DRG's Keys to Donor Events Bootcamp

November 12 – November 19, 2026 | Live Online Training

A live, online bootcamp designed to teach nonprofit professionals the fundamentals of designing donor event experiences that build lasting relationships.

Donor events are one of the most visible investments a fundraising program makes — and one of the easiest to get wrong. A well-designed experience builds trust, deepens loyalty, and moves donors forward in their relationship with your organization. On the other hand, a poorly crafted event can easily become a nice way to waste a lot of money.  

Designing an event experience that actually earns its ROI can be complex and challenging, requiring a clear strategy, thoughtful guest experience design, tight execution, and a plan for what happens after the last guest goes home.

Led by industry experts Matthew Helmer, CED, and Angie Joens, DRG's Keys to Donor Events Bootcamp is a live, online training program that guides nonprofit professionals through the entire donor event experience — from strategy to follow-up — with expert insights, real-world examples, and hands-on tools.

The bootcamp covers every stage of donor event design, from clarifying your purpose and objectives to mapping the guest journey, building the run-of-show, and measuring what happens after the event ends.

Ready to design donor events people actually remember? This four-part bootcamp will get you up to speed quickly with a comprehensive, everything-you-need training. Join us and walk away with tools you can put to work on your very next event.

What You Will Learn

DRG's Keys to Donor Events Bootcamp has been strategically developed for nonprofit professionals who are new to donor event design, or who are ready to move their events beyond "we've always done it this way." The course follows one framework across all four sessions — WHY, HOW, WHAT, and NOW WHAT — so every tactic is anchored in strategy, not just checklist logistics.

Every session includes a takeaway planning tool, DRG’s signature Good/Better/Best framework, real pitfalls and lessons learned from seasoned industry experts, and a running example event we’ll build together across the series, alongside additional examples so every organization sees themselves represented.

Session 1 — WHY: Strategy & Purpose

• Use the Four Pillars of Donor Relations framework to understand where donor events fit within your organization's broader donor relations strategy.

• Learn to write a clear, measurable event objective in minutes, and use a simple decision matrix to match event type to donor journey stage and desired behavior change.

Session 2 — HOW: Designing the Guest Experience

• Learn a repeatable, five-step guest-journey-mapping process you can apply to any donor event, from an intimate donor dinner to a large-scale gala.

• Discover how to build "moments that matter" into any agenda, and use storytelling and mission moments that engage donors without feeling like a pitch.

Session 3 — WHAT: Program & Logistics

• Learn to translate your event objectives into concrete decisions — format, programming, speakers, and staffing — including a role-assignment approach or any size team.

• Build a complete event run-of-show from start to finish, and gain a venue and vendor selection checklist plus contingency scripts for common event-day surprises.

Session 4 — NOW WHAT: Follow-Up, Measurement & Building a Playbook

• Learn the 48-hour follow-up cadence that keeps donors engaged after the event ends, with sample thank-you scripts you can adapt immediately.

• Understand how to measure event ROI — both financial and relational — and turn any event into a repeatable playbook your team can run again and again.

Your Registration Includes:

• Four live, two-hour training sessions
• 8 hours of expert instruction
• 30 days of recording access
• Presentation slides and downloadable resources
• Practical templates and examples
• Events Bootcamp digital badge
• 8 CFRE Continuing Education Points*

Program Dates

• November 12, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 PM ET
• November 13, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 PM ET
• November 18, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 PM ET
• November 19, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 PM ET
  
  

*DRG is a CFRE Approved Provider. This program has been submitted for CFRE approval and is anticipated to be approved for 8 CFRE Continuing Education Points.