Alcohol at Your Events

It’s a common myth that alcohol consumption at your event can lead to increased giving. In theory, it makes sense—get your guests buzzed and it’ll help loosen up their pocketbooks—right?

Not quite. Too much alcohol can lead to a lower level of giving. And this can happen for a number of reasons. If your guest has had one too many, they may be unable to focus and connect with your mission. Or they may feel incapable of making financial decisions at that time. Both instances lead to missed giving opportunities.

If your guest is past the point of buzzed and finds themselves inspired to give generously—they may wake up the next morning not remembering their contribution, leading to feelings of regret or requests for a refund. Both are not great for cultivating new donors and bringing in new supporters.

Additionally, the risk of over-drinking can lead to an unsafe event environment. Your event is more than a party, it should be a safe and welcoming environment where donors connect with you and your mission for sustained support.

So, if alcohol is served at your events, here are some best practices to keep in mind.

The only physical factor that decreases someone’s Blood Alcohol Content (level of alcohol present in one’s bloodstream) is time. Not bread or popcorn or water—just time.
Don’t rely on alcohol to bring energy into your room environment. Music, décor and activities can, and should all be used to bring fun and festivity to your event.
Consider using inclusive language by calling your “cocktail hour” a “social hour” to make all guests, regardless of whether they are drinking alcohol or not, feel welcome to network and mingle.
Alcohol will not trigger giving. People give to people, so give your guests a positive event experience and focus on ways to connect your guests with your mission. This can be done through storytelling and offering guests ways to participate with and engage with your organization after your event.
Offer a non-alcoholic club soda with lime on passed trays, along with alcoholic beverages like beer or wine. This will also make everyone—drinking or not—feel welcome.
Create a beverage station for water and non-alcoholic punch so guests choosing to not partake in alcohol don’t have to wait in line.
Have water and coffee readily available at tables so as guests take their seats, they can choose from a variety of beverages.
Hire professional bartenders who have been trained to recognize high levels of inebriation and will be able to cut guests off. This will save your staff lots of stress, creates a safe event environment for everyone and may help limit some of your liability.
When placing wine bottles at tables, plan for about 1½-glasses per person. For a table of 10 guests, that’s 3 bottles of wine. Also, don’t allow servers to auto-fill wine glasses at the table—this can make it difficult for guests to keep track of how much they’ve had to drink.
Have a zero-tolerance policy in place that allows you to take action easily and without reprimand if someone isn’t treating everyone with respect.

This all being said, we aren’t suggesting that you host dry fundraising events. Depending on your organization’s culture, alcohol and drinking can be ways to help your guests socialize. But to increase donor giving, focus on ways to tell your organization’s stories and move your mission forward.

Read our blog post on how to cultivate donors to maximize the potential of your event.

Photo by Andie Petkus Photography