How does an organization create a successful signature fundraising event through a series of intimate, yet impactful events?

Today, I talk with Araminta Sellers and Felicia Hester, co-chairs of the St. David's Foundation's upcoming signature fundraising event, Toast of the Town.

For over 40 years, Toast of the Town has been a must-attend event in the Austin Spring fundraising calendar. Each year, the organization hosts a series of approximately 20 intimate events over the course of approximately 30 days. The audience size for each event ranges from 8 to 50 guests.

The event series offers a wide range of events that appeal to the various tastes of its donor base and audience. During the party series, you will see intimate dinners with acclaimed authors, meals at exclusive (and tough to get a reservation for) Austin restaurants, and chances to rub elbows with acclaimed athletes.

Proceeds raised from the event series go towards the Neal Kocurek Scholarship Fund, which awards Central Texas Students with $7,500 scholarships for up to 8 years for students seeking a career in the medical field.

Araminta and Felicia provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including the benefits of hosting intimate, bespoke events, effectively scaling a hosted party model, making asks to celebrities and high-profile individuals so they say yes, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a well-established nonprofit gala successfully draw in new segments of the community to increase event fundraising and impact?

Today, I talk with Angela Garza, Executive Director of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Houston Chapter to talk about the organizations annual St. Jude Houston Gala.

The legendary organization, founded by Danny Thomas in 1962, St. Jude provides customized care for children with cancer regardless of their race, ethnicity, beliefs, or ability to pay. Each year, over 8,000 children receive treatment at St. Jude main campus in Memphis, Tennessee as well as eight other regional affiliate locations around the United States.

For many years, the St. Jude Houston Gala received strong support from the Lebanese community in Houston, which is the ancestral lineage of Danny Thomas. In recent years, the St. Jude Houston Chapter has successfully scaled this support team by engaging broader segments of the Houston community. The result is increased fundraising impact and attendance with the 2025 St. Jude Houston Gala raising a record-breaking $1.65 million.

Angela provides valuable insights on a range of topics, including assembling event committees to help bring your event vision to life, tips on selecting event honorees that highlight the organizations mission and impact, successfully balancing a national/global organization's mission while maintaining a local feel, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

How does a nonprofit maintain a successful gala after the organization rebrands with a new name?

Today, I talk with Rick Byrd, Executive Director of the BreakThrough T1D Southern Texas Chapter, as well as Ali Bruskoff, event chair for the region's most successful annual gala, the 2026 Houston Promise Ball.

Two years ago, the organization retired its longtime Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (also known as JDRF), becoming known as BreakThrough T1D. This allowed the organization to modernize its name while maintaining its core mission to find a cure for T1 Diabetes.

The organization has not missed a beat and has continued to build upon the success of its annual signature fundraising events. The Houston Promise Ball has been especially impactful, with the sold-out 2025 event raising over $2.5 million for the organization.

Rick and Ali provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including how to select event themes that engage and excite your audience, tips on creating strong relationships between nonprofit leadership and event chairs, successfully balancing a national/global organization's mission while maintaining a local feel, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.