High-Tech Fundraising Event Allows Small Nonprofits to Join in Raising Money

As social-distancing mandates made it impossible to hold many fundraising events, nonprofits have explored how to shift their in-person fundraising events and galas online. But producing professional-looking live events online can require a big investment in video and audio equipment and the right workers to pull off.

An event in Maryland aims to bridge that gap by providing smaller nonprofits access to a digital fundraising platform and live-online video production capabilities. MOVE Maryland on November 7 will feature a day of live-streamed video fitness classes and activities. The daylong event uses a social-fundraising model. Participants are invited to raise funds on behalf of a participating Maryland nonprofit and must raise at least $200 from friends and family to access the live-stream of the event.

MOVE Maryland is the brainchild of the Ulman Foundation, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that uses fitness events such as bike rides and runs to raise funds for cancer research.

“To create an engaging and high-quality virtual event isn’t cheap,” said Katie Norton, spokeswoman for the Ulman Foundation. “Not every nonprofit is going to have that capability or the funding in reserve to be able to host a virtual gala.”

The foundation initially conceived of the event as a one-day spin class for its supporters who raised money for the organization.

“We thought to invite others; Let’s just call up a few of our cancer organization friends, then we thought we could make it a little bigger,” said Norton. “It wasn’t something we had seen done elsewhere.”

The Ulman Foundation already had access to an online fundraising platform through which third-party nonprofits could raise funds, and they had deep enough pockets to fund a complicated video-streaming operation, which will feature segments broadcast live from different Maryland cities. In between the live exercise segments, the stream will broadcast short promotional videos highlighting the work of the participating nonprofits.

Norton estimates the event will cost $30,000 to produce, and the Ulman Foundation will keep 25 percent of the funds raised to cover costs.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore CEO Jeffrey Breslin says the event could help shore up the group’s fundraising. Its regularly scheduled annual gala has been pushed back to at least April 2021, leaving a big financial hole this year. He said his organization hopes to recruit up to 200 supporters to raise funds for the group at the MOVE Maryland event and net $35,000 to $40,000. While that wouldn’t match what the annual gala normally brings in — the group’s 2019 gala generated about $330,000 — every dollar helps.

“Their team made it really easy on us about managing the back-end and logistics of the event,” said Breslin. “Could an organization our size put on digital events or virtual events? We could. Could we do it with the impact we are looking for from MOVE Maryland? Probably not.”

Norton said she’s hoping 2,000 people will take part in the event. The foundation hopes to recruit more than 50 nonprofits across the state to participate. As of August 21, 44 nonprofits had signed up to participate.