Episode Summary:
There’s one thing we all had to do in some form or another in 2020—pivot! Nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to holding events, especially when those events are a significant driver of income for your organization. No one did that better than the New England Innocence Project. Led by their Director of Development and Communications, Jordan Salvatoriello, with the help of Liz Page and her team at Liz Page Associates, the 2020 event exceeded both their goals for the event and the amount raised the year before! In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we learn not only how they did it, but what they expect events to look like post-pandemic!
Key Takeaways:
- Approach going virtual as an opportunity, not a hardship
- Don’t be afraid to mix pre-recorded and live interaction
- Embrace the innovation that’s all around us
- Invest in high production values
To hear more details about the triumph that was the 2020 event, listen to Liz and her colleague Amanda Harless on the Joan Garry podcast, Nonprofits are Messy. You’ll find a link to that episode in the show notes. Creating 5-star events in the virtual age.
Useful Links:
- Joan Garry Podcast
- Liz Page Associates
- New England Innocence Project
Guest Biographies
Liz Page. After ten years as a performing artist with the Oregon Mime Theatre, Liz Page moved to Boston in 1982 and began her development career at the Worcester Art Museum. When the AIDS crisis hit she became a dedicated volunteer at the AIDS ACTION Committee. The Committee soon hired her as its first fundraiser and she launched the AIDS Walk – From All Walks of Life. As Walk Manager for the first 5 years, she led the team that raised consciousness and millions of dollars to fight the epidemic.
In 1994, Liz opened Liz Page Associates, a fundraising and special event production company that proudly celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. Liz and her staff have built a reputation for producing special events for nonprofits, academic institutions, and corporations that not only meet but exceed significant financial, marketing, and employee engagement goals.
As a volunteer leader Liz has served on the boards of The Shared Heart Initiatives, GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,) Hospice West, and the Hospice on Mission Hill Project, Women’s Statewide Legislative Network, and Fenway Health.
Jordan Salvatoriello. Jordan Salvatoriello is Director of Development + Communications at the New England Innocence Project. Jordan has 20 years of experience in communications, public relations, fundraising, and community outreach. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a proven history of creating and sharing powerful social justice stories that mobilize communities and create change. Jordan specializes in developing and executing communications and development strategies aimed at increasing public awareness of NEIP’s mission to correct and prevent wrongful convictions, tapping vital public support, while also providing a forum for exonerees and their family members to share, heal, and inspire action.
