Take your events virtual. Use tools like Facebook Live, Facebook Watch Party and Zoom that can be used to stay connected with your network. These are often lower effort than hosting an in-person event. It allows you to raise money by including a fee or asking for a suggested donation.
Some virtual events ideas:
Dinner gala. Create small virtual groups. Have your table host invite people and possibly charge a small amount ($100-$1000) that goes towards the organization. These can be homogenous groups like employees of a law firm or a leadership level at a bank or, inviting people the host knows. The host of a table can ask folks to set their table to a theme specifying the color of the china or style or share a backdrop so you ‘feel’ you are in the same intimate dining space. The table host would be responsible for getting the table together and creating a look and feel or theme. We would recommend wine/cocktails and tapas rather than a full meal.
All-person participative online event. You can also host very large gatherings. Make sure you anchor it with a presentation, performance or a dance depending on what kind of engagement you want. The chat feature on ZOOM and the comment section in Facebook allow for engagement en masse.
Tour of your facility. People might be interested in looking at your space. You can make it interactive and conduct a tour in person, or you can video a virtual tour, offering commentary as you play it on a virtual call.
Walk/Run. Create a virtual walk/run where participants can collect pledges and complete challenges in their own space – on a treadmill or at a local park.
Photo competition. Participants send pictures, show themselves doing fun things during this time (like a picture of themselves in their favorite recliner, day pajamas).
Online book party or book club. If it’s a one time event, host a book party. If you want to make it a recurring event, host a book club.
Dress up art contest. Museums have come up with really cool recreations of paintings. It would be a fun event to show up dressed as Mona Lisa or The Girl With the Pearl Earring.
Video contest. Tik tok is very popular and easy to use. Set up a premise for the contest so participants pass each other an object, wear the same colors or choreograph moves to a song.
Open Mic/Poetry Jam. Invite participants to submit their entries via video. You can broadcast them at the event.
Pet picture competition. Invite participants to submit videos or photographs of their pets.