Justin K. Williams

In search of a new and unique event to both raise money and awareness for Scouting in the community, we launched our first Flags for Heroes event in Spartanburg in 2023. In four years, the Spartanburg event has more than doubled in size and we have launched a second event in Fort Mill, SC. The event has received positive news coverage from local news channels each year, while most of our other events have struggled for media attention. 

 

Since COVID, Palmetto Council has quadrupled special events income. A key tool in that success is our annual sponsorship guide that we distribute each fall to both current and potential sponsors.    

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As a Development Director in Saint Paul, MN, I was responsible for a portfolio of three special events that raised over $300,000 annually. Our most successful events were two Community recognition events: The Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner and the Community Builder Celebration, which were positioned as vital tools for board recruitment.  The honorees and chairs for the Distinguished Citizen Dinner were regularly cultivated for board leadership positions, most notable being the CEO of Cargill, the largest privately held company in America, who was recruited as board president shortly after being honored. 

 

The Community Builder Celebration served as the chief fundraiser for our Exploring program and focused on honoring individuals who contributed significantly to the Saint Paul, MN community.  We frequently honored the chief executives of local large foundations as a way to strengthen our relationships with grant makers.