In this session, Shelby Davies-Sekle and Nicole Kinard will discuss fundraising good that came out of the pandemic – pushing them out of their typical, nonprofit fundraising dinner box and stretching their strategies to adapt to the times and provide a fresh experience for our donors.
Join this dynamic duo as they share new insights and learned strategies from 2+ years in the pandemic trenches. They will share how they converted a 700 person gala (2019) that struggled for fundraising engagement into widely successful virtual and hybrid formats (2020, 2021), and how they are embracing the future of fundraising with new event ideas learned (and tossed out) during the pandemic.
What’s next? What’s new? How can you grow your events? Learn their secret roadmap for fundraising event strategy including: innovative sponsorships, marketing and communications, and programming and production.
Key Takeaways:
- Analyze current fundraising event strategies for opportunities to expand to a virtual/hybrid format.
- Determine components needed to successfully activate and engage both an in-person and virtual audience.
- Reimagine the typical annual fundraising dinner format and think creatively about introducing new elements to provide variety to guests.
Speakers
Shelby Davies-Sekle
Associate Director, Foundation Events, Inova Health Foundation
Shelby Davies-Sekle, CMP, DES is an event planner in the DC Metro area for Inova Health Foundation. Inova Health Foundation is Northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider and has a mission to provide world-class healthcare – every time, every touch – to each person in every community we have the privilege to serve.
Shelby, a graduate of Virginia Tech, is a certified meeting professional and digital event strategist with over a decade of combined experience in the events, fashion, marketing and interiors industries. She has been recognized throughout her career including having been a 2019 National Kidney Foundation – National Capital Region All Star Award recipient for her involvement in their annual fundraising gala, The Kidney Ball. She also was a feature in the Fall 2020 Meetings Issue of Associations Now Magazine. Shelby is passionate about sharing her skillset with her community through volunteering and has done so with the National Kidney Foundation, ASAE’s Meetings and Expositions Professionals Advisory Council. She is currently serving as the Regional Director for Fashion Group International’s DC Chapter.
Nicole Kinard
Sr. Director of Donor Relations and Special Events, Inova Health Foundation
Nicole Kinard is a philanthropy professional with expertise in special events and donor relations in the Northern Virginia area. She has a unique history with Inova Health Foundation, as she has spent her entire career, nearly 18 years, with the health system in varying roles and currently serves as a Senior Director with the Inova Health Foundation overseeing both the stewardship and events teams.
Nicole is a graduate of James Madison University with a BS in Health Service Administration and a minor in Business. She enjoys providing her expertise as a volunteer on the board of her local chapter of Boys & Girls Clubs.
