Dear fabulous fundraisers, we see how hard you’re working to line up all of your contingency plans. Aren’t you exhausted? We think it’s quite possible that you are.
And we’re here to tell you, pivoting in these times has become inevitable. It’s going to have to happen. The possibility that your event will not require any philosophical or physical pivoting has been diminished, based on our rough calculations, to less than a one in 1,000 chance.
So given these odds, what should you be prepared to consider? We’ve got a few ideas.
When Should You Hybridize Your Event?
There may be restrictions in your area that limit gathering (now, or as your event date gets closer) that will give you an opportunity to gather some supporters but not everybody. You may start with a fully in-person event that has to pivot to hybrid based on new restrictions or a fully virtual event that can pivot to hybrid based on the reduction of restrictions. We recommend you make this final call as late as you possibly can while still giving yourself time to produce a fabulous event.
Should Your Audience Sign a Consent Form?
People may need to present a vaccination card or health passport, take a temperature, put on a new mask or otherwise verify their status with you. Be sure that you’ve considered the necessary equipment, volunteer-power and wayfinding necessary to be in compliance with the guidelines in your area—including anything the CDC might need if they have to follow up with you afterwards.
How Should You Accommodate Social Distancing Regardless?
Dancefloor? Check! Oh wait, whoops—not quite yet on that one. Consider how your space can and will be configured to give people, especially those most nervous among us, the freedom to stay in their pod or otherwise keep a healthy distance while still having a good time.
What Makes Partnerships Great?
Beyond individual restrictions, the specifics of opening back up in your area and all the other general things to consider, if you take one thing away from this post, we hope it’s that your pivot will only be as strong as your partnerships. How’s your event team doing interpersonally these days? Consider how to shore up relationships. How comfortable are your people with being in person? Consider how to talk to folks to illicit the most honest, raw and personal responses.
And perhaps as always, how open and available are you to taking guidance from your auctioneering team and other consultants? Consider what it would take for you to be your best collaborative self in these times. What makes you a good listener? What kind of self-care do you need to take tough news with grace?
We want to be there for you, and we will be! But you have to trust us. We guarantee your pivot will be stronger for it. (And if we were allowed to have favorites, you’d be ours.)
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