Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Episode 222| The Fundraising Moments Most Nonprofit Events Miss

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Episode 222| The Fundraising Moments Most Nonprofit Events Miss · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Have you ever sat through the wrap-up meeting after a big event and heard someone ask, so how much did we actually raise?
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: And then there's this pause because ticket sales, sure, everyone knows that number, but the actual giving that happened in the room that night, uh, well, sometimes it's scattered across a cash box or a stray Venmo transfer and a pledge card that never actually turns into a receipt.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the thing: that is not a bookkeeping problem, that is a fundraising problem.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: Every one of those fuzzy numbers was a donor standing right there, ready to give more, and the event just didn't give them a way to do it.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think one of the biggest mindset shifts for nonprofits planning events right now is realizing the ticket isn't the ask.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: It is just the doorway to it.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Jenna Lynch, head of community engagement here at Donorbox.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: Each week we bring you practical strategies, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more, reach further, and take your nonprofit to the next level.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_02: I am joined by my co-host, Britt Stockert, fundraising coach here at Donor Box.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: And today we're talking about the whole event stretch from someone buying a ticket to actually growing the relationship once it's all over.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, Britt.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, Jenna.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm glad we're talking about this because many of the coaching clients I work with, you know, their event teams are putting in so much heart, so much soul into planning these big events.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Guess what?
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Well, once the door opens, everyone, they like take a huge sigh of relief and they feel like the heavy lifting is over.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: But really, that's when the most meaningful donor connection should be really happening.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: So I am so excited to be syncing up with you today.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, that's exactly right.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: So today I want to talk through the whole event before people arrive, while they're in the room, and after they go home, and then figuring out where the real giving opportunities get missed.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: And with giving season, it's already in full swing.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: Whatever's leaking at your events right now is leaking probably at the worst possible time of the year.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no pressure here.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, right.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I know, I know.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, odds are good at least.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: One of those things is waiting to happen probably at your next event.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: Let's start at the very beginning before anybody's walked into this event.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, Britt, when does the first real fundraising opportunity at an event actually happen?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Earlier than most of our listeners probably think.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's not going to be on the day, it's not going to be in the night of the event.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's actually the ticket purchase.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: The moment someone's already said yes to you, they have their card in hand.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: But most organizations treat that little purchase as just like a transaction, right?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Get it sold, check off the box, move on to the next task.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: But what they're doing is they're leaving the easiest ask of the whole night sitting right there.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: So what's it look like when someone actually gets that moment right?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Well, something as small as right after they buy the ticket, asking if they'd like to add a gift on top or making it a recurring gift.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Think about it.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: You have their momentum.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: People say yes to that more than you think because they've already decided to support you.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: You're just offering a second option while they're already right there.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: You want to capture that momentum in the moment.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's a really good way to put it.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: The ticket is not the finish line.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's basically the warm-up, right?
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: And uh donor box events is built exactly to do that, which I love.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, capture more generosity right there in the online ticket checkout so that it's not just a one and done transaction.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Totally, because that checkout screen is going to be your single best real estate before that event even happens.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Again, you have their full attention and asking for a small additional gift right there, it takes zero extra effort on your end.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: So, what about the stuff that tripped people up even earlier?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, like buying tickets for an entire table.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, I think that's a sneaky one, Jenna.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, let's think about this.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, someone buys six tickets for a table, right?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: And you've got absolutely no idea who's actually walking through the door until they're handwriting name tags at check-in.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: A platform that's actually thought this through, like donor box, it lets each ticket carry its own name and email from the second it's bought so that you already know who's coming before they arrive.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: And your registration volunteers, they don't have to deal with those long lines coming right from the door.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_02: And payment.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: So the payment itself, I feel like that can be its own little disaster for some orgs.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: Do you have some thoughts on that too?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, it really can be.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, someone's ready to give the digital wallet's already open on their phone, and the form only takes a typed in card number, right?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: What's going to happen?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: The donor is just going to close the tab.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: Again, a platform built by people who've actually run events.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Fundraisers, it covers the way people prefer to pay now.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Digital wallets, bank transfers, not just the ways that people paid five years ago at these events.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's less about the flashy features and the checkout experience, right?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: And more about whether, as you said, whoever built this is actually thought through where you're losing people and where the pain points are.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, having a thoughtful experience for not just you, but for the people attending your event and checking out really, really matters.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I like what you said right there, Jenna.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need a platform with 50 flashy features.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: What you really need is a tool built by people who genuinely understands how events play oops on the ground.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it can make all the difference.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so let's say the ticket is sold.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: We're actually at the event now.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_02: Let me throw a few scenarios at you.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna put you in the hot seat and you can tell me uh what's going wrong and what could actually fix it.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_02: So, uh first one here, you've got a cash box sitting on the checkout table.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Oof.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Basically completely decorative at this point.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Do away with those cash boxes, folks, because nobody's carrying cash to your fundraising event anymore.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's old school.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Only about 4% of your donors still reach for it.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: 63% would rather just tap a card.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: So we need to get with the times, right?
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what actually works is one clear spot right at check-in where a card just taps and it's done in three seconds.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: Bing, bing, boom, that's it.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, and that's so much.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I love our donor box live kiosk so much, right?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's one station, it's that easy tap, dip, swipe, no fumbling.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I think that's something that everybody should think about.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: And like you said, those cash boxes are basically decorative at this point.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh okay, how about this scenario?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_02: Someone on stage saying, you can always give more later on our website.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: Again, we talked about momentum.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: We want to capture folks' attention right in the moment and telling people to give on your website later, what's going to happen?
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Most of that generosity gets completely lost.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're actually gonna lose 80 to 90 percent of the room.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's a real step, by the way.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: So, again, people they genuinely mean to do it, but once they walk out those doors, the moment's gonna completely pass.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: So you really need technology that can capture that generosity in that moment.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: Next scenario uh staff member walking the floor with a clipboard doing head counts.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, are we still there?
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, okay, um, this breaks my little heart um when I see that because you have a wonderful staff member or an amazing volunteer spending their energy counting heads on a clipboard when they can be equipped instead with a mobile reader, having engaging conversations, paying attention to attendees and taking gifts right at the tables.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, let's not do the clipboard.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: We're we're way beyond that.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I agree.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: I think it is energy lost.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, if you have a great check-in system, you don't need to be counting heads to make sure you know how many people are in the room and you can use that energy for something more valuable.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, the fix for event night isn't add more tasks, right?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: So it's remove the friction from the asks that you're trying to make.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so having these little tasks off of here to do uh remove some of that friction so that you can focus more on the engagement piece.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Not in my head over here, Jenna.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's exactly it.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: And and as you said, with donor box life kiosk, anchoring the door, the same system.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: It just follows wherever your staff actually are, right?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: Whether it's on the floor, wherever that might be, even down to a live tag on a table if you want to go that far.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: So again, think about meeting folks when they're feeling generous in those in-between moments.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's just takes different forms, right?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that because it's not a pile of separate systems to manage, right?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_02: Everything talks to each other.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: You've got this live kiosk that you can collect donations with a simple card reader or on your mobile device.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: So if you have volunteers, they can use mobile.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: You've got the live tag that you can place on cocktail tables, and they all talk to each other and they're all working together to capture that generosity.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's really just one suite, right?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: Same record, whichever way someone prefers to give.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: And it really moves the needle, especially with the bulk of giving season still ahead of you.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_02: This is really something to think about.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: Organizations running DonorBox Live are seeing better than a 150% increase in average number of donations, which is just absolutely major.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: And by the way, I'll just throw this in here.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: If you are uh picturing the Wi-Fi dying medium and you're sweating it, that's already been thought through too.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, DonorBox Live kiosk keeps recording offline and just syncs the second the signal is back on with our offline auto sync.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a really great feature as well, so that you are not losing out on those donations and you can increase your average number of donations.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yes.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm telling, you know, all of my coaching clients this that it is genuinely worth 10 minutes exploring Donor Box events, live kiosk, um, making sure that their giving page, their campaign on their website is updated before their next event.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: Listeners, y'all still got time to get some of the setup done.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: And Jenna and I and our whole team at DonorBox, we're happy to support you.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_02: And we'll go ahead and drop the link in the show notes so you can go take a look.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: So deep breath.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: Let's say you get through all of that, right?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: The event ends, everyone goes home.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, what happens to that data the next morning?
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: Do you think?
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: This is the part that actually many fundraisers miss, but it's gonna save many of them later because ticket sales, they go through events, every tap, every swipe through the live suite that night, it's all gonna feed into the same donor record.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: And think about all the time you're gonna say, because you're not reconciling three spreadsheets and issue box of receipts the next morning.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: So, um, can you walk me through what that actually looks like?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: Say I've got 300 people who showed up to the event and now uh it's the next day.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because it's one record, Jenna, you're no longer gonna be stuck treating those 300 people the same.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: You can pull a quick list, whoever bought a ticket and gave.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be one donor segment.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: Whoever came and didn't give, that's gonna be a completely different donor segment.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Whoever's been a monthly donor for three years and also happened to show up, you definitely don't send that person a nice to meet you email.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: So again, because it's one record, you have visibility and you have a targeted report or list who you should be cultivating and stewarding relationships with.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: Which sounds so obvious when you say it out loud, right?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: But I think a lot of organizations just um, you know, don't because pulling a list like that from three different tools sounds like a whole project, right?
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I I've been there.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: And it's absolutely not a project.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: Think about this as simply a couple of clicks.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: You're building list off what actually happened that night instead of guessing.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's so easy.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: And the other thing I'd add here, whatever you end up sending, I would say send it while it's still warm.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: I know we say this all the time on the podcast.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, timely thank yous, y'all.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta do it.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: You know, just something simple.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for spending your evening with us.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: Lands completely different uh as soon as possible, a day later, two or three days later, even better than weeks later.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: We talk about this all all the time.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: Again, let go of perfection, release, let go.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's all about being timely.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: You just need a timely email.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: Which definitely matters most for everything that comes after is that that stewardship piece, right?
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: Keeping folks engaged.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: Right, because now you actually know who was in the room and what they did, you can reach out to someone who was paying attention and you don't need to do a meal merge.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: Now, let's land this with something practical, as always.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: If someone's got an event coming up, what's one thing to work on this week or one thing to check?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I would say put yourself in your guest shoes and walk through the evening, rehash it, reflect step by step.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: Look for any moment where someone has to remember a link.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: Look for the moment when someone has to hunt for a pen or a stand in line just to give.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Pick the single biggest point of friction and smooth that out before your next event.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to fix all of these uh bottlenecks, right?
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: Just tackle the biggest one first.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, absolutely.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_02: I love thinking through the entire event flow ahead of time.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I said this in another podcast earlier this season.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: You don't want to be trying to fix the plane as you are kicking off on the runway or fixing the plane in the air.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: So walk through this now.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, look for those moments, as Britt said, where people can give or can engage and make sure it is as seamless as possible.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: Britt, this was great.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, love this one, Jen, and thank you.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: And if this episode had you maybe wincing a little bit about your last event, do not stress giving season is really just getting started.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: So there's plenty of room to put this in place before your next one.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: Head over to donorbox.org and take a look at events and live kiosk or grab a quick demo if you want an actual walkthrough.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for being a part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: Your work matters, and we are honored to support it.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed this episode, share it with another nonprofit leader, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, stay inspired.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 15:32
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• 15:38
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• 15:41
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• 15:42
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