Elevate Your Event
by Handbid
Latest episode
Fall Gala Season Preview: What Top Event Planners Are Doing…
Fall Gala Season Preview: What Top Event Planners Are Doing…
About this podcast
The Elevate Your Event Podcast is where we talk about how to plan and execute an unforgettable event that will dazzle your guests and generate more income for your organization.
From fundraising and securing trendy auction items, to event production and logistics, get the best tips and advice from seasoned fundraising and event professionals who have been in your shoes.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 113 episodes
- Fall Gala Season Preview: What Top Event Planners Are Doing Differently · 34 min · Episode 112Fall Gala Season Preview: What Top Event Planners Are Doing Differently Are lower ticket prices actually helping your fundraising event raise more money—or are they costing your…
- The Age of Agentic AI: How One Fundraiser Can Now Do the Work of Five · 50 min · Episode 111AI isn’t just writing emails anymore—it’s reshaping how nonprofits plan events, engage donors, and run their entire fundraising operation. In this episode of Elevate Your Event…
- What Most Organizations Will Get Wrong About Events in 2026 · 35 min · Episode 110Most fundraising events won’t fail in 2026 because donors changed. They’ll fall short because the experience didn’t. In this “home team” conversation, we call out what…
- Events Are Not the Strategy: Building a Donor Pipeline That Actually Works · 36 min · Episode 109Jeff Porter is joined by Jeff Schreifels, Principal and Owner of Veritas Group, a fundraising consulting firm that helps nonprofits build stronger donor pipelines—from donor…
- Creating Immersive Event Experiences with Opus Event Rentals · 24 min · Episode 108Episode summary If you’ve ever wished your fundraiser felt less like a hotel ballroom and more like an immersive, memorable experience, this episode is for you. Jeff Porter sits…
- Jingle Bells & Brain Fails: The Handbid Holiday Trivia Episode · 30 min · Episode 107It’s back! In Handbid’s third annual holiday episode, the Handbid Team go head-to-head in a Christmas trivia showdown. From classic movies and carols to oddball folklore and…
- Matching Gifts 101: Turn “Free Money” Into Real Revenue with Colleen Carroll, Double the Donation · 25 min · Episode 106Matching gifts are one of the fastest ways to grow event revenue—without asking donors for more than they’ve already given. Colleen Carroll from Double the Donation breaks down…
- Holiday Hits: Year-End Events That Actually Work · 32 min · Episode 105Episode summary ’Tis the season… to plan smarter. The Home Team swap holiday menu takes (turkey wars!) and then get practical about running fundraising events between…
- Adapt or Die: Keeping Your Fundraising Events Fresh and Engaging · 23 min · Episode 104Adapt or Die: Keeping Your Fundraising Events Fresh and Engaging Welcome to Elevate Your Event—the ultimate podcast for fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit pros who want…
- Creating an Immersive Event Experience: Art, Music, and Guest Magic with Sky Madden · 38 min · Episode 103Creating an Immersive Event Experience: Art, Music, and Guest Magic with Sky Madden This week on Elevate Your Event, we are joined by Sky Madden—owner of Fiddler’s Green…
- Know your Crowd: The Secret to Auction Item Success · 24 min · Episode 102Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! This week, the Handbid Home Team digs into a topic every auction planner needs to hear: why some items soar—and others totally flop. Spoiler…
- From Party Planning to Purpose-Driven Fundraising · 44 min · Episode 101Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! This week, Jeff Porter sits down with Shilpa Alva, founder and executive director of Search for Water. What started as a party-loving…
- Centennial Celebration: Lessons and Laughs From 100 Episodes · 29 min · Episode 100Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! We’ve hit triple digits—and we're celebrating big. In this 100th episode, Jeff and Mark reflect on the journey so far, revisit fan-favorite…
- Golf Tournaments to Galas: Inside FCA’s Event Evolution · 49 min · Episode 99Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this behind-the-scenes episode, Jeff sits down with David Farmer, Area Director for FCA South Denver, to explore how intentional event…
- Securing Your Event: Insider Tips from a Pro · 47 min · Episode 98Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this episode, Jeff and Elise sit down with Dan Donovan from Stratoscope to unpack the often-overlooked world of event security—and why…
- Home Team: Roadmap Reveals & Top Feature Requests · 54 min · Episode 97Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this episode, Jeff, Elise, and the Handbid team come together for an insider conversation on what’s coming next for Handbid and the most…
- Unlocking the Power of Donor-Advised Funds · 34 min · Episode 96Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this insightful episode, Jeff is joined once again by Mitch Stein from Chariot to break down the often misunderstood world of donor-advised…
- The Future of Event Check-In: Apps, App Clips, and Arrival Innovation · 30 min · Episode 95Welcome back to Elevate Your Event! In this forward-looking episode, Jeff, Elise, and Shania take a deep dive into how mobile app technology can transform the arrival experience…
- Kickstart Your Cause with Confidence · 48 min · Episode 94Starting a nonprofit can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff with a parachute you’ve never packed. In this episode, Jeff, Inga, and Mark sit down with Matt Stockman to…
- Derby Day Recap – A Winning Event with Handbid! · 54 min · Episode 93In this fun and candid episode, Mark, Elise, and Jeff recap Handbid’s 19th annual Derby Fundraiser, highlighting what went well, what could be improved, and how they continue to…
