What have we learned from 2020 and how will it help us grow?

I'm sure many of you found yourselves in the uncomfortable position of not knowing how to raise money or connect with your donors when in-person events weren't possible. Many postponed or canceled events and are now wondering what to do going forward. My suggestion is to use 2020 as an opportunity for reinvention and innovation. Hopefully, you saw that the in-person event wasn't required for those funds to come in, and in the cases where that didn't happen, I think that illustrates how important the fundraising relationships are outside of the events.

One of the biggest issues I've always seen in nonprofit event planning is the lack of strategy before the planning begins. It's so important for organizations to be thoughtful about why they're doing events, not just going through the motions because they do the same thing each year. That is the difference between event planning and event strategy, and I hope nonprofits will look at the last year as an opportunity to be more strategic going forward.

My biggest takeaway from 2020? Event attendees are not interested in the 2-3 hour extravaganzas of yore. Events should be donor-centric, impactful, and dynamic. If we've learned anything from 2020, it's that our time is so valuable, and we don't have the patience for anything that doesn't serve a real purpose. Nonprofits should recognize that their donors/attendees don't have unlimited time or budgets to support them, and there are thousands of worthy causes in Columbus.

What is it about your organization that's going to make someone want to become a donor to your organization, not just to your event? How are you connecting to donors on a personal level? What are you doing to help them understand their impact on your organization, not just how amazing your organization is? There are key differences here that will really help propel nonprofits forward and show an understanding and evolution of their donors and their place in their world.