Fundraising Events & LinkedIn Hype: Why It’s Important to Read Between the Lines
In today’s social media-driven world, LinkedIn has become a powerful platform for professionals and companies to showcase their achievements—and rightfully so. Celebrating successful events, milestones, and impact is part of what keeps us connected and inspired in this industry. I personally love reading about local charity events in Calgary that are exceeding their fundraising milestones.
But sometimes, the way those successes are presented can blur the lines between collaboration and misrepresented credit. This is especially true in the world of fundraising events, where multiple teams, departments, and stakeholders come together to make big things happen.
The “We Helped Raise $XXX” Claim
You’ve likely seen posts along these lines:
“We’re thrilled to have helped XYZ Nonprofit or Charity raise over $XXX at their recent gala!”
At first glance, it sounds impressive. But here’s the reality: it can be misleading.
Most successful fundraising events are backed by a dedicated internal development team at the nonprofit. These teams spend months—sometimes years—cultivating donor relationships, securing sponsorships, and creating the strategy behind the financial success. The event production company supports the experience and execution, but they are typically not responsible for the fundraising itself.
Why It Matters—Especially to Public Perception
When companies overstate their role, it doesn’t just misrepresent the event—it can also mislead potential new clients.
Here’s how:
- It sets unrealistic expectations. A new client might assume that simply hiring your company will result in major fundraising success—when in fact, the heavy lifting comes from the nonprofit’s donor strategy.
- It creates confusion about services. If your specialty is production, logistics, or creative, claiming direct responsibility for fundraising success blurs the lines and can lead to misunderstandings about what an event company can actually offer.
- It risks trust. When a client later realizes that fundraising results weren’t solely driven an event production team, it has the potential to hurt all event producers credibility.
Final Thoughts
The events industry thrives on collaboration. Successful fundraising events happen when everyone—vendors, internal teams, volunteers, donors—plays their part.
By communicating honestly about the role we play, we don’t just show humility—we also set the right expectations for future clients and partners. And that’s what builds a stronger, more sustainable business in the long run.
We work on a few fundraisers each year and are constantly in awe of the charities we support and the donors who show up—both by attending and by giving generously. I am fully transparent with our clients: we are event production experts. We leave the fundraising to those who do it best.
When it doubt, ask the hard questions of those companies claiming to have helped raise XXX for their charitable clients. It will become very clear who is actually responsible for the funds raised.
