Case Study: Caritas

Caritas is a non-profit organization in southern Illinois providing important services to many people with a variety of needs.

Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social services agency that works to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of vulnerable people in Southern Illinois, from before birth through the golden years.”

Every year, Caritas hosts an annual gala fundraiser. Realizing they needed to take their gala virtual, they research options and networked for solutions.

Why did they Reach Out to Outreach Studios?

Having never done a virtual gala before but recognizing it would be a necessity from 2020 events, the event organizers looked for options. Taking a live event virtual is a significant undertaking, and they weren’t sure where to start. After seeing another successful gala for a local nonprofit, Caritas was referred to Outreach Studios to help make the Virtual Heart & Soul Gala event happen.

The goal, a challenge many have faced, was to take an in-person show and develop it into an entertaining online show that could still help the organization achieve its goals.

What Services Did Outreach Studios Provide?

Outreach Studios provided several services to help take the usually fantastic in-person gala and develop it into a successful, entertaining virtual evening.

We held the live, in-person elements of the show safely in our event space, Vue17, for the large studio space. This created a unique full screen backdrop featuring sponsors logos behind the speakers for the duration of the event.

Using our normal three-camera setup, lighting, and sound equipment, the featured main speakers hosting the Virtual Heart & Soul Gala delivered their message from a strong platform. The event ran smoothly with our live streaming services mixed with pre-recorded segments we created earlier in our studios helping to raise awareness with an entertaining virtual event.

The Event:

Outreach Studios was honored to host Caritas Family Solutions Virtual Heart & Soul Gala. It was a huge success with a total of $130,000 raised! Everything went smoothly and everyone was happy.

Watch the 8th annual Heart & Soul Gala!

“Thanks for all you did to make it a huge success each of you used your talents and abilities to raise awareness and funds for so many in need. Your act of kindness will have an enormous impact on those we serve.”