The Best of Live raffle is often a good one for in-person fundraising galas, but I find it particularly helpful in virtual galas when we might not be selling the same number of items in the live auction as we typically do in a standard event. Earlier this month a client wanted to educate their Board on this raffle, so I recorded a video describing it. If you're new to the raffle, or just curious as to why I like it for a virtual gala, watch the video. https://youtu.be/zfHDGwZMNU4 ... Read On >
virtual gala fundraiser
The big push at the end — the email campaign in the final hours
I've talked about the tricky matter of determining guest count at a virtual live gala. And I've also covered three tips for boosting virtual gala attendance. Today I zero in on one suggestion relevant for boosting attendance at your virtual gala -- email marketing. This isn't the year to go light on emails. The day and time of your virtual gala is more easily forgotten than your in-person gala. That's why it's important to remind guests multiple times of when your event is ... Read On >
My prediction: This COVID19-style donation is here to stay
This past weekend I worked two galas -- one was a 2-screen solution for a school, and the other was a Zoom meeting-style gala for a conservation nonprofit. The nonprofit had some star power. Two of the attendees are legitimate Hollywood celebrities whom many would recognize if not by name, then by face. They and some of their celebrity friends donated virtual activities to the auction. These items raised several thousand dollars for the nonprofit. But I have to admit - it was a little ... Read On >
Virtual Gala: One Screen Solution vs Zoom (I prefer Zoom. Here’s why.)
As I've been preaching for several months in my "The Next 6 Months: Conversations" series and "Virtual Gala Cheatsheet," I designate virtual galas into five primary approaches. Two-screen solutions One-screen solutions Zoom Meeting (or webinar) platform 100% pre-recorded Hybrid, which I define as a small group of people onsite and a larger audience watching via livestream Most of the 33 virtual galas I worked in 2020 were either two-screen solutions or Zoom-type galas, but ... Read On >
Virtual gala: Master or Disaster?
Last week I read an article about relationships. In it, the researchers labeled couples with behaviors that enabled them to stay together for the long term as "masters." Couples with behaviors that tore them apart were labeled as "disasters." I thought the alliteration was clever. Plus, the concept of being really good at something or really bad, can be applied to so many things. Are you a master at parallel parking? Or a disaster? Are you a master at baking cookies? Or a ... Read On >