Development professionals and event teams will receive expert, in-person guidance designed to empower them to plan and execute events that are not only joyful and efficient, but also community-enhancing and sustainable for the long term. This training equips your organization to raise more with less stress—while staying focused on what matters most: your mission.
Yet increasingly, school leaders and development professionals express frustration that these events, once effective and energizing, have grown bloated and burdensome. What was once a powerful tool for revenue and community-building can begin to feel unmanageable, draining too much institutional time, energy, and resources.
For decades, independent schools and non-profit organizations of all types and sizes have depended on fundraising events—especially auctions and galas—to support a significant portion of their operating budgets.
we can help!
We offer professional development workshops to help you and/or your team relieve the tension between the undeniable upside of event-based giving and the operational realities that can make these events feel overwhelming. While auctions and galas are inherently complex, they do not have to be chaotic or all-consuming. With the right strategy, clear goals, and data-informed planning, your events can be both impactful and sustainable.
Drawing on decades of experience working with independent schools and non-profits across the country, we will share practical, tested strategies that help streamline event planning, reduce stress, and increase returns. You will learn how to challenge the status quo of the traditional gala by relying on data to inform decisions, allocate staff time more efficiently, and establish priorities aligned with your school's broader fundraising goals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Drawing on decades of experience working with independent schools and non-profits across the country, we will share practical, tested strategies that help streamline event planning, reduce stress, and increase returns. You will learn how to challenge the status quo of the traditional gala by relying on data to inform decisions, allocate staff time more efficiently, and establish priorities aligned with your school's broader fundraising goals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Data-based framework for evaluating your return on investment and refocusing on the most profitable revenue streams, including building a strategic fundraising event budget
- Specific recommendations for reducing the planning time needed for your Gala, the staffing demands it creates, and unnecessary expenses
- Ways to structure your Development Office and volunteer organization to minimize the planning footprint and maximize efficiency
- Strategic approaches to ticket packages, silent auctions, live auctions, and fund-a-need
- Marketing and messaging your event
- Trends in fundraising
- Strategies to ensure your events serve as opportunities for community-building and donor cultivation—not organizational burnout
FROM PLANNING TO PROCEEDS: RAISE MORE, STRESS LESS
Included are:
- Expert strategic fundraising event advice and training that enables you to build a successful fundraising event in a joyful, efficient, community-enhancing, and institutionally-sustainable way
- Strategies to perform data analysis of past events and build fundraising event budgets, maximize sponsorship revenue, create ticket packages and facilitate ticket sales
- Strategic approaches to building successful silent and live auctions along with Fund-a-Need planning and auction add-on options
- Marketing and messaging your events
- Staff and Volunteer Structure and Management
- Recommendations to ensure a smooth guest experience
- Fundraising in 2025 and Artificial Intelligence
- Interactive exercises to become familiar with strategic ways to plan fundraising events
- Time for Q&A on both days
- Lunch & Learn with Guest Speaker (on select dates)
- Conducted by C2Auctions CEO Chris O'Shea and CSO Livia Christensen
- Networking Happy Hour at the conclusion of Day Two
Raise More, Stress Less: Two-Day Professional Development Workshop
$3,500 per person
Location: Washington DC Area, more locations to come soon
Participant limit: 10 people
sign up
By the end of this workshop, you'll walk away with a clear framework to make smarter, more strategic decisions about your fundraising events—freeing up time, energy, and resources.
Included are:
- One-hour virtual meeting leading up to the workshop
- Expert strategic fundraising event advice and training that enables you to build a successful fundraising event in a joyful, efficient, community-enhancing, and institutionally-sustainable way
- Personalized data analysis: Assessment of past events (financial success, structure of event) and consulting on best practices and path forward
- Strategies to build fundraising event budgets, maximize sponsorship revenue, create ticket packages and facilitate ticket sales
- Strategic approaches to building successful silent and live auctions along with Fund-a-Need planning and auction add-on options
- Staff and Volunteer Structure and Management
- Marketing and messaging your events
- Recommendations to ensure a smooth guest experience
- Fundraising in 2025 and Artificial Intelligence
- Interactive and personalized exercises to become familiar with strategic ways to plan fundraising events
- Copy of C2Auction's Book: "From Planning to Proceeds - Raise More, Stress Less"
- Conducted by C2Auctions CEO Chris O'Shea and CSO Livia Christensen
3-Day In-House Workshop & Training
$35,000 (Travel included)
Location: Your Office
PRICING ON DEMAND I location: your office
