I am in charge of designing the invitations for our gala fundraising event. Someone I know that works on another charity fundraiser contacted me and asked my advice about invitations for an upcoming event. I gave her the name of the person who designed our event logos and invitations. I just found out that she has done her invitations to look EXACTLY like ours (pictures, cardboard, colour) and wants to send them to their entire guest list, which has many of the same names on it as ours. And their event is scheduled to take place before ours. I was so careful not to let her see any of my collateral but she convinced the designer to show her our invitation. Thanks to my close friendship with the designer, he called to advise me of what was going on. He thought she would be under my “umbrella”, which is why he shared my design layout with her. How can I stop this from happening in the future?

Client and supplier confidentiality should be – but is not always – a given. More and more clients are asking suppliers and their staff to sign confidentiality waivers so that creative event elements are not disclosed before, during, or even after their event (if the event was very exclusive in nature). It is up to the nonprofit organization and its sponsors to release what they choose to share with the public – a public that includes those working on their own fundraising endeavours who are always looking for creative inspiration to spark their own fresh new ideas. The same applies to suppliers discussing and disclosing to the media what took place, costs, etc., or even taking pictures at the actual fundraiser.

As well, many gala fundraising events have celebrity endorsement and you want to make sure that everything possible is being done to protect celebrities and your other guests from unwanted publicity and anything that would violate the terms and conditions of their entertainment rider. For example, some celebrities have it in their entertainment riders that no pictures can be taken of them with a sponsor’s logo in the background (which could be misconstrued as a form of public endorsement of the product, rather than support of your cause). As well, some corporate VIP sponsors may not want their picture taken with a drink in hand, their arms around someone, or greeting someone in what might look like a compromising position if taken out of context.

When giving out key supplier names to fellow colleagues, what you may want to do in future is suggest that you contact the supplier on their behalf to see if they are taking on new customers, and if so, you can then offer your supplier’s name and contact information. This gives you the opportunity to speak directly with your supplier and to let them know that you are simply passing on their name to someone who does the same type of work as you, but is not connected to you or to your organization. Make it clear that any information about how your organization works, does business, or its future plans should not be discussed.

Each nonprofit organization should be aiming to custom design events and put their own distinctive stamp on what they do – from invitations to event inclusions – rather than adapting a cookie cutter approach and following in the footsteps of others. If you want to attract sponsors, guests, media, public attention, and awareness, what you do has to stand out from the other fundraising events taking place at the same time. You want to be known for having fresh, new, exciting ideas and fundraising endeavours, not simply repackaging events that have been tried and may be tired by the time your event takes place.

If everyone is using the same suppliers to handle the same inclusions, your creative options may become more limited than if you – or they – spent time seeking out new, quality resources that can add sparkle and appeal and help you to grow your event to maximum attendance, sponsorship buy-in, and media exposure. The idea is to set yourself apart from your competition and target your niche market.

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For paid professional event planning consulting – event design, site selection critique, venue and supplier contract review, budget analysis, strategic planning, event logistical and timing requirements, and on-site orchestration – contact Judy directly at Judy Allen Productions.

Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.