How to Calculate A Fundraising Event's Opportunity Cost

How to Calculate A Fundraising Event's Opportunity Cost: "Large fundraising events can be fabulous ways to celebrate your cause and your mission. Too often, however, they are used as a main fundraising vehicle in an organization’s fundraising plan. While they can certainly bring in large amounts of money on one night, they come with steep opportunity costs that must be weighed to understand the true return on the event’s fundraising.

Let’s look at an example of understanding the impact of a big fundraising gala and the opportunity costs associated with it."



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St. Francis House of Boston Gala Sets a Record by Raising $750K

massnonprofit news ::: "November 5, 2015 — St. Francis House of Boston, the largest day shelter in Massachusetts, recently set a record at its annual gala, raising $750,000, beating its goal by $50,000, to support the men and women it serves by providing rehabilitative and housing services."



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Going to a gala? Here’s your checklist. - The Washington Post

Going to a gala? Here’s your checklist. - The Washington Post: Do your homework. Studies show that people are more likely to support a cause when asked by their friend. In fact, that’s how many people end up at galas and fundraising parties. But before you say yes, “Do your due diligence,” said Andrew Watt, head of Association of Fundraising Professionals International. “I do worry some people might spend more time researching getting a new pair of running shoes than [learning about] the causes their running for.” Along with understanding the organization’s mission, it also might save an embarrassing moment. One fundraiser recalled a friend who accepted an invitation blindly and ended up at an event that raised money for a cause opposed to her values.

Fundraisers beginning to welcome donations with cryptocurrencies | The Columbus Dispatch

Fundraisers beginning to welcome donations with cryptocurrencies | The Columbus Dispatch: Guests mingling at a recent gala for the Spare Key charity didn’t know it, but they had entered a new frontier in nonprofit fundraising. Folks who bought auction items ranging from French wine to a Mexican vacation were allowed to pay with check, credit card — or cryptocurrency.

Studying the Role and Finances of Fundraising Galas among Jewish Organizations - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Studying the Role and Finances of Fundraising Galas among Jewish Organizations - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The Forward has been running a remarkable investigative series on Jewish philanthropy, and this week they are focused on the sometimes elaborate and expensive fundraising parties run by some Jewish charities. Altogether, write the authors, who looked into the finances of 3600 organizations, approximately $95 million was spent on these types of events for a return in event income of $139 million, excluding donations made at the events.

Building accountability through leadership | Troy Media

Building accountability through leadership | Troy Media: Here’s an example of how an organization can miss out on a job well done:

A charity hires a special event consultant to run their annual fundraising gala. All the information gathered for the gala is collected by the consultant and housed on spreadsheets. But no one from the organization has thought to enter the information into the donor database for current evaluation or future use.

Why did this happen?

Hand Up Gala provides gourmet meals for homeless in Cleveland | cleveland.com

Hand Up Gala provides gourmet meals for homeless in Cleveland | cleveland.com: But the Hand Up Gala, happening on Friday, Oct. 18, takes a different twist. This event not only benefits programs for the homeless, it's the homeless who will get to sit and be served meals on tables swathed in table cloths and accented with centerpieces.

YPO to Celebrate 58th Annual Gala VEGAS LIVE, 11/2

YPO to Celebrate 58th Annual Gala VEGAS LIVE, 11/2: Every year, the YPO Gala is a must-attend social event which benefits an exceptional arts organization, and our 2013 Gala will truly be a night to remember," said Patricia Mederos, President of YPO. "We are so grateful to this year's gala sponsors without whom YPO would not be able to further its mission of opera education."

Founded in l955, YPO is supported by a group of women who work without staff to advocate educational music programs and the Florida Grand Opera,

Red Cross Gala Rocks and Raises 1.3 Million for Disaster Relief

Red Cross Gala Rocks and Raises 1.3 Million for Disaster Relief: The Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco’s design district was transformed into a stunning sea of red during the 2013 Red Cross Gala – ‘Hope by Design,’ hosted by the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter.

Guests experienced festivities that included cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions, dancing, and a spectacular musical performance by eight-time Grammy award-winning R&B icon Gladys Knight, underwritten by Dignity Health and McKesson.

Financiers' Charity Gala Goes the Way of Canap�s - NYTimes.com

Financiers' Charity Gala Goes the Way of Canap�s - NYTimes.com: But several thousand canap�s and empty bottles of champagne later, Ark said the gala dinner, held for the last 10 years, was no longer the right way to raise money. The charity, which received about $28 million in donations at the party last year, will now focus on exhibitions about its projects and smaller events to raise funds, it said.

Kate Moss and Sharon Stone pucker up and enjoy a kiss... but it's just for charity | Mail Online

Kate Moss and Sharon Stone pucker up and enjoy a kiss... but it's just for charity | Mail Online: And Kate Moss and Sharon Stone set pulses racing as they puckered up and shared a kiss at a recent charity event.

Supermodel Kate was auctioning off a moment on her lips to a lucky bidder at the third annual amfAR Inspiration Gala in Sao Paolo, Brazil, last Friday, and demonstrated her smooching prowess with the Basic Instinct actress.

CTK Foundation Awards over $55,000 in “Heart & Soul” Grants to Nonprofits | Fort Mill Times - Fort Mill, SC

CTK Foundation Awards over $55,000 in “Heart & Soul” Grants to Nonprofits | Fort Mill Times - Fort Mill, SC: Unique Grants Program Celebrates the Mission of Nonprofit Work and Promotes the Use of Technology in Managing Mission Achievement

AUSTIN, Texas --

Nonprofits and their supporters were out in force last night at the CTK Foundation’s Heart & Soul Gala to honor this year’s recipients of the organization’s grant awards. The annual event, which was held at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum, featured the Grammy Award-winning Original Blind Boys of Alabama performing an original song inspired by a poem written and submitted by Furniture Sharehouse, the winner of the 2013 Heart & Soul main award grant.

The main award licenses the song to Furniture Sharehouse in perpetuity and is accompanied by a $10,000 grant to help the organization raise awareness of their mission, which is to provide free furniture to economically disadvantaged individuals and families living in the vicinity of Westchester County, New York.

Social Life Comes to Halt as Library, WNYC Cancel Galas - Businessweek

Social Life Comes to Halt as Library, WNYC Cancel Galas - Businessweek: Arriving in one of the busiest weeks of New York’s social season, Hurricane Sandy forced dozens of nonprofits to cancel their fundraisers. Vendors and nonprofits will have to work out the financials of the situation and determine their next steps.

Rosenblum: Why do I feel bad saying no to giving a buck here and there? | StarTribune.com

Rosenblum: Why do I feel bad saying no to giving a buck here and there? | StarTribune.com: So we want to explain that our giving tends to be, well, more strategic. We support organizations that we feel passionate about, after we've vetted them. We join friends at galas that are important to them. We support our professional organizations. And periodically, we reassess and shift our donor dollars.

But there are 12 people now behind us in the coffee line.

"You are not alone," assured Michael Nilsen, spokesman for the Virginia-based Association of Fundraising Professionals. This type of at-the-counter pitch has "exploded" over the past five or 10 years, he said, for a compelling reason. It raises lots of money for nonprofits trying to break out of the pack.

Philanthropy for the famous: Benefits can exceed the benevolence at celebrity charity galas - The Washington Post

Philanthropy for the famous: Benefits can exceed the benevolence at celebrity charity galas - The Washington Post: Such balls have helped raise millions of dollars for nonprofit agencies around the world. But they’re much more than philanthropy for the rich and famous. Valuable business opportunities flow right along with the vintage Champagne, including networking, deal-making, image enhancement and, of course, tax deductions.

Houston enjoys its biggest charity season ever: The year of the $1 million gala makes a big difference - 2012-Jul-11 - CultureMap Houston

Houston enjoys its biggest charity season ever: The year of the $1 million gala makes a big difference - 2012-Jul-11 - CultureMap Houston: The Aubergine-themed Ballet Ball was just one in a long line of charity fundraisers that crossed the $1 million mark this past season. Never before has Houston seen such an outpouring of charitable dollars associated with society-driven fundraisers. In the wake of a struggling national economy, the city's philanthropic spirit, rather than shrinking, seems to be growing.

CultureMap counted 21 charitable fundraisers from January through May that raised $1 million or more.

Home for Little Wanderers Gala Raises $961K from 1,100 Guests

massnonprofit.org ::: May 28, 2012 — The Home for Little Wanderers, a private, nonprofit child and family service agency based in Boston, recently announced that it raised $961,000 through its annual gala, which drew more than 1,100 guests, the greatest number of attendees ever, beating its goal by a substantial margin.

Once-troubled youths tell their tales at Covenant House gala | NJ.com

Once-troubled youths tell their tales at Covenant House gala | NJ.com: ovenant House serves about 2,000 homeless adolescents a year in New Jersey, said Jill Rottmann, the agency’s executive director. The organization, which has crisis centers in Newark and Atlantic City and programs in Elizabeth and Montclair, runs on a budget of $9 million a year.

For the past nine years, the agency has held the fundraiser "A Night of Broadway Stars," in which youth and young adults perform and tell their stories. Rottmann said the event raises about $850,000 for New Jersey’s Covenant House, which mostly serves people ages 18 to 21.

Lawrence Clayton, who played the lead in the Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of "Les Miserables," said performing with Covenant House kids from all over the nation has been "amazing."

Sandy Weill just wants to move on - The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blog Term Sheet

Sandy Weill just wants to move on - The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blog Term Sheet: Weill has been focusing most, if not all, of his time on philanthropy – an endeavor he hopes will define his legacy.

On Monday, Weill and his wife, Joan, will be honored at the National Academy Foundation's 30th Anniversary Benefit gala in Manhattan.

Pratham Gala Raises $1.2 Million for Literacy in India | Indo American News

Pratham Gala Raises $1.2 Million for Literacy in India | Indo American News: Elegance and philanthropy were the hallmarks of the Pratham-Houston Gala 2012 when over 800 from this city’s diverse communities gathered at the Hilton Americas Hotel on April 21, to support the non-profit grass-roots organization’s literacy programs in India. The event themed We Are One World, chaired by Dr. Marie Goradia and Medha Karve, raised an unprecedented $1.2 million that will help educate over 60,000 underprivileged children and further Pratham’s vision of Every Child in School and Learning Well.