Last week, we wrapped up our 2021 Virtual Summer Symposium. While we’re looking forward to meeting again in-person, it was great to connect with everyone online!
If you missed out, it’s not too late to catch up. We recorded all of the sessions, and you can access the recordings, presentation slides and follow-up links below.
Symposium Highlights
General Sessions
Symposium Kickoff: State of Fundraising Events
Events are roaring back in 2021. Bob Bickel and Allison Bickel review the current state of fundraising and endurance events, signs for the future and what’s changed since 2019. Then, they cover upcoming technology improvements and the impact they will have.
Fundraising Events Roundup: Creative Ideas From Across the Industry
What is a fundraising event? For many, it’s a run/walk/ride organized by a nonprofit or in support of a nonprofit. But to get the most out of your fundraising events, it’s time to think outside the box and engage with supporters in new and exciting ways. In this session, Cam Ballard and Johanna Goode look at creative events from around the industry to get you thinking about how your fundraising event can set itself apart.
Fundraising Events: Quick Hits
The problem with robust technology? It’s all too easy to miss a setting or feature that could save you time, make your event more engaging or help you raise more for your cause. In this rapid-fire session, Bryan Jenkins will break down the most-missed, highest impact features of GiveSignup | RunSignup.
Mini-Sessions
Technology and Your Nonprofit
What does technology have to do with your fundraising efforts? In this session, Allison Bickel discusses how technology can save you time and ultimately help you raise more by targeting your communications, streamlining your campaigns and providing insight into your successes.
Online Giving Campaigns for Giving Tuesday (and Every Occasion)
The key to a successful online donation campaign is simple: Keep it simple. In this session, Chris Newcomer discusses how to set up quick and easy donation forms and donation websites to make it easier than ever for supporters to donate in the moment. Capture donations while they are top of mind — and encourage recurring donations to keep them coming.
Activate Your Supporters With DIY & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
A nonprofit fundraising team is usually a small but mighty group. To maximize your reach, it’s imperative that you engage and activate your supporters, and turn them into ambassadors for your cause. In this session, Vince Natale explains how peer-to-peer and DIY fundraising can be easy and accessible.
Cultivate Community Through Unique Ticket Events
Fundraising events are as much about building super-supporters as they are focused on directly raising money. To accomplish both goals, Jake Unger talks about offering ticket events that are easy to sign up for, engaging to join and incorporate donations directly into the purchase path.
Gamify Your Endurance Event Fundraising
Don’t let your fundraising run/walk/ride get stale. Steve Bingham-Hawk shares how to add goals, milestones and rewards to keep supporters motivated, as well as considering teams to keep them engaged.
Expand Your Reach With Social Marketing for Your Fundraising Event
You know your event is AMAZING… but the message doesn’t seem to be reaching the broader community. Join Nhu Te as she talks about taking advantage of free and easy marketing tools in GiveSignup | RunSignup to expand your reach and find new supporters.
Manage Fundraising Event Volunteers
Volunteers are the heartbeat of your fundraising events. In this session, Whitney Taylor explains how to manage them and communicate with a flexible, free volunteer platform built directly into your run/walk/ride software.
Dedicated Websites for Every Fundraising Event (and Campaign)
Your online presence is the first point of contact for many supporters. Ensure the experience is always easy, professional and mission-first by building websites for each of your fundraising events. The keys to success? Keep your branding consistent, focus on your cause, highlight your progress and include strong calls to action. Join Elisabeth DellaRova in this session to learn more.
Planning for a Hybrid Future
In this session, Chris Newcomer discusses how to scale your fundraising efforts with a hybrid event strategy that maximizes in-person connections while cultivating virtual relationships.