Category: Financing & Loans

Not long ago, I received an email from the CEO of a large nonprofit medical center. She referred to an article I had written that was completely at odds with what she was told by the president of a major fundraising consulting firm the hospital is going to hire.

The consultant was advising the hospital to only have their paid staff make all key solicitations. To reinforce his assertion, he said to her, “You would not send out an amateur to sell a Ferrari, so why would you put at risk a major donor in such hands?”

My response was to point out that selling a Ferrari is a completely different transaction than “selling” a nonprofit institution’s program, service, or project.

Coming from my nineteen year background of “selling” lighting for General Electric, and subsequently “selling” the music of The Cleveland Orchestra for twenty years, I have seen five key success qualities at work in both worlds, one way or the other, relative to the salesperson’s/solicitor’s shared position to that of the respective customer/prospect:

1. Career Status
2. Economic Status
3. Social Position
4. Interest In The Institution (Company)
5. Mutual Respect

The sale of a Ferrari involves an explicit selling and buying environment that customers understand and expect. It is a quid pro quo deal. The best professional salesperson will do the job well needing only to possess qualities No. 4 and No. 5. In fact, most of the time, those are the only two of the five qualities that the salesperson could possess.

When we are seeking a voluntary charitable contribution, we are not working in the same product-selling-transactional-environment. We are not selling to a prospective donor; we are presenting her with an opportunity to satisfy her own needs … by supporting/contributing to an organization that serves her community and her concerns.

The volunteer possessing all five of the qualities listed above would make the most effective solicitor. (Like the Ferrari salesman, paid development staffers also only possess No. 4 and No. 5.) Based on long experience, that informed/trained volunteer, meeting with a key donor prospect, cannot be so crassly dismissed as an “amateur.”

We must always keep in mind that we are not selling prospective donors an institution’s “product.” In the nonprofit sector, we ask prospective donors to consider making a gift … giving to something in which they believe … and that they want to support.

Next week, in Part Two, Tony continues his passionate cry for the rescue of the Development Profession.

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
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If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

Get ready because they’re coming. Not only the Millennial generation, but their ideas. Thoughts about how to do things better, thoughts about incorporating new technology, crazy ideas with no grounding in past success or industry-wide best practices.

These folks want to make an impact – that’s why they’re working for your non-profit – and they have ideas for how to make it happen.

The upside is that you need new ideas. That’s right, if you keep doing things the way you’ve always done them, your organization will stagnate and eventually die.

The downside, however, is that there’s work involved in vetting ideas. Because let’s face it, some of the ideas your Millennial staffers bring to you will be good, some of them won’t.

But that’s why you’re in the position you are! You’re the boss because of your experience and good judgment.

I’m not here to tell you which ideas are good or bad for your organization. But, I do have some advice for listening to Millennials so they feel comfortable continuing to bring ideas your way. Remember, you need ideas.

This approach will also keep them engaged with their work. Want employees who care? Want them to be proactive? Learn how to receive ideas. Even from people younger and less experienced than you.

Here are four easy steps:

1.  Listen to the full idea before shutting it down. Don’t interrupt in the middle with a dismissive, “No, that will never work.”

2.   Remember that ideas beget other ideas. Even if the entirety of the idea isn’t exactly right, there might be some piece of it that is brilliant. After listening to the idea, point out the thing you like best about it. See if you can build on it. If it’s entirely dreadful, just go with, “first of all, I can tell you’ve given this some serious thought and I want you to know that I appreciate that.”

3.  Don’t feel pressured to make a decision right away. There’s a vast ocean between “yes and “no,” including:
•  Let me think about it
•  Research this part and come back to me
•  Present this at this next meeting and we’ll talk about it as a group

4.  Be honest about aspects of it that give you pause. And give your staff member and opportunity to respond to your concerns. Maybe they’ve already thought them through.

5.  Give credit where credit is due. If your Millennial staffer brings you an idea and you run with it, make sure to acknowledge where it came from.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be a lot more likely to harness the entrepreneurial spirit of the Millennials on your team. Ignore these steps and you’ll lose people. They’ll get bored with their jobs, spend more time at work checking Instagram, and eventually leave for a place where they feel valued.

One final thought: If a nonprofit organization is to survive over the long term, there must be a cadre of younger staffers in the learning/growth process who will be able to effectively replace the older staffers when they move on !!

Next Week Tony Poderis offers the first of a two-part impassioned discussion as to, “Who should be raising the money for nonprofit organizations.”

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K. Michael Johnson is a major gift officer at a large research university
and the founder of Fearless-Fundraising.com .
You can contact him at K. Michael Johnson.
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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

A couple of weeks back (on January 28th) Tony Poderis addressed his concerns about the evolution (or devolution) of the fundraising field. Where I agree with Tony, wholeheartedly, I want to address the distinction between the two concepts … as in the title of this piece.

All professions, by definition, involve some level of special training/education and, often, a period of “internship” (however that’s defined). No one can decide to be a professional in any field, without learning the rules/practices of that field. No one can be a development professional their first day in legitimate fundraising.

Until about forty years ago, a person became a development professional by working for one of the old hands … being taught about the meaning of “development” and its rules, and being mentored for a period of years. Then, in the early 70s, a number of universities, in collaboration with many of those “old hands,” began offering intensive training programs for future development professionals.

The basic rule of the “profession” was an ethical balance of the needs of the nonprofit organization and those that it served, and the needs of (potential) donors.

Sometime in the 1980s, if I recall correctly, the “ethics of the profession” were formally codified. And, as I also recollect, codes of ethics seem to be part of what it means to be a professional.

So, again, by definition, a Fundraising/Development Professional is someone who has been educated, has trained for the role, has demonstrated an understanding of the principles of development and an ability to apply them, and abides by a code of ethics.

Just because someone has been hired by a nonprofit organization to be their director of development, or their grants writer or special events coordinator, doesn’t make them a Development Professional.

Development as an activity is defined as the process of establishing relationships with potential donors (individuals, foundations, corporations) with the purpose of learning their needs and how the satisfaction of those needs can/will correspond with the satisfaction of the needs of the nonprofit organization.

The Development process involves the education of the prospective donors as to the mission, programs, successes and needs of the nonprofit organization and the people it serves. The term “donor cultivation” refers to the “getting to know you” process – the donor getting to know the NPO and the appropriate people at the NPO getting to know the (prospective) donor.

It is only after the relationship has been formed, the parties have gotten to know each other, and how the needs of both could be satisfied, that the “solicitation” of the donor can proceed. “Fundraising” is the next-to-the-last-step in the development process.

Next Week K. Michael Johnson assures Development Directors/Managers that Millennials may have worthwhile ideas to offer.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
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Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
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If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

What would we do without Shakespeare’s quotes to fit any occasion or mood? Thus it is with my seeming futile battle against the ever-mounting rise throughout the non-profit sector where development staff members become nothing more than paid solicitors.

Whenever I’m impelled to remind anyone who the fund raisers should be in their organizations, keeping in mind that there is often some energetic (negative) pushback, there is one of the Bard’s quotes that comes to mind:

“What’s gone and what’s past help, should be past grief.”
— Paulina in The Winter’s Tale

 

What’s gone and what’s past help seems to be true with how the development process has evolved over the past several decades, but my grief remains.

I’ve been fighting the development-as-sales battle for too many years, and I fear we are all losing to the growing trend of having boards of trustees believing that fundraising is someone else’s responsibility, and to development staff too often willing, or forced, to take on the role of solely, or mostly, being “the” fund raisers for their organizations.

There are, of course, some who do star in their role as staff solicitor for their organizations, but when they leave – and everyone leaves eventually – they will likely take with them their personal relationships with donors … and other contacts and resources, resulting in having the individual taking over their role in the position of pretty much having to start from scratch.

I have, and continue to have, ongoing communication with frustrated and frantic development professionals, people who are lamenting that they are not at all able or willing to be their organization’s fund raiser of first resort, but are de facto in that role by order of their boards or their supervisors.

I know I am mixing literary metaphors here, nonetheless I think it apt to bring in Arthur Miller, looking to his “Death Of A Salesman” as a perilous parallel to our formerly glorious fundraising “family” becoming more and more populated with despairing and failing Willy Lomans. As such, I fear we could very well be seeing the “Death Of A Profession,” as we once knew it.

I tell anyone within reach that we cannot continue to go this way and succeed with mostly a “smile and a shoeshine,” making the “sale” for today, but not being given the time and resources to build for tomorrow.

And, it all goes back to the Boards of Trustees and other volunteers. Volunteers are the lifeblood of a development operation, and Board Members are the most important volunteers of all.

There is no greater strength in a fundraising campaign than a board ready and willing to lead. There is no greater weakness in a campaign than where the board sees fundraising as someone else’s responsibility.

But, those formerly true and highly successful fundraising principles are now being abandoned in favor of the quick fix, using paid outside- or staff-solicitors.

And while there are some proven and workable aspects to social media, micro-giving and crowd fundraising campaigns, far too many organizations are all too willing to put all or most of their effort to those mass-media appeals made to mostly temporarily-caring audiences for the smallest of contributions.

The tried-and-true development process to ensure future financial stability is all but being abandoned for today’s limited vision and an annually renewed urgency to meet (mostly) arbitrarily-set quotas.

“How poor are they that have not patience!”
— Iago, in Othello

 

Next Week, our millennial, K. Michael Johnson, talks about how he’s ticked off some of his older colleagues with his so-called “new ideas.”

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

Every time I sit down to write a fundraising letter, or one of these posts, I suffer a period of anxiety. I’m worried that readers will reject my writing. Reject me.

At first my writing is flat, a collection of information and phrases with no life or meaning.

But after a little while I get over myself and start thinking about my reader: You!!

Of course, I don’t know you yet, but I can imagine you because I know so many people working for nonprofits and facing the challenges of fundraising.

Chances are that you are generous, intelligent, curious and conscientious. Also, probably, pressed for time, short of resources and at least a little less knowledgeable than me about direct mail. (If you know more about it than me, then I want to read your posts!)

Now I’m feeling better. We care about some of the same things and we’re here together so I can help you. You’ve made a little bit of time to hear me out, but I need to get to the point.

And the point is “You.” It’s the most powerful word in the English language, the word that names us, the subject of most of our waking thoughts.

You’ve heard the advice that inserting the word “you” into copy makes it more engaging to readers. This actually works, but the practice may strike you as a rather mechanical, even a Pavlovian trick.

But, the interesting thing is this: it’s a trick we play on ourselves as writers as much as on our readers. We can’t address our words to a person called “you,” without imagining that person.

If I’m writing for an environmental organization, I’m likely to imagine “you” as a healthy, active older married woman with an advanced education and broad interests in addition to a passion for sailing.

Now that I’m holding an imaginary conversation with an imaginary reader, my writing starts to read like speech, the words I would use to inform and persuade someone at my kitchen table.

You don’t know me, I think, but I know something you’ll be interested (perhaps shocked) to hear. I see my reader looking at me skeptically over her glasses.

But she’s listening, so I keep talking, building my story and showing how her informed monetary support can make a big difference in the outcome of my story. She’s nodding. Now I’m feeling persuaded and passionate myself.

It can take many more hours to complete final revisions, but that’s the beauty of imaginary conversations – unlimited do-overs. Meanwhile, I’m on my way to a complete first draft.

Thanks to “You.”

Next Week Tony Poderis discusses … Who Should be an Organization’s Rund Raisers.

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Jon is Vice President of Cause & Effect, Inc.
He has helped nonprofits develop successful direct response strategies and
effective donor communications for more than 25 years.
Contact Jonathan Howard or
visit the Cause & Effect website
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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

In the context of charitable giving/fundraising, the anonymous donor is someone whose name will not be publicly linked to the gift they’ve made … or even if they’ve made a gift.

Usually the recipient organization will know the name of the “anonymous” donor; but, consistent with the donor’s wishes, will not allow that donor’s name to be linked to a specific gift, or to any gift, to that organization.

Occasionally, a gift will come to an institution through a third party, such as an attorney, ensuring that the institution will not even know the name of the donor.

In any case, whether or not institutional staff knows the donor’s identity, and even though no public mention is made of the donor’s identify, every effort should be made to acknowledge the gift … to thank the donor.

Even if the donor is not being acknowledged publicly for his/her gift, s/he should get the appropriate recognition for the gift … for the support … for caring !!

“Recognition” is something done “for” the donor, not for the public. And, for recognition to be appropriate, it must be consistent with the needs of the donor.

That’s an important concept that many people in the nonprofit sector don’t know and/or understand. “Development” is all about the needs of the donor, ‘cause if you’re not considering her/his needs, s/he is not likely to be giving to you … or not likely to give to you again.

Bottom line: All gifts to nonprofit organizations are made to satisfy the donor’s needs – from wanting to do some good, to helping his/her community, to “giving back” to an organization that has helped them or someone or some community they care about, to wanting the recognition that comes with giving, to wanting to enjoy the feeling of having helped, to any other reason that results in a gift.

That’s not being cynical. It’s realistic. If making the gift didn’t in some way satisfy donors’ needs, if making the gift didn’t make donors feel good about giving, then they wouldn’t be giving.

Most “anonymous” donors are known to the institution(s) they support, and those institutions know what has motivated that person to make the gift(s) and what it will take to get the donor to want to make future gifts.

In knowing/understanding the needs of the donor, it’s not difficult to give that donor the appropriate recognition. It could be a handshake from the organization/s board chair or CEO, a report on how the donor’s gift will make and/or has made a difference in people lives and/or how that gift has impacted society, a note from someone whose life has been changed because of that gift, a video of the organization’s programs in operation, a small but appropriate gift (like a book) or any combination of those and/or anything else you can think of … that would fall into the category of “satisfying the needs of the donor.”

Of course, if the donor is not known to the recipient organization, you can’t know the range of his/her needs; but, you can make an assumption – mainly that the gift would not have been made if it wasn’t satisfying one-or-more of the donor’s needs.

What would you think one of those needs might be ?? What would satisfy that need ??

I encourage you to share your thoughts, your answers to those two questions. Your responses (with attribution) can/will be the basis of a follow up posting.

Next Week Jon Howard discusses THE essential element in Direct Mail Fundraising

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

 
 
 
January 14:

Recognizing The “Anonymous” Donor
by Hank Lewis

“Recognition” is something done “for” the donor, not for the public. And, for recognition to be appropriate, it must be consistent with the needs of the donor.

January 21:

Getting To Know “YOU”
by Jonathan Howard

Every time I sit down to write a fundraising letter … I suffer a period of anxiety. I’m worried that readers will reject my writing. Reject me.

January 28:

Development Staff as “The” Fund Raisers
by Tony Poderis

I’ve been fighting the development-as-sales battle for too many years, and I fear we are all losing to the growing trend of having boards of trustees believing that fundraising is someone else’s responsibility….

February 4:

Dear Millennial, There’s Nothing New Under the Sun
by K. Michael Johnson

Like many Millennials, I’ve definitely ticked off some of my older colleagues with my so-called “new ideas.” I’m not particularly interested in doing things a certain way just because that’s how they’ve always been done.

February 11:

Development as a Profession vs. Development as an Activity
by Hank Lewis

No one can decide to be a professional in any field, without learning the rules/practices of that field. No one can be a development professional their first day in fundraising.

February 18:

Dear Boss, Let’s Try This….
by K. Michael Johnson

The Millennials are coming, the Millennials are coming, and they’re bringing their “new ideas.”

February 25:

Who Should Raise The Money – Part One
by Tony Poderis

We are not selling to a prospective donor; we are presenting her with an opportunity to satisfy her own needs … by supporting/contributing to an organization that serves her community and her concerns.

March 4:

Who Should Raise The Money – Part Two
by Tony Poderis

I fear we are all losing ground with the growing trend of having boards of trustees believing that fundraising is someone else’s responsibility….

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

An all too common question … that usually arises far later in an organization’s forming process than it should have been asked.

I always reply, saying, “Before you make commitments for expenses for which you may not have the funds, I suggest you begin with your Board Of Trustees. You should have on your board, at the beginning of your creation process, as many serious givers-and-getters as possible – people who are rated at the best levels for giving of their own money, who are willing and able to get money from others, and who are willing and able to recruit others who they know will do the same.

Chances are that most “new” organizations will be serving constituencies that are unable to pay for their services; and, so, neither would/could they be donors. Those new NPOs, then, must look with their board to other sources.

Most new groups, in order to have time for developing paths to outside funders, should have each board member commit personally to a set amount — which each may contribute from their own pockets, may raise from sources close to them, or may raise the funds from a combination of both. Compliance to this concept, or the lack thereof, would be a good indication of whether you’ve assembled the right board to ensure that your organization will have a future.

[Editor’s Note: If your Board Members can’t/won’t support, won’t give to their own organization, why should anyone else, why would they want to ??]

When I was in that position, before my development career began and as a board member of a new organization, each of us agreed to go out and raise a dollar amount that was calculated by dividing our number of fund-raisers into the amount needed to balance the books for that fiscal year. We each had a fundraising goal of $1,800.

Off we went, giving what we could of our own money, then asking family, friends, our employers, and owners of places we did business. (I received donations from my company, doctor, dentist, florist, dry cleaner, etc.) We all, individually, worked to our own goal to collectively meet the overall goal of the organization for the year.

Along with that productive activity, we were researching local granting foundations and corporations, learning who they were, what they gave to, how much they gave, and seeking to know of any personal or business links our board had with officials of the grantors. You, too, can easily learn who those grantors are from the Foundation Center directory and from references in your local library – and the good old, and very effective, “word-of-mouth.”

As well, your team should work to gather annual reports and other of their publications from organizations similar to yours and review their listings of donors as potential donors to your particular cause.

These are but a few of the ways you must slog along to learn who cares about your organization and who might care. You cannot expect to get funding from distant and uncaring donors.

You find qualified donors only in those ways – working from the inside out.

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We’re Taking a Break for Two Weeks.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday and a Happy & Healthy New Year.
See you on January 7

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, click on the title of this posting, then go to the bottom of the on-line version to offer your thoughts.

We have had many a tasting with delicious desserts that were not chocolate. So, when selecting one that was not chocolate, we usually added a plate of truffles to the table so people would not feel as though the meal was incomplete.

A good caterer should also be a guide to all of the different foods and presentations. A simple change of plate from round to square or serving salad in a shallow bowl instead of on a salad plate can make a noticeable difference in the presentation. Don’t hesitate to ask the caterer for different approaches to serving a meal.

Also, be open and honest about the food. If something is too salty or two sweet (could that really happen?) say something. Remember to keep your audience in mind. Age and gender are factors to consider when setting the menu.

Also remember that many people have allergies and food issues that you have to deal with. Every meal you plan should have a vegetarian and a vegan option; and, more and more people eat gluten free.

The caterer will usually take care of all of these issues provided you give them the information in advance.

Of course, not every attendee will tell you in advance. On one occasion, we had an attendee walk in 5 minutes before a formal dinner was to be served and then asked one of the staff members about the menu. Upon learning what was to be served, she announced that she was highly allergic and could only eat a plain piece of chicken and some fruit.

Fortunately, the caterer had brought a few plain chicken breasts and was able to take care of the attendee. That rarely happens. A more likely scenario would have been an angry attendee without dinner! It would be the attendee’s fault, but guess where the blame would fall.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to ask that the caterer make provision for such an occurrence.

In terms of the early questions at the start of this article (last week), no matter how well you know a caterer, every event is different and your menu will reflect those differences. You will want to taste the menu to be sure it works,

As to hiring a caterer first and doing a tasting after the contract is signed, that is a good way to get stuck with mediocre food and bad service.

In that context: I recently met with a caterer who we have never used, but about whom the client was very excited. I had done the advance work, but had gotten preliminary menus that were far from what we wanted — I asked for changes, and a tasting.

We were invited for a tasting; but, when we got there, discovered that we were merely there to again discuss what we were looking for and what might be available to us.

We were three people, and they brought out one plate with small portions of some tasteless food for us to share. When I said something about the tasting, I was told, that “once we sign a contract, we will do a real tasting.”

Clearly, we will not be going back for that “real tasting.”

When you leave a tasting, whether it is at a hotel or at an “off-site,” what you’ve just experienced should have you excited and eagerly looking forward to the actual event. Short of that, you clearly need to rethink your vendor/caterer.

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Next Week, Tony Poderis responds to The Age Old Cry:
“We’re A New Organization. Where Do We Find The Donors?”

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Have a comment or a question about
creating or expanding your special event?
Ask Natalie.
With over 30 years in conference and event planning,
she can help you turn your vision into reality.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Natalie’s ebook on Special Events.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, click on the title of this posting, then go to the bottom of the on-line version to offer your thoughts.

QuestIon: Should I do a tasting even if I have worked with this caterer before?

Answer: Absolutely.

Question: Should I hire a caterer and then do a tasting?

Answer: Absolutely NOT.

In the past, people who were frequent event attendees tended to have great expectations, except when it came to food. There was a constant “rolling of the eyes” if someone commented that the food at a particular event was really good. That was fairly common, when rubber chicken dinners were flying high (pun intended).

In recent years, food at both, hotels and “off-sites,” has improved enormously … in taste and presentation. Now, expectations are high and caterers and chefs work to outdo each other and are, frankly, getting better and better at it.

Food makes the evening more (or less) remarkable, and is something everyone talks about. Hotel chefs have stepped up their game and are more than happy to help create a themed event with interesting presentations.

A recent reception had a gelato bar flavored with various vodkas alongside the standard wine and beer fare. A dessert bar for an after party focused on a variety of champagnes with assorted mini sweets.

When doing an event at an “off-site,” catering is an essential element … along with the lighting, sound and décor, and choosing a caterer takes time.

You begin the process with a list of caterers who are approved to work in the facility. Asking the site manager which caterer works the space most often is a good way to start your search. You have probably been to a few events yourself and had some good experiences. Find out who the caterer was and ask the person who did the planning whether they were pleased and would use them again.

Try to narrow down the search to two or three caterers and contact each one asking the same questions. I will frequently explain that I am looking for creative menus with really good food that a variety of people with varying tastes can enjoy.

I made some calls recently about a breakfast event we were handling, and explained that I wanted something “creative,” and not just a bagel bar. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that 2 out of 3 sent me menus with … a bagel bar !!

Look over the menus carefully. Based on what you see, select 2 of the caterers (unless one is so outstanding that no one else can compete) and ask for a tasting.

A good caterer will have asked you about the type of event, colors, décor, background on the attendees, your goal for the evening and most important, what you want the attendees to take away from the event.

Usually, a tasting lasts about 2 –3 hours with time to taste a lot of different foods (from hors d’oeuvres to entrees to desserts). Look at linens and china, crystal, chairs and anything else needed for that event.

Notice the word “taste!” It does not mean eating everything on your plate, no matter how delicious. A few bites will tell you if an item will work. And you do want to save room for dessert, especially if it’s chocolate ☺

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Obviously, Tastings are about more than food, and
next week Natalie Continues the discussion.

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Have a comment or a question about
creating or expanding your special event?
Ask Natalie.
With over 30 years in conference and event planning,
she can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Look for Natalie’s ebook on Special Events.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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