GIVING. AT SCALE.
CASE STUDY #311
One of the U.S.’s Most Prominent Charitable Organizations Raises $70M – at the Epicenter of the COVID Crisis
Challenge
As New York City wrestled with COVID-19 throughout 2020, the pandemic’s repercussions forced the cancellation of one event after another. The leaders of one Forbes 100 charitable organization were not deterred. Having raised more than $3 billion over the past three decades to fight poverty and support low-income families, the foundation had already distributed $172 million of financial aid throughout 2020. Canceling the 2021 benefit could seriously threaten its fundraising activities.
One of the foundation’s Managing Directors asked The Baghera Group to create and implement the security and COVID-19 health and safety protocols critical to delivering an exciting and safe guest experience.
Action
First, we researched city- and state-compliant COVID-19 protocols on transmissibility, testing, and mitigation tactics and strategically layered them across five core processes: vaccine verification, testing, implementation, compliance, and enforcement.
In addition to developing COVID-19 protocols and FAQs for domestic and international guests, vendor staff and talent, we coordinated planning with other event groups to manage build-out, logistics, and implementation of compliance technology. We also provided our client with response plans and mitigation strategies that addressed inquiries about pandemic protocols from city representatives and guests and helped convince them to attend the event and contribute to its success.
During the process, The Baghera Group took on the added responsibility of working with the event production team and security staffing vendor to ensure a seamless, synergistic integration of all COVID-19 protocols and safety measures. This focus drove the development and effectiveness of a strategic staffing solution, improved execution efficiency and enforcement, and elevated customer service for the client’s guests.
Impact
The event was highly successful. Attendance was very high – evidence, at some level, that a donor base highly attuned to the risks of COVID-19 felt confident enough with the event’s pandemic protocols to attend this particular event. In one night, the organization raised more than $70 million for its beneficiaries. Impressed with TBG’s work, the charity has continued to engage TBG, year after year, to oversee all matters confronting its mission, people, and events relating to health, safety, and security. And the following year – the charity broke its one-night fund-raising record again – with $125 million in donations.