Fundraising event design for underdogs and upstarts
A case study on Christ in the City's high ROI fundraiser event
I’ll start this off by saying 99% of fundraisers are a waste of time.
Most of my expert fundraiser friends say you should cancel them and go out and ask for money instead.
And fair enough. If you don’t even KNOW what your ROI is on your fundraisers after staff time, you have bigger problems than this article is going to address.
But let’s just assume for a second that it’s possible to host a fundraiser event that:
Doesn’t burn your team out
Generates a ton of excitement about your cause
Gets you 3x on your investment
What would that event look like?
I invited Blake Bouillette of Christ in the City to talk through what they do, not because they raise millions of dollars, but because their event strategy wins where some of the largest fundraisers I’ve had the displeasure to attend fail.
7 rules for awesome fundraiser
Here are 7 lessons for those of you who don’t want to read/listen the whole thing:
You must be radically authentic. Invite your supporters into your home and minister to them.
Do your gala in a place you can OWN and transform. A parish hall, a local barn, etc.
Everything from environment to food should be an authentic representation of your organizations culture. If that’s a taco buffet, great. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
Keep programming to 1 hour-ish. Use Life Teen’s Gather Proclaim Break Send model for EVERY event you do. Don’t hire big-name speakers. Keep it entertaining.
Dinner tables are natural small groups. Use them.
Leverage the power of video and design for maximum emotional impact before you ask. Bring the people you serve and get them involved in the ask if possible.
Ask and tell people why you need the money
The interview
Marcellino D'Ambrosio: So, there's a lot of reasons why we should discuss your mission, and we could go in many different directions. One of the things I see when I observe other nonprofits and Catholic organizations fundraising and doing marketing is a complete lack of willingness to be 100% themselves. That is the biggest problem with how most of these organizations approach themselves.
Why I think you guys are worth looking at is not because you're making the most money, hiring the most people, or being this major organization doing all the right things. By no means are we huge—we're a good size, but not massive. You recently did a fundraiser, which is initially why we wanted to talk. I wanted to bring this fundraiser up as an example of what it looks like when a ministry fully expresses itself, not playing by the standard playbook, and therefore being more successful. Being yourself matters because you have a unique charism. Belonging is a factor of being yourself. Everything you just said about involving people in a relationship doesn't work if there's nothing unique or individual about you. You have to be vulnerable, authentic, and live out your charism and story with God to invite others into a space of belonging.
Blake: Yeah, we talk about this all the time as the mission. At our deepest core, we want to be known and loved. It's funny because you said that, and it's something many spiritual masters in the American Catholic Church talk about. Our biggest fear is to be known, but it's all we want. That's been true throughout the decades: we're afraid someone will know us or see a part of us, like if they see this part of our organization or operations that's struggling, or a mistake we made. We don't want anyone to see that, but we wish they knew. It's the same on the organizational side as it is personally. I had that myself as a missionary. In my first year, second month, I could no longer put on a mask. I had to show my bad side or my struggles. I lived with three other people, and now our missionaries live six per room in Denver and in a former convent in Philly. I saw that my biggest fear, being known, which is also one of my biggest desires, happened. God knows and loves me, but with my fellow missionaries, if they only knew. And then, you're known, and they don't run away. They want to dive into the problem together.
That's core to Christ in the City: seeing the homeless where they are, meeting them, and this transitions to the missionaries. It's what we want, especially in those formative years as young adults
.
Marcellino: Yeah, that's intimacy. Most ministries try to do it in a left-brained, analytical way, or the safest possible route. Neither allow for intimacy, which is the entire point of mission. You wouldn't want to invest your life into anything that didn’t connect you intimately to others. You'd check the “I gave” box and move on.
To make this practical, in December, a friend invited me to a local pro-life ministry gala. I went because my friend bought a table. I couldn't tell you the name of that organization now because it was like ten or twenty other Dallas pro-life ministries doing the exact same gala. It was at a nice place, with older people, some younger ones, a priest talk, a bishop talk, a ministry person talk, and then the executive director asking for money. I gave $25. I know. Big spender. But they didn't show me who they really were or why they cared personally.
That individuality is where you get buy-in. You weren't thinking, "let's be super strategic," but "we want to be ourselves." What does putting on a fundraiser look like for us? So, first, what did you raise and invest in this fundraiser?
Blake: Our goal for the event was $400,000, and we ended up reaching $500,000, spending around $32,000 on the venue, video, rentals, and everything else. That's unbelievable. You'd expect to invest $250,000 to raise $500,000. That's the average, not even including staff time. These events raise a lot of money but are an incredible amount of work. They often invest a lot in food and venue, and usually raise much more, but is it worth it? That's a big question, and I see posts on LinkedIn about it, suggesting to get rid of galas. I don't agree with that line of thinking, which is part of why we're having this conversation. So, you raised more than you invested. Was it a suit and tie event?
Blake: No, it was cocktail casual. We had excellent staff from the beginning, staying true to the mission. The first event, my understanding, was a barbecue in the courtyard, called the ungala. Archbishop Aquila served food at it ten years ago. We've kept that spirit. Our goal is to celebrate what the Lord has done, raise financial support, and equip supporters to encounter the homeless.
We book a venue that feels true to the mission, like Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs this year. It's about supporting the parish, finding a reasonably priced caterer, and keeping everything mission-focused. Even our silent auction items are experiences, prayer items, not extravagant things. The programming and videos stay true to our mission.
Marcellino: Let's go through the night. What are we seeing and hearing when we come?
Blake: You pull into Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs, greeted by our missionaries, and check in. There was a system glitch this year, but we had staff and missionaries talking to people while they waited. You walk into a venue with cocktail casual attire, simple beer and wine, local juices, charcuterie, and missionaries milling around. Open seating for most, but sponsors had reserved tables. Silent auction items included John Paul II, Mother Teresa, the poor, and missionary experiences. There's laughter, fun, and simple beer and wine.
Missionaries who are musicians play relaxed music. This year, we had missionaries MC the cocktail hour, welcoming people with announcements and cheesy jokes. Cocktail hours are never long enough; we hope to increase that next year because people love it.
Marcellino: So, you're inviting people into the community, not just the organization. Tell me about the designs and decorations.
Blake: Everything is wood and cardboard. It reflects Christ in the City, the poor, and simplicity. Signs, paddles, silent auction items, posters, and banners all have a rustic, simple feel. It's about being honest about who we are, creating an experience that's true to us.
Marcellino: What do you do in the program?
Blake: The night begins with our chaplain offering a prayer. I shared a ministry story, then we had a taco bar buffet with desserts made by the missionaries. One missionary or staff member was placed at each table to interact with supporters. We had about 300 people.
After dinner, we played an animation video about who we are, the reality of poverty, and our approach. Our executive director gave a short, five to ten-minute speech about our growth, challenges, and successes. We aim to keep programming at about an hour, asking people for their preferences.
Marcellino: So you shared a story at each table instead of from the stage?
Blake: Yes, each missionary or staff member shared a story for 10-15 minutes at their table, creating dialogue and conversation. It could have gone on for half an hour; people were engaged and leaning in to hear better.
Marcellino: What did you do after that?
Blake: We played a video highlighting a story, this year about Roy, a man who was homeless and is now housed. Roy was at the event, and after the video, we thanked him. He stood up, got a standing ovation, and then spoke. He gave a beautiful message of reconciliation and hope. We didn’t ask him to, but he did and everyone got really emotional. We gave him a painting of himself with the Divine Mercy Jesus, his favorite devotion. It was a meaningful gift from the heart of our mission. At that point, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
Marcellino: Wow. That’s powerful. And then you did your ask?
Blake: Yes, we did a paddle raiser. It went exceptionally well, adding warmth to the night. We ended with the Salve Regina, inviting all the missionaries up to lead the crowd in prayer. People stayed for hours afterward, talking and enjoying the night. We gave them hand warmers and socks as parting favors to give to the poor, along with a tip sheet.
Marcellino: What are the benefits of doing your evets this way other than that you raised what you set out to raise?
Blake: The poor are served, and people are inspired to serve. Our benefactors love the event and look forward to it every year. Some say it's the best they've ever been to. People enjoy it, and we live our mission statement. It's about being who you are and doing what you do best.
Marcellino: Thanks, Blake. I think many missions will be impacted by this conversation. Have a good rest of your day.
Blake: I truly appreciate it, Marcellino. God bless you, man. Bye.