Hi all,
As I'm sure other organizations are doing right now, we at Olney Theatre Center are looking at how to move forward with our Gala (currently scheduled for May 16) given the current health crisis. Right now our date just barely falls outside of the 8 week window recently given by the CDC, but of course we know that window can change depending on how things progress. So I'd love to hear from other organizations with spring/summer Galas about how you're approaching this, especially if your Gala is currently scheduled for mid-May or later. I know some organizations have offered virtual Galas, and would love to have a sense of what that entails. Obviously things like a silent auction and even a performance can be done remotely, but such a big part of Galas is creating relationships which is much harder to do in a virtual setting. Also, how do you justify the cost of the ticket when you're not providing a meal and party?
Look forward to hearing the thoughts of others facing the same situation!
Colleen
So glad to find this thread. We were in the initial stages of planning our Spring fundraiser and will now do a virtual event - which really looks more like a campaign - with a behind the scenes video tour of our theater and programs. The concern right now is launching while there is so much uncertainty and essential services are needed in locally. Would love some thoughts . . . .
I know the Oregon Symphony just had their virtual gala last weekend (as some of my friends got all dolled up and posted about it!). Perhaps reaching out to someone from that organization might be another resource?
Would love to know more about their virtual gala. Or if anyone is switching over to virtual galas or just had one, could I get more information? Thanks.
Thanks for the info! We're still not sure what we're doing, but I'll definitely add them to my list of people to reach out to!
Our gala was supposed to be April 18th. We're discussing going virtual, but we're not sure. Excited to hear from others that have had their virtual event!
Circling back to report out on a decision: because we don't really do auction, etc. like many others do, we've opted for a "No Gala Gala". In other words, we've asked the stalwart supporters to turn their table purchases into donations and stay home in their PJ's instead. We'll push out a video from leadership to thank them, but we're not going to take on any expense for dinner, venue, talent, etc. It looks like the amount we save this way is going to about level out with the fundraising we would have done in the last part of the lead-up.
Kate, I loved the language on your website for the "No-Gala" Gala! I shared it with my team.
Full credit to our Events person. He nailed it.
Update-COCA is having a virtual fundraiser this Friday. There are pre-recorded performances, streaming through Vimeo I believe. The auction has already begun through GiveSmart. It's free, please check it out if you're curious: https://e.givesmart.com/events/fnB/
Those who already paid for tables have allowed us to keep that contribution. We're delivering fancy meals to VIPs on Friday. After the official event ends we're continuing the house party on Instagram and encouraging people to dress up. We hope it's as successful as our annual in person fundraiser!
Hey Selley,
Thank you for sharing your experience switching to a virtual gala! How do you find working with Vimeo to deliver the virtual component, and does it require your community to create an individual Vimeo account to watch the gala?
Best of luck on Friday!
Thanks
I'm not involved on the production side but I haven't heard that individuals need to create a Vimeo account.
Hi ! How did your fundraiser go? How was the IG after party? Super fun ideas!
We just held our Virtual Gala on 5/2/20. It was at 7pm and we used Zoom. It was a heavy lift and took a week's worth of planning and rehearsing. We went live on FB and a Givesmart. It was a successful evening. If you want more specific details you can contact me at jbonanno@mccarter.org and I can put you in touch with some colleagues.
Hello, all! FYI there is a Virtual Gala Roundup scheduled for 5/13 at 12PM EST hosted by the Network. Perhaps this was posted on another forum, but I thought I would share the details here as well. Very curious to hear what others are doing across the industry. :)
https://community.tessituranetwork.com/events/c/e/409