Here’s a recent nomination we feel meets the criteria for the Best Fundraising Event:

Using the philosophy “Music is universal.  Education should be too”, She’s the First kicked off its second annual Girls Who Rock concert.  All profits went to support the She’s the First campaign, which sponsors girls in developing countries to be the first in their respective families to graduate.  The philosophy is simple: education leads to awareness and self-assertion.  If these girls are raised to believe in themselves and the world, then they will grow up with a desire to combat the ignorance around them. At this years Girls Who Rock $17,000 was raised to send a total of 29 girls to the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda.  This is a huge leap from the first concert in which only enough funds were raised to send three girls.

Here at Vivanista we applaud charities who are constantly working to make their events better; those that use the best modern tools like social media and branding to achieve results for their cause, and She’s the First did just that.  We chose to spotlight this nominee for the Best Fundraising Event VivaBrite for more than just great social networking skills though.

With headliners such as platinum selling artist JoJo, and the group behind the world renowned single “Move Ya Body” Nina Sky, this event was poised for success.  There’s nothing better than a great concert to lift your spirits and feel united to the people around you, especially in the historic Gramercy Theatre.  Situated in the heart of NYC, this is an ideal venue to draw people from all over because of it’s central location.

Not only was there great music, but a great comedic program as well.  Special guest Data the Robot provided an intermission from the music, and filled with room with laughter.  The definition of a great fundraising event is one that puts a smile on your face, and makes its stick.  This event did just that.  People danced, laughed, and remembered the importance of education across the globe.

Have you attended or organized an event like this one?

Did you leave feeling like you experienced something truly memorable? Did it succeed in fulfilling financial and community-building goals? 

Then submit it now and we may choose your event to spotlight. Don’t miss your chance to gain some great support, as well as put your organization in the running for the Best Fundraising Event VivaBrite!

• Community Building: Is it important to build a community around your cause?  In-person fundraising provides a much greater opportunity to bond with prospective, current and past donors than a strictly on-line campaign.

• Fundraising Potential: What are your revenue goals?  Setting realistic expectations of where the money will come from, and how much, is critical when planning for the charity.  If there is a wide variance as to revenue expectations, there is no way to plot a stable course for the charity.

• Level of Control: How much control do you want with the donors?  Managing the communication and making the messages personal will give you a greater ability to meet donor needs.  Special events and giving circles provide the highest level of control – they are in-person events and you have a high confidence level of what the outcome will be in the campaign.

• Time Commitment: Do you have the bandwidth to do the fundraising?  Not only should you consider the length of time a fundraising campaign will take but how much time during the process.

• Volunteer Opportunities: How many volunteers do you have?  With a special event you have high volunteer needs to fill the event committee.  Yet there are virtually no volunteer jobs when fundraising is taken on line.

Taking into account the above considerations will give a charitable group a clearer picture of the fundraising course they should take.

What Ways Have helped you increase attendance?

Share your tips in the comments box below!

Photo By Drew Altizer Photography

The poor old dinosaur hit a brick wall due to the ice age…or was it a meteor? Or both? Whatever you believe one thing is for sure, they ultimately couldn’t survive the resulting dramatic climate change.

So is the lavish black-tie Charity Gala in for its own abrupt end? A storm of factors are causing fundraising organizations from Newport Beach to Palm Beach to re-evaluate the scale and grandeur of black-tie galas.

What are the signs they may be doomed to extinction?

1. Shift in Economic Climate. Most fiscal conservatives are familiar with the red hot recessionary terms of L, U, V, and the wicked, double dipping W. When did an avalanche of single capital letters, except for the optimistic on-the-rebound V, send such shivers up people’s spines?

Yes, there are some women who will continue to spend like its 1999. But the closets with dime-a-dozen couture gowns are melting away. This little thing called recession has created a hurricane force of personal scrutiny as to what’s important in life: buying yet one more gown or, alternatively, giving an extra something to the people of Haiti?

Granted, we all love a good party but philanthropists of all ages and socio-economic level are rethinking how they should make their donations: whether to attend a lavish Gala where much of the money is spent on flowers, décor, food and drink –or- donate to the organization so all dollars have a direct impact on the nonprofit’s mission.

2. Meteoric rise of social media. The Internet has produced an effective way to build nonprofit awareness as well as donations. The huge success of social networks like Facebook, not to mention the burgeoning success of Vivanista, has produced efficient vehicles to reach potential donors.

Nonprofits and foundations are getting into the act. For example, Chase Giving just finished a Facebook contest where they donated a total of $5 million to one hundred nonprofit organizations. The charity which received the most votes won $1 million with each of the nonprofits being awarded a minimum of twenty five thousand dollars. No caterers, no questions as to whether anyone will show up; just a little effort to get friends to spread the word. What did Chase Giving get out of it? Over two million Facebook fans.

So what’s it all mean?

If dinosaurs conformed better to their surroundings evolution may not have forced their extinction. Volunteers who plan black-tie Galas need to embrace the current climate and think outside the box, whether downsizing their expectations or shifting to a more modest style of event, so the world does not turn away from their Nonprofits.

1. Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) are not entitled to support; they must earn it.
2. Successful fund-raising is not magic; it is simply hard work on the part of people who are thoroughly prepared.
3. Fund-raising is not raising money; it is raising friends.
4. You do not raise money by begging for it; you raise it by selling people on your cause.
5. People do not just reach for their checkbooks and give money to a charity; they have to be asked to give.
6. You don’t wait for the “right” moment to ask; you ask now.
7. Do not rely on the NPO Development Officer to make the Ask; Board members and those committed to the organizations do it with support from the Dev Officer.
8. You don’t decide today to raise money and then start the campaign tomorrow: it takes time, patience, and planning to raise money.
9. Prospects and donors are not cash crops waiting to be harvested; treat them as you would customers in a business. It doesn’t take a genius to raise money.
10. The process is a combination of common sense, preparation, courtesy, commitment, enthusiasm, understanding, and a belief in what you are asking others to support.

Do they resonate with you? We welcome your comments.

This article is excerpted from Tony Poderis, Tony@raise-funds.com, with his permission.

[Feature photo from the Carelink Foundation]

Organizational

• Part I: Joining a Nonprofit Board?
• Part II: Tools for Nonprofit Boards
• Part III: Nonprofit Board Fundraising
• Part IV: Nonprofit Board Fundraising Tools

• Assessing your Mission Statement

Fundraising Fundamentals

• Becoming a member of the Google Grants

• Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points

Fundraising Events

• Charitable Event Planning Seminar

• Types of Charitable Events

• Event Feasibility Quiz

• 10 Tips to Chair an event

• Auctions: Live Auction packages
• Auction: Fund-In-Need

• Guide to Event Promotion

• Fundraiser-in-a-Box: Rubber Duck Regatta
• Fundraiser-in-a-Box: Hula for Moola

• Templates: Event Action Plan
• Templates: Volunteer Committee Job Descriptions
• Templates: Benefactor Letter
• Templates: Corporate Solicitation Letter

Do you have insight or experience that you are willing to share?  We’re all philanthropic and your voice will be heard and appreciated by fellow NPOs.

Share your comments below or write an article for Vivanista.

[Feature photo by Yinghai, Flickr.com]

This year’s focus on Children’s Health is spearheaded by the Gala Chair, Joe Saunders, CEO, VISA, Inc.

Join us in our passionate effort to raise funds to support the American Heart Association’s mission of building healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Location
The Four Seasons, San Francisco
757 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Contact
Sheyna Daniels
415-228-8433
sheyna.daniels@heart.org

For information about donating to the live or silent auctions, click here.

We sat down with Co-Chairs Kristina Pollak (pictured left) and Amy Schoew to learn more about their cause and how they became involved.

1. What is it about the organization that made you willing to take on the roles as event Co-Chairs?

Amy: I believe in equity in education and that education is foundation to a just society. Teach With Africa’s reciprocal mission to learn and teach in schools in both Africa and the San Francisco Bay area drives me to contribute to the organization.

Kristina: I believe equal education is a fundamental right for every child. Unfortunately, this is not the case in South Africa. Teach with Africa works to break down the economic and social barriers to education in Africa. The organization is unique in that it fully funds educators to travel to South Africa, while other organizations require the educators to pay their own way, severely limiting participation. Furthermore, Teach with Africa’s focus on reciprocal learning offers unique opportunities for an educational exchange that benefits students both in the United States and abroad.

2. What will be special about the event?

We are bringing 10 students (and their families) who attend the LEAP schools in South Africa. This will be the first time many of these students have ever left South Africa. During the evening program- through music, dance, and poetry these students will share their stories. Students teachers educators and partners will raise their voices in support of Teach with Africa’s commitment to teach and learn and transform education in Africa and the US one student one education at a time.

3. What constitutes success for you with regards to the specific event you’re Chairing?

The event will be a success if we can gain greater recognition and support for Teach With Africa which is still just a start up non-profit. The recognition will in turn, lead to greater sponsors and support. Immediate success of course will be to raise adequate funds to allow TWA to send 25 educators to the LEAP School in Cape Town and Johannesburg in June and July 2010, and simultaneously plan a Bay Area Education and Leadership Workshop Camp in 2010 for Bay Area and South African high school students.

4. How do you balance the quantifiable goal of raising money with the goal of broadening of goodwill?

We believe they are interdependent. To raise money for a cause you need to have an organization which is built on goodwill and without funds the organization will not survive.

5. What plans have you made to address problems that may arise?

Keep very calm and be flexible to adjust to unforeseen circumstances. We have a great team of experienced event volunteers. And we deliberately chose the St. Regis for the 3rd year because of their seasoned and professional staff and more importantly committed to our specific cause.

6. Are there any pre-event parties for Benefactors?

Yes, January 31 for our host committee.

7. What background do you have to take on the role as Chair?

We both have volunteered at many events, have been on several Gala committees, and chaired events in the Bay Area. We are very detail oriented, well organized and have no scruples approaching people, talking about our event and requesting their financial or in-kind support. However, most importantly we are excited and passionate about Teach with Africa’s mission and incredibly motivated to help the organization succeed. Being resourceful and creative are also two of our better qualities.

8. Have you chaired other charitable events? If so, please name them.

Amy:

- Bay Area Discovery Museum Inaugural Gala
- Bay Area Discovery Museum Discovery Forum Luncheon (2 yrs)
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hope Gala (2 yrs)

9. What are you wearing to the event?

Amy: custom made skirt and top hand made by the designer Thobekai in Johannesburg South Africa.

Kristina: I have not decided yet.

10. What is your fundraising motto?

We struggled a bit with this question but have come up that for this event we are “Raising Our Voices To Raise Funds.”

11. Who is your fundraising role model?

Kristina: My mother, she has been involved in philanthropy her entire life. From very early on she instilled in me how very fortunate we are to have the ability to give back to those in need. From passing out brown-bag lunches to the homeless in Washington DC, to throwing elaborate fundraising gala’s she showed me how rewarding ‘giving back’ is.

12. What qualities make an event Chair successful?

Kristina: Being passionate about the cause, energetic, organized, well connected, resourceful and willingness to take on this second (or third) full time job. Oh, lets not forget diplomacy.

Amy: Believing in the cause and being able to communicate that. People can tell when you are just giving “lip service.” Patience is very important and the ability to manage people and expectations.

13. What external resources do you use in your fundraising efforts i.e. websites, classes/seminars, etc.?

PR resources, past committee planning models

14. What is the best charitable event you’ve attended and why?

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hope Gala- it has an incredible staff that supports the volunteer efforts!

15. What is one fundraising tip you’ve learned that you’re willing to share?

If you don’t ask you will not receive.

16. What fundraising innovation do you wish would be invented?

A money tree.

17. What faded tradition do you wish would be resurrected?

Women wearing hats. They are very elegant and should be brought back into fashion and dance cards!

View their event profile on Vivanista.

To learn more about Teach With Africa and to purchase tickets, visit teachwithafrica.org.

(Co-Chair Amy Schoew and Teach with Africa Founder Margi Schlenoff pictured right.)

On Tuesday November 17,  Managing Editor Kimberly Miller interviewed Elaine Honig, Founding Shoemmelier
of the national charitable event series Wine, Women & Shoes.

Watch video from the live stream interview:

1. Pre-sell: Get in front of your audience before the event, whether it be highlights of the auction in the invitation or a booklet sent to attendees within a week of the event.

2. Post online: Use the web to your advantage to get the word out beyond just those people who will be in attendance. This not only provides good exposure to your donors, but you may actually start the bidding before the event.

3. Create an experience: DO bring in props to communicate visually what a bidder can expect. If it’s a trip to Hawaii, bring in a poster of the hotel, lei,  and maybe even a cocktail glass with an umbrella. If it’s a spa treatment, have a robe (can even be your own!) and terry cloth slippers. DON’T put clipboards side by side, so close together that only one person can be viewing a group of them at a time. Spread them out.

4. Analyze past results: Check out what sold at what price in the past, and if there’s an auction item that sold well in the past, try to get it.

5. Don’t include services on a stand-alone basis: It’ll cheapen the event. Consultations on their own are usually not viewed as exciting. For example, an hour consultation with an interior designer or stylist doesn’t garner a lot of bidders.

6. Bundle small things into like-minded groups: Offering a consultation, such as a stylist as highlighted above, in conjunction with some sort of goods, like a gift certificate at a boutique, may be more compelling than either on their own.

7. Don’t start a minimum bids at more than 50% of the value: Let’s face it, people are looking for bargains. And if a Silent Auction item is marked too high in comparison to its value, it very well may sit there. If the goal is to start a bidding frenzy, and it is, then getting a few competitive attendees wanting to make the auction prize their own will boost the final price far higher.

8. Make the Silent Auction the only place to get cocktails at your event: Unlike buzz saws and alcohol, Silent Auctions and alcohol are a perfect marriage.

9. Stay on top of the logistics: If no one is bidding, don’t be afraid of discounting an item even further: Designate someone to go through the auction with a big red Sharpie at periodic times, such as half way through and then shortly before closing, to mark down anything that has no bidders. You don’t want to give anything back (too embarrassing for the donor) and your guests, in their love of a bargain, will start following those markdowns. Also, when items are closed, make sure the sheets are pulled immediately. There’s nothing so frustrating as when someone thinks they won an item and someone else walks up after the close and writes their name down. It’s not fair.

10. Stage the closings: It’s more exciting to have a certain portion of items close at different times. It creates a frenzy for attendees to see what’s available at the next grouping once the previous is closed.