Vivanista

Give Recognition Where It’s Due!

  Remember when you got that trophy in 6th grade for winning the class debate tournament?  It’s kind of like that, except better.

The philanthropic dictionary is chock full of terms relevant to charitable fundraising. Vivanista took on the challenge of providing explanations for each applicable term.

A is for Advocacy, B is for Benefactor and C is for Charity! 

Black Tie- Formal clothing for a fundraising event, such as a gala. Men wear tuxes (penguin tails and all) while women are required to be as uncomfortable as humanly possible, though corsets and smelling salts are no longer necessary. While usually floor length gowns are the most appropriate for galas, edgy fashionistas such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Madonna have been known to show up in shorter, cocktail length dresses, paving the way for perhaps a more casual definition of black tie. Heels are not optional.

The interactions on Causes are built on a foundation of the personal connection that all philanthropists understand: “In many ways, this is a great start–a referral from a close contact can be the best way to start taking action.” Then, working as a partner in each user’s activism. 

Fundraising: The Best of the Worst

Who’s the Most Generous?

Did you know that 89% of US households give to charity with the average contribution being $1,620. The largest private foundation for giving is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation while the largest corporate grant maker is the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. All in all Americans like to give and are pretty generous in their giving read on to find out more about the biggest givers. 

Vivanista and Eventbrite have teamed up to honor unique fundraising campaigns and the volunteers who helped make them successful. 

The VivaBrite Awards will be determined by your nominations and votes. Bring awareness to an individual, team or organization you think deserves recognition for their contribution to charitable fundraising. 

"We work with so many nonprofit organizations that produce spectacular events we want other volunteers to learn new and unique fundraising techniques from their peers."  - Layne Gray, Vivanista Founder and CEO

  The Categories Include:   Best Fundraising Event --This event left attendees feeling like they experienced something truly memorable, while at the same time fulfilling the financial and community-building goals of the host organization. Best Use of Social Media --This team leveraged the various online social networks most impactfully, in order to drive attendees to their event and raise the visibility of the host organization. Best Corporate Sponsor --This corporate supporter deomonstrated a deep commitment to the philanthropic mission of their nonprofit partner, and contributed more than monetary assistance. Event Chair of the Year --This individual demonstrated leadership in both his or her dedication to the mission of a nonprofit organization as well as the creation of a unique event that was successful at raising money and building a community of  donors and supporters. Best Party for a Purpose --This fundraiser was more than a good time—it elevated attendees’  social consciousness and inspired them to be more aware of the host organization’s overall mission.  

“At Eventbrite, we want to highlight how powerful events can be when raising money or awareness for a cause--even if an organization is tight on budget and short on staff.  Already we've helped nonprofit organizations of every size and type raise over $56 million on our platform. We're thrilled to partner with Vivanista to celebrate the most creative and successful events within the nonprofit community with the VivaBrite Awards.” - Julia Hartz, Co-Founder and President

Nominations are now open through October 17th.  The VivaBrites Awards will be presented the evening of November 11th on the second day of the Vivanista Fundraising Summit.  

Nominate Now!

Team In Training: A Winning Combination for Good

Fundraising

It is their unique fundraising model that attracts participants of all athletic stripes. Both seasoned athletes and people who have never owned a pair of sneakers find the support they need to physically prepare, and to raise funds. Team In Training combines the task of raising money with tailored athletic training for very challenging events, such as marathons, half marathons, century bike rides, and triathlons__in fact, there are more than 200 accredited Team In Training events across the United States and abroad to choose from.

Who's who in our line-up of expert speakers?

You may have the perfect venue and entertainment, but what can truly make or break an event in the audience’s eyes?

The menu.

Check out Vivanista's first official auction item, a beautiful Taylor Swift signed guitar!

This will be auctioned off at our upcoming Summit, being held November 10-12!

It’s been a long, hot summer but your friendly Vivanistas have been hard at work on a new, cool website designed to help increase your fundraising success and build more passionate communities!

How?

A new Premium section that gives you open access to all content on the site

A repository of  field-tested templates, from an Event Chair job description to a large fundraiser budget 

A library of How-To guides, from increasing ticket sales to starting your own 501(C)3

A new Events platform that gives you a dashboard for managing how your event looks

A stellar line-up of weekly webinars with guest experts