Make Your Meeting’s Charitable Component More Playful

Whether planning a gala for a nonprofit or simply adding a charitable aspect to a corporate event, meeting planners know that a good cause can add a sense of mission to a gathering. But just because there’s an altruistic aim doesn’t mean that planners can overlook one of the tenets of their work: delighting attendees.

In fact, one of the findings of the joint study from PCMA, CEMA, and Marriott International was that successful meetings lean into “the power of play. ” The idea is that by tapping into playfulness, meeting planners create new avenues for ideation and collaboration. While this has its most obvious benefits in meetings focused on innovation, meetings with a philanthropic bent are similarly enhanced—and made more memorable—by play.

Here are five tactics to balance philanthropy and play in your next charity-oriented meeting.

Create a Place of Play (Metaphorically)

If your cause has a physical component, give it some context by bringing it to the event. And if literally bringing it to the event isn’t possible, all the more invitation for you to get creative.

At Marriott’s The Exchange Australia event in 2023, planners built an interactive zone featuring lush greenery in which participants could donate a tree to be planted in the host country. In the same vein, the Robin Hood Foundation, which aims to eradicate poverty in New York City, created a candy-themed version of the city for its 2023 gala. 

What made both events particularly engaging: a sense of place. As the PCMA report notes, “Creating dedicated spaces that are flexible and without too many rules will encourage play.”

Involve the Beneficiaries

If your mission is humanitarian in nature, ask the people who are benefiting what they’d like their supporters to know about playfulness. For example, an event benefiting refugees could feature an interactive opportunity for attendees to sample from cuisines of the part of the world the beneficiaries are from; a gala for people with disabilities could showcase performances or art created by people in the community.

If you’re drawing talent from your pool of beneficiaries, consult them at every step to make sure they’re comfortable with how they’re being presented to attendees and represented in marketing materials.

Find Creative Partners

Take inspiration from the stars: The Elton John AIDS Foundation is known for its annual Academy Awards viewing party, which brings a high turnout along with attention and donations to the organization’s mission.

But you don’t have to bring in A-list celebrities to give your fundraising a little glitz. When a Native American youth center in Minneapolis was rendered unusable because of a fire, the organization, MIGIZI, partnered with the creators of cult favorite TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. The joint fundraiser benefited MIGIZI while also raising funds to create two new episodes of the long-gone show.

That fundraiser was virtual, but the principle applies to events, too: Working with an entity that brings a spritz of glamour ushers in new attention to your work, and can make for a particularly creative event.

Gamify It

There’s a reason fundraising leaderboards are ever-present at charity events: As much as a gathering is about collaboration, a little competition is always fun.

That’s something Second Harvest, a food rescue organization in Toronto, learned when it hosted a “Cake or Fake?” challenge as one of its offerings for the 2022 rendition of its annual fundraising event. Chefs crafted cakes designed to look like non-cake items (a loaf of bread, a jar of maple syrup), and guests guessed whether the item was real or made from cake.

Pick a Theme, Then Play With It

If your event is an annual or otherwise recurring event, you have an opportunity to build anticipation throughout the year by having a signature theme that varies from year to year.

Take it from the success of the Mad Hatter’s Luncheon, an annual fundraiser for the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Since its inception, the gala has encouraged attendees to don fantastic hats. Each year, the specific theme changes, giving attendees an opportunity to flaunt their finest; the 2023 theme was “English elegance,” resulting in a crop of fascinators and outlandish garden scenes atop guests’ heads.

Another example from D-Town: DIFFA Dallas’ annual jackets auction. Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS has a natural tie-in to a fashion theme; the Dallas event sees designers creating custom jackets that are then auctioned off. Even for attendees who don’t plan to bid, the anticipation built throughout the year about the jackets ensures a high attendance rate.

Solemnity has its place at charitable events, of course. But tapping into the power of play can be another way to underscore the importance—and the humanity—of your event.