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Frequently asked

questions

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Where is GFS Events located and where do you plan your events?

GFS Events was established in 2012. In the past 12 years, we have raised over 40 million dollars for nonprofit organizations in the Pacific NW and across the country! Our offices are located in Seattle, San Diego and Denver. We can plan events across the country and globally.

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What type of services does GFS Events provide?

GFS Events is dedicated to helping your nonprofit create successful fundraising events. Our services include logistics coordination, audience development support, vendor management, volunteer coordination and comprehensive timeline and project management. Whether you are planning your first event or you are seeking opportunities for growth, both financially and in scale, we ensure every detail is covered to make your event a success. Take a look at our Services for more details.

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What types of nonprofits do you work with?

GFS Events works with nonprofits of all sizes. Whether you have a large staff and an established board seeking fresh insights and management for your fundraising event, or you are a small nonprofit relying on volunteers and board members, we have the expertise to support you. We tailor our services to meet the unique needs of each organization, ensuring successful fundraising events. Take a look at our event portfolio to see some of the organizations we work with.

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We have always run our nonprofit events through volunteers and staff - why should we hire a professional like you?

Staff and volunteers are the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations, providing essential support for events like auctions and galas. However, they may not always have the fundraising expertise, time, reliability, or bandwidth and often face burnout and leave the organization. GFS Events offers innovative ideas and proven fundraising solutions to help your nonprofit achieve goals that may seem out of reach, ensuring a successful and impactful event while removing stress from your team. GFS Events manages and oversees your event timeline and tasks, which lightens your workload so you can focus on increasing revenue through donor and audience development.  

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We have budget constraints. We don’t know if we can hire someone to run our event, but we still need and want your expertise, what can we do?

Let's have a conversation. We like to understand our potential clients' needs and see how we can meet them. We have successfully worked with nonprofits that initially had no budget for a professional planner but, after experiencing the difference we make, decided they would never host another event without us. Let's explore how we can support your event within your budget constraints.

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How much do you charge?

GFS Events charges based on the scope and services required for each event. We tailor our offerings to meet the specific needs of your event, ensuring a customized approach. We work on a per-project basis rather than an hourly rate, providing transparent and flexible pricing for our clients. We do not take a percentage of funds raised by our clients.

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Why should I hire GFS?

At GFS Events, we strive for excellence and aim to exceed your expectations so you can exceed your goals. With over twelve years in the nonprofit industry, GFS Events has helped our clients raise over 38 million dollars. We listen closely to your Board Members, staff, and volunteers to create an event that meets your specific needs. Our professional expertise ensures that you will raise more money with GFS Events than you would with a volunteer team. Let us handle the details, so you can focus on your mission and connect with your community.

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Our staff and volunteers are overworked and burned out from doing all the work for events. How do you help with volunteer and staff engagement and prevent burnout?

Nonprofits often rely on the same event team each year, leading to overworked and underappreciated volunteers and staff. This can result in a single volunteer chairperson or staff member handling the entire event and then quitting or wanting nothing to do with it the following year. GFS Events guides even your most experienced volunteers and staff so they know what to do, how to do it, and can carry out their tasks efficiently and with less stress. We provide timelines, scripts, agenda topics, and various tools to re-energize your team, making even your most overworked team members eager to help out again.

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How much time do you need to plan an event?

Ideally, we prefer to be brought into the process 6-8 months in advance. However, we are flexible and willing to assist at any point in your planning journey. We have successfully planned large-scale galas in as little as 2 months, so let us know as soon as you are ready to hire a planner, and we will be there to help.

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What does GFS stand for?

GFS stands for Growth and Fundraising Solutions for Nonprofits. We are dedicated to helping nonprofits thrive by producing exceptional fundraising events. Our mission is to increase the dollars that organizations raise, enabling them to expand their impact. By helping our clients succeed, we foster their ability to continue doing great work.

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Do you have vendor connections we can hire?

Absolutely! We have extensive lists of trusted photographers, caterers, venues, and more. We highly value our vendor partnerships and can connect you with the best in the industry to ensure your event is a success.

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Do you plan corporate events or weddings?

GFS works with nonprofits to raise money through galas, auctions, golf tournaments, conferences, walks, runs and other fundraising events. We do not provide services for company events, corporations or weddings but we have an extensive list of other event planning specialists to whom we refer.

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