{"id":40376,"date":"2019-04-09T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomerang2dev.wpengine.com\/?p=40376"},"modified":"2025-09-02T09:31:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:31:54","slug":"should-your-nonprofit-do-an-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomerang.com\/blog\/should-your-nonprofit-do-an-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Your Nonprofit Do an Event?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nonprofit special events are traditions.<\/p>\n

Comfortable old shoes.<\/p>\n

Sacred cows.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve either been around so long no one can imagine doing away with them, or they\u2019re the beloved brainchild of an important donor, board committee or executive director to whom no one can say no.<\/p>\n

All too often, they\u2019re simply \u201cdone,\u201d<\/b> with little thought given as to why and even less thought given as to whether the \u2018why\u2019 (the ends) justifies the \u2018what\u2019 (the means\/event).<\/p>\n

Why an Event May Be the Wrong Option<\/b><\/h2>\n

Always begin by asking \u201cWhat ends does this event serve?<\/b>\u201d<\/p>\n

Brainstorm this on your own or, even better, with a group.<\/p>\n

Look at the ends you\u2019ve brainstormed, and ask: \u201cAs laudable as these ends are, do they match our current and foreseeable priorities?<\/b>\u201d<\/p>\n

Hmmn\u2026 Think about this carefully; now take the time to rank order your top priorities<\/b>. For example, what do you most need to do right now based on your history, current supporter base (or lack thereof), and where you want to be this year, next year and three years from now?<\/p>\n

For example, you may want to prioritize one or more of the following:<\/p>\n