Without systems, planning an event can easily become chaotic and overwhelming. Systems enable you to delegate tasks and create consistency.

In this episode I share:

• The difference between a system and a process

• The seven core systems you need for nonprofit success

• Four tips for creating systems & procedures

Having a successful event year after year is a great thing! There are times, though, when you need to change things up slightly to refresh an event to keep it from getting a little stale.

In this episode I share:

- The difference between the Flywheel Effect and the Doom Loop

- Seven ways to refresh or breathe a little fresh air into your event

Half the battle when researching venues for your nonprofit event is knowing the right questions to ask.

In this episode I share:

• Eleven questions to ask when looking for a venue

Gathering event feedback helps you determine what your audience liked about the event and identify areas for improvement.

In this episode I share:

• Why feedback is important

• The best ways to capture feedback

• The types of questions to ask

• How to use that feedback once you have it

• Tips for how NOT to take negative feedback personally.

Live auctions serve a purpose other than just raising more money for your organization.

In this episode I share:

• The purpose of a live auction

• The types of events that work best for live auctions

• How to find live auction items

• Why it’s important to work with an auctioneer

The silent auction has ended and you’re done. Well, almost. There are seven things you need to do to wrap up your auction.

In this episode I share:

• The first thing you should do. It might surprise you

• The things you need to document for the organization

• The things you should document for yourself or the future auction chair

There are a number of things you must do in the month or two leading up to and on the day of the auction to make everything run smoothly.  

In this episode I share:

• When to open & close your auction

• Determining your layout at the venue (# of tables needed

• Creating a seamless process for check out

• Common Volunteer Roles

• Merchandising items 

• What to do if someone doesn’t pick up their item at the end of the night

• Packing up and heading out

Online, mobile, or virtual auction. No matter the name, they all mean the same thing; an auction conducted over the Internet where people can bid through a website or mobile device. Not paper sheet bidding.

In this episode I share:

• The benefits of an online auction

• What to look for in a platform

• How to structure your planning timeline for an online auction

• Suggestions for dividing the work amongst your auction team

• Tips for adding items to your auction site

Silent auctions are a popular fundraising activity for nonprofits and their supporters. Sometimes auctions are viewed as easy money. If you’ve ever organized an auction, you know it’s anything but easy. They are a lot of work!

When you put processes in place, it makes everything go more smoothly and makes you look more professional. BEFORE you ask for a single donation, you need to prepare to host an auction. Find out what you need to do and how to do it, step by step.

In this episode I share:

• Why it’s important to prepare to host an auction before asking for donations.

• How to determine the ideal number of items to have on your auction

• A process for soliciting and tracking donations.

Planning a nonprofit fundraising or awareness-building event takes a team! This group of individuals can have a huge impact on your event.

In this episode I share:

- The typical structure of the planning team

- When you should or shouldn’t have co-chairs

- Which roles should be held by organization staff, when possible

- The importance of matching the person to the role

- What not to do with your planning team volunteers

Event sponsorship is arguably one of the most challenging and stressful aspects of planning a fundraising event. Part of that stress is driven by the fact that there are IRS rules about what you can and cannot do and there’s a fine line where sponsorship can unintentionally drift from sponsorship to advertising.

I discuss this fine line with my guest Jess Birken, of Birken Law. In this interview Jess and I discuss:

• When does sponsorship become advertising?

• What does it mean when that happens? What are the consequences?

• How can you prevent this from happening or plan ahead

Jess shares her best tips and advice for creating a win-win value proposition with your event sponsors

For nonprofits, sponsorship packages all tend to look the same; logos on websites and printed materials, tables at the event, social media mentions, etc. So how does a nonprofit stand out from the competition and create long term relationships with their sponsors? The answer…Sponsor Activations.

In this episode I share:

• What is a sponsor activation?

• Why a hybrid model of the tiered package + activations is preferred.

• A step by step process for coming up with activation ideas and pitching them to sponsor prospects.

Sponsorship sales is one of the most important, yet most daunting, tasks for your fundraising event.  It’s not just something you can dive into.  There’s a lot of prep work that needs to happen behind the scenes before you can begin.  I break it the prep work down into 7 steps.  

In this episode I share:

• Why you should have a clear definition of your target audience

• How to break down creating a budget and set your sponsorship goals into easy steps.  

• The importance of having realistic and measurable sponsor goals and benefits

• The best place to start when creating a sponsor prospect list

This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT.   Planning fundraising events is not easy.  These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the challenging aspects of planning an event. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. 

Working hard is important but so is taking time off to recharge.  When you don't allow yourself time off, both mentally and physically, from work you risk burning out.  It may seem counterintuitive but you also reduce your effectiveness when you don't take time off.   If you need permission to take a much needed break, you'll get it here. 

Are you heading into the new year excited and ready to take on your first event? Or are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious? If it’s the latter, it may mean you simply need to do some year-end tasks that will set you up for success for next year’s events.

In this episode I share:

Why you need a recap for all events

Why you should start recruiting your planning team now

The importance of organizing your digital files and event “stuff”

How to create an event kit and what you should put in it

This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT.   Planning fundraising events is not easy.  These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the frustrations and conflicts that come with planning events. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. 

In today’s PPT we’re going to talk about the last couple of weeks leading up to your event. This time can be stressful but you also have to deal with many things out of your control. Learning to deal with those issues is key to long-term success.

What is an event script?  Why would you need one for a small nonprofit event?  I answer these questions and more in this week’s episode.      

In this episode I share:

- Why you need an event script, no matter how small your event or program

- What should be the maximum length of your program

- The format and content of your script

Being nervous on event day is understandable. Your mind is filled with all kinds of scenarios of what could go wrong.

In this episode I share:

• The three ways to minimize issues

• The five areas where problems tend to arise

• How to keep your cool on event day

There are many lessons learned each time you and your team plan a nonprofit fundraising or awareness building event.  An internal recap document is how you capture those lessons and use what you've learned to build on and improve your event the next time around. 

In this episode I share:

• What an internal recap is and why you need one

• The input you need for a thorough recap

• The structure + dos and don’ts for your recap

The weeks leading up to an event can be chaotic. There’s a lot happening and there will be lots of questions about what’s happening and when. The easiest way to ensure everyone is on the same page and minimize questions is to create two documents that will keep you on track on event day; a Show Flow or Run of Show and a packing checklist.

In this episode I share:

• What a Show Flow or Run of Show is

• How it’s different from a timeline and why you need one.

• How to create an event packing checklist.