Foster Forward Annual Virtual Celebration & Fundraising Gala

With strict gathering guidelines in place due to COVID-19, nationally recognized non-profit Foster Forward knew they needed to pivot to a virtual fundraising event — one that would secure the vital funding to continue their day-to-day work improving the lives of foster children. Foster Forward partnered with Greater Giving for a live auction, complete with a virtual giving thermometer displaying donor names in real time and integrated into the broadcast.

The challenge

As their first virtual event, Foster Forward needed guidance on integrating real-time giving and a live auction on a website, with the live-stream broadcast featuring an emcee driving the fundraising effort through a clear call to action. They had also previously contracted a production company for the live event; when it went virtual, it was important to keep that company involved so financial resources weren’t wasted.

The Stagedge solution

Stagedge integrated Greater Giving into the live broadcast, displaying a running fundraising ticker along the bottom of the screen to recognize every donor. We produced a live auction and empowered the emcee to speak directly to participants about activities happening in real time on the website. To execute this multi-state production, our team traveled critical equipment and virtual-event experts to the studio in Rhode Island, where — adhering to new social-distancing and sterilization protocols — we brought the experience to life and delivered a broadcast-quality live stream to the nationwide audience.

The outcome

Foster Forward’s biggest fundraising event of the year ran smoothly and exceeded giving expectations, with attendees actively engaged in the live auction, calls for giving, and chat. Foster Forward looks forward to working with Stagedge on future events.