Vivanista sat down with seasoned fundraiser, Mary Poland – Co-Chair of the 2010 San Francisco Opera Ball, to get her views on a variety of topics associated with co-chairing a major fundraiser.

CHAIR VS. CO-CHAIR

I have had extraordinarily good luck in working with superstar co-chairs that bring more to the table than I do. It’s more popular now than it was 20 years ago, and I think it’s a good model.

I focus on relationships and expanding my boundaries through meeting new, talented people, which I believe is the bottom line of voluntarism; hence, I gravitate toward working with a co-chair. Like a mother bear or a sister I have loyalty to her. We become tied at the hip. We support each other and cover each other and are there for each other. Talking to me is the same as talking to my co-chair, and vice versa.

PLAYING TO ONE’S STRENGTHS

Corporate development work is my specialty and professional background, so I love business meetings with people in the corporate community. I love cold calls.

I love finding out what is happening out there in the business world more than anything else. I think that’s something that sets me apart. Often, my co-chair is relieved that I am willing to do that. Someone like Charlot [Malin] (Mary’s San Francisco Opera Ball Co-Chair) brings incredible talent in making an event memorable and sophisticated. She also brings a wealth of friends and relationships!

CREATING A MEMORABLE EVENT

I think, why would I want to go to another rubber chicken event? I have to use myself as a test case. If I can’t get excited, how can I get anyone else excited? Why am I personally going to want to come? It’s about making it unusual, different, and bringing something new. It’s like a circus, saying, “Come to my tent and not someone else’s because I’ve got better things going on in these tents!”

GAINING FUNDRAISING EXPERIENCE

I started with the Junior League, the cradle of fundraising civilization. I just can’t say enough good things about the Junior League; it’s a wonderful organization. I’ve spoken to hundreds of League members and how they’ve gotten involved. Across the board, I believe the League has the right mission, goals, objectives, heart, and spirit behind it all.

MUST-DO

Thank volunteers. There isn’t one individual that makes an event a success. Whether it’s committee members, volunteers, or staff people, you can never thank or appreciate them enough.

FUNDRAISING DIRECTION

Technology really is the future—it’s what’s going to bring the next generation of people who want to be in philanthropy to the table.

So how do we incorporate technology? It’s a challenge, but it’s an exciting challenge. People will be doing it better in the future than we’ve ever imagined today. Making it interactive and virtual are the keys.

What I would ideally like to do, if I had the bandwidth, would be something interactive like the [SF] Museum of Modern Art has done. You can bring the brains to an interactive, virtual reality situation and it becomes a fundraiser. It’s a fun-fundraiser but you can keep It open, engaging, and fluid.

#1 ON THE WISH LIST

I would love a one-stop powerful database that was actually accurate with all of the correct information on people. It would be a magic button with people’s current email and current cell phone number!

BRIDGING SOCIAL GALAS WITH THE ULTIMATE BENEFICIARY

This year, for our photo shoot with the Nob Hill Gazette (San Francisco-based social publication covering the most prestigious charity events), we’re doing something different.

I cannot say what it will be until released at the beginning of September! But analogous to what we’re going to do is an advertisement I saw once for a watch with Andre Agassi. He was shown being very engaged with a boy student sitting at a desk. I thought, yes, he’s pitching an expensive watch, but he also cares about education.

We’re not the ball gown type of women; more like boots and blue jeans. We weren’t going to do what was expected. We’re not going to set ourselves up like rubber chicken girls in ball gowns.

GREATEST MISCONCEPTION

I think there are misconceptions about everyone and that’s just human nature. But I don’t like to dwell on it that much.

FUNDRAISING MOTTO

Never give up.

For more information regarding the San Francisco Opera Ball, click here.