Design Your Event for the Audience You Want to Attend

Well curated events where the audience, the program and the goals for the event are in line, help pave the way to success

When we start talking with non-profits about what they hope to achieve with their fundraising events they often reply, “We need big money from our big donors AND we need a bunch of new supporters, too.” Sometimes these two can go hand-in-hand, but only if very special care is taken to curate the attendance.

Throwing the dice and waiting to see about who will be attending your event is not the way to do either the friend-raising or the fundraising.We regularly encourage our non-profits to get very clear about their goals and let those guide the event development.

The purpose of acquisition events is to bring new people (who may become potential donors down the road) into your organization and introduce them to the great work you do. Major donor events are all about taking the folks who are already significant donors to your organization and getting all of them together to continue, and maybe even increase, their support.

When you are trying to do both kinds of event at the same time, can you see how the intersection is at odds with fundraising? You’re trying to take two different audiences on different journeys at the same time. For people new to your organization, there is a certain amount of cultivation and education needed to move them into being a major donor. This is the same work you have invested in your major donors, and continue to invest if you’re doing it well.

Curate your events to suit the audience you are seeking to attend them. No event can be everything to everyone. And while doing one big event for everyone seems advantageous in terms of workload, it often runs counter to the event’s maximum potential. Make your acquisition events specific to the crowd you’re targeting and more about education than fundraising. Don’t assume this audience knows who you are and what you do. Tell them your story and build the compelling case for their involvement and future financial support. Often these are smaller, very targeted events like meet and greets at your offices or a happy hour where you bring targeted staff members to talk about their work.

For the big fundraising, invite your major donors to an event that shows them what you’ve been up to, and what you hope to continue to do with their help. To celebrate the hard work you all do together. These can be large or small events depending on your fundraising goals, but if your primary focus for an event is fundraising, you must make sure you have put together a very specific room of donors. Sending out an invite and waiting to see who comes leaves too much to chance. Get strategic. Develop a targeted invite list, reach out personally and engage donors with a specific solicitation to be a sponsor, a table host or a guest.

Most often, supporters are friends of an organization before they become donors. That’s the cultivation process. Think about your events and where their purpose falls on this spectrum to help shape your event.