I’m not a big fan of special events. They are labor-intensive and generally don’t bring a great return. Too many small nonprofits spend too much time on the event treadmill and never spend time cultivating donors or doing any other kind of fundraising.
But special events have their place.
Yesterday, I spent the biggest part of the day with a client at their annual golf tournament. I don’t know yet how much money they made, but the event was a success. They were just shy of a full field (almost a sell-out) and everyone had a great time. A couple of local golfers stepped up to volunteer in a big way on the planning committee and brought in lots of players and lots of prizes. Without their help, the day wouldn’t have been nearly as good.
There were lots of opportunities for Board members to get involved and they were there helping and playing. Media sponsors all participated in the tournament in addition to publicizing the event. And corporate sponsor reps played too.
This was the Director of Development’s first time to run a golf tourney and she did a great job. Of course there were a few bumps in the road, but I don’t think any of the players knew about them. We sat in the sun in the afternoon and de-briefed about registration and lunch, and how they could be better next year.
All in all, it was a good day. Again, I’m not a big fan of special events. But this one provided opportunities to people to get involved that might not otherwise have participated with the organization. And if it works the same way next year, it will be another great day without too much time on the event treadmill.
Sandy,
I would ask that you consider that the return from some special events can go way beyond the money raised. Special events can be a good way to identify new volunteers, grow current volunteers and involve the community. It can also be a great way to raise awareness for a cause and identify advocates. Special events can also be used to capture stories that the organization can use in a multitude of ways. They can even bring some fun and excitement to staff, donors and volunteers during the year.
I agree that special events are labor-intensive. I also agree there may be more cost-efficient ways to raise funds. However, when the total impact of special events are taken into account, you may change your mind about return on investment.
Absolutely Roger. I totally agree that some events bring much more than revenue. Still, some small nonprofits think having an event a month is a good strategy (which we know is NOT!).
Sandy