When it comes to planning events, you need time on your side. In fact if you google “How many hours does it take to plan an event?” The answer: “The average time it takes to plan a large event is around 300 hours!” That’s a lot. When I add the word fundraising, the number of hours shoots up and the answer starts at more than 400+ hours to plan a fundraising event. If we translate that into staff time, this would be the equivalent of one person focusing solely on the event for 10 weeks straight (based on a 40 hour work week). 10 weeks - that is 2 ½ months.  Let’s face it, no one is going ..read more

I have heard a lot of talk of folks who want a UNIQUE event.  “We want our event to stand out (so donors choose to come to our event).” “We want our event to feel different (from everyone else in our community).” “We don’t want to use the same vendors (for fear of losing the uniqueness of our event)” But what makes an event unique? My answer is the STORYTELLING. “But Artisan, are you sure it’s not the theme?” 100% absolutely it’s not the theme.  Your event is your chance to share your great work with dedicated supporters. The theme of your event probably isn’t what is bringing y ..read more

Hello Fabulous Fundraisers! As a big believer in Continuing Education, I was thrilled to attend the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference in San Diego in the beginning of November. If you all don’t know about this conference, you should. It’s amazing. They bring the best of the fundraising world together to teach you how you can improve your fundraising efforts. I was thrilled to meet Stephen Screen in one of the first sessions I sat in on. Look, I’m just going to say it - He’s a genius! And he will tell you anyone can learn this strategy and put it into place to raise more money. Now, Stephen wo ..read more

Who is this gala for, anyway? Yes, we know it's benefitting the organization that is putting on the gala, but who will be in attendance? THAT is the big question. We need to plan this event for the folks who are coming to share their hard earned money, not for the committee or the clients served. I recently heard a client mention that they saw a fabulous pajama party event and that looked like fun. Oh yeah! Who doesn’t love a pajama party? In the next breath they said, “most of our attendees are retired.” Do retired folks like to hang out in their pajamas? I don’t know. Maybe? But perhaps it ..read more

When it comes to your event we like to use strategy! We say it all the time. Whether we are looking for ,live auction packages that drive revenue or planning a first time event, we want to ASK our bidders and guests what they want on their fun night out. While they may be supporting your organization, remember this is their evening of entertainment. One of the easiest ways to get that information is to Survey your Audience. Great idea, Artisan! So what do I put in this survey? Start with a few demographic questions: What is your age? 18 - 25 26 - 35 35 - 45 45 - 55 55 + I’m excited to parti ..read more

Attention fabulous fundraisers! Class is in session to help your educational nonprofit stock your live auctions with items and experiences that will sell sell sell! The key to a successful live auction is knowing your bidding audience. Your audience is full of excited parents, friends, family and community members dedicated to helping you provide amazing educational opportunities. We know who’s in the audience, but what are they going to bid on and how do you procure it? In an earlier blog post, I urged you all to Use your network when procuring items and schools have a big one; alumni, paren ..read more

Hey fabulous fundraisers! Let’s deep dive into researching our live auction packages. I want your next auction to have big-ticket items that sell, start a friendly bidding war, and have people talking and clamoring for tickets next year! First, let’s look at our live auction data to determine what people are buying. Did that winery trip sell really well one year but not the next? Does your audience avoid sporting event packages? Do you get a bidding frenzy with outdoorsy trips and crickets on self-care spa days? There’s always room to raise more funds, so even if everything sold well last yea ..read more

Hello my fabulous fundraisers! Are you ready to dive into the 2023 fundraising season? Maybe your answer was a resounding “Yes, Kelly! I am!” or even if your response was a little less enthusiastic, I’ve got you covered for some tips to get a solid base ready for getting your fundraising on! Procurement: Need some pointers and help with procuring items for your silent or live auction? Procuring items for your audience is a full-team, year ‘round affair. Are you getting the right auction items for your fundraising audience? Here are some tips and tricks to flex those procurement muscles. ,How ..read more

As a nonprofit organization, you probably have so many donors, supporters, staff, and volunteers that make your organization tick. Of course, you want to celebrate them and highlight their support and contributions, and what better time to acknowledge their hard work than at your fundraising event? Yes, your fundraiser is a great time to present an award to an individual within your organization and have the crowd celebrate their contributions to your community. Allow me to walk you through some of the important things to remember when honoring donors or guests at your fundraiser. Spoil the s ..read more

My fundraising fiends, are you looking for a gourd time? You know I love a festival of trees around the holidays and as, I mentioned, you can even modify them for different seasons and occasions. We know they’re a big hit around the winter holidays, but spring, or even fall, you can modify the foundation and create an event your community and donors will get excited about! We love fall, right? Some websites even have a countdown to pumpkin spice season, so let’s spice up our fundraising campaign ideas and apply our winter and spring formula to everyone’s favorite time of year. We want to be m ..read more