Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

  Many nonprofit organizations create, coordinate and manage events throughout the year. Some are blissfully small and manageable while others are community block-busters (literally) that just seem to grow and grow.  As a former nonprofit manager I've lamented plenty over the years about the extreme amount of money, energy, and effort coordinating special events takes. It's hard work no matter how you slice it.  As a management consultant working mainly with nonprofit leaders, I hear all the same laments.  From the side of the table I'm currently on, the perspective is very different and it has me asking lots of questions and raising several concerns. The big two being: Why are you doing these events? Are they working? The majority of the people I pose these queries to can't answer them. In most cases the event in question was established before they became involved in the organization and they haven't been tracking any data associated with the event in order to mak...

Me, as Executive Director of a Main Street organization, running a black tie fundraiser gala: I remember being whisked away by the lovely ladies at the local salon. They literally kidnapped me off the street (thank you Melanee and Charla!), fed me champagne and went to work: plucking and tweezing, brushing and crimping, spraying and sponging, gluing and glittering until I came out perfectly glossy and gorgeous. And with eyelashes!! It was magnificent. I was Cinderella at my own ball. Only instead of losing a heel, I willingly gave them both up once an hour, donned my Nikes and dashed around town to ensure the logistics of my event were still holding up behind the scenes. Also me running a black tie fundraiser gala: I remember the year the rental company called the morning of the big event to let me know they couldn't deliver my tables and chairs due to staffing issues. Oh hell no! I jumped in our local realtor's box truck (thank you, Loni!) and drove 45 minutes out of town to p...