Author: Natalie Lewis

To be sure that all board members will do all that’s required of them, the Planning Committee meets with them to outline the board’s role and emphasize that a visible demonstration of the board’s support is essential to “set the example” for potential leaders and donors.

And, as the planning process proceeds, it’s part of the Planning Committee’s job to ensure that the board members make their contributions to the event.

The Planning Committee has ultimate responsibility for the success of an event, as they are the people with the connections who “fill the seats” and “fill the coffers.” In that role, they have the clout (in so much as anyone does) to get the Board members to do what they need to do.

Board member contributions include their dollar support and their participation in the outreach process. That participation can be as minimal as generation of (realistic) lists of names of potential attendees and donors, or as supportive as making substantive contact with likely leaders and major donors.

Board members who made a major gift to the organization earlier in the year can still contribute to the event, but it depends on how you (and they) want to structure their giving, and how open you are about it from the beginning. Springing an event on a board and expecting them to pony up another $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 will not serve you well.

Frequently board members will make their (pardon the use of the term) “annual gift” early in the fiscal year. Then, they can have their companies match their gifts and have those matches support the event. That way, both the board members and their firms get the much-deserved recognition – the recognition that will make it more likely that they will (want to) participate the next time.

Board Members will do what’s needed when they’re motivated to do so.

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Have a question about creating or expanding your special event? Email me at Info@NatalieShear.com. With over 30 years in conference and event planning, we can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Have you seen Natalie’s ebook on Special Events ??

A couple of questions appeared in my email recently … from an organization getting ready (!!??) to plan an event, ”How do we put together and structure our event committee?” Should our board be the committee?

The answer to the latter question is an emphatic “No!!” The board should not be the committee.

Some key members of the board can be on the committee, but an event committee should include a broad, representative segment of your constituency … including major donors, friends and colleagues of the honoree, and some people who have shown an interest in wanting to work with you but for whom you’ve not had a particular role….

You can construct a Host Committee composed of public figures who only lend their names, not their time/efforts/money – i.e., Members of Congress or state or local government types … Governors, Mayors, etc. Or, you can set up a Host Committee that requires a gift from each member of $5,000 to $10,000 (pick a number) … for the “privilege” of being on the committee.

To create the right/best kind of committee for your event, you really need to know your audience.

A tested and proven event structure is composed of 2 Co-Chairs, 2 Vice-Chairs, a Host Committee and a Planning Committee (typically, 5 or 6 people) … who will make calls and help raise money and awareness.

Be sure to include on the planning committee the “assistant” to the honoree – the person who works closest with s/he who will be the event’s star attraction, the draw. It’s that “assistant” who tends to be essential to raising money from the honoree’s friends and colleagues.

Your board has a job description that includes being part of and supporting your events. But you should not rely on the board to do all the work … that’s what the event leadership and committees are for….

How Do You Get Your Board to Do What They’re Supposed to Do For Your Event?
— Coming on July 16 —
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Have a question about creating or expanding your special event? Email me at Info@NatalieShear.com. With over 30 years in conference and event planning, we can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Have you seen Natalie’s ebook on Special Events ??

Had a call, today, from a non-profit organization that has never before done a “major” event, but they’ve decided that they really want to do one now. I could probably have transcribed the conversation before we began talking, as it seems like there’s not a week that goes by that I don’t get a similar call.

This organization is 4 years old, they’ve done a few (Hank, pardon my use of the word) “fundraisers,” and they feel certain they are ready for the “big” event.

First question I asked was, ”Why did you contact me? Answer: “My boss went to an event you did and loved it and wants us to do one just like it.”

Great, now we have a real problem…the event that she loved was for 500 people in an elegant expensive locale and was now in its 8th year … an event that the organization has been planning, developing and growing for longer than that.

Then I asked, “Tell me about your organization and why you want to do an event. After an overlong description of all the wonderful things the organization does, she said that they wanted to do an event to attract people to the organization and their work.

Good idea!! So I asked, “Do you have potential donors who would want to buy tickets and attend … how large is your mailing list … where will the money come from to rent the place, pay for the invitations, postage, food, beverages, etc….??

“Oh, we thought we would ask one of our board members to chair it and have the rest of the board on the committee, and they would raise the money….”

My next question, “How much money does your board raise now? Answer: “Not much.” So, why, I ask, would you think they would/could raise money for an event ??

“Why not?” they ask.

Anybody have an aspirin?
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Have a question about creating or expanding your special event? Email me at Info@NatalieShear.com. With over 30 years in conference and event planning, we can help you turn your vision into reality.

There used to be hard-and-fast rules as to what was, or wasn’t, a special event. Today, everything gets that label, from a small cocktail reception, to a board lunch, to a Gala Auction for 1,000.

Nonprofits think special events are cool and a great way to raise money, but they’re only partially right. Events are indeed cool, but only a great way to raise money if the organization has the donor base to make it happen.

To do an event, your organization needs:
• A great donor/mailing list of people who will want to come to an event to support your work;
• Board members who will step up to the plate, and make an example-setting contribution;
• Leaders who will make calls to friends and colleagues to engender their support/participation;
• A great honoree or two who ”bring” more people and money to the table;
• Co-Chairs and a Host Committee who will deliver their own contributions and those of others; and,
• A staff event coordinator who does nothing but the event … because that person will have no time to do anything else.

No one wants to spend an evening listening to talking heads. Learn to be brief, and if you must present a long biographical history of someone, do it in the evening’s printed program and/or in a quick (2-3 minute) video presentation.

There are a lot of variables to the success of an event. The evening is only so long; don’t try to do too much. If you have two honorees and two presenters you’re done !!

And, one thing to remember, it takes years to build a major event that people mark on their calendars as a “don’t miss.”

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Have a question about creating or expanding your special event? Email me at Info@NatalieShear.com. With over 30 years in conference and event planning, we can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Have you seen Natalie’s ebook on Special Events ??