AFP Chapter Spotlight: Central OH Chapter: Cocktails and Calamities

The AFP Central OH Chapter was founded in 1979 and currently has over 320 members. In this chapter spotlight, we interviewed their chapter leaders to learn more about their innovative annual event called Cocktails and Calamities. Interested in putting on a similar event? Download our Share & Reapply form for an easy guide on replicating their success. 

Q: What is the Cocktails and Calamities event? 
A: Our best-attended event of the year, Cocktails and Calamities, is an evening of networking, appetizers, beverages, and fellowship, centered around tales of failure, accidents, crises, and calamities. C&C gives fundraisers an opportunity to present an event from their past where things did NOT go as planned and then detail how they overcame it and what they learned. 

It focuses on what can go wrong and what was done about it, rather than just celebrating successes or tips and tricks. C&C showcases the blunders, mishaps, and awkward situations we all run into as fundraisers and celebrates how individuals can weather them in a supportive way. It is informal and accessible, making it a great event for both new and experienced fundraisers. Since we have new speakers every year, the content is always changing.

It remains a time-honored tradition for Central Ohio AFP and is a fantastic way to engage our membership, recruit new members, and build a community.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the event? 
A: We have been hosting this event for the past ten years now. It was the brainchild of some of our most experienced fundraisers who enjoyed spaces where their colleagues could honestly share their experiences of crisis management. The relaxed atmosphere allows for open dialogue, and the openness of the presenters creates authentic interactions.

Q: What are the goals of the event? 
A: C&C aims to develop our membership by giving real-world examples of how to deal with difficult (and even calamitous) situations, illustrate how to apply fundraising techniques, increase the transparency of the profession, serve as a point of comfort for fundraisers who may otherwise feel alone, and build fellowship.

Q: What goes into planning this event? 
A: As this is one of our chapter’s biggest events, there is a lot that goes into the planning to make sure the event is a success. We do not work with any formal sponsors, but we do love when we can choose a venue that showcases the mission of a local nonprofit. For C&C 2024, we held the event at a beautiful event space in downtown Columbus called the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, an environmental 501(c)(3). Another important element of the planning process is selecting and vetting speakers, ensuring that they are there to share an experience, as opposed to a promotional angle. Beyond that, there is a lot of logistics to work through, such as contracting vendors and organizing volunteers. 

Q: What marketing is done for the event? Do you follow up with attendees? 
A: We use our social media accounts and email marketing service to advertise to our members and online followers. Anyone interested in the profession is invited, member or not. After the event, we follow up with attendees through a survey, which also allows us to continuously learn from previous years and improve the event. 

Q: Has the event been a success? 
A: The event has been a massive success for us! We regularly have nearly 100 attendees and are able to showcase a variety of presenters, some of whom are familiar faces in our chapter and others who are brand new. It allows our membership to learn from their peers and concoct creative solutions to problems they themselves are likely facing. 

This year’s event was the most well attended monthly program of the season. It was hosted at a local nonprofit which allowed them to showcase their mission. We had dozens of first-time attendees and a handful of first-time presenters. Our presenters talked about “Calamities” ranging from technology failures to interpersonal conflict, to no-show funders. We got rave reviews from attendees and are so grateful to our chapter membership, leadership, and the committee who makes it possible. 

Q: What advice do you have for chapters who are interested in putting on a similar event? 
A: Encourage people to show up authentically, warts and all. We learn the most from our failures and admitting them makes us stronger.

Reach out to speakers with a wide range of experience and backgrounds; blunders can occur whether you are one week or twenty years on the job.

Curate your presenters and don’t be afraid to coach them on how to run a small group Q+A, and screen their presentations ahead of time.

We rotate speakers every 10-15 minutes, either with the audience staying seated and the speakers rotating, or with the speakers in different places around the venue and attendees rotating in small groups. I recommend the latter as people are more likely to engage in more intimate settings, especially around potentially uncomfortable topics.

These events are GREAT ways to engage new or prospective members; while we all may not fundraise in the same way or have the same professional development or career goals, we all make mistakes! C&C allows us to learn from them, support our colleagues, and celebrate the tenacity needed to be a fundraiser.