As 2020 draws to a close, it’s safe to say that it’s been one for the books. In the midst of unprecedented conditions and unpredictable outcomes, we’ve been amazed and humbled by the creativity and resilience of our nonprofit partners.
“DO virtual events work?”
This spring, no one knew. Nonprofits around the country scrambled to reinvent their galas and golf outings. And at Qtego, we looked at what we do best and made the pivot right along with them.
Our business is built on individual service, and we’re used to looking for ways that our technology can shift to meet different needs. So, when organizations came to us asking about virtual events, we quickly shifted our platform, services, and team so that nonprofits could continue to raise money.
“HOW do virtual events work?”
By early summer, groups stopped asking if they should cancel events, and started focusing on how to make them work. Qtego was right there beside them. Our tech team continued to add enhancements to our platform, making virtual events run more smoothly and pioneering ways to manage hybrid events.
For many organizations, the shift to virtual events was a big leap. It took a lot of groundwork: new tasks, new challenges, and new opportunities. While we couldn’t always be there with the orange-shirt-white-glove experience, our virtual concierge teams made a crucial difference for nonprofits learning a new way of operating on the fly.
“WHY do virtual events work?”
Later in the summer and into the fall, we analyzed our results, looking at best practices from virtual events of all types and sizes. We shared more ideas with nonprofits, suggesting tips that made a difference.
And we heard from more and more organizations that virtual fundraising wasn’t just holding the line, it was breaking records.
One nonprofit thanked us after an event brought in 50% more than they planned, in spite of moving to livestream.
“Our event was AWESOME!!!”
they raved.
“Your team’s support was incredible all the weeks leading up to the event.”
Another organization filled us in after their final accounts were tallied.
“We significantly exceeded our fundraising goal for the event—by more than 69%.”
For their first ever virtual event, the group was amazed by the totals, and also by how much support they received from new donors.
We’ve learned a lot in 2020 and added a whole set of new angles to the Qtego platform. No matter what the future holds, we trust that our nonprofits will keep bringing passion and dedication to their work, and we’ll keep doing what we do best—serving nonprofit organizations with concierge service and innovative solutions that keep fundraising moving forward.
