How does an organization effectively incorporate a successful event and donor entertainment that produces financial results for a capital campaign?

Today, I talk with Ali Flanders Dodson, Chief Advancement Officer for Kids' Meals, to discuss this important, yet often overlooked aspect as a key component to raise the necessary capital to create organization and community transformation.

Kid's Meals has embarked on a multi-year $37 million capital campaign to build a new high-capacity building that will fulfill the organization's mission to feed 26,000 children in the Houston area every weekday by 2031. A key component of their success has been around strategic engagement with key donors and community leaders through events and donor entertaining.

Ali provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including how to determine if a capital campaign is the right vehicle for your organization, tips on creating a strong multi-phase structure to celebrate key milestones, effectively leveraging your board to achieve campaign objectives, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

What is one often overlooked critical element to a successful gala or signature fundraising event? Engaging music.

Today, I talk with acclaimed DJ Lance Avery Morgan to discuss the importance of music in creating an effective throughline for your event that makes it fun, engaging, and most importantly memorable.

Over the past 25 years, Lance has attended thousands of galas, commercial events, brand activations, and cocktail parties. He has seen firsthand how bad music can make a beautifully decorated event feel blah and great music can make a small-budget event feel luxuriously fun.

Lance provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on effectively collaborating with a DJ to create the perfect soundtrack for your audience, how music is an important throughline for your entire event and not just for the after-party, tips on creating playlists that get guests of all ages onto the dance floor, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit expanding into a new community create a successful fundraising event to engage donors in a new market?

Today, I talk with Michelle Frankfort, Lead Philanthropy Advisor, Special Events, and Julia TenHoeve, Ambassadors Manager of Texas Children's Hospital, to talk about one of their Austin-based signature fundraising events, the Legacy Golf Classic.

Over the years, the Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital has provided world-class medical care for children. This has included a slate of highly successful fundraising events in Houston, including an annual golf tournament. In recent years, Texas Children's Hospital made the decision to expand into the Austin market with a new campus providing world-class healthcare for children in Central Texas. It has also hosted successful fundraising events such as the Legacy Community Golf Classic to engage the community and recruit new donors in a more informal, relaxed way.

Michelle and Julia provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on finding effective ambassadors to plant deep roots in your community, strategically segmenting donors and sponsors to keep them engaged and avoid burnout, the keys to hosting a successful gold tournament, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.