Connecting Hearts and Communities: The Giving Exchange’s “Path to Giving” Gala 2025

The Giving Exchange (TGE) embarked on a mission to elevate the impact and experience of their annual Gala, their most significant fundraising event of the year. TGE aimed to create a more profound connection between their donor community in California and their programs in East Africa, emphasizing the life-changing work the organization conducts.

This year’s Gala presented unique challenges, as the guests of honor, who were deeply involved in the programs and traveled to California from Kenya and Uganda, were not accustomed to speaking on a large mainstage. In addition, TGE was seeking a fresh and compelling event format for donors who might be overly familiar the traditional banquet dinner plus keynote, auction and paddle-raise from mainstage. The solution required a thoughtful approach to bridge these cultural, language and logistical gaps while providing an engaging and immersive experience for both in-person and virtual attendees.

For four years, InVision had partnered with The Giving Exchange to bring their Gala vision to life. However, the scope of this year’s event marked a significant evolution in both scale and ambition. To address the challenges of presenting the guests of honor in an environment that felt both authentic and comfortable while keeping guests engaged and actively involved, we conceptualized and executed an innovative theme: The Path to Giving. This theme symbolized not only the physical journey guests took throughout the evening but also the metaphorical path connecting TGE’s donors with its beneficiaries across continents.

The evening was crafted as an experiential journey, broken into three immersive segments.

It began with Arrivals, a welcoming and mingling phase, featuring hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a merchandise table, and a gallery showcasing beneficiaries' stories.

Guests were then separated into four ‘tour groups’ to embark on The Journey, an immersive exploration of TGE’s impactful programs through four interactive Adventure Stations. These thoughtfully designed stations recreated the cultural and operational landscapes of Kenya and Uganda, combining storytelling with visual and sensory details.

The first station, Champions of Change, introduced TGE’s foundational story, its mission, key facts, and the purpose driving its efforts. Hosted by TGE Founder, Rod Mickels, guests enjoyed a lively trivia game where they competed in small teams to test their knowledge of TGE’s programs and impact, earning raffle ticket entries for a prize.

Rod Mickels, The Giving Exchange Co-founder

The subsequent three stations featured TGE’s guests of honor: Reah and Francis Nderitu from Morning Star Children’s Home in Kenya and Jolly Kambere from Youth Partnership Uganda. Each station was thoughtfully crafted to immerse attendees in the cultural and operational landscapes of TGE’s programs, vividly recreating the environments and narratives. Dim lighting and carefully curated decor transported guests to rural Kenya and Uganda, where stories of resilience and innovation came to life.

Reah Nderitu presented the story of the children’s home in a breakout entitled Kids, Cows and Courage. She shared the challenges and inspirations they face on a daily basis, and how the dairy production initiatives funded by TGE have improved their lives.

Reah Nderitu

At the adjacent station, her husband and business partner, Francis Nderitu, presented The Path to Success: Education, which highlighted the transformative impact of TGE’s business skills training program. This featured a classroom-style setup, a “Karibu Kenya” sign, and a “Let Dreams Grow” whiteboard that invited attendees to contribute their aspirations alongside TGE beneficiaries, symbolizing a shared journey of growth and possibility.

Francis Nderitu

In the final breakout room, Jolly Kambere, surrounded by 6’ tall rental plants to replicate the lush jungles of eastern Uganda, entertained guests with Pigs for Prosperity, an inspiring and personal telling of his team’s efforts to support local village families after natural disasters with a cyclical pig-rearing program funded by TGE.

Jolly Kambere

These immersive experiences allowed attendees to connect emotionally with the stories of resilience and success, deepening their understanding of TGE’s work and the lives it transformed.

After an impactful exploration of TGE’s programs, attendees reconvened for The Gathering, the evening’s final segment. The communal dinner featured inspiring presentations celebrating TGE’s accomplishments and a lively auction that united in-person and virtual participants in a shared spirit of generosity. Reflecting TGE’s commitment to sustainability, tables showcased edible bread-and-butter sculptures as centerpieces, while materials from past Galas were reused, and new elements were designed for continued use. This thoughtful approach reinforced TGE’s values of resourcefulness and care, extending throughout the event.

The evening was not limited to the in-person attendees. A carefully curated virtual experience utilizing StreamYard and Paybee ensured that donors from around the world could join the celebration. Pre-recorded interviews with the Guests of Honor, exclusive content, and live feeds from the dinner presentations brought the event to life for remote participants. The dynamic auctioneer engaged both audiences, creating a unified and inclusive atmosphere.

The results were both inspiring and impactful, with 122 guests attending in person at the Pleasant Hill Community Center and 45 devices connecting to view the program virtually. The Giving Exchange not only met but surpassed its fundraising goal, raising $286,000—well above the $250,000 target. The innovative format brought donors closer to the heart of TGE’s mission, fostering a deeper appreciation for the organization’s work.

The event exemplified the power of thoughtful storytelling, strategic design, and inclusive engagement to create a truly transformative experience. TGE’s 2024 Gala not only raised critical funds but also strengthened the bonds between its global community of donors and beneficiaries, setting a new standard for future events.

The Giving Exchange will host its next Gala event on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at the Pleasant Hill Community Center.