The Flaws Inherent in Fundraising Events
The following two articles were sourced from the recent LinkedIn posts by Jim Langley of Langley Innovations
ARTICLE ONE
The Flaws Inherent in Fundraising Events
The most successful fundraising comes from iterative, interpersonal discussion; no one-time event will ever achieve as much as deliberate dialogue in optimising the giving potential of any prospect
Many events develop their own following – golf tournaments are more likely to draw those more interested in playing 18 than in helping an at-risk teen; galas have a stronger probability of attracting those more interested in showcasing gowns than in coping with Downs.
- Sponsors fill the tables or foursomes they buy with their constituents not yours
- Alcoholic drinks do not deepen altruistic aspirations or make audiences more attentive; messages get lost or not fully absorbed into the bloodstream.
Five years ago, Emily Haynes of the Chronicle of Philanthropy wrote, “Charities don’t understand what makes donors give. A new study finds many charities(59%) think live events matter, but few donors(18%) say they are ever inspired to give because they attend galas, lunches, and other gatherings.”
That was five years ago. That was before COVID. I suspect notably fewer donors today are inspired to give by events.
Therefore:
- Don’t use events to raise money from causal observers, use them curate the conscientious and cultivate those with shared convictions
- Don’t provide expensive entertainment, offer substantive, soul-moving experiences that money can’t buy
- Don’t rent fancy offsite facilities, bring your donors onsite and inside – grittiness can be more moving than prettiness
- Don’t tell them about your mission, show them how you are fulfilling it
- Don’t just present, discuss
ARTICLE 2
A Fundraiser’s First Obligation …
It is to philanthropy itself.
All ethical fundraisers and fundraising organisations must commit themselves, at bare minimum, to do no harm to philanthropy. At best, they must commit to engaging in practices that reinforce, renew and reignite the philanthropic spirit.
Harm is done to philanthropy when organisations:
- Over-promise and under-deliver on promises made to donors
- Fail to spend money donated for current use in a timely way
- Don’t honor and preserve donor intent
- Prove themselves incapable of relating money given to specific sustainable societal outcomes
- Pursue fundraising goals that are not tied to the betterment of those their missions call them to serve or self-aggrandizing goals that are pulled out of the air to simply set records or to raise more than other organizations they wish to be seen as superior to.
When fundraising is put in pursuit of the false, egotistical, greedy or poorly thought out, it harms philanthropy by leaving the philanthropic dissatisfied if not disillusioned, wondering what difference they have made and whether they should give as generously as they once did or if they should give at all.
Some might argue that the fundraiser’s first obligation is to the organisation – but the wisest of fundraisers understand that the best way to protect the credibility of the organisation and its future fundraising potential is put the protection, preservation and perpetuation of philanthropy above all else.
