The Art of Gathering

Amber Karson, Karson Butler Events

1. Events focus on donors: what do we want our donors to feel? How does it connect to our mission? This is also true for the Annual Fundraising Plan.

At our AFP Meeting last week, we hosted Amber Karson of Amber Karson Butler Events.

Amber shared her Six A's - of excellent events:

1. Anticipation - first experiences (event branding guidelines)

2 Arrival - Greeters, hospitality personnel

1. Atmosphere (physical environment)
2. Appetite - Food and drink
3. Activity - What will the attendees do?
4. Amenities - giving the event legs; anything that is a branded touch point (Costanza)

Amber walked us through some elements of an inclusive gathering. They were:

1. Offer accommodations - for example, Uber/Lyft to or from events
2. Highlight diverse representation
3. Balance diverse audience needs with event purpose
4. The sensory experience.
5. Creating "safe" spaces for diversity.
6. Personalizing donor engagement - one size doesn't fit all, maintain personal communications, remember key donors who can be the first to support,
7. Creating exclusive events - private dinners, behind-the-scenes access, storytelling - updates on impact.
8. Stewardship - impact of event.
9. Acknowledgments (suggestions).