Tom Riles is in fundraising because his daughter was born with a heart defect. She had a 1 in 2,500 chance of survival when his wife was 20 weeks pregnant. Now, she’s 13 years old and healthy! After Tom and his wife told their daughter’s story on Ellen, the American Heart Association (AHA) asked him to start emceeing their galas. Soon he became one of their auctioneers, and now Tom fundraises for AHA, St. Jude, and Make-A-Wish, amongst many more nonprofits.
After going through his daughter’s open heart surgery, Tom began to live life FEARLESSLY and with HEART. In this session, he’ll encourage the attendees to do the same while giving them practical advice on how to break records in the ballroom and throughout the fundraising year.
Does your gala experience feel flat? Is fundraising down?
Tell your nonprofit’s story with HEART so that donors can’t help but invest in your cause the night of the gala and throughout the year.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn the best practices for fundraising galas in 2024.
- Understand how to bring your organization’s HEART into a gala and yearlong messaging and content strategy.
- Live life fearlessly and market like a pro.
Speaker
Tom Riles
Auctioneer & Emcee, Tom Riles Auctions
After Tom Riles’ oldest daughter was born with a heart defect in 2010 (she’s healthy now), Tom began emceeing heart-related charity events, which led to him becoming an auctioneer. Tom takes pride in entertaining audiences at benefits, as well as working closely with the charity to make sure the auction and fundraising is as successful as possible.
Tom was the opening act for The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 17 years, in addition to American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and The Voice. Now Tom serves as a benefit auctioneer for many nonprofits around the country including St. Jude, Make-A-Wish, and the American Heart Association.
Passionate about brand building, Tom launched LIFE OF DAD as a support group for dads when his daughter was still in the NICU. Now, LIFE OF DAD has over 7 million followers and helps support countless parents. Tom and his wife Lucy have three kids and currently live in Nashville. Tom and Lucy co-authored a book called MOM VS DAD, The Not-So-Serious Guide To The Stuff We’re All Fighting About.
