Nolo’s Fundraising Tips for Busy Nonprofits

I seem to have been attending a lot of meetings lately, both in for-profit and nonprofit settings. That’s given me a chance, while I wait for people to file in, to notice that it’s often the meetings where the announcement contained the magical word “food” that draw the most attendees.

That’s hardly a headline-worthy revelation — but then why are some organizers still missing their chance at a little bribery? Particularly when the weather is getting better and motivation to sit around inside is going way, way down?

Maybe bribery is too harsh a word — anthropologists can give us plenty of examples where the first words out of a host, even when greeting a stranger, concern whether the person would like some food. It’s a primal welcoming thing.

Anyway, if the reasons are budgetary, that doesn’t seem like much of a barrier. No one needs to promise a hot gourmet meal, just some snacks. In fact, two or three people planning to come (board members or other volunteers, for example) can be asked to bring those snacks. Some cookies, fruit slices, nuts, and cheese and crackers will not break anyone’s budgets.

The Houston Chronicle hit the nail on the head with its January 2, 2008 article, “In fundraising, short is sweet,” by Shelby Hodge (billed as, interestingly enough, a society writer).

Hodge’s basic premise is that charities who let their gala luncheons, dinners, auctions, or other events go on too long are going to turn off the very donors they’re hoping to thank or inspire.

Hodge quotes one experienced fundraiser who says, “Remember that the members of your audience are your donors, your friends. They are giving you the gift of their time, the most valuable thing they have. Be kind to them. They want to have some fun.”

I couldn’t agree more, having recently attended an end-of-year dinner and awards event that went on so long I had to leave in between speeches. The problem was that they had invited five big-name awardees — all of whom were wonderful to listen to (well, okay, I’m not sure about the ones who spoke after I left) – but who were either not given clear instructions on how much time they had, or were not told when their time was up.

Personally, I’d hate to be the one to tell a famous person at the microphone that he or she is going on too long. So lesson one might be to hire a tougher enforcer than me. But better yet, either limit the number of people encouraged to make a “speech” as opposed to a quick thank-you, or give them a full lecture beforehand on the importance of keeping it brief.

While we’re at it, the Hodge article offers ten tips on keeping your event on track that are worth a look.

The only one I’d quibble with says, “Don’t beat the audience to death with your nonprofit’s message. You already have their money.” That’s fine by itself, but many in the audience will be friends, dates, or even spouses who don’t know the nonprofit’s message. So without “beating them to death,” I’d say give a quick reminder or update to inform the new attendees and inspire the old. Then let everyone get home and wake up the babysitter.

You could read that judgment into the words of billionaire investor William H. Gross, who recently talked to Stephanie Strom for her September 6 The New York Times article, Big Gifts, Tax Breaks and a Debate on Charity.

Mr. Gross said: “When millions of people are dying of AIDS and malaria in Africa, it is hard to justify the umpteenth society gala held for the benefit of a performing arts center or an art museum” and “a $30 million gift to a concert hall is not philanthropy, it is a Napoleonic coronation.”

Ouch. If your organization holds gala — or semi-gala — events to support arts and culture, should you be cringing at that statement? Actually, Mr. Gross’s main point seems to be that the government should be handling more public functions, rather than giving big tax breaks to philanthropists whose self-interest may drive their donations. So, perhaps he’s not making such a sweeping judgment as it first appears. In any case, we can be pretty sure of three things:

• The government will never take care of all public needs, so there will always be a place for charity.
• If we wait to support arts and cultural causes until we’ve wiped out all of human suffering, we could wait forever, and lead less meaningful lives while we’re at it.
• We can’t count on donors to seek out organizations to support on their own. Most will be drawn by nonprofits’ efforts to gain visibility, including through special events.

So if your organization can pull off a gala event that’s akin to a coronation, don’t be shy about it. You’ll probably bring in dollars that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, for a cause that’s obviously supported by at least as many members of the public as show up. And so what if it’s glitzy and attracts the rich and famous? Someone’s got to give them something to do on a Saturday night! If they don’t spend their money on your gala dinner, they’ll spend it down the street at the latest celebrity chef’s restaurant.

For more tips on how you can throw the right event for your organization, pick up a copy of my book, Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work (Nolo).