Whether it’s a young professional happy hour, an annual golf outing, a flagship gala, or something in between, event fundraising is an important component of an organization’s overall fundraising plan. These events can contribute thousands—or even millions—of dollars toward an organization’s revenue goals.
Events present several unique opportunities beyond just raising money. They are a great time to present the organization’s mission and quantify the impact gifts can make on their programming. They are a chance to meet and cultivate new potential supporters or to broaden relationships with current donors. Events also provide a forum to engage with corporate sponsors and honor supporters who have made significant contributions.
In this article, we’ll walk through the following real-world examples of modern data-driven event fundraising strategies:
- Fundraising Galas
- Golf Outings
- Auctions
- Peer-to-Peer Events
- Strategic Events
1. Fundraising Galas
Galas are a staple of nonprofit fundraising, often generating millions of dollars. From ticket sales and VIP table packages to corporate sponsorships and paddle raises, there are countless ways to drive revenue. With modern wealth data, you can take it a step further by:
- Empowering board members and event committee members with targeted prospect lists for the night of the event
- Securing pre-event pledges based on wealth insights
- Uncovering hidden donor potential by analyzing new guest data
Wealth data can help you prioritize and engage your constituents before, during, and even after your gala. For example, consider a matrix like the one pictured below for your event follow-up.
2. Golf Outings
Golf outings are another popular fundraising event, offering excellent opportunities to engage individual and corporate donors. Wealth and career data can take your golf event to the next level. For example, you can:
- Use wealth data to create VIP packages or exclusive opportunities for high-net-worth guests
- Incorporate career data to identify guests who may hold decision-making roles at companies and ask for introductions to corporate sponsorship contacts
By understanding your guests’ wealth and career profiles, you can tailor both your pricing strategy and outreach efforts to maximize fundraising outcomes. Want to learn more about career data?
Check out Windfall’s eBook, Enhancing Fundraising with Career Intelligence.
3. Auctions
Whether at a gala or golf outing, auctions (both live and silent) present valuable fundraising opportunities. Wealth data can guide the selection of auction items and help your organization maximize these events by enabling you to:
- Survey high-net-worth individuals early on to determine which high-value items they would be most interested in bidding on
- Use wealth triggers like multi-property ownership or small business ownership to tailor your auction offerings (e.g., luxury travel experiences or high-end goods)
- Seek donations from high-net-worth attendees who may be willing to contribute goods or services as auction items
4. Peer to Peer Events (5K, Marathon, Bike-a-thon, Giving Days)
Peer-to-peer events encourage supporters to raise money on behalf of the organization, bringing in new donors and expanding your network. While not every participant will have an affinity for your mission, wealth data can help you focus on the most impactful relationships. With modern wealth data you can:
- Identify new high-net-worth donors from peer-to-peer events and prioritize outreach
- Work with participants who have affluent networks, ensuring they have the resources to effectively share your mission and engage their peers
By targeting the right individuals, you can boost the overall effectiveness of these types of events.
5. Strategic Events
Smaller, curated cultivation events are another excellent opportunity for targeted donor engagement. Organizations like Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey have successfully used wealth screening and career data to plan intimate gatherings in private homes with high-net-worth donors. These events, aimed at fostering deeper relationships, can be an effective way to engage major donors in a more personal setting.
Conclusion
Wealth screening has long been an essential tool for major gift teams, providing insights to guide strategic donor outreach. However, event fundraising teams have historically been unable to access these insights due to high costs and data limitations. Modern approaches to wealth and career intelligence allow fundraisers to gain valuable insights into their constituents, such as net worth, allowing them to prioritize and segment their lists and discover hidden gems.
Ready to elevate your next event? Schedule a demo with Windfall today to discover how data-driven insights can transform your event fundraising strategy. From understanding your guests to tailoring your asks, our tools will help you maximize impact and hit your goals.
