Fun In Fundraising

How does a nonprofit successfully structure a signature fundraising event so that both nonprofits and business sponsors both benefit?

Today, I talk with Houston Ballet Executive Director Sonja Kostich as well as Michelle Jeffery, co-chair for Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market®, one of the organization's signature fundraising events.

For over 40 years, the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® has been one of Houston's most successful signature fundraising events. The multi-day event features both events for major donors as well as an epic marketplace featuring hundreds of local Houston merchants, each of whom donates a percentage of their proceeds during the five-day shopping extravaganza. In 2025, Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® drew over 100,000 visitors to the NRG Center, where the event is held.

Sonja and Michelle share their insights on a variety of topics, including tips on successfully hosting a multi-day fundraising event, how to balance engaging donors to avoid donor fatigue, creating distinct experiences during an event series while maintaining an event throughline, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How can a nonprofit with chapters around the country create a successful gala that both connects to the organization's mission and has a local feel?

Today, I talk with Folds of Honor North Texas Chapter Executive Director Sarah Elliott to talk about the chapter's largest signature fundraising event, the Folds of Honor North Texas Gala.

In 2007, Folds of Honor was founded by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military members and first responders. Over the past 19 years, Folds of Honor has grown to 40 chapters around the United States, including the North Texas Chapter, whose 2025 gala raised a record-breaking and eye-popping $4.5 million for the organization.

Sarah provides her expert insights on a range of topics, including how to use a unique event venue as a way to attract (and maintain) donors, the keys to creating a successful paddles raise that effectively conveys the mission and moves the audience, getting a high-profile individual to say yes to attend your event in a way that is organic to the organization's mission, and so much more. This is one episode you definitely do not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit successfully host a gala or signature fundraising event on their campus or headquarters?

Today, I talk with Houston SPCA VP of Marketing and Communications Julie Kuenstle and VP of Philanthropy Patrick Plunk to discuss the organization's signature fundraising event: the 2026 Howl-O-Ween Ball.

One of the most fun and financially successful animal welfare galas in Texas, Houston SPCA’s Howl-O-Ween is a genius event concept that allows the organization to bring its mission to life for existing and potential new donors. The Halloween theme invites guests to embrace the holiday in full costume or attend in cocktail or black-tie attire, creating an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. Held on the grounds of the Houston SPCA, the event also gives donors a firsthand, real-time connection to the organization’s mission. The event's results speak for themselves, with the 2025 gala raising more than $1 million.

Julie and Patrick provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including how to develop strong relationships with event chairs to maximize relationships and impact, determining which of your donors is most ideal for a holiday-themed event, the importance of creating an effective event communications strategy to convey your mission to the broader community, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

What is the key to hosting a themed event that allows every guest to feel comfortable and ready to participate?

Today, I talk with Jessica Bertuccio, James Flavin, and Bahareh Flavin, three of the co-chairs for the One Upon A Time: A Fairy Tale Fashion Ball benefiting Children's Museum Houston.

For many years, the Children's Museum Houston's annual gala has been a highly successful annual signature event with a keen ability to draw a youthful crowd who is ready to show up and make an impact. Each year, the event features innovative themes where guests feel comfortable showing up either in costume or in traditional black-tie. This year should be especially fun with the 2026 theme: Once Upon a Time: A Fairy Tale Fashion Ball that will allow guests to sport high fashion in a way that best suits them.

Jessica, James, and Bahareh provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including how event chairs can effectively use a committee that ensures their event vision comes to life, how changing the theme each year keeps donors engaged...and on their toes, tips on creating a successful after-party that keeps the vast majority of your crowd at your gala until the final song is spun or sung, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How can a nonprofit effectively use a gala to increase revenue, visibility, and impact?

Today, I talk with Foster Village Founder & CEO Chrystal Smith about the Austin Chapters Grow the Village Gala, the organization's largest annual signature fundraising event.

Ten years ago, Chrystal founded Foster Village to provide support to families who foster children as well as services for children aging out of the foster care system. During this time, Foster Village has grown from the initial Austin chapter to a dozen different markets around the country. This year's Grow the Village Gala will both celebrate this milestone and raise a substantial amount of funds to support the organization's mission.

Chrystal provides her expert insights on a range of topics on running your gala as a business, including how to successfully grow and evolve your organization while staying true to its mission, tips on creating an inaugural board that sets your organization up for success, using the gala as an opportunity to connect with new as well as existing donors, and so much more.

What is the key to hosting a successful annual gala? Run it like a business.

No one is better suited to discuss this important, yet underdiscussed topic than Houston Children's Charity President & CEO Laura Ward and her enormously successful Houston Children's Charity Gala.

This year, Houston's most anticipated and successful fundraising gala turns 30 this year. Laura has been able to grow the gala to extraordinary heights by adopting business principles that have allowed her gala to grow and scale. The 2025 Houston Children's Charity Gala raised an incredible $9.4 million, and know in 2026, it will likely become a gala unicorn that will raise eight figures in a single night.

Laura provides her expert insights on a range of topics on running your gala as a business, including how bold, trusted leadership sets the pace for your gala, the importance of engaging your customer in "old school" ways, the thing you must do 100% with all gala stakeholders, and so much more. This episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to grow and scale their gala in a way that connects with donors and stakeholders so they give more of their resources to your event.

How does a nonprofit successfully host an annual gala at a unique space that also has the capacity to host a large number of guests?

Today, I talk with Cynthia Everitt and Paige Westhoff, co-chairs of the 2026 Cattle Baron's Ball Dallas, benefiting the American Cancer Society.

For over 50 years, Cattle Baron's Ball has been one of Texas' most successful fundraising events. Over the past several years, the event has been hosted at the iconic Southfork Ranch, home of the legendary show Dallas. Hosting it at Southfork has allowed over 3,000 guests each year to experience the largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the United States each year.

Cynthia and Paige provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including creating a great theme that engages and excites your audience, managing a guest list, and strategically seating people so they want to attend every single year, creating a live auction that raises a large amount of money while entertaining the crowd, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit successfully use a gala to showcase the progress of a transformative project that an entire community can use year-round?

Today, I talk with Dr. Colette Pierce-Burnette, CEO of Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, to talk about the upcoming Glow in the Park Gala.

Held on the world-class grounds of the Moody Amphitheater on part of the Waterloo Greenway's city greenscape, Glow in the Park is one of Austin's must-attend fundraising events. Under Colette's leadership, the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy has continued to thrive as the organization creates a transformative, multi-mile naturebelt in the heart of Austin. Glow in the Park provides donors and guests the opportunity to access and take in the natural beauty of Waterloo Greenway in an immersive way, showcasing how their donations have provided a transformative impact on the community.

Colette provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on successfully using a gala to connect with major donors, putting your own stamp on a transformational project already in progress, creating a successful fundraising event that is held outdoors, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit steadily grow its annual fundraising gala so it becomes one of the most successful galas in your area?

Today, I talk with Sneha Merchant, co-Chair of the Operation Smile Houston Gala, to talk about its 10th anniversary gala.

Over the past decade, Operation Smile's Houston Gala has grown in scope and impact. Beginning as a smaller 100-person event, the event has grown in size and now features well over 500 of Houston's most notable philanthropists in attendance each year. Along the way, the organization has strategically shifted event venues as the Operation Smile Gala has grown and scaled during that time.

Sneha provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on successfully and gradually evolving your event over time, building a devoted following for your annual gala and signature fundraising event that also creates great word of mouth, getting high-profile individuals to say yes to support your event, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How can a nonprofit executive leader effectively collaborate with an outgoing senior leader transitioning into an emeritus role to ensure knowledge, fundraising, and impact seamlessly continue?

Today, I talk with Alistine Turnbull-Blackshear, Market President of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star Greater Houston Chapter, and Pierce Bush, President Emeritus of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star to discuss An Evening for Potential Gala, the Houston Chapter's annual signature fundraising event.

Over the last several years, Big Brothers Big Sisters' An Evening for Potential Gala has drawn many of Houston's top social and community leaders. As outgoing President, Pierce Bush has transitioned into an emeritus role, Alistine and the leaders across Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star Chapters around Texas have been able to tap into institutional knowledge, providing organizational continuity while empowering them to put their own stamps on their various chapters. This has allowed the organization to seamlessly transition major fundraising events while infusing them with new energy that successful leadership transitions provide.

Alistine and Pierce provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including engaging donors via events throughout the year, selecting a theme that resonates with both the audience and the organization's mission, successfully evolving your nonprofit with a growing/changing city, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit successfully create donor engagement opportunities that are galas for all donor levels that are fun and exciting?

Today, I talk with Debbie Tate, Chief Development Officer of Texas Advocacy Project, to discuss the Black and White Ball, the organization's largest annual signature fundraising event.

Over the years, Black & White Ball has steadily grown and become one of Austin's most successful annual signature fundraising events. One particular activation makes the event exciting and intriguing for donors of all levels: Mystery Gifts. This allows donors to make smaller donations and receive a gift equal to or greater than the value of the donation which is beautifully wrapped black and white wrapping paper that allows every donor to feel special.

Debbie provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including creating a long-term planning strategy to ensure a successful gala, creating strong relationships between event chairs and a nonprofit, hosting a compelling live auction that encourages donors to give generously, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a community successfully host an online fundraiser that raises a large amount of money for a wide range of nonprofits in your area?

Today, I talk with Calvert Collins-Bratton, former Chief Relationship Officer of Communities Foundation of Texas, to discuss their annual signature fundraising event, North Texas Giving Day.

The most successful and highest revenue online fundraising day in the United States each year, North Texas Giving Day raised over $78 million for over 3,500 North Texas nonprofits. The day allowed over 100,000 North Texans to give back to a cause near and dear to them and brilliantly showcases the power of a community to come together to provide life-changing and life-saving services to those in need.

Collins provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips for getting large segments of your community to participate in an online fundraiser, how small online contributions are donor development opportunities for nonprofits, creating contests to drive donor and community interest, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit successfully curate a cohesive silent and live auction for their annual gala or signature fundraising event?

Today, I talk with Ashley Nowak and Laura McCallan, two of the co-chairs for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center's largest annual signature fundraising event, Art for Advocacy.

If you think successful art auctions are limited to only visual arts organizations, it is time to rethink that position. For many years, Dallas Children's Advocacy Center has hosted one of North Texas' most successful signature fundraising galas of the year. Last year's Art for Advocacy raised an impressive $2.1 million for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, which allows the organization to provide services to provide justice and restore hope for abused children in North Texas.

The event includes both live and silent auctions featuring works from over 70 top artists from North Texas and beyond. This has allowed the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center to draw a wide range of donors from the North Texas community, which has allowed them to expand their services and impact.

Ashley and Laura provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including the importance of having a successful committee to carry out an event chair's vision, developing strong relationships between event chairs and a nonprofit to maximize fundraising impact, tips on getting artists to say yes and donate an item to your signature fundraising event, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit successfully host an event in a unique, highly coveted space in a way that inspires giving and grows your fundraising total each year?

Today, I talk with Melissa Keller, President and Co-Founder of the Abigail E. Keller Foundation to talk about the organization's upcoming signature fundraising event, Abbey Lights Up COTA.

Held each year at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack, Abbey Lights Up COTA has grown over the years into one of Austin's top and most unique signature fundraising events. The event seamlessly ties to the organization and its mission through the late Abigail E. Keller's love for racing and an unforgettable experience she had at COTA before her passing. The result is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for guests that allows ABBEY Lights Up COTA to consistently grow its revenue year-over-year.

Melissa provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on effectively setting up an inaugural board for a foundation in honor of a departed loved one, maintaining strong relationships with top donors to grow a devoted following for your signature fundraising event, the benefits and challenges of hosting a gala in a unique space, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit find keynote speakers that both move the audience and compel them to give to your cause?

Today, I talk with former Sr. Director of Special Events & Operations of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, Nate Ferguson, as well as acclaimed speaker and cancer thriver Jamie Valvano, daughter of legendary North Carolina State Basketball Coach, the late Jim Valvano, the namesake of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, to talk about the organization's highest-revenue fundraiser of the year: the 2026 Napa Wine Celebration.

The V Foundation is well known in the philanthropic world for curating multi-day events that are informative and fun. The V Foundation hosts over a half dozen epicurean events in select markets around the country, leveraging the power that food and wine have to bring people together to raise funds for the organization.

The crown jewel of the epicurean dinners is the Napa Wine Celebration, which raised $12.3 million in 2026. The most impactful part of the V Foundation's epicurean events is no doubt Jamie's keynote addresses that occur at most of the events. She powerfully and emotionally tells the story of her father's legacy, the organization, and how the V Foundation's work literally saved her life.

Jamie and Nate provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on creating a successful, fun multi-day event, leveraging long-term relationships to create epic live auctions with once-in-a-lifetime packages, successfully setting up a foundation in honor of a departed loved one, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit effectively create relationships with talented artists to compel them to provide works that drive event awareness and fundraising?

Today, I talk with world-renowned photographer and author David Yarrow to talk about how philanthropy has been a part of his business model, as well as sharing amazing tidbits on his book David Yarrow: The Collection. This includes the late movie legend and nature lover Robert Redford, who had his essence photographed by Yarrow on numerous occasions.

For many years, top art and photography patrons have clamored for David's incredible eye for capturing the essence of both land and nature. His iconic works have gained him a devoted following around the world that has allowed people to look at nature in a different way. His largesse has extended to philanthropy, and he has donated over $20 million of his works to various top nonprofits from around the world.

David provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including where his passion for giving back comes from, what compels him to support a particular organization, what inspired him to create his latest book, creating an environment to make high-profile individuals comfortable, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How do you create amazing tablescapes and décor that both wow your guests and foster connection?

Today, I talk with best-selling entertaining author Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Founder of Trunk Curated, to discuss this important and often underutilized event topic. Tablescapes and décor are the one thing that can seamlessly highlight the theme of the event and create the environment to build long-lasting relationships.

Over the years, Kimberly has hosted five-star events throughout the world, ranging from intimate dinner parties for six to galas for over 1,000. Guests clamor for invitations to an event hosted by Kimberly, as everyone who attends knows they will enjoy amazing food, sit next to interesting people, and develop lifelong friendships. She understands better than anyone how the small details are the secret to creating unforgettable event experiences.

Kimberly provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including creating the right mindset in approaching events of different sizes, using décor for themed events in an elevated, sophisticated way, the importance of strategically seating guests to achieve your event goals, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

What are the keys to effectively utilizing an event photographer so they can seamlessly capture the essence of your gala or event?

Today, I talk with Priscilla Dickson, Founder of PPD Photographyto discuss this vital and important topic. I often state that the one item no nonprofit can afford to cut from their event budget is a quality photographer, and Priscilla is living proof of that.

For over 20 years, Priscilla has photographed nearly all of Houston's top galas and signature fundraising events. Her ability to capture the fun and spirit of not only the events, but the guests, and the city of Houston has earned the trust of Houston's most beloved and successful nonprofit organizations...as well as the personalities behind them for personal events and parties.

Priscilla provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on creating a strong relationship between a nonprofit and an event photographer, how a great event theme allows an event photographer to capture the spirit of your event, making high-profile individuals comfortable so they are camera-ready, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

What are the keys to creating an effective event publicity strategy that promotes both a nonprofit's signature fundraising event and its mission?

Today, I talk with Jenny Selber Gustafson, Founder & CEO of Like Minds Communications, to discuss this critical topic.

For nearly a decade, Like Minds Communications has successfully created mission-driven publicity and marketing strategies for many top nonprofit organizations in the Houston area. This has allowed both Like Minds and the nonprofits to thrive in one of the country's most effective and competitive gala fundraising markets.

Jenny provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including tips on creating a strong relationship between a nonprofit and a public relations firm, the importance of having a pre-event and post-event promotions strategy, developing long-term partnerships with top media brands in your market, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

What are the keys to creating strong, impactful videos at galas and signature fundraising events that both move donors and inspire financial generosity?

Today, I talk with Kwami Ngaojia, Chief Relationships Officer of Beard and Bowler, to discuss this critical topic. Kwami has developed relationships with nonprofits all around the country, creating impactful program videos. Kwami & Beard and Bowler even have on-site production tools at their disposal to turn around videos in hours instead of weeks. This allows your event to organically and spontaneously create content during your gala or signature fundraiser to capture magical moments from your event to inspire more giving.

Kwami provides valuable insights on creating emotionally impactful and financially successful program videos, including how mission videos are essential to any gala signature fundraising events, the similarities and differences between a gala video and a community impact video, how shorter videos are more impactful than longer videos, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.