Swaim Strategies

In this episode Amina Abdul-Majeed, Vice President and Principal at Wingo, discusses cultivation events as a strategic tool for nonprofits. After noting renewed fundraising momentum in 2026 following a turbulent 2025, she defines cultivation events as small, intimate gatherings focused on relationship building rather than revenue. Unlike galas, these events feature a tight 20-minute speaking program, a soft ask, and a donor packet designed to deepen connections over time.
Amina emphasizes that post-event follow-up is where the real work happens. For organizations just starting out, she recommends knowing your donor database, identifying reliable host committee members, keeping costs low, and sending invitations four to six weeks in advance. At its core, cultivation events work best as part of a sustained, relationship-first major donor strategy.
Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.

This Episode Brought to You by:
Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.

The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.

Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw
Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.

Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/
Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.

Speakers
Samantha Swaim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/
Substack: https://substack.com/

Kristin Steele
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/
Substack: https://substack.com/

Aminah Abdul-Majeed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminah-abdul-majeed-3278176/

| RESOURCES |
Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/
Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/
Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam
Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling
Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/
Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/
Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/
Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
Connect with Wingo: https://www.wingo.nyc/

In this episode we talk with Christopher Acebo, director, designer, producer, and CEO of Broken English Productions, to explore the intersection of art, community, and leadership. Drawing on his theater background, Christopher introduces the concept of the "leader host": someone who doesn't just invite people into a space but actively connects them, elevates them, and creates the conditions for safety, trust, and risk-taking. This combination is where truly new ideas are born.
The conversation expands into the connector role in nonprofit organizations, where threading relationships between staff, board, and donors is one of the most critical (and often invisible) contributions a leader can make. With joy as a north star and storytelling as a tool for empathy, Christopher encourages nonprofit leaders to start small: reframe the overwhelming "event" as simply a chance to connect with one other person, and trust that human connection is both the beginning and the point.
Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.

This Episode Brought to You by:
Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.

The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.

Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw
Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.

Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/
Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.

Speakers
Samantha Swaim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/
Substack: https://substack.com/

Kristin Steele
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/
Substack: https://substack.com/

Christopher Acebo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher.acebo/

| RESOURCES |
Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/
Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/
Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam
Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling
Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/
Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/
Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/
Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
Connect with Christopher Acebo’s Work: https://acebocreative.com/

In episode 112 we gathered six event planners to discuss what's working in a rapidly changing events landscape. The dominant theme is authenticity. Audiences are done with bloated, performative events and instead crave real human connection and experiences that feel true to an organization's mission. The group explores how planners are helping nonprofits respond boldly to current events, turning community crises and funding cuts into powerful moments for collective action and giving.
The conversation also tackles joy as a form of resistance, with planners sharing ways to build delight into every event touchpoint. Reflecting on the Elevate conference, guests highlight takeaways around storytelling, direct mail's surprising resurgence, and digital tools for nonprofits. The episode closes with myth-busting on event costs, overprogramming, and silent auctions, with a throughline message: less, done with more intentionality, delivers more impact.
Featuring:

Crystal Chanel, Press Release Marketing, LLC
Hannah Hegman, Do Good Events
Paige Jacobs, Powered by Paige
Matthew Kerrigan, The Fundraising Event Co.
Kel Moody, Alluvium Gatherings
Beth Sandefur, Beth Sandefur Events

Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.

This Episode Brought to You by:
Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.

The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.

Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw
Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.

Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/
Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.

Speakers
Samantha Swaim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/
Substack: https://substack.com/

Kristin Steele
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/
Substack: https://substack.com/

| RESOURCES |
Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/
Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/
Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam
Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling
Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/
Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/
Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/
Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
Connect with Press Release Marketing, LLC: https://www.justpressrelease.com/
Connect with Do Good Events: https://dogoodevents.com/
Connect with Powered by Paige: https://www.poweredbypaige.com/
Connect with The Fundraising Event Co.: https://www.fundraisingeventco.com/
Connect with Alluvium Gatherings: https://www.alluviumgatherings.com/
Connect with Beth Sandefur Events: https://www.bethsandefur.com/