Will special event fundraising ever measure up to our expectations?

This week’s podcast conversations are with contributing authors to our recent edition of Carefully and Critically, Responsive’s professional journal. Today we talked with Dominique Calixte who asks if it is time to rethink special events; and, later this week, we’re going to be talking with John Feudo who is asking if the pandemic has been good for advancement. In both of this week’s conversation’s, we are asking whether the pandemic has been the beginning of a season in which fundraisers can begin to experiment and explore new ways of doing what can and always should be meaningful work.

In today’s conversation with Dominique we wrestle with the question of whether special events will ever measure up to the expectations that we have for them and, in our determination to see that they do, how much of the status quo are we are willing to let go. Dominique insists that special events are among the most transactional fundraising strategies that our sector relies on and that it is highly unlikely that attendees will engage in long-term partnerships. Dominique also challenges us to consider whether our events should continue to be designed for performative allyship and the momentary sense of changing the world or whether they can evolve in ways that elevate, celebrate, and reflect the communities that our organizations serve.

As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. And if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.