S1 / Ep 7 - Virtual Reality: How One Nonprofit Went Virtual with Its Annual Gala and Raised a Very Real $1.16 Million

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, nonprofit organizations are having to reimagine fundraising. In this episode, Mary Lyn Schuh, executive director of JDRF Middle & East Tennessee, details her organization’s pandemic pivot of the Chapter’s largest annual event, the 2020 Promise Gala, which was set to take place at Nashville’s Omni Hotel April 25th. Mary Lyn shares how they managed to exceed even their own expectations about what was possible under such circumstances and raise a stunning $1.16 million virtually. She discusses how they literally figured it out on the fly, leveraging some good ole Nashville starpower, some serious civic goodwill, the multiplier effect of digital and social media, and the power of visual storytelling to create a one-of-a-kind virtual experience.