No. This isn’t about that “Coming to America”. Although the movie written by and starring Eddie Murphy is always worth a mention.

You’ll recall,  in that romantic comedy an extremely pampered African Prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife.

Today we’re focused instead on one of fundraising’s all-time favorite events –I Wish I’d Thought of That (IWITOT)—crossing the Atlantic from its base in Britain to the shores of the Americas.

Mark your calendar. IWITOT: The Americas edition will hit fundraisers’ online screens in the U.S. Canada, Latin and Central America and around the globe on January 26th from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm EST. (That’s 10 am to 12:30 pm CST; 8 am to 10:30 am PST and 4pm to 6:30pm GMT.)

Don’t miss out: buy your tickets here.

                                                          What is IWITOT?
How often do you see something that’s so wonderful you can’t help but think, ‘Wow! or even “Holy Shit! I wish I’d thought of that’? The ultimate accolade – a campaign or concept so good, so original, so successful that professional envy is not just permitted, it’s encouraged – even copying is allowed!

Originated by our friends at SOFII back in 2012 I (Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration) 2012 IWITOT has more than lived up to SOFII’s moniker— “Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration” and reflects the belief that fundraising is and “inspiration business.”.

What’s magic is that SOFII has managed to bottle this fundraising inspiration in a series of fast-paced, concise creative lessons presented by fresh speakers—each allotted just 7 minutes to inspire. And…in every IWITOT I’ve witnessed over the years they succeed.

                                                    Why does this work so well?

First, each speaker champions an innovative, exciting fundraising campaign or concept that they wish they’d thought of themselves. HOWEVER … all speakers must speak enthusiastically about someone else’s idea, not their own. Egos are banned for the day!

Big Bonus: You’re likely to see and hear from talented, fresh speakers you haven’t seen before. The speakers are carefully chosen and then mentors specially by veteran fundraisers. And the human duct tape that holds this all together are the conference hosts.

                                        The Lineup for IWITOT: AMERICAS

Hosting the January 26th sessions are Lisa Sargent (Lisa Sargent Communications) and Suhailah Waheed (Giving Geeks). They’ll be introducing and impressive line-up of speakers which, so far, includes:

• Trina Landlord – Alaska Federation of Natives, USA
• Paul Nazareth – Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Canada
• João Paulo Vergueiro – Brazilian Fundraisers Association (ABCR), Brazil
• Tamara Rahmani – CanadaHelps, Canada
• David Perez Rulfo Torres – Corporativa de Fundaciones A.C., Mexico
• Lori Muñoz Malcolm – HeartPress #BrokersOfGood, Canada
• Ryan Steele – Kansas State University Foundation, USA
• Rickesh Lakhani – Future Possibilities for Kids, Canada
• Nick Allen – Nuevo Fundraising, USA
• Kimberley MacKenzie – Kimberley MacKenzie and Associates, Canada
• And more to be confirmed!

The fundraising veterans mentoring the new voices are Simone Joyaux, USA and Craig Linton, UK.

                                           What’s The Program?

Part of the thrill of IWITOT is the big reveal. So, we don’t want to give away too much about the presentations. That said, you’ll find some that some of the fabulous inspirational ideas are based on:

• A light-hearted look at Trump’s fundraising
• A superb engaging legacy campaign
• A corporate partnership in response to a crisis
• A smart, engaging Pete Buttigieg campaign
• A unique raffle (including nuns and a VW beetle)
• A surprising take on the collection tin
• A large-scale campaign to help indigenous people
• And much more!

In addition to the inspiration you’ll gain and the ideas you can swipe from presentations, you’ll also have a chance to engage with speakers via the chat box and join in a live Q&A. And as is the custom with IWITOT you’ll get to have your say by voting for your favorite idea.

IWITOT’s live stream will be hosted via Fundraising Everywhere+ and there is a chat function available for you to connect with the hosts, the speakers, and your fellow attendees, throughout the conference.

                                                 Buy Your Tickets Today

For the price of a ticket ($40, CA$50, GBP£30, EU€32) you’ll fall in love with fundraising all over again. I talked to the organizers Sunday and they reported that fundraisers in the US, Canada, Europe, the UK and Australia have signed up.

Don’t delay. Buy your ticket here.

AND… to make the financial burden as light as possible in this pandemic and to encourage organizations to invite multiple colleagues or teams SOFII is making bulk purchase of tickets available at a big discount.

In the organizers’ words: “The discounts available are:

“1-4 tickets from one organization – sold at full price (US$40, CA$50, GBP£30, EU€32 each) 5-10 tickets – 25% off (US$30, CA$37.50, GBP£22.50, EU€24) – use code BULK25 at checkout 11-99 tickets – 50% off (US$20, CA$25, GBP£15, EU€16) – contact joanna@sofii.org for a code 100+ tickets – 75% off (US$10, CA$12.50, GBP£7.50, EU€8) – contact joanna@sofii.org for a code Don’t miss out: buy your tickets here.

To secure a ticket deal for 11 or more tickets, please contact joanna@sofii.org for your unique promo code by January 22nd, 2021 at the very latest*.

*SOFII reserves the right to remove these deals at any time, with prices returning to $40 per ticket.
But perhaps best of all, you get to have your say by voting for your favorite idea!

What Other Fundraisers Say About IWITOT and How They Benefitted?

Here’s a sampling of praise from attendees at earlier IWITOT events and the benefits they received:

‘Great IWITOT and I loved being able to have all my team on it – those who aren’t fundraisers were the most inspired and ignited!’- Julie Harrington

‘IWITOT is my absolute favorite event because I know each time I attend; I will come away with new ideas to help my work and replenished stocks of fundraising mojo!’ – Meredith Niles

I’m inspired and energized by the ideas shared by yesterday’s professionals. I hope to contribute to the organization I work at in Brazil, and in other countries in the future, with these insights. We have to be creative to engage more and more people for the cause. Thank you all!’ – Daniela Vasconcellos

‘I thought the IWITOT yesterday was fascinating! I don’t believe that there were ever more than two presentations where I didn’t get a great idea that would benefit our organization. The wonderful part was that there were also great ideas that you could adapt, and others that would indeed fit us like a glove. The presenters were amazing, the love of their missions was evident. Thank you so much!’ Angel Aloma

 One more in case you need an extra push…

‘IWITOT is a true celebration of the weird and wonderful world of fundraising. No jargon. No stuffy theories. Just lots of great ideas.’ – Jen Ruthe

Buy your ticket here.

Roger

P.S. BTW, the sequel to the movie Coming to America, premieres on Amazon Prime on March 5. Meanwhile, get your tickets for SOFII’s IWITOT:: Americas here.