Events

Using Email to Drive Attendance to Your Nonprofit Event
December 16, 2016 at 8:00 am

Many nonprofits host an annual event as a fundraiser. From guest speakers to walks/runs, conferences to silent auctions, there are many types of events to help raise money. No matter what type of event you host, using email marketing is a smart tactic to get the word out. And, because sending an email invitation is…

How Much Money Does Santacon Actually Raise for Charity?
December 12, 2016 at 8:00 am

Santacon is known as a day of holiday-themed, beer-fueled revelry that delights some and annoys many others. However, there’s one bright side to the event that fills city streets with hundreds of drunk Santas near the holidays: It raises tens of thousands of dollars for charity each year. It’s not clear how much money Santacon—which…

Blackbaud Predicts Record-Breaking #GivingTuesday
November 9, 2016 at 10:15 am

Nonprofit software developer Blackbaud is predicting record donations on #GivingTuesday, the global day of giving that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Established five years ago, #GivingTuesday encourages charitable giving following the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days. Blackbaud is a founding partner of the movement, and has been tracking data on donations…

'Disgusting Activity': Why Charities Need to Vet Fundraisers, Protect Trademarks
November 7, 2016 at 10:52 am

Dennis Daugherty wanted to give back, so he decided to host a charity golf tournament for Make-A-Wish Foundation. It would be perfect. Picturesque greens, the whoosh of swinging drivers cutting through the fall breeze, golfers raising money for a great cause—you can't beat that. But there were two minor problems...

Anything Can Be P2P: How One Town Turned a Neo-Nazi Walk Into a Human Rights Fundraiser
November 2, 2016 at 10:07 am

At Turnkey, we often say that the activity used in a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising endeavor does not matter. Getting a “yes” in P2P fundraising is about the relationship between the potential donor and the peer doing the asking. The relationship between the donor and the organization is a distant second in importance. Here’s proof...

Susan G. Komen Foundation Faces Backlash Over Fundraiser at Trump Club
October 28, 2016 at 9:45 am

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is drawing ire from women's groups for holding an annual fundraiser at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. The Komen Foundation is known as the largest breast cancer organization in the country. Its decision to keep next year's event at a club owned by the presidential candidate who has…

3 Big Questions From IFC 2016
October 27, 2016 at 10:43 am

I just had the incredible honor of attending the International Fundraising Congress (IFC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands. Not only that, I had the further honor of attending as one of IFC’s scholars as part of its scholarship program. Ever since I heard about IFC, I have been dreaming about going. A conference that brings people from…

The Making of a Million-Dollar Fundraising Gala
October 25, 2016 at 10:00 am

Even in today's high-tech world, the human touch still reigns supreme. This is especially true in the world of fundraising, where glamorous events that offer personal thanks to generous donors remain immensely popular. "Charity events are always a draw for a couple of reasons. They're a tangible way for the donor to get something in…

Hostage-Themed Charity Run Angers Military Families
October 14, 2016 at 8:56 am

A local charity run is infuriating military families in metro Atlanta. Organizers of the so-called "Hostage Run" say the profits from the event will be donated to a military charity, but the wives of deployed soldiers say the entire premise is disrespectful. The run basically mimics a kidnapping, with the runners having black bags over…

Smartphone Philanthropy: Examining the Charity Concert Model
October 13, 2016 at 8:40 am

Before digital connectivity, nonprofit organizations benefited from concerts that solicited donations and touted their causes. The 1971 Concert for Bangladesh raised money for UNICEF; 1985’s Live Aid sent famine relief to Ethiopia; and since 2004, the Black Ball has collected millions to fight AIDS. Now the charity concert model is changing. Millennials prefer festivals to…