Year 1 of Nashville's Got Talent is in the books ($260,000 raised for The Store!)

Year 1 of Nashville's Got Talent is in the books ($260,000 raised for The Store!).

Here Are My Top 10 Lessons from our first-year fundraiser....

10. Be DifferentWhile more traditional galas have their place, we found that offering something fresh and unique can capture people’s attention. Finding a memorable niche for your event helps set it apart and keeps people excited to return the next year.

9. Stay True to Your Brand Or, put simply: Be yourself. The Store’s brand is fun, empowering, and dignifying, so we leaned into that with this unique talent show event.

8. It's About More Than Just Raising MoneyWhile it’s great to raise funds on the night of the event, there's immense long-term value in bringing in new supporters and educating your community about your mission.

7. Focus on the Mission Yes, we wanted the event to be fun and entertaining, but we made sure it was always about the mission.  Our main goal was for people to leave inspired to get more involved with The Store’s work.

6. Grow Your Support Network To reach new audiences, we asked our volunteer performers to fill the City Winery with their friends, family, and colleagues—many of whom had never heard of The Store before.

5. Strong Volunteer Leadership is Key One of the most important elements to our success was having dedicated, passionate event chairs Faith Murphy and David Fischette brought not only their deep personal commitment to The Store’s mission but also their vast expertise and vibrant community connections.

4. A Community-Focused Event Makes a Lasting Impact This wasn’t just a fundraising event—it was a celebration of our collective effort to support our neighbors. Having local leaders and volunteers showcase their talents brought our community together, demonstrating that everyone can play a role in fighting food insecurity.

3. Empower Your Volunteers and Attendees We didn’t just ask people to perform—we asked them to invite their personal connections into The Store’s mission. This made them more than just entertainers; they became advocates, and the emotional connection they formed with the audience was powerful.

2. Create a Memorable Experience We wanted our guests to leave feeling like they were part of something bigger. Through testimonials from our customers and impactful information about food insecurity, we made sure that everyone left inspired to continue supporting The Store’s mission long after the event ended.

1. A Small but Mighty Team Can Achieve Big Things Our staff and volunteers gave everything they had to make this event happen. Despite being a small team (led by the amazing  we pulled off a high-impact event because we were deeply committed to the mission, and we leaned on our community for support. The result? An event that we can build on for years to come.Can't wait to see you next year for Year 2 of Nashville's Got Talent.