A study conducted in September 2023 by OneCause among 939 charitable sector professionals revealed a striking statistic: 51% of organizations that hosted only in-person or hybrid events met their fundraising goals, compared to only 47% of those that held no events at all. Even more revealing, only 9% of organizations without events exceeded their budget goals. These figures, published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy in January 2024, confirm that hybrid events are not simply a compromise but rather an optimal fundraising strategy for the future of philanthropy.
Creating a Unified Experience: Principles and Implementation
The first mistake organizations make when transitioning to hybrid formats is treating the event as two separate entities rather than a cohesive experience. Your goal should be to ensure that every participant, whether in the ballroom or connected from their living room, feels fully integrated into the event. This begins with planning that places both audiences on equal footing from the event’s conception.
The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) in Seattle perfectly illustrates this philosophy. In 2023, for the 34th edition of its annual BE LOUD Breakfast event, the organization didn’t simply add a streaming option to its traditional breakfast. It reimagined the event to create a truly inclusive experience. The testimonials from the Empowered Voices program were filmed with multiple camera angles, allowing virtual participants to experience an immersion comparable to physical attendees. Even more strategically, KCSARC launched a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign several weeks before the event, enabling all registrants, regardless of their participation mode, to mobilize their networks in advance.
Practically speaking, your organization should establish two dedicated but constantly communicating teams: one to manage physical logistics and another to orchestrate the digital experience. Designate a central coordinator who will ensure fluidity between these two dimensions. When choosing a venue, prioritize spaces that offer not only good acoustics and an aesthetic setting, but also reliable internet connectivity and camera-appropriate lighting. Many hotels and conference centers now offer specific packages for hybrid events including streaming equipment and technical support.
The Technology Ecosystem: Choosing the Right Tools
The OneCause 2023 study revealed that 80% of organizations that hosted all in-person or hybrid events with virtual elements met or exceeded their 2022 fundraising goals. Steve Johns, CEO of OneCause, emphasized that “nonprofits that are listening to what donors have to say about event format preferences are seeing the greatest success.” This success largely depends on the judicious choice of technological tools.
Your technology stack should include three essential components. First, an interactive streaming platform like Zoom Events or Hopin that allows not only live broadcasting but also the creation of virtual networking spaces. These platforms must offer chat functionalities, discussion rooms, and Q&A features to maintain engagement among remote participants.
The Peloton4Parkinson’s example demonstrates the effectiveness of well-integrated technology. This organization raises funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation through an all-day cycling marathon. In 2023, using the Classy Live platform, the event integrated a silent auction allowing participants, whether physically present or remotely connected, to bid on nearly 100 items from their smartphones. This approach created dynamic competition that transcended the physical-virtual barrier, enabling the event to exceed its goal by 14.4%.
Second, integrate a real-time donation system that works seamlessly for all participants. Solutions like Zeffy or iRaiser allow donors to contribute instantly, with immediate display of collected amounts on a thermometer visible both in the venue and on virtual participants’ screens. This visibility creates a powerful momentum effect.
Third, adopt interactive engagement tools like Slido or Mentimeter to create live polls, Q&A sessions, and word clouds. These moments break passivity and generate a sense of collective belonging that unites participants from both worlds.
Maximizing Engagement at Every Stage of the Journey
The OneCause 2024 report demonstrated that 75% of organizations that adopted mixed formats met or exceeded their 2023 fundraising goals. This success is largely explained by an engagement strategy that begins well before the event day and continues long after.
Your pre-event strategy should create anticipation and establish early connections. Send welcome kits to your virtual participants containing tangible elements that anchor them in the experience: a printed program, a small symbolic object related to your cause, or even ingredients for a signature cocktail they can prepare during the event. This approach transforms simple viewing into a shared sensory experience.
Also launch peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns in advance. Data shows that this approach can quadruple your fundraising goals at events. Encourage your registered participants to create their own fundraising pages and mobilize their networks even before the event begins. This creates staggered engagement and significantly expands your reach.
The Runway for Recovery case perfectly illustrates the impact of meticulous preparation. In 2021, this breast cancer patient support organization transformed its annual fashion show into a hybrid event. The results exceeded all expectations: more than 1,300 viewers from 13 different countries participated. In 2022, the organization enriched its virtual experience with live chat, a real-time fundraising thermometer, silent auctions accessible to all, and streamed model interviews. This sophisticated strategy raised $375,000.
During the event, appoint a host dedicated exclusively to virtual participants. This person doesn’t just read comments: they become the bridge between both worlds, pose questions from online participants to speakers, create smooth transitions, and can even organize mini-interviews with remote donors during intermissions, thus giving voice and face to the virtual community.
Take advantage of the hybrid format to integrate testimonials that wouldn’t be possible in a purely in-person format. Connect live with a program beneficiary located on the other side of the world, or allow a field-based researcher to present the concrete impact of collected funds. These authentic connections remind all participants of the universal reach of their commitment.
Gaming streaming events in France have demonstrated the power of digital engagement. Médecins Sans Frontières mobilized dozens of streamers for its Stream for Humanity event, raising over €3.5 million to support its actions in Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Z Event, supporting Amnesty International France, even generated €5.7 million in 2020, establishing a record for this type of hybrid fundraising combining streaming, gaming, and philanthropy.
For the post-event phase, act quickly. Within 48 hours, send a personalized summary including highlights, amounts raised, and photos or video clips. Create an online gallery accessible with a personal code. Classy’s research shows that 91% of participants in a well-organized event are more likely to engage in future fundraising actions with your organization. Capitalize on this momentum by providing a rapid impact report one week after the event, concretely showing how collected funds are already being used.
Adapting the Hybrid Strategy to Your Organizational Reality
The OneCause 2023 report revealed that 56% of event-attending donors would prefer to have at least some virtual engagement options. This preference for flexibility concerns all organizations, regardless of their size.
For smaller organizations, the data is particularly encouraging. The OneCause report showed that 68% of nonprofit organizations with annual operating revenue below $350,000 and 75% of those with revenue between $350,000 and $1 million raised 21% or more of their budget through events and online fundraising. Hybrid events are therefore not reserved for large structures with substantial budgets.
If you’re starting with the hybrid format, begin modestly. The BHCare Foundation illustrated that a simple approach can be effective with its A Chance to Shine event, a virtual charity walk. The organization used the Ride with GPS app, allowing participants to follow a specific route on their smartphones. This accessible technology transformed what could have been a series of isolated activities into a shared collective experience, where participants could see others’ progress in real time.
Classy’s research provides a clear financial perspective: clients using their Classy Live hybrid event platform generated an average of $1,258 per donor over the full year. To put this figure in perspective, this exceeds the amount a donor making recurring monthly donations of $100 for 12 consecutive months would contribute. Investment in hybrid technology therefore pays off quickly.
Adoption data confirms this trend: 83% of organizations planned to host at least one in-person event in 2024, and nearly half also planned at least one hybrid event. Even more significant, 79% of organizations stated they would maintain or increase their budget for the technology necessary for hybrid events.
Conclusion: Taking the Leap Toward Hybrid
Hybrid events today represent much more than an innovation: they constitute the new standard of excellence in fundraising. With 80% of organizations hosting in-person or hybrid events meeting their financial goals, compared to only 47% for those without events, the strategic choice is self-evident.
What emerges from all this data and concrete examples is a fundamental truth: technology doesn’t replace human contact, it amplifies and universalizes it. When Runway for Recovery brought together 1,300 people from 13 different countries, or when the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center transformed its annual breakfast into a global event, these organizations didn’t dilute their message—they democratized it.
For your organization, the message is clear: the time for hesitation between in-person and virtual is over; it’s time for harmonious orchestration of both. Start with a pilot project if necessary, learn from each event, adjust your approach based on donor feedback. Invest in technology tools adapted to your scale, train your teams, and above all, listen to your supporters’ preferences: 56% of them now prioritize participation flexibility.
Hybrid events allow you to build a donor community that is more geographically diverse, more engaged through multiple touchpoints, and more loyal because positive experiences will bring them back. With a potential of $1,258 per donor over the year and 91% of participants ready to engage further after a successful event, investing in hybrid is not an expense but rather a growth lever for your mission. The future of your fundraising is hybrid—and that future starts now.
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