Heather Dimitt-Fletcher with Kolibri Associates has been with the nonprofit world for a really long time. She recently broke out on her own to consult with nonprofits and support them in all aspects of developing and growing their organizations. 

Events have a time and purpose, but they shouldn’t be your only source of development and marketing.

Events are very time intensive for staff and volunteers - they cost $35-50 for every $1 you raise, and that doesn’t always include the staff and volunteer time.

Annual campaigns are often $35 or less and major gifts or capital campaigns can be even less.

Events are a great public facing piece — they may need to be part of your marketing plan, but they can’t be the only way your org is seen by the public.

All your plans should intercoordinate.

Others ways to raise money are:

Choosing the right one for you depends on many factors:

You need to determine which events are for fundraising and which are there for marketing. Marketing events are more like “Friend raising events” and they’re all about communicating with people.  5Ks are often an example of this type events, some make good money but some don’t.   

The difference between a fundraising plan and development plan:

Your development plan outlines where your funding will come from. It has a strategy for how you’ll do it and who will do it. 

Your marketing plan outlines who you communicate with and why. How will you continue to do so and who’s missing that we need to communicate with.

Do you have to do the same events year after year? 

Feedback:

For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/myth-busted-why-fundraising-events-are-not-a-marketing-or-a-development-plan-with-guest-heather-dimmit-fletcher/