Joel Momberg joined All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg in 1979 as its first public relations director. Since then, the hospital has grown from a small facility treating local kids to a national center for treatment in specialty areas including oncology and cystic fibrosis. As All Children's has grown, so has the role of special events.
What are the foundation's major events?
We were one of the original members of the Children's Miracle Network and have been putting on a telethon for 23 years. We produce a number of events that tie in to that weekend, including a V.I.P. auction and the Taste of Pinellas, featuring 60 restaurants and live music in a downtown park. We have two big organizations that help us with other events. The All Children's Hospital Guild is a group of women who hold black tie balls, a cowboy ball, fashion shows, and teas. They raise a half million a year. Then there's a group of younger professionals called the Development Council, which manages events like the Hall of Famer baseball game. We tie the tournament into an auction and a big V.I.P. dinner. That weekend brings in $200,000 to $300,000.
What role do events play in your fund-raising strategy?
At least a third of our dollars coming in every year are due to special events. We did a study that showed we raise $12 to $15 million a year at All Children's, and $4 million of that comes from the telethon plus special events organized throughout the year, with the rest due to donations and sponsorships.
What other benefits come from holding special events?
Special events are big fund-raisers for the hospital. They're also big "friend-raisers." Special events are huge catalysts for major gifts. There are a huge number of folks who will never have to experience any treatment here at the hospital. Events let the general public know what we do.
How much money does the foundation spend on events each year?
We come away with about 80 percent in net revenue. Some events cost more. It all balances out. If the gross from events is $6 or $7 million for the year, then about $1 or $2 million were the costs of running events. Those are hard costs that somebody paid for.
How have special events changed in the past 26 years?
It's getting tougher. There's a lot more competition for limited dollars. You have to raise the bar. You have to hire better entertainers. As the cost goes up, your margins get smaller.
How do you adjust?
Events are ever changing. If you have an event that's successful once, you can't expect the same formula will work year after year after year. For example, with Taste of Pinellas we started charging admission. Then we found people were spending less on food. The participating restaurants were not happy. We went back to free admission but added a surcharge on the tickets exchanged for food and beverages. We made as much, if not more, from the volume sales on food and beverages. We're going to try that for a while.
What's the biggest challenge in planning special events?
Events can give you ulcers. I've made a heck of a lot of mistakes. Weather can kill you. The wrong bands can kill you. You take the good and the bad. We had some events that didn't make much money and some that lost money. The bottom line is: if the event is enjoyable, you've created the good will for someone who's a potential donor down the line.
—Celeste Fraser Delgado
What are the foundation's major events?
We were one of the original members of the Children's Miracle Network and have been putting on a telethon for 23 years. We produce a number of events that tie in to that weekend, including a V.I.P. auction and the Taste of Pinellas, featuring 60 restaurants and live music in a downtown park. We have two big organizations that help us with other events. The All Children's Hospital Guild is a group of women who hold black tie balls, a cowboy ball, fashion shows, and teas. They raise a half million a year. Then there's a group of younger professionals called the Development Council, which manages events like the Hall of Famer baseball game. We tie the tournament into an auction and a big V.I.P. dinner. That weekend brings in $200,000 to $300,000.
What role do events play in your fund-raising strategy?
At least a third of our dollars coming in every year are due to special events. We did a study that showed we raise $12 to $15 million a year at All Children's, and $4 million of that comes from the telethon plus special events organized throughout the year, with the rest due to donations and sponsorships.
What other benefits come from holding special events?
Special events are big fund-raisers for the hospital. They're also big "friend-raisers." Special events are huge catalysts for major gifts. There are a huge number of folks who will never have to experience any treatment here at the hospital. Events let the general public know what we do.
How much money does the foundation spend on events each year?
We come away with about 80 percent in net revenue. Some events cost more. It all balances out. If the gross from events is $6 or $7 million for the year, then about $1 or $2 million were the costs of running events. Those are hard costs that somebody paid for.
How have special events changed in the past 26 years?
It's getting tougher. There's a lot more competition for limited dollars. You have to raise the bar. You have to hire better entertainers. As the cost goes up, your margins get smaller.
How do you adjust?
Events are ever changing. If you have an event that's successful once, you can't expect the same formula will work year after year after year. For example, with Taste of Pinellas we started charging admission. Then we found people were spending less on food. The participating restaurants were not happy. We went back to free admission but added a surcharge on the tickets exchanged for food and beverages. We made as much, if not more, from the volume sales on food and beverages. We're going to try that for a while.
What's the biggest challenge in planning special events?
Events can give you ulcers. I've made a heck of a lot of mistakes. Weather can kill you. The wrong bands can kill you. You take the good and the bad. We had some events that didn't make much money and some that lost money. The bottom line is: if the event is enjoyable, you've created the good will for someone who's a potential donor down the line.
—Celeste Fraser Delgado
