Don’t Let the Small Stuff Get in the Way of the Big Stuff: A Guide to Executing Record-Breaking Fundraising Revenue
As we head into peak gala and fundraising season, calendars are filling quickly with planning meetings, sponsorship outreach, and event logistics. For many organizations, this time of year can feel overwhelming — endless decisions, tight timelines, and pressure to...
From Galas to Game Night: How Mahjong Gets the VIP Treatment
At K2, we live and breathe details, community, and creative execution. Whether we’re producing a 400-person fundraising gala or coordinating a corporate retreat, we know one thing for sure: It’s the little things that take an event from simply “done” to truly...
Most Nonprofits Don’t Struggle with Throwing a Beautiful Gala
They struggle with raising real money from it. Here are the biggest pitfalls I see over and over. Obsessing over décor instead of donors.I’ll be the first to say that ambiance, thoughtful program design, and those subtle touches that elevate a room absolutely matter....
Spring Clean like an Event Planner
Working in events means I spend a lot of time thinking about inventory - Vases, Candles, Florals, Shelving, Storage Systems... Somewhere along the way, I realized the way we manage inventory at work is exactly how I should be managing my seasonal decor at home. I’m...
Who’s in Your Lifeboat?
Lessons on trust, teamwork, and choosing the right people when the pressure is on. I’ll admit it—I regularly binge-watch reality TV as a way to shut my brain off from the day-to-day. Of all the shows, Below Deck is my favorite. Captain Sandy, the rotating crews, the...
How Nonprofits Can Outsource Back-Office Operations
Nonprofits are built on mission, not mechanics. Yet so much of what keeps a nonprofit running — financial tracking, board logistics, donor databases, and administrative systems — happens quietly behind the scenes. These “back-office” functions are vital, but they can...
How it starts is not how it has to end. A message for moms and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Dear Mom in the Thick of It, My son just turned sixteen, and let me tell you, it’s been an emotional milestone. It took me right back to those early days—when I had to return to work just six weeks after he was born - and the subsequent months where he was so sick...
The Things Nobody Wants to Talk About in Sales: The 12 Months Before You Finally Close Your Needle-Moving Donor
If you’ve ever celebrated a game-changing donor commitment, you know the moment. The handshake, the email, the champagne… maybe even a small victory dance in your office (door closed, of course). But here’s what no one likes to talk about: the 12 months before that...
The Hidden Advantage of Hiring a Fundraising-Savvy Event Planner
In 2024, K2 expanded into the event space - which came as a surprise to some, but it was a natural fit since K2 has been planning and executing events since we started the company in 2017. The nonprofits I worked with prior to starting K2 had me planning...