In spring 2020, like so many in the nonprofit fundraising space, the organization I then worked for refashioned our large-scale luncheon to a virtual experience. A year later, with pandemic uncertainty still looming, we did it again. I wrote about the 2020 event last year, and this update provides further learnings from the 2020-21 shift to virtual fundraising as we look ahead to how our events will function in the future. My hope is that these observations inspire conversations among your teams, with your donors and stakeholders, and around your communities.

Programming opportunities within the virtual space

"Virtual events have broken down access barriers, democratized the event space, and solved issues of scale," said Ariel Glassman, a member of the Virtual Gala Collaborative. One of the most striking certainties Glassman shares is that virtual opportunities can be far more inclusive and equitable, and my former organization found this to be true.

The number of participants in our virtual events was double that of the in-person luncheons, and we found the reasons were two-fold: First, the content was incredibly strong, featuring our popular lead researcher — a well-known public speaker who is beloved in the community. Second, the events were totally free, thereby removing cost barriers to entry, and the sponsors who supported the events appreciated the expanded audience.

Takeaways:

  • The programming. While it's possible to expand your reach and revenue, it may not always be possible to make both happen. Decide the main purpose of your event, and have an honest conversation about whether you want a larger audience or more funds raised.
  • The fundraising. Once you decide on your purpose, remember that event funders and mission funders don't always overlap.
  • The engagement. The Netflix-quality, pre-produced streams of early-to-mid 2020 have come and gone. If you plan to present content online — and if you expect people to take time out of their day to participate — it needs to meet donors and stakeholders where they are in a meaningful way.

Read the full article about keeping nonprofits sustainable by Evan Wildstein at PhilanTopic.