Fun In Fundraising

How does a nonprofit successfully create a signature fundraising event around a major cultural event?  Today, I talk with Chris Denney, Director of Advancement, and Tiffany Divis, President and CEO of the Turtle Creek Conservancy to discuss their signature fundraising event Day At The Races.

Celebrating its 16th year, Day At The Races is a Kentucky Derby-themed party held in the early evening on the first Saturday in May to coinci...

How does a nonprofit successfully incorporate their mission at their annual gala to help major donors connect with the organization?  Today, I talk with Brandon Bell, General Manager and Suzanne Sippel, Director of Invidual Giving at DACAMERA to talk about their signature fundraising event DACAMERA Gala 2024.

DACAMERA provides innovative concert experiences that connect music with literature and the visual arts. Many of the conc...

What does it take for a nonprofit to host a top live auction that raises millions for an organization?  On today's special episode, I talk with Heath Hale, owner of Cowboy Auctioneer and the lead auctioneer for Texas' largest annual nonprofit signature fundraising event, Mack, Jack & McConaughey.

Heath and his team of over a dozen auctioneers raised over $50 million through nonprofit live auctions in 2023. The largest of whi...

How does a nonprofit raise large sums of money through a signature fundraising event that consists entirely of small, intimate events?  Today, I talk with Cara Abazari, Director of Community Affairs at St. David's Foundation, and Tobie Funte, Chair of the organization's signature fundraising event, Toast of the Town.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Toast of the Town party series is a one-of-a-kind signature fundr...

How do champions on the field fundraise for their community like champions off (and on) the field?  Today, I talk with Karin Morris, Senior Vice President of Community Impact for the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation to talk about the upcoming The TEX Gala.

Over the past several years, the foundation arm of the reigning World Series champions has hosted a seven-figure fundraising gala held on Globe Life Field that brings together ...

How does a nonprofit create an event that has its guests highly engaged long before the event begins?  Today, I talk with three special guests to talk about the upcoming Mad Hatter's Luncheon benefitting the Women's Council of the Dallas Arboretum: Event Chair, Allison Brodnax, Board President Karen Sargent, and Event Producer Jan Strimple.

Mad Hatter's is one of the most inventive events you will ever go to. All the attendees w...

How does a small community effectively draw donors from around the area to their gala or signature fundraising event?  Today, I talk with Reenie Harwood Collins and Linda Plant, who are the co-chairs for the upcoming Round Top Festival Institute Gala.

The smallest incorporated town in Texas, Round Top is a town of approximately 90 residents known primarily as a destination for quality antiques. The town also features the Round Top ...

How does an organization create a signature fundraising event that is one of the hottest tickets in town year after year?  Today, I talk with Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfield, who are the co-chairs for the upcoming Art Ball 2024 benefiting the Dallas Museum of Art.

The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the world's premier art museums featuring works from Monet, Van Gough, Matisse and more. Each Spring, DMA hosts its annual Art Ball...

How does an organization successfully host an event that provides funds to multiple nonprofits to maximizes a positive impact on their community?

Today, I talk with THE BIG GOOD co-founder Kelsey Patterson about their upcoming annual flagship fundraising event THE BIG GOOD, which benefits three organizations in North Texas: The Tarrant To & Through Partnership, United Community Centers, and UpSpire.

THE BIG GOOD, is an organiza...

How does an organization successfully attract a wide range of people throughout the donor community to a signature fundraising event? Today, I talk with Scotty Sayers and Two-Time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw about the upcoming Imagine Muny Gala benefitting The Muny Conservancy.

The Muny Conservancy is an organization seeking to preserve Lions Municipal Golf Course, a 141-acre greenspace just west of downtown Austin. The organizat...

How does an organization successfully raise $10 million online in 24 hours to benefit the entire community? Today, I talk with Piper Stege Nelson, CEO of I Live Here I Give Here to talk about Amplify Austin Day.

Amplify Austin is a platform of over 700 nonprofits from seven counties in Central Texas. Over 24 hours each March, tens of thousands in the Austin area give small and large dollar contributions with the net result being ov...

How does an organization create a signature fundraising gala with a very large, multi-generational following? Today, I talk with Helping Hand Home Board President Beth Plater, as well as Kerianne Oliver and Jennifer Ramberg, co-chairs of the upcoming annual signature fundraising event, Crystal Ball.

Crystal Ball is the largest nonprofit gala in Austin each year, drawing over 2,000 people with guests ranging from 5 to 105 years old....

How does a nonprofit create fun, impactful, and visually appealing event that provides an unforgettable experience for donors? Today, I talk with Asia Society's Vice President of Development Saleena Jafry, and Vice President of Communications Stephanie Todd-Wong about the organization's upcoming signature fundraising event Tiger Ball 2024: Celebrating Magnificent Asia.

Tiger Ball is an annual, seven-figure gala in Houston and one o...

How does an organization find an honorary chair who attracts top honorees and gala event chairs year after year? Today, I talk with Jan Bullock, who for 20 years has been the honorary chair of the Texas Independence Day Dinner at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, which is named in honor of her late husband, former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock.

Each year, this million-dollar night honors two History-Making Texans ...

How does a nonprofit create a theme for its signature fundraising event that guarantees a one-of-a-kind experience year after year? Today, I talk with Hamilton Sneed, Founder of HAS Events. Hamilton is the event producer for the upcoming Symphony of Chefs benefitting Kidlinks. The event features top chefs from the Dallas/Fort Worth area who provide bespoke menus for each individual table at the event.

In this episode, Hamilton prov...

How does a nonprofit create a successful relationship with an event planner that results in unforgettable gala or signature fundraising events year after year? Today, I talk with Houston Ballet Senior Director of Events and Individual Giving, Alexandra Yates and legendary event producer Richard Flowers, Owner of The Events Company to talk about the upcoming Houston Ballet Ball. 

In this episode, Alexandra and Richard provide great ...

How does a nonprofit successfully create a different and fun theme for a signature fundraising event every year? Today, I talk with Junior League of Houston President, Amanda Hanks Bayles about their upcoming 76th Annual Charity Ball. Long one of Houston's most popular signature fundraising galas, the organization has done a different theme for every one of their 76 events.

In this episode, Amanda provides great insights on a range...

How does a nonprofit - and its signature fundraiser successfully evolve with a rapidly growing city? Today, I talk with Angela Glode, Chief Development Officer for The SAFE Alliance, as well as Yvette Flores and Tiffany Stillwell, the co-chairs for the upcoming SAFE Gala: Celebrating 50 Years. The mission of SAFE is to stop abuse for everyone and provide services to victims of abuse including housing, education, advocacy, and commu...

How do you successfully build an all-volunteer organization? Today, Rob talks with Jan Mitchell, Executive Director for Miss Texas, the official preliminary competition to the Miss America Competition and the largest provider of scholarships for young women in the United States. In this episode, Jan provides great insights on a range of topics including the importance of volunteers in making a nonprofit a success, how the organizat...