RAISE 2020

COVID-19 may have stopped us from gathering in large, in-person groups, but it has not stopped nonprofits all over the country from achieving their fundraising goals. The pivot to virtual galas in the Spring of 2020, was immediate and jarring -- but it worked. Supporters tuned in, donors contributed and nonprofits breathed a sigh of relief. Now as we approach the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 event seasons, the challenges of going virtual are slightly different. There's more prep time -- which ironically makes it harder -- more decisions to make, and more uncertainty about what the future looks like. In this session, we'll talk about 7 key elements to planning and executing a successful virtual gala.

We're not going to take a 30,000-foot look at virtual galas. We're not going to talk in theoretical terms, as if we're college professors talking about fundraising theories We're going to talk about the nuts and bolts of planning and executing a virtual gala. Of course, we can't make someone an expert in virtual galas in a one-hour presentation, but we can certainly arm them with 7 key areas to focus on, an understanding of why those areas are important, some specific examples so they understand the context of the decisions they're making, and some downloadable forms and checklists to give them a head start. Our goal is to host a very practical session.