How to Use Fundraising Events to Steward Major Donors

While donors of all levels are important to your nonprofit, engaging major donors should be a key component of your fundraising development plan. These high-capacity donors are especially valuable to your organization’s financial health, so it’s a good idea to get them to attend fundraising events. Why? Fundraising events allow you to get to know your donors better and strengthen your relationship with them. 

Whether your donors are already major contributors or simply have the potential to be, these five event-focused stewardship ideas can help your nonprofit better connect with and secure valuable donors.

1. Create a valuable donor profile

Successful donor outreach strategies start with a firm foundation on which to build—in this case, that’s your major donor profile. A donor profile is a comprehensive summary of a donor’s demographic and behavioral information, including their giving history, interests, and engagement preferences. The profile can be used to personalize outreach and fundraising strategies effectively and help you better understand donor psychology. 

The information in your donor database can be used to build a valuable donor profile. Keep these data points in mind:

• Demographics:
  • Age or age range
  • Location, including country, state, and city of residence
  • Income level (individual and/or household)
• Psychographics:
  • Motivations for giving
  • Alignment with mission
  • Pain points
• Engagement history:
  • Past donations
  • Donation method (online, at an event, personal check, etc.)
  • Communication preferences (phone, email, SMS, etc.)

Add pertinent details about this type of donor until you can build out a hypothetical persona. From there, you can use this persona to customize your appeal strategy and better entice them to attend your fundraising event and make a gift. 

2. Choose an effective event format

The type of fundraising event you choose is essential for attracting the right donors. Not every event type or focus will appeal to the major donors you're trying to target, which makes a complete donor profile so important. 

Be strategic when mapping out your annual slate of events. Look at the data you’ve collected from previous events to avoid making the same mistakes as past fundraisers, and choose events you’re sure donors will love. Here are some common fundraising event ideas and corresponding valuable target donors they are likely to appeal to:

• Charity golf tournament: The golfer donor typically represents an affluent and influential demographic, making it a great choice for donors with a high net worth or who are interested in sports.
• Benefit concert: The event format will most appeal to donors who have an interest in the arts and live entertainment. 
• Gala dinner and auction: Galas and auctions attract high-profile community leaders, individuals looking to network, and those interested in high-end auction items.

If you already have an event format chosen, it’s not too late to add components to enhance revenue enhancers that appeal to valuable donors. For instance, if you’re hosting a charity golf tournament, you might consider a high-end raffle that features valuable golf memorabilia or golf trips as prizes.

3. Personalize invitations

Customized invitations are key to prompting donors to sign on to participate. When donors see messaging or imagery that appeals to them (and aligns with their donor profile), it’s more likely to pique their interest.

Because these are such important donors, you’ll likely need to go the extra mile while personalizing your invitations. Consider these tips for effectively communicating with this particular donor segment:

• Use personal information, such as the donor’s name and the previous efforts they have supported.
• Leverage the donor’s preferred communication channel, such as email or direct mail, so they’re more likely to open and respond to the invitation.
• Offer a direct point of contact to a major gifts officer at your nonprofit so they can quickly and easily get in touch with any questions or concerns.
• Add a hand-written element, like a signature or a separate personal note, to explain how much it means to your cause that they attend the event.

Consider using an AI-powered tool, like Momentum’s Donor Engagement platform to help you draft hyper-personalized communications at scale. 

4. Add high-value touchpoints during the event

Creating an exceptional event experience for major donors can set the stage for long-lasting relationships and larger future gifts. Consider offering exclusive touchpoints throughout the fundraising event that make them feel appreciated and engaged in meaningful ways. Consider these ideas:

• Arrange a VIP reception where major donors can network with your organization’s leadership team and staff and hear firsthand about the impact of their contributions. This kind of personal interaction can provide a sense of connection and belonging that resonates with high-capacity donors.
• Offer a behind-the-scenes tour of your organization’s facilities or programs (if feasible), either during the event or as a follow-up opportunity. Showing these valuable donors the direct impact of their support helps reinforce their commitment—and may inspire them to increase their involvement.

5. Tailor follow-up communication after the event

It’s not enough just to get this donor group to attend your event. You need to take additional steps to illustrate how much donors impact your nonprofit’s success and mission fulfillment. After the event, be intentional with your follow-up communication to maintain the momentum: 

• A personalized thank-you message is essential, but take it a step further by acknowledging the specific contributions the donor made—financial support, in-kind donations, program participation, or simply by attending the event. 
• Use insights from their donor profile to craft follow-up messages that resonate with their interests and philanthropic goals.
• If a donor expressed interest in a particular program or aspect of your work during the event, send them a targeted update on that area’s progress. Regularly updating donors on initiatives they care about keeps them engaged and makes them feel integral to your organization’s success. 
• Consider offering an invitation to a future event or an opportunity to be involved with your nonprofit in an advisory capacity to strengthen their connection and provide opportunities for ongoing engagement.

Takeaways for a successful major donor fundraising event

Engaging major donors at your fundraising events isn’t just about securing a one-time gift; it’s about building relationships that contribute to your nonprofit’s long-term success. Since major donors are so important to your organization, it’s a good idea to address their impact personally. Dormie Network suggests offering major donors a memorable token of gratitude so they’re more likely to remember your nonprofit the next time you have an event. 

By following up intentionally and keeping major donors informed on the projects they support, you’ll nurture their interest and foster lasting engagement. Building these strong relationships will help establish a dedicated donor base that not only gives generously but also advocates for your cause, amplifying your organization’s impact well beyond the fundraising event.

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