ArtsWest’s Playhouse & Gallery hired GFS Events to coordinate their annual gala and auction in Spring of 2020. After the announcement of COVID, GFS Events and ArtsWest decided to take the event from the fundraising stage to the Zoom screen with a Sleepy Hallow Halloween theme. During the week-long fundraiser, donors were encouraged to donate, bid on auction items, and interact with a spooky site that led them through the virtual fundraiser. Each day, donors watched videos from actors, artists, and stage managers, while Ichabod Crane haunted their videos. GFS Events implemented an event timeline with key tasks and action items, introduced a donor outreach plan with suggested messaging, produced a comprehensive marketing outline, and assisted in the creation of the fundraising format layout and design. GFS Events facilitated the scheduling and messaging for the daily email communications, managed Virtual Ambassador outreach and training, and oversaw data entry for the online auction. Together, ArtsWest was able to raise over $115,000 for their organization, which was 116% of their goal! Check out their Wrap Party Below!
ArtsWest Virtual Gala: A Week of Online Giving 2020
Fun Fact
The theme of Ichabod Crane was woven into this entire virtual event and when anyone landed on the website, it would change to a "spooky" website that had been taken over by the spirit of Ichabod Crane.
GFS Events is unequivocally the best event company for non-profits so if you are searching for that perfect fit, stop now because you have found them. Our team at ArtsWest worked with GFS Events on our Gala Fundraiser that landed smack in the middle of Covid shutdowns. On a dime, GFS transitioned with us and guided us on how to fundraise successfully virtually and did so with expert advice, organizational tools that kept us on track, and incredibly we raised 30% over our goal! As a theater non-profit, it was important to us to integrate our art into the event and the collaboration between my team, and Gazala and her team was not just seamless and supportive, but they took our ideas and with their expertise wove what was important to us into the event. What’s more, we had fun along the way as they took the worry off our shoulders and were there for us at every step. We are looking forward to our next event with GFS!"
Laura Lee
Managing Director, ArtsWest