Katherine Lacefield combines her gifts for strategic fundraising with her love for philanthropy, especially animal organizations. Founder of Just Be Cause consulting, she helps nonprofits weave intentional fundraising into their culture and everyday operations. In this way, she helps those with big hearts for vulnerable populations ensure financial stability and develop efficient fundraising. The best way to do this is by helping organizations maximize the return on their investment at charity events.  One of the most important aspects of a successful event is ensuring that every detail aligns with the nonprofit’s and the donors’ values. Events are a special opportunity to not only raise money but also spread awareness. When events can both educate and entertain guests, organizations are building their donor base and expanding their reach. Some other strategies Katherine employs is personalizing auction items, games and giveaways so that they directly relate to the sponsored cause. She’s also seen the impact of storytelling draw an audience in and emotionally connect them to a cause. Even if the event is for a challenging cause, it’s important to make guests feel comfortable and leave them on an inspirational note at the end of the evening. With over 15 years of experience, Katherine uses her skills in niche ways to ensure organizations’ fundraising systems reflect their most core values.  Main Topics Fundraising for Just Be Cause consulting (04:00) Animals at charity events (06:00) Aligning event details with donor values (12:15) Using events to raise awareness (18:55) How to make your event unique (22:45) Immersing donors in charitable causes (27:00) Thinking outside the box with money-generating activities (31:20) Ending events with inspiration (36:45)    Episode Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-mac-donald/  If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app. Listen, rate, and subscribe! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts