then get the word out as many ways as possible: invitations, repeat e-mails, newspaper announcements, banner on your website’s home page, posters, your volunteer bulletin board, etc.
7. Obtain RSVPs. First of all, you want to collect the names and contact information of everyone who attends, so you can add them as prospects to your donor management database. Specific to the event though: what if you plan for 500 and get 50? Or 1,500? Bad news either way. Have a system for confirming attendance for everyone involved: attendees, speakers, volunteers. (See the "Resource of the Month," to the right, for info on event management software.)
8. Plan, Part III: Details. Make a checklist of every little task that needs to get done – make nametags, recruit and train greeters, prepare change for the cash box, put speaker gifts in the workshop rooms, etc. Then, divide up the checklist among your event team members and put them in charge of getting their particular tasks done.
9. Debrief. Once it’s all over, evaluate how it went. Survey attendees and volunteers (informally or formally) to find out what they thought. Review the financials to see if the expenses and revenues turned out as originally planned. Monitor donations in the upcoming months to see if the event contributed to an increase in giving. Go back to the original question – Why are we doing this? – and see if the goal was met.
10. Finally, have fun! If you plan a really successful and smooth event, all the attendees will have fun, and so will the planners.

Resources:

• The Can Do Events Guide by Oxford Inspires (PDF)
• How to Make the Most of Your Special Events on About.com
• Choosing the Right Event by The Grantsmanship Center (PDF)

Q&A: Managing Online Donations

Dear do good,
Our version of ‘online fundraising’ is posting our address on our website and asking people to mail a check. I know that this isn’t effective, but I’m a bit daunted by the prospect of trying to set something else up. We have our fundraising dinner on the horizon in May and want to get things set up and ready to go well before that event. What are my options?
- Unline Donation, Champaign, IL

Dear Unline,
While the idea of adding yet another technological aspect to an organization can cause staff and board members alike to shiver, having an effective, easy way for prospective donors to contribute online is an essential component in a successful fundraising strategy, including for special events. Fortunately, there are a number of options from which to choose. Whatever you use, be sure to make the process obvious, simple, and clear, keeping the number of pages and ‘clicks’ to a minimum. Ask a few volunteers to test the process for you. If it’s not easy, you are effectively saying ‘don’t bother’ to your donors!

OFF-SITE OPTIONS
PayPal
At 2.2% + $.30 per transaction, basic PayPal is the least expensive option, but was not designed for the needs of non-profits and shows in its lack of features. PayPal is simple to set up and allows for customization (which I insist you use to salvage what can be a jolting experience for the donor), but overall can give a donor the feeling of being shuffled from place to place.

Network for Good
Designed for non-profits, Network for Good tends to meet more of the needs associated with online giving. Highly customized pages can mimic your website’s look and create a more seamless-feeling donor experience. Custom survey questions, reports, receipts, thank you gifts displays, tell-a-friend, and recurring donation options are all great benefits, too. The best part is that Network for Good offers donors the option to add the transaction fee to their donation. Their customized DonateNow product is excellent but pricey, with a $199 set-up fee, plus $29.95 per month and 3% per donation. However, they also offer a highly scaled back basic version that is still donor-friendly, at the much lower, simpler price of 4.75% per donation.

ON-SITE OPTIONS
Convio
For those organizations wanting to integrate online giving software into their websites, we recommend exploring Convio.

GiftWorks
Many donor management systems have a feature that allows you to take online donations and have the information feed directly into the database (saving data entry and streamlining processes). If you pursue this option, we recommend GiftWorks.

CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS
If your website is really technologically advanced, and you’re working with a web programmer, you can set up a customized donation system on your website that feeds directly into your bank account. It requires having a secure website and various other technological requirements. This is something to discuss with the web developer.

DON'T HAVE A WEBSITE?
Try WebNow. Paypal and Blackbaud have teamed up to offer a website/donation package that allows organizations without websites to accept online donations. Fees are 4.95% + $0.30 per transaction.

- Elizabeth Simpson, do good Consulting

Have a question for do good Consulting? Contact our experts at 217-778-1687 or dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

ONE SIMPLE ACT

In each month’s Doing Good, you’ll find one great tip to implement over the next month. By taking this one small, achievable action each month, you can make big changes in your organization’s and employee's performance, increase donations and volunteerism, and expand your group’s visibility. Give it a try!

This month's ONE SIMPLE ACT focuses on creating better meetings with strong follow-up.

Tell us about your ONE SIMPLE ACT experience this month.

GROUP PROFILE: Douglas-Hart Nature Center

by Jenn Raley Miller, Management & Communications Specialist, do good Consulting

It may be hard to believe right now, but spring is coming! Once the snow melts and the temperatures rise, it will be time to get out of our stuffy houses and offices, and back into the great outdoors.

A great spot to experience restored natural habitat can be found just off I-57 in Mattoon, at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center. The trails through the woodlands, wetlands, and prairie lands are a delight. They are accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities, anytime between sunrise and sunset.

The Visitor Center, open seven days a week during designated hours, is a great place to learn more about the wildlife native to Central Illinois. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the interpretive exhibits, sensory displays, and live critters. Various locations within the Visitor Center are set up as bird observation areas, including a cozy library where visitors can curl up on the sofa with a book or a set of binoculars.

Douglas-Hart Nature Center’s small staff works very hard to maintain and preserve the habitat and trails, keep the Visitor Center fun and relevant, provide experiences for the public, and offer educational programs for school groups, scouts, and other organizations. On March 13 from 8 am to 11 am, members of the public are welcome at the “Sap Tappin’ and Pancake Breakfast”, a way to both learn about and taste real maple syrup.

Groups interested in having an event at the Visitor Center’s multipurpose room or on the grounds may contact Tina Hissong, Executive Director, at thissong dhfnd@consolidated.net. School groups and others interested in the educational programs may contact Jennifer Tariq, Education Director, at enveddhnature@consolidated.net.

Get out there! Experience, understand, and appreciate nature!

SALE: 20% off GiftWorks Software

If you are looking for a way to manage donor information in a way that is efficient and powerful for your organization, look no further than GiftWorks and a great 20% off special they have throughout March. This easy-to-use, powerful Constituent Relationship Management System (read: fancy database) is one of the most powerful upgrades your organization could make in 2010 to transform fundraising, special events, and volunteer management.

For a more detailed explanation, see the Friends Don't Let Friends Use Excel article in do good Consulting's October 2009 issue of Doing Good, where we discuss the pros and cons of using programs like Excel versus systems like GiftWorks. Also be sure to see these great references:

• Why do good endorses GiftWorks
• Top 10 Reasons to Use Giftworks
• GiftWorks Decision Guide

Now through the end of March 2010, if you purchase new or upgrade existing GiftWorks software and mention do good Consulting at the time of purchase, you can get 20% off any installed software, additional licenses, or product upgrades.

For example, GiftWorks 2010 Standard, which is normally $499, will be only $399.

If you're currently using GiftWorks and want to consider upgrading to the latest, greatest version, the 20% discount applies. Or perhaps you've been thinking about including the Events Add-in to your current installation of GiftWorks. Normally $299, with the 20% discount, it will be $239. Or add in the Volunteers management module for only $159.

For more information, call us at 217-778-1687 or e-mail dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

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