THE CHALLENGE
For decades, the National Veterans Day Dinner in Birmingham, Alabama has been a proud local tradition. But behind the scenes, the event was running on paper tickets, spreadsheets, and long hours.
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Tickets were hand-delivered and tracked manually.
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Seating charts changed constantly.
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Volunteers spent hours chasing checks and confirmations.
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No clear headcount or payment visibility until event night.
“We were managing 600+ guests by hand. Paper tickets, phone calls, and notes. It worked — but it was exhausting.”
The committee needed a platform to bring order, accuracy, and flexibility to a beloved community event — without alienating long-time supporters resistant to digital tools.
THE SWELL SOLUTION
In 2023, the National Veterans Day team turned to Swell Fundraising to simplify ticketing, table management, and guest communication.
With Swell, they:
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Sold tickets and tables online while still accepting offline checks.
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Entered manual transactions directly into the platform to track all revenue.
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Monitored real-time headcounts and seating assignments from one dashboard.
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Checked in guests on iPads and phones via a simple web link (no app needed).
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Exported reports and compared sales pace to prior years to inform pricing and outreach.
“It’s a bad feeling when someone asks for a headcount and you don’t really know. Swell fixed that instantly — now we always know exactly where we stand.”
THE RESULTS
Swell didn’t just streamline the process — it transformed the event.
Time saved:
Administrative work dropped by more than 50%. No more driving tickets around town or chasing payments.
Confidence gained:
Accurate, real-time data eliminated empty tables and late-night confusion.
Guest experience improved:
Guests (even in their 80s and 90s ) now buy tickets online with ease. Check-in is fast, seating is flexible, and every attendee feels taken care of.
Revenue increased:
An online process enabled the Foundation to properly track paid tickets and collect / track funds accurately. This allowed them to better manage expenses and increase net proceeds.
Why It Works
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Flexible for traditional donors: Manual check entries keep offline payments visible.
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Built for nonprofits: Intuitive, event-specific tools. It is not generic ticketing software.
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Reliable and responsive: The Swell team supported us as we learned the system and handled questions from long term volunteers and older guests.
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Scalable for small teams: Two administrators manage 600+ attendees with ease.
The Impact
The National Veterans Day Dinner is easier to manage with a professional ticketing and table management tool without losing the warmth and reverence that makes it special.
“It’s thrilling to watch the room fill: the flags, the joy, the pride. Swell makes it possible for us to focus on what matters: honoring our veterans.”
“We can’t go back. Swell gave us back our time and our peace of mind.”
