Whether to spend staff time and resources on a special event is an important decision that rests with you as the chief executive.

Fundraising events can consume hundreds of staff hours, sap your board's enthusiasm, and produce far less revenue than everyone expected. That is why many nonprofit leaders conclude events are simply not worth the effort.

Mary Thompson offers a different answer.

Mary is the long-time executive director of Apple Seeds Teaching Farm in Arkansas, and her organization produces a large annual fundraiser that costs approximately 23% of gross revenue. It also hosts monthly Kitchen Table Dinners for 40 to 50 guests, with each dinner requiring only about 10 to 11 hours of staff time.

In this episode, Mary explains how Apple Seeds created events that generate revenue, introduce the organization to new supporters, deepen donor relationships, and remain manageable for her team.

You will hear why repeatable systems matter, how smaller gatherings can outperform a large gala as relationship-building tools, and what every executive director should examine before approving another event.

This episode answers the following questions:

  • How much should it cost a nonprofit to produce a fundraising event?
  • How much staff time should an event require?
  • When should an event be measured by relationships rather than net revenue alone?
  • Why can small, recurring events build stronger donor relationships than a large gala?
  • How can nonprofits turn an event into a repeatable system?
  • How can an event connect directly to the organization's mission?
  • What should an executive director consider before committing the organization to another event?

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