Lessons from the Summer Fundraising Event Season

When we started working with Portland Center Stage, they shared that registration had become one of the most stressful parts of their event. Guests were waiting in line for nearly 30 minutes to check in, and the team tracked raffle sales and other purchases through a cumbersome process that required hours of data entry and reconciliation after the event. Their staff was spending valuable time cleaning up data instead of celebrating a successful fundraiser.

 

After walking through their registration process, it became clear the issue wasn't the people—it was the system they were using. We recommended a different event platform better suited to how their event actually operated. We set it up so check-in was quick, purchases were tracked in real time, and every transaction was connected to the right guest from the start.

 

The results were immediate. Guest check-in dropped from about 30 minutes to just four. And when the event was over, the team simply ran a report from the event software and uploaded it into their donor database, saving hours of staff time.

​

Sometimes the biggest event wins aren't the ones guests notice. They're the systems working quietly behind the scenes—creating a better experience for everyone while giving nonprofit teams back something they never have enough of: time.

​​

Ryan: Focus on the Solution, Not the Problem

Client: YWCA Clark County

Event Name: Shine

 

I love creative problem solving, from my youngest memories I can remember trying to think about different solutions to common problems.

 

As YWCA Clark County were collecting their pre-committed pledges for Shine back in March, they had a problem of concentrated abundance. They had amassed a tremendous amount of matching funds and top level lead gifts and then scarcely any pledges in their middle levels of donations. 

 

What to do to create a movement of giving where momentum at one giving level begets more momentum at the next?

 

Here is what we did:

• We celebrated the abundance as that was a hard won victory of years of stewardship and cultivation

• Identified the holes in the momentum and used some matching funds to maintain the momentum from the lead gifts through to a level of giving they could have spontaneous gifts at

• Created a standard 1:1 match to meet the goal at a crucial giving level (which they reached)

• Looked for opportunities to create an outsized match at a lower level where we could overperform. At the $250 level, we created a double match to reach the goal.

 

THE OUTCOME…we nearly doubled the goal because of the momentum created from the initial match, everyone wanted to be a part of energy, some even donating 2 or 3 times. We focused our efforts creating the necessary giving momentum instead of worrying about the initial holes in the giving.

Matthew: Be Ready to Adapt When the Winds Change

Client: Home Building Foundation

Event Name: Building Hope Gala

​

The Challenge

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in event planning is that flexibility is essential. We began developing a gala concept for Home Building Foundation in the summer of 2025, with the event still months away. We had developed a full guest experience: colors were selected, graphics were designed, and decor was taking shape. Then, during a monthly meeting, new feedback emerged that showed the concept wasn’t quite resonating across the organization. For a moment, it felt like months of work might have to be thrown out.

​

The Solution

Instead of treating the feedback as a failure, we treated it as new information. We took a step back and created space for the client to share what was missing and what they wanted the experience to communicate. We approached the next meeting with curiosity rather than defensiveness. From there, the process became incredibly collaborative: new Pinterest boards, color palettes, graphics, and ideas began to take shape. We weren’t starting from scratch—we were building on everything we had learned.

​

The Outcome

That pivot resulted in one of my favorite guest experiences of the spring. Most importantly, we created an event that felt authentically theirs and resonated with their guests. It reinforced something I believe strongly: our work can be deeply personal, but we can’t be precious about any one idea. The event is bigger than the concept, and sometimes the best creative work comes from being willing to let go and leave space for new ideas to evolve.

Jenna: Make Honorees a Part of the Story

​

Many organizations debate whether to add an honoree section—and if you do it, there are a million ways to go about it, with no single "right" way. Here are some of my favorite tricks for making it the most impactful moment of the night.

​

Time it after fundraising. Everything following the ask can center on gratitude, and who doesn't love feeling appreciated after they’ve just done something to support you?

​

Find the story. What about this person reflects your org's mission or impact? One of the most meaningful moments we've seen was an org detailing a volunteer's work and specifics of what it actually looked like (she made waffles for a chimpanzee’s birthday), and how it advanced the mission not just internally, but through their whole circle of influence (P.S. sometimes the name of your award has a story too—make sure you want to tell it!).