It’s event season in Palm Beach, which makes us wonder: When the ball gowns go back in the closet and the society magazines have run their last picture of pretty people partying…what next?  You had hoards of people excited about your cause because you threw a great party.  How do you capitalize on those good feelings?

• Thank thank and thank again.  Start from the top down – your sponsors, your donors, your event committee, your guests, your volunteers and even the staff at the event venue.  Thanking comes in many forms – a phone call, a hand-written note, a formal letter.  Resist the urge to send an email…it may be easy, but it’s also easily dismissed.

• Invite folks who were new to your event/cause to visit your organization.  Tell them you’d like to meet the kids/families/animal whose lives they are touching because of their generosity.  When they visit, make sure to get their impressions about the event.  Remember, if someone comes to your event and buys an auction item, she is not a donor.  To get her to become a donor takes work – it takes connecting to your cause, and that can take time!

• Debrief with your key supporters.  You may think that your event went smashingly, but does your board chair agree?  How about your event committee – what do they think?  Listen, take notes and digest the information.  Start with your successes and then get to the meat: What needs to be done to improve the event for the following year? 

• Conduct an ROI.  Too often charities fall into the trap of having a party while forgetting the point of the party – to raise needed funds to support those precious children/dogs/turtles…whatever it is you do.  Be sure to factor in soft costs – too often we forget how much time and energy these events consume.  At the end of the day did you really make money?  Is there another way your organization could make that amount of money without expending so many resources?

• Start planning for next year!  (That is, as long as your ROI indicates success.)  Yep…that’s right, start now!  Circle back to #1 on the list.  As you are thanking everyone from your sponsors down to the staff at the event venue, invite them to participate again next year.  Get your event on the social calendar, build that committee…and do it all over again.