artful fund raiser

Building a relevant case for support is, of course, a fundraising fundamental. The most necessary elements to fundraising are 1. A need, 2. A solution, and 3. A Case for Support connecting the two. That’s Fundraising 101 and half the battle. Give me a compelling case that is relatable, repeatable, and inspiring and we can probably attract philanthropic support. Add a kitten and some artisanal kale and we are headed for victory.

For whatever reason we very often struggle with Our Case in the Arts, particularly when participation (performances or museum admission, etc.) is dependent on a ticket purchase.

Here is a typical Case for Support in the Arts:

Some version of this message (Your Purchase is Inadequate) is an almost universal rationale for support in Arts and Culture. Why in the world?

The thinking goes something like, “Friend, the cost of your ticket (that you paid for with your hard earned money at the price we proposed) ACTUALLY ONLY REPRESENTS a fraction of the true cost of producing the performance for which you’ve joined us this Evening. And so you, as a Decent Person, should be wracked with Regret for not paying your fair share. And so Give Us Your Money. You misanthrope. You fiend. You Cheapie.”

And I don’t buy it. This is a terrible way to inspire Giving.

Why don’t you simply raise ticket prices?

That’s my natural question. You said it was $25 to see this funny play with good lighting and I paid for my ticket. Would I have paid $55, representing the true cost of attendance? Probably. For most of us, the cost of an entertainment is generally not the barrier to attendance versus other opportunities: having dinner at the new Kale place, going to that party at Renee’s, watching HBO at home, and so forth.

The performing arts tend to have a wealthier than average audience base compared with other forms of entertainment. Most of the crowd could pay more. Look around at the next play, opera or orchestra performance you attend. So, is your Case for Support, is to subsidize ticket prices for old, rich folks? I didn’t think so.

The “Your Seat Costs” rationale is based on Guilt, first and foremost. Does Guilt work to get people to act? Of course it does. But is it the best way to inspire joyful giving? I don’t think so. Guilt doesn’t lead to long-term affinity nor loyalty. You made me feel bad. Good for you. Here is $25. Take me off your solicitation list.

Finally, making your philanthropic case about the “true cost” of production suggests entertainment is all your organization is about. I love theatre and see everything I can. But if I, as a patron, only see value in your organization as entertainment, you’ve missed a real opportunity to connect with me in a more meaningful way. If a ticket to me is simply a transaction, a fee paid for a service of entertaining me for the evening, I will be no more connected to your arts organization than I am to the IMAX theatre where I am going to go see Star Wars next month.

So what instead? Tickets to performances are for my personal enjoyment and joyful consumption. Invite my philanthropy by telling me about your work beyond the stage. Those education programs that introduce youngsters to their first Shakespeare and the acting classes that teach self confidence and self reliance to teenagers. Share with me the value of having professional working artists in my community. Tell me about creating new works that showcase the faces and stories of our increasingly diverse city.

This is what inspires loyal philanthropy. Asking patrons to pony up cash because their tickets should have cost more is beneath all of us in Arts and Culture. It is lazy, manipulative and dreary. 

Can we agree to stop?

Fall is upon us and in addition to football and PSL, it is High Gala Season from Albany to Alaska. I hope yours is a terrific success, filled with More Fun and More Sharing. I love Galas more than many straight, white, middle aged-ish fellows, due no doubt to an upbringing in the arts and as someone who enjoys a good looking party. Gentlemen, buy yourself a tuxedo and have it tailored correctly. Rentals don’t serve for a fully grown man. Prom was a long time ago, Bro.

A dear friend from a prior career stop reached out recently, flush with success from the most successful Gala to date for her young organization, including a new (and quite extraordinary) paddle auction that raised a pile of cash.

“Bravo!” I replied, “So what does Monday look like?”

Monday After the Gala and the days that follow are some of the most critical times in your fundraising year. If you’ve done the job, your Gala night has energized key stakeholders, introduced your mission to a new prospect pool, and raised a good chunk of cheddar for your operating budget. If you haven’t and missed the revenue target, all the more reason to get back on track with your work.

The weeks prior to Gala have been consumed your team (locust like) with table seating, auction organization, menu struggles, endless trips to Target, and hanging decorations for the Young Person’s After Party. All of this has left your staff team and volunteers in a puddle, worn out and strung out. Ready for a break. But you cannot with this which makes the days after the Gala so precious to the year’s ultimate fundraising success.

Where to begin?

1. Take the morning off. The Monday After the Gala should start after 1pm. Let everyone have the morning to sleep in and catch up on life’s business. Managing people is difficult. Nothing builds loyalty from a staff like the magic, “Thanks for tonight and for working so hard on this as a team. I will see everybody Monday afternoon.”
2. Document. Staff members are having terrific conversations with prospects and donors, learning new things and advancing relationships, but unless it is documented into your system (whatever that system is) it might as well not have happened.
3. Loop in your key volunteers to assess the lessons learned from the event but more importantly to document (similarly) the conversations. Who raised a hand during the paddle auction with gusto? Who was crying at the story of the Labrador puppy that learned to read while Mozart played? Who said, “I want more of this“?
4. Set action steps for key prospects. This is the most critical of all. We assemble the right people in a ballroom, get them jazzed, generous and dancing, and then we forget about them on Monday. Events should be thrown to engage new prospects and donors into the cultivation pipeline. Otherwise there are far more effective ways to raise money like $5,000 low carb lunches, right?
5. Start the Thank You process, in a hurry. We tend to forget to thank donors who participate in events, buy auction items, etc. because these are not traditional contributions to the annual fund. Your donors probably don’t think of it that way. Whatever fund code the gift goes into, start thanking people as if they gave an unrestricted gift. How would I react if someone called me in thanks for attending a fundraising event? I don’t know. It has never happened.
6. Get back on track. Your fundraising plan has probably suffered from the Gala. Direct mail #2 is late, the individual gifts committee meeting was cancelled, and the corporate gifts team spend the last month selling gala tables. So you are behind. Get back on the Annual Fund Bus immediately. It cannot wait one more day.

Happy Gala Season. Save me a dance, and I shall have the duck.