by Jini Stolk
We’ve all organized events where, at the end of the night, we ask ourselves “why?” We may have had a good turn out; all the work that went into getting in-kind donations may have paid off in auction income. But…did we develop new supporters? Did we engage attenders so they’ll come back to see our shows?
I clearly remember the sinking feeling when the answer to these questions was a whispered “no”.
I’ve rarely found as good, easy and sensible advice about how to turn events into long term development activities as in this piece by Sheldon Wolf in the Nonprofit Quarterly.
If you (and your staff and board) like talking to people, if you’re interested in listening to them and getting to know them, you’re on your way to involving your event attenders in your mission.
If you’re wondering how to encourage board members to embrace their role as ambassadors for your company, look no further.
“Development professionals develop relationships with people…excellent interpersonal skills are central to our work.”
