Download - Artez Interactive - The Science and Art of Event Fundraising

The Science & Art of Event Fundraising

Dianne Sheridan

Artez Interactive

Jeff Shuck

Event 360

Webinar Tips

© 2009 Event 360 |

• This webinar is being recorded and will be

available on our website short

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“chat” feature

• We will take all questions at the end. Please use

“raise hand” or “chat” features

ABOUT EVENT 360

We create experiences that inspire

emotion, giving, loyalty, and change.

We offer three core scalable services:

• Strategic and fundraising consulting

• Event development and production

• Information technology

We have helped our clients raise

nearly $500 million to date.

© 2009 Event 360 | 3

AGENDA

• The importance of focus

• The science

The link between events and mission

Participants, donors, and gifts

The event lifecycle

Several examples

• The art

Articulating the mission

Crafting the ask

The secret is change

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUS

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YOUR EVENT CHALLENGE

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YOUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE

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YOUR MISSION CHALLENGE

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THE EVENT IS

A MEANS TO AN END

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Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

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THE SCIENCE

© 2009 Event 360 | 12

What benchmarks are important to you, and why?

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Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

EVENT

• Facilitates mission by providing revenue through

fundraising participants

• More events create more mission impact

because participants increase with number of

events

• Consider multiple events or multiple dates,

or both

• Event quality matters! It speaks to the care you

put into your brand and your mission

Key metrics:

• Number of events

• Participant satisfaction

• Repeat attendance

© 2009 Event 360 | 14

Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

PARTICIPANTS

• In general, more participants correlate with higher

revenue

• However, a myopic focus on attendance leads to

many long-term problems

• Focus on recruiting participants who will fundraise

• What to watch for:

Time as a registrant correlates positively

with number of donors

Team membership correlates positively with

retention and fundraising

Key metrics:

• Average and median registration time measured

in days prior to event

• Team participation

© 2009 Event 360 | 15

WHY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE

• Affinity to activity

I like to run.

• Affinity to third party group

I want to support my company’s initiative to take an active role in

the event.

• Affinity to participants

I like to spend time with my neighbors.

• Affinity to cause

I want my children to live in a world without breast cancer.

• Affinity to organization

I believe strongly in Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

© 2009 Event 360 | 16

REGISTRATION FEE

• The registration fee is a barrier to entry

• Con: Acts as a “price” that drives down attendance

• Pro: Helps you segment out people who have little

inclination to fundraise

• The biggest problem: Participants are allowed to

view the fee as an ending point rather than a

starting point

• Engage participants immediately upon

registration:

• Goal

• Self-donation

• Tools

© 2009 Event 360 | 17

Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

DONORS

• Donors are the key indicator of fundraising

participants

• You can significantly influence the number of donors

• What to watch for:

• Goal activity signals fundraising awareness

• Email activity signals fundraising activity and is

strongly correlated to funds raised

Key metrics:

• Number of donors

• Average and median donors per participant

• Number of participants with zero donors

• Number of self-donations

• Number of participants with goal

• Average and median number of emails sent

© 2009 Event 360 | 18

THE IMPORTANCE OF A FEW

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

25th 50th 75th 90th 95th 99th Top 1%

Registrations

Fundraising

© 2009 Event 360 | 19

Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

• The single best predictor of overall revenue

• Number of gifts is mainly influenced through

effective participant communication

• Average gift amount can be influenced

through donors directly

Ease of use

Suggested levels

Timely acknowledgment

Key metrics:

• Number of gifts

• Average and median gift amount

GIFTS

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Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

• The overall summary of performance

• Most organizations focus too heavily on costs

• To increase performance more than historical trends,

you must make operational and tactical changes

• Be aware of setting a revenue target based on your

budget need

• Watch the $0 balance percentages: They show how well

you are developing a fundraising culture

Key metrics:

• Overall revenue and fundraising revenue

(gross and net)

• Compounded annual growth rate (benchmarked)

• Fundraising revenue per participant

• Overall revenue per participant is misleading and

basically useless

REVENUE

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THE EVENT LIFECYCLE

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

$1,400,000

$1,600,000

$1,800,000

1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

Your tactics should change based on your place in the lifecycle.

© 2009 Event 360 | 22

Participants

Fundraising

SOME BENCHMARKS

Driver Benchmark

Number of Participants 2,500

Fundraising Per

Participant

2008 average was $859; median $110

Fundraising Growth 2008 average was 280%, median 15%

Attendance Growth 2008 average was 45%, median 11%

Registration Fees 75% of events have a registration fee;

average fee is $27

© 2009 Event 360 | 23

EXAMPLE: DRIVING ATTENDANCE


Total Fundraising $165,000

Percent Participants on Team 60%

Percent Participants with Goal 40%

Percent Participants at $0 65%

• Small event with good fundraising

Growth in attendance will drag fundraising performance but is probably

worth it

• Action steps:

Focus on participant acquisition

Drive team participation

Consider registration fee incentives

Continue to bolster fundraising culture© 2009 Event 360 | 24

EXAMPLE: ATTENDANCE VERSUS FUNDRAISING


Total Fundraising $1,105,000

Percent Participants on Team 80%

Percent Participants with Goal 61%

Percent Participants at $0 85%

• Question the ROI of any attendance-based activities

The event already has healthy attendance

A fundraising culture is lacking

• Action steps:

Drive team fundraising through team captains

Segment and focus on getting participants with goals off the dime

© 2009 Event 360 | 25

THE ART

© 2009 Event 360 | 26

Mission

Revenue

Gifts

Donors

Participants

Event

MISSION MATTERS

• Ultimately, the event is a mission vehicle –

so, the mission must resonate throughout

the event

• The more you rely on the event and the

less you rely on mission, the harder you will

have to work to establish a fundraising

culture

• Do not take for granted that people agree

that your mission is important, let alone

even understand what it is!

© 2009 Event 360 | 27

THE CHALLENGE OF MATURITY

• Internal

Get comfortable from our success

Struggle to maintain the same level of passion

Make assumptions

Feel certain jobs are „done‟

• External

Changes cause brand confusion

Lose differentiation amongst competitive clutter

Lose edge - known for marketing, not for effectiveness

Big, but better?

© 2009 Event 360 | 28

THE POWER OF CASE

• A clear, compelling statement describing

what you do and why it is important

Problem: “Over one million women are

diagnosed and 465,000 women die

each year of breast cancer worldwide.”

Work: “We‟re working together to save

lives, empower people, ensure quality

care for all and energize science to

find the cures.”

Vision: “An end to breast cancer

forever.”

• The case is NOT the description of

everything you do or aspire to do. It is a

tool to ask for support.

Our vision

The problem

Our work

© 2009 Event 360 | 30

YOU MUST ASK

• In event fundraising, there are two „asks‟ – we ask people to

participate and they ask people to give

• The number one reason people do not give is because they

are not asked

• The “Six Rights” of the Ask:

Right person asking the right prospect for the right

amount at the right time for the right reason in the right

way.

• Make it easy: Templates, emails, reminders, address books

© 2009 Event 360 | 31

YOU MUST THANK

• Relationship management is

key

• People give for 3 basic reasons:

To feel good

To belong

To be acknowledged

• What is the participant/donor

perception based on their

experience?

© 2009 Event 360 | 32

THE POWER OF EXAMPLE

• While the power of event

fundraising comes from the

bottom, the leadership must

come from the top

• Is the board all participating?

• Are they fundraising?

• Does the board have a

fundraising goal?

• Does the staff?

• What culture have they

created?

© 2009 Event 360 | 33

THE SECRET IS CHANGE

• Ultimately, different outcomes come from a change in the way we act

• Rome was not built in a day

The next two sessions will cover more specifics.

• What can I do immediately?

See what percentage of your participants raise nothing.

Review your internal conversations and event messaging asking,

“Do we focus on fundraising?”

Think through your event from a participant perspective – how

are you removing obstacles and excuses for the participants not

to fundraise?

© 2009 Event 360 | 34

More webinars for you

© 2009 Event 360 |

The Artez Mobile CommunicatorTuesday, March 23rd at 11:30 a.m. EST (North America)

Give your Golf Tournament Fundraiser a MakeoverThursday, March 25th at 2 p.m. EST (North America)

Expert Guests:

Linda Yielding, Manager – Special Events, Reach for the Rainbow

Kelly Hagerman, Program Manager – Events (GTA), Kids Help Phone

Register at www.artez.com

http://www.artez.com/

Calendar Notes

© 2009 Event 360 |

• March 30th – ArtezInterAction USA, Washington, D.C.

Hear from top fundraising strategists & digital experts including :

Dan Pallotta, Ted Hart and Dharmesh ShahMore info @ www.artez.com

• April NTEN in Atlanta & AFP in BaltimorePlease come by & say “hi” to us!

Thank you

© 2009 Event 360 |

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