Nonprofit Events Can Leave Dollars on the Table

Nonprofit GrowthDevelopment
Written By Sherry Quam Taylor

I help nonprofit's shift their fundraising model/approach from transactional (events/appeals) to deep relational activities (investment-level conversations) . . . .


Wondering if you’re ready to make that move? 

Here’s a client example of how you can tell there’s money sitting on the table.

Let’s call this donor, Chris.

We were celebrating that Chris made a personal/individual commitment of $7,500 this year! This is an unrestricted gift with no strings attached that my client solicited. Even better!

I asked my client, “What was their past giving like?”

He let me know that Chris SPENT $5,400 at the gala a few years ago. He SPENT $3,800 at the gala last year, but he also donated two dinners in his home for the live auction that were valued at about $1,000 a piece.

So, $5,400 a few years ago and a total of $5,800 last year.

Two important things to note:
A.) 
I’m thrilled the gift grew to $7,500. And, I’m confident it’s still not his best gift. 

B.) 
But, the bigger shift in how the gift was cultivated and solicited is the game changer. Did you notice it? Chris SPENT $5,400….

Image of a quote from Sherry Quam Taylor, "Donor's aren't spending money at your gala. They aren't giving to your auction. Donors are investing in your mission through you gala, through your auction, or through your appeal.



Donors aren’t spending money AT your gala. They aren’t giving TO your auction.

Donors are investing in your mission THROUGH your gala, THROUGH your auction, or THROUGH your APPEAL.



This is an example of event giving simply getting in the way of a donor giving their best gift. It’s an example of how events leave dollars on the table time and time again. It’s why some years donors give and some years they don’t.

A fundraisers job is to LEAD every donor to give their best gift every year to your mission. Does your team know how to do that?


No? You can apply to work with me here.

Whenever you’re ready to switch donors from spending to investing, there are THREE things you can do next:

👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share insider fundraising info daily — the same lessons I teach my clients through my consultancy about securing larger major gifts and diversifying revenue.

🍎 Get Resources + White Papers — download robust resources you can use to push against the nonprofits sector’s scarcity mindset, equip your board, and shift your entire team into high-ROI fundraising.

📈 Work with me to fully-fund your nonprofit organization’s strategic plan and aspirational budget. If you’re a business-minded nonprofit CEO or Executive Director with big growth plans but need to make charitable revenue from relational donors a bigger part of your budget, you can apply to work with me here.

Sherry Quam Taylor

Sherry Quam Taylor works with business-minded Nonprofit CEOs whose Strategic Plans require expansive budgets and larger amounts of general-operating revenue for growth. To become investment-level ready, Sherry helps leaders see their revenue potential and helps them see what may be blocking donors from giving in this way. Sherry’s clients know how to attract larger donors by solving the funding challenges at the root of the issue.

As a result of learning her methodology, Sherry’s clients become sustainable, diversify revenue, and know how to add significant amounts gen-ops revenue to their budgets. But mostly, their development departments and board have transformed into high-ROI revenue generators – aligning their hours with relational dollars and set free from the limitations of transactional fundraising.

Sherry attributes the success of her business to her passion for modeling radical confidence to the future CEOs in her house - her two college-aged daughters.

https://www.QuamTaylor.com
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