Consistency Beats Intensity

There’s a popular analogy that goes like this:

You can throw a bucket of water on a rock, and nothing happens.

But let a single drop fall on that same rock every day, and eventually, it carves a hole.

Consistency beats intensity.

The First Years Are Hard

The first couple of years Jane directed the Madrigal Dinners at her high school were brutal. She was responsible for everything—from ticketing to directing to table décor. The stress got so intense that a blood vessel in her eye actually burst, earning her the nickname “Sauron” (or, as her husband called her, “My Precious”).

By the end of year two, she seriously questioned whether it was all worth it.

And honestly, that’s normal. Most fundraising events take three to five years to hit their stride. There are a few reasons why:

• It takes time to build a strong reputation.

• Word-of-mouth is powerful—but slow.

• Creating a reliable volunteer team requires trial and error: you learn who shows up, who doesn’t, and who becomes indispensable.

• Many event leaders—especially those new to fundraising—burn out within the first year or two.

  
  

Luckily, Jane hung in there. By year five, the high school Madrigal Dinner was a raging success–the school’s biggest fundraiser of the year. And if you can believe it, more kids tried out for it than the basketball team. It was a real Twilight Zone moment.

If you’re new to directing Madrigal Dinners and your first year felt like a flop, hang in there. You’re not alone. What you need isn’t a perfect first year—it’s a five-year vision.

Start Small

1. If you’re currently doing everything yourself, focus on handing off just one or two areas. Find someone who can promote the event. Recruit a parent to handle centerpieces. Small, specific asks are far more likely to get a “yes.” Each year, add a few more people and strengthen those relationships.

2. Don’t worry about big advertising in year one. Most programs don’t have the budget anyway, and word-of-mouth will do more for you long term. Instead, focus on creating a fun, memorable experience. If people enjoy themselves, they’ll come back—and bring others with them. Especially now, people are eager for opportunities to laugh and connect.

3. Does directing the choir concert AND the play sound overwhelming? Don’t worry, we have short scripts, like our Shakespeare Shorts, that you can trial run first. They’re around 10 minutes long, which means short rehearsals and short time commitments. You can graduate to the bigger Madrigal scripts later.

Don’t be discouraged. Hydrate. Roll up your sleeves. And if your eye exploded like Jane’s, strap on an eye patch and take those Hobbits to Isengard. You’re not building a successful fundraising dinner this year. You’re building to one in five years. And if you keep at it, you’ll have an established, highly successful fundraising event for your music or theater program.

Consistency beats intensity.