7 Elements Of A Successful Fundraising Event

Every nonprofit wants a successful fundraising event but are they doing the right things to have one? According to one expert, this is not always the case.

During a recent international conference on fundraising, Vivian A. Smith of Liberty Quest Enterprises said that a diverse fund development program should include events, but urged organizations to incorporate them thoughtfully into their overall strategy. They should not, she said, be viewed as standalone initiatives used just to raise money.

To be successful, planners of an event must consider:

• Event Purpose. Is it just money, new prospects, increasing public awareness, gaining attention or some other objective?
• Prospective audience. Think of characteristics and demographics, as well as the size of the group and the kind of appeal that is appropriate.
• Type of event. It should meet the goals and reach the target market. It should be mission focused. Is there competition?
• Resources needed for the event. This includes staffing, leadership, volunteers, time, skills, budget and a contingency plan.
• Cost per dollar raised. This includes both direct an indirect costs.
• Evaluation. Think of event goals, net revenue, staff commitment and volunteer impact.
• Outcome. This is not just dollars raised at the time of the event. It can also serve as an opportunity to build team spirit among volunteers and staff.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Director, National Chimney Sweep Guild

Looking for a new high-level nonprofit job? The National Chimney Sweep Guild in Plainfield, Ind., is looking to hire an Executive Director. Read on for more details.

The chosen candidate for this position will be responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the organization, staff development, budget preparation, financial oversight, public relations oversight, member recruitment, program development oversight, and development and maintenance of standard operating procedures.

Other responsibilities include:

• Staff leadership;
• Board facilitation and strategic planning;
• Financial management;
• Marketing oversight;
• Membership development; and,
• Convention planning and execution.

Want to apply? Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for application instructions.

Nonprofit Employee Retention And The NPT Salary Survey

If there's one thing a nonprofit can't afford in these tough times it's losing workers. Employee retention is an essential ingredient of any successful organization and, as a nonprofit manager, it's your responsibility to figure out what is going wrong if you are losing staff left and right.

High turnover can be caused by many things but the common denominator is usually salary. This is one of the many reasons The NonProfit Times' Salary Survey is so important. Simply put, your organization will find itself with a dearth of talent if your salary and benefits packages are not on par with similar nonprofits.

As was mentioned in previous blog posts, the data from the 2013 Salary Survey will be used to NPT's comprehensive Salary and Benefits Reports. Just for completing the Survey, participants will receive a FREE executive summary of the results and your entire organization will get 50 percent off the full 2013 Salary and Benefits Report. Once you get this crucial information, you will be able to see if the compensation you are offering your employees needs to be adjusted to remain competitive with similar nonprofits. 

Participating in the Salary Survey is easier than ever with some of the new features in this year's edition. Anyone who participated in the survey in 2011 or 2012 can use their existing data to jump start the 2013 survey completion process. You only need to change the data that is different. In addition, the survey has been streamlined to make for a smoother and faster experience for first-time users.

Participate in the 2013 Salary Survey today and help all nonprofits get on the right financial track!

Professional Development Guide 2013: Don't Rest On Your Laurels

What makes a nonprofit successful? More often than not, it's a strong leadership team that is willing to make the tough decisions. This makes it easy for managers to rest on their laurels but, if they are not careful, that one-time strength can quickly disappear.

The NonProfit Times' Professional Development Guide, which appears in the newly released June 1 issue, is a white pages for services that will help potential nonprofit leaders hone their skills. From nonprofit management degrees at leading universities to leadership seminars, organizations should consider all of these services for their employees so there are worthy successors when it comes time to pick a new CEO or executive director.

There are other things nonprofits can do to develop new leaders. In the Bridgespan Group's Plan A: How

Successful Nonprofits Develop Their Future Leaders, Kirk Kramer and Preeta Nayak detailed five steps that can be taken that will get your organization on the path to a brighter future. Those steps are:

• Engage Your Senior Leaders: If you are a CEO just launching your leadership development efforts, begin by telling your senior team that it is important that they develop as individuals and that you’ll help each of them to do so.
• Understand Your Future Needs: Gather your senior team for a once-a-year offsite meeting to discuss where your organization is going and the potential of their direct reports to move into more senior roles.
• Develop Your Future Leaders: Meet twice a year with each of your direct reports to discuss their progress against their leadership development goals.
• Hire Externally to Fill Gaps:Identify the areas where you will likely need to hire externally to meet your future needs and those where you should aim to build capacity from within.
• Monitor and Improve Your Practices: Set targets for accomplishing the work of the previous items on this list. Next, report on your organization’s progress against those targets to your senior team and the board. Finally, determine leadership development priorities for the coming year.

Follow these steps and check out NPT's Professional Development Guide, and your nonprofit will be on the path to a more sustainable future.