Chron.commons | Chron.com - The FYI on the ROI: when is a special event successful?

Chron.commons | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "It’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog—my apologies. The reason for my lengthy absence was the planning and preparation of a major fundraiser. On March 20th, my organization celebrated its sixth annual gala, Apocalypto, with over 700 attendees reveling in honor of Spacetaker’s founder, David A. Brown. Once the Mad Max style Thunderdome had been carried away, the chains removed from the walls, and Winter Street Studios returned to normal, the Apocalypto gala had raised more funds for our organization than any before. All in all, we can chalk up the event to a major success… but any good nonprofit administrator should ask, at what cost? What is the return on investment? And aside from fundraising, why do nonprofits host these galas and special events?"