Fyre Festival 2 and the incurable addiction of special events Artwork

Donor Growth

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Fyre Festival 2 and the incurable addiction of special events

May 25, 2023 • Louis Diez & Mike Duerksen

We're diving into the captivating story of the Fyre Festival and exploring how it serves as both a shining example and cautionary tale for special events in fundraising.

At it’s best, special events can:

Brings corporate partners on board
Be a physical manifestation of your mission
Gather people in community, and build affinity
Acquire new donors
Build richer context around your content
Create excitement because of the date-driven event
Create all sorts of content and other engagement opportunities
Involve volunteers in co-building a meaningful experience

But as always, the real money is in the follow-up and the relationships built.

But there’s downsides to consider.

A myriad of hidden costs
No true accounting or attribution
In many cases, terrible donor retention
Gifts that aren’t meaningful; rather obligatory
Can cause internal strife and stress
Can distract from building actual relationships
Can get you stuck on the donor acquisition hamster wheel
Without a follow-up strategy, loses a lot of value

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have you had experiences with special events in fundraising? Share your stories and insights with us.

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ABOUT THE HOSTS

Louis Diez advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He's the founder and host of the Donor Participation Project and VP, Community at Almabase.

Mike Duerksen hosts the Build Good Fundraising Podcast. He’s the founder and CEO of BuildGood, a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors.