4 Ways Covid Changed Fundraising Dinners (It's Not All Bad...)

It’s hard to believe it’s almost been four years since COVID-19 swept the nation and changed how we viewed in-person gatherings.

But, as 2023 winds down, we can’t help but notice some changes the pandemic left behind. Here are four ways Covid changed Fundraising Dinners.

#1. Last-Minute Attendance Changes: Staying Home

COVID-19 made many more mindful of their personal health status during cold and flu season.

Gone are the days when staying home with a cold was seen as a sign of weakness–especially in workplaces. Instead, many would rather keep their germs at home and away from crowds. 

Before heading to your event, attendees may want to verify they are completely healthy without sniffles, scratchy throats, or headaches.

This development means you can expect last-minute attendance changes, especially during fall and winter gatherings. Attendees might make the call on the event day after assessing whether they feel up to it, even if they have only a minor cold.

This development isn’t all bad, as you want all attendees to enjoy themselves without fear of being coughed on or picking up a virus. While viruses are always a reality during this time of the year, those with symptoms staying home can lessen the chances of a “superspreader” event (which would be detrimental to marketing your future events!).

#2. Last-Minute Attendance Changes: Going Out

On the flip side, there has been a rise in last-minute attendance as attendees decide to register in the final moments. Maybe they are feeling great, and there’s no chance of needing to cancel. Maybe they like betting on reduced prices if it’s a ticketed event.

It might feel safer to wait until the last second before registration closes to purchase a ticket or RSVP. That way, there will be no cancellations necessary, and they will definitely attend.

Embrace flexibility when planning event attendance for both last-minute drop-outs and last-minute registrants. It’s a new reality for post-Covid events.

If you currently manually track attendance shifts, FundEasy’s Attendance Live Check-In App can streamline event attendance tracking for you. Read more about this event software for nonprofits here.

#3. The Rise of Virtual and Hybrid Events

The country shut down during the pandemic, leaving many organizations and companies scrambling to figure out virtual options. Whether that be churches beginning to livestream or full trade shows becoming virtual, these changes had to happen at record speeds.

While the transition was chaotic and riddled with technical difficulties at first, many companies and nonprofits became masters of virtual and hybrid events. Now, over three years later, some churches still livestream, and nonprofits are still hosting both hybrid and virtual fundraising events as an attendance option.

We don’t foresee this going anywhere. It turns out many registrants prefer virtual events because they are so easy to attend. They also cut costs for traveling, parking, and gas while avoiding viruses and cutting down on social interactions. Attendees can join from wherever they are, and that might be from a comfy couch in their living rooms.

However, we have no reason to worry about in-person event attendance right now. A recent study found that in-person attendance is now back to pre-pandemic levels. 

Offering a hybrid or virtual event now functions as a way to attract more attendees in addition to the ones willing to attend in person. You can use them to expand your reach beyond the location of your physical event or provide flexible options to improve attendance rates.

#4. A Focus on Hygiene at Events and Dinners

Did weddings used to have bottles of hand sanitizer adorning fancily decorated tables? Did doctors' offices always have “Clean” and “Dirty” pen cups before the pandemic?

It’s safe to say “no” for both of these, yet they are still a reality in 2023. We are all more aware of hygiene than ever before.

This means technology such as contactless check-in can appeal to attendees during fundraising events and dinners. You also might see less handshaking than in the past.

While there’s now less emphasis on social distancing, guests may still hope for comfortable spacing. Having a venue with outdoor, open-air elements can also add a nice touch to your fundraising dinner for this reason.

How to Navigate Post-Pandemic Changes

Now, in 2023, you have attendance numbers you can’t count on until the last minute, a demand for virtual and hybrid events, and a focus on health and safety. How do you navigate these?

Here are a few tips for planning your next fundraising dinner.

Embrace Attendance Flexibility

While fluctuating attendance numbers might throw a wrench in precise planning, we must embrace flexibility. When planning for your fundraising dinners, ensure you are prepared in case fewer or more attendees decide to attend your event.

If you don’t want last-minute increases in attendance for planning reasons because you have a cap on attendance, create a registration or RSVP deadline. However, if you’re nervous about not hitting your attendance goals, try to extend the deadline as long as possible to capture more last-minute attendees.

If you’re hosting a ticketed event without a limit on attendees, advertise your event as long as possible or provide last-minute registration deals.

Continue Hosting Virtual and Hybrid Events and Dinners

Don’t throw out hybrid and virtual events because in-person events have reached pre-pandemic levels. You can still offer virtual and hybrid options to capture more attendees for your fundraising dinner.

Maybe you can include a live cast for those who couldn’t physically attend your dinner so they can still listen to your keynote speaker and hear your fundraising appeal. This is also an excellent option for dinner attendees who caught a cold in the final hours.

Keep Up with the Hygiene

Even though new hygiene measures can cost more, they add a nice, considerate touch and show you care about attendees’ health and safety at your fundraising dinner. 

Contactless check-ins can also make registration more seamless. Consider ways to include new technology to make your attendees feel more at ease, especially during cold and flu season.

Easy Fundraising with FundEasy

In addition to these tips, you can make managing your guest lists, creating table charts, and checking in attendees much easier with Attendance by FundEasy.

Want to see how it works? Schedule a demo with FundEasy today!

If you'd like to learn more about our Peer-to-peer, Attendance, or Crowdfunding products, please reach out! We'd love to chat.

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Madison Hull

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This article was inspired by our customers and written to encourage your fundraising efforts. Although we work with nonprofits and events daily, our team members are not Event Consultants. We encourage you to consult with your event consultant, executive team, and/or affiliate organization before making any major changes to your events.