With many organizations returning to in-person gatherings, porch parties — smallish, high-touch gatherings held at people’s homes — are popping up as a fundraising option.
The parties are typically hosted by a supporter, such as an enthusiastic volunteer or a board member. They are generally held in the supporter’s home, leading some fundraisers to call them house parties. In the wake of Covid-19, the term “porch party” has gained favor because porches are outside, which appeals to donors wary of germy indoor events.
“I think, especially during our Covid world, it is a great opportunity to be outside, walk around, and see these beautiful homes,” says Nicole Babie, who helped arrange the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s first porch party following the pandemic.
Gail Perry, a nonprofit consultant, says porch parties generally fall into one of two categories: an “ask event” or a “door-opening event,” where guests learn about the charity.
“You can make a general ask at a door-opening porch party,” Perry says. “But it’s a very charming one: ‘We want everybody to get involved. We want everybody to become a supporter.’ But that is not like a hard ask, which is where you have pledge cards, and you talk for 20 minutes about why this is so important and hope everybody will put in.”
Reasons to Party on the Porch
Perry says porch parties work well as door-opening events because the guests are friends of the homeowner, so it feels more intimate and allows staff to get meaningful, high-touch moments. These include chances to get a warm introduction from the host, chat in small groups, and learn about the personal interests of the potential donor. This is especially important if donors have the potential to make a big gift. She noted that at one porch party in Atlanta, a homeowner scored the CEO of a major airline as an attendee, putting the nonprofit on his radar.
“In fundraising, the more touches you have with the donor before you ask, the bigger the gift,” Perry says. “So, using a porch party as a warmup is a smart fundraising strategy to move into some sort of ask relationship.”
She added that hosts are often more willing to invite potential big donors to parties that are door-opening events, rather than ask events. When having door-opening events, Perry suggested “triaging the guest list” with the host to help fundraising staff identify critical guests to make contact with.
That being said, porch parties aren’t just a path to big donors. They can help spread the word about your organization, drive more volunteerism, and secure small, immediate donations.
At the bottom of its events webpage, the House of Ruth Maryland, which aids women who are experiencing domestic violence, lets supporters know they can help by hosting a house party for the charity.
“We don’t spend money on marketing communication; we don’t do advertising,” says Andrew Primrose, chief communications and development officer for the organization. “We rely on word of mouth and community to spread our message. These kinds of events are the perfect environment for that spread to happen.”
Primrose says his organization lets the host take the lead in what type of party to hold.
“It’s really driven by the person that holds it for us,” he says. “We’ve had donors that are looking to do it because they want to impact our fundraising. And then there are also donors specifically in areas where we are trying to grow our donor base that want to introduce our programs and services to their community.”
The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has a porch party annually, and because its mission involves preserving historic homes, it uses the event slightly differently. The foundation hosts the party at historic homes with large porches — sometimes using two homes side by side — and invites supporters and corporate sponsors. Sponsors get to invite multiple people, some of whom are other potential sponsors and large donors.
The organization primarily uses the event to thank sponsors, so it doesn’t always raise direct funds. Corporate sponsorship levels range from $500 to $5,000. If the foundation has space, it sells tickets for remaining spots to raise money. In 2021, it raised about $5,500 through ticket sales but in 2022 it had no additional tickets to sell.
“We’re a small staff, so it’s great face time,” says Babie, membership and programs director for the foundation. “It’s a great way to introduce somebody to the Preservation Foundation. We get to actually talk and see people and provide updates on how we’re doing.”
The hosting homes are not owned by the foundation; rather, they’re private. So supporters get a chance to see locations they would not otherwise be able to tour, and the homeowners — if they’re not already supporters — often become supporters after hosting an event, Babie says.
The Anatomy of a Party
Whether your porch party is an ask event or a door-opening event, it should have some key elements. The first is a great host.
“If you have a good host, somebody that will open their house up and take the lead in inviting people — their friends, their networks — we’ve had tremendous success,” says Primrose.
The second element a porch party needs is a compelling way to share the charity’s mission. House of Ruth Maryland has a speaker’s bureau, which includes volunteers who can discuss the organization’s mission and needs. It also has a storyteller’s bureau, which includes people willing to share their personal experience with intimate partner violence.
“With our issue, it greatly affects you when you understand the personal impact of it, and so to hear that in an intimate setting is powerful,” Primrose says.
Donnie Maclurcan, executive director of the Post Growth Institute, a small, international nonprofit, says supporters regularly hosted house parties pre-pandemic. To him, a crucial element of such events is good discussion. He recommends circling up and asking each attendee what about the organization inspired the person to come out.
“If they’re not that familiar with your organization, then ask what are they passionate about in this area,” Maclurcan says. “We sometimes spend 15, 20 minutes in the circle, listening to what brought people there.”
For small-budget nonprofits, Maclurcan doesn’t recommend door opening as an objective. “If you’ve got the people gathered, and they’re excited about your organization, you cannot afford to not make an ask,” he says.
Maclurcan says his organization had success getting feedback using a survey card and envelope. This gave space for all attendees to comment about the event as well as donate. The survey asked a few questions about the event, but also allowed attendees to self-select for further contact, an important element in a good survey.
“We have a very good response rate,” Maclurcan says. “We put the survey on the agenda and explain the value of the information.”
