Smart ideas from Hartsook Companies, Inc.

February 23, 2010

Simple Steps to Planning a
Successful Recognition Event

Have you ever been to a donor recognition event and wondered what goes on behind the scenes? While the element of social interaction, live music and a nice meal warrants an enjoyable evening, a well produced event also provides a foundation of appreciation for support of a donor relationship. The basic elements to a great event are: create an experience, determine your objectives, and stay on budget!

Relationships are central to any successful fundraising endeavor; the quality and care of those relationships makes all the difference. Amanda Osborne, MPA, CFRE, Vice President, Greensboro, NC, referenced a donor survey in her February 9, 2010 Strategies for Success article entitled, Building and Nurturing a Relationship with Key Donors and Prospects is Key by stating, " ...our donors say that the development professional is one of the most important people in their philanthropic decision-making." Personal experiences with development professionals help form expectations that perpetuate motivation in how people give, who they give to and why. When you walk into Starbucks they not only offer you a broad range of menu choices, but also create an experience every time you visit. The same theory applies to donors. A positive interaction during an event opens the door to a continued conversation, investment of time, and the potential for a future gift.

The Experience:

• Type of Event. Dinners set completely different expectations than receptions. Make sure you know your donor base and what you want them to experience during the event.

• Program. The average attention span of an adult is 20 minutes. Pack a punch in the first 20 minutes so people are compelled to engage past that point.

• Menu. The easiest way to make people feel comfortable is allowing them to eat something they recognize. Leave room for 5-7% of your invitee's vegetarian selections.

• Entertainment. Instrumental entertainment is enough! Always sample performances before signing.

• Ambiance. Customization of your event isn't free, but makes all the difference! Lighting, arrangements, table design, and food presentation count!

Stay on Budget:

• Research. Vendors, venues and suppliers. Remember, everything is negotiable!

• Vendors. Choose wisely and treat kindly. Vendors can be your greatest ally in a pinch. Treat them with respect as professionals and they will do the same with you.

• Partner. No one will turn you away for asking too many questions. Always have a second set of eyes read over contracts before you commit yourself to anything.

• Count Your Pennies. The most common misconception about events is that the budget you have is too small for the event that you want. Be frugal in some areas so you can splurge in others.

Defined Objectives:

• Purpose. Maybe it is a recognition event for donors, a seminar to promote philanthropy or a networking luncheon to meet future clients. Don't host an event just for the sake of having an event.

• Invitees. Fine tune whom you want present. Merging different event demographics into one event makes your gathering unclear and multi-purpose. Stay focused!

• Outcomes. Clearly defining the purpose and invite list enables you to curb your expectations about your outcomes to specific categories: prospect cultivation, increased volunteerism, education, awareness and renewed enthusiasm for mission and vision.

• Expectations. Events are only one medium through which you communicate with your donors. The expectation should never be that an event will bring in the big bucks, but rather that it acts as enhanced cultivation of a donor, potentially leading to a future gift.

No matter the event, your invite list or what is served for dinner, events serve as an extension of your professionalism and appreciation of the people that make your fundraising efforts such a success. Doing it right the first time makes all the difference.

- Lisa Marcia, Fundraising Manager, Corona, Calif., lmarcia@hartsookcompanies.com

AFP International; Come See Us
We invite you to visit the Hartsook AFP Center (booth number 1148 - 1149) at the AFP International Conference on Fundraising in Baltimore April 11-14, 2010. Author of five books and Hartsook Companies' Chairman and CEO Bob Hartsook, and the Hartsook Chair in Fundraising, and author of Fundraising Principles and Practice, Adrian Sargeant, PhD, will be on hand for book signings. Matt Beem, COO, will be available to unveil and sign his brand-new book, Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success. Watch for coupons for a free copy.

Giving Back
Hartsook Institutes for Fundraising and Hartsook Companies' National Day of Service provided more than 50 eligible nonprofits access to some of the nation's most successful and knowledgeable fundraising consultants on January 20-21 and February 11-12 at Avila University.

Through a tailored discussion about their most pressing fundraising challenges, nonprofit executives, development directors and board members gained advice that can lead their organization to fulfill their missions through increased funding.

The two organizations will hold Day of Service sessions in Baltimore on April 10-11 in conjunction with the AFP International Conference on Fundraising. Eligible nonprofits must sign up in advance. A limited number of spaces are available and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To be considered for these limited sessions, please contact Karin Cox at Hartsook Companies (kcox@hartsookcompanies.com).

Coming Soon
Matthew J. Beem, MPA, CFRE, President and Chief Operating Officer for Hartsook Companies, will soon release his first solo book. Produced by ASR Media, Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success, priced at just $29.95 (plus $5 S&H), will accelerate anyone's learning curve and serve as a handy, yet entertaining, reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers. To reserve your pre-release copy for just $19.95, contact Tammy Weinman at tammy@hartsookcompanies.com noting "Performance Book Special" in the subject line.

Another Smart Idea...From the Hartsook Best Practices Collection^SM

"My best practice is creating an informal coalition of Executive Directors in my city to share ideas and challenges. We also have a list-serve where we can post questions of each other." - Marissa Galick, Director, Joy of Music School, Knoxville, TN

If you are interested in Best Practices and smart ideas, see these additional resources from Hartsook Companies:

• The entire ASR Publishing collection is now available on Kindle. Books from Hartsook Companies' CEO Bob Hartsook include On The Money! - an enlightening collection of success stories and lessons learned from nonprofit fundraising campaigns nationwide; Closing that Gift! How to be Successful 99% of the Time - a reveal of the 29 secrets to closing a gift and the top 10 solicitation mistakes; Million Dollar Gifts - 101 strategies of amazing real-life stories of million-dollar gifts made by average Americans; Nobody Wants to Give Money Away! - stories, humor and more than two decades of fundraising experience in which Bob explores the nine fundraising truths essential to success; Getting Your Ducks in a Row - a tool box of strategies for effective campaign fundraising, including ideas, concepts, plans, strategies, approaches and suggestions that result in success; and "Reality Fundraising" - ideas, insights and lessons learned through hundreds of best practices from nonprofit professionals nationwide.

• "Best Practices Coast to Coast," a compilation of best practices from every state in the union.

• "Hartsook Best Practices Collection," our original collection of 250 best practices and great ideas.

For a free copy of "Best Practices Coast to Coast" or the "Hartsook Best Practices Collection", please email Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com, or visit our web site. We also invite you to contribute your own best practice by emailing Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com.

Visit the Hartsook Companies web site for:

• Educational opportunities
• Books/reference articles
• Conference/workshop speakers

Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with more than 2,000 fundraising professionals bi-weekly. We welcome your contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com. If you'd like a free subscription to Strategies for Success - or its monthly companion, eHartsook on Philanthropy - contact Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com. You also can reach her at 816.298.8045, Ext. 8225.

Our web site is located at http://www.hartsookcompanies.com.