Your nonprofit just held its annual fundraising event. The room was full, the auction went well, and you raised $20,000 to support your mission. Your board is happy, your volunteers are exhausted, and everyone agrees the event was a success. Now it's time to start planning next year's event. Sound familiar? Fundraising events are an important part of many nonprofits' strategies. They bring people together, introduce new supporters to your mission, and generate much-needed rev

It starts and ends with leadership and the structure of the organization.

During our conversation, the executive director said something that stuck with me. She looked exhausted and said, “I feel like all we ever do is ask people for money.”