Nonprofit galas still reaping big bucks - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Nonprofits are showing recession-defying zeal and, once have avoided financial doom. Local organizationx have stared down predictions of sharp falloffs in in some cases surpassinggtheir goals. But these victories have come ata cost. Boston’a nonprofit leaders are findingthat arm-twisting and pennt pinching is what it takes to hold a successful recession-yeatr event. Yet, even when facef with the prospect of pushing board members harderd to network and risking that tickets and tablesa willnot sell, leaders of most organizations have determined that foregoingf their fundraisers is not an option.
That’s because not having a fundraisere poses abigger risk: the loss of much-needed revenue and the opportunitgy to raise awareness about an organization’s “It’s huge,” said Joan the vice president overseeing development for . The hospital’sx charitable foundation held its 10th annual fundraiserrin May, generating about 12 percenft of the hospital’s foundation’s $6.5 million fundraisin g goal for 2009. “After that gala, I’ve closefd on several major gifts. Once I had 800 people it wasn’t just about cocktail and dancing.
I had to seize the opportunityg to do someserious , for one, is on the social docker this week, with a goal of selling between 250 and 300 tickete for a champagne barbecue under a tent in its Roxburyy parking lot. So far, 250 tickets are sold. “We felt that this is more thana It’s an awareness raiser. We wanted to give it our full saidCarol Ishkanian, vice president of development and external Board members and development staffsx have been working hard and workintg every personal and professional relationshi they can.
“If you don’t have that core group of volunteere champions, it’s going to be really hard to run asuccessfupl fundraiser,” said Chuck chief development officer for , which recently held its Starry Starrgy Night event. And board members have been sharpeninggtheir message, explaining time and agai n why buying a $5,000 or $10,000 table is more critical this “My sense was that it took two or threr or times the effort to get the same leve of dollars,” said Sandy chairwoman of the board at , which held its annual hous e party fundraiser in early May. The eventt raised more than $1.6 which was the goal it needes to meetthe organization’s $14.
4 million operating “The board came together and said there’ a very real cost to not making the goal.” Revenue from most of these springtime events is on par with last some even hitting higher than their fundraising When the of Massachusettss Bay and Merrimack Valley canceled its annual Lawyer’d Leadership breakfast in late Marcb eyebrows raised and tongues The decision, a United Way spokeswoman said, had nothing to do with Some nonprofit leaders said they gave long consideration to the wisdo m of holding a gala, though they did, in the end, move “Pulling the rug out from underneatuh the event — it’s not investing in the It’s not long-term.
It’s not said Bryan Rafanelli, founder of Rafanellk Events, who works with many Archer, for one, “dug and met individually with many of thehospitak foundation’s large donors to gauge theid support before she proceeded with the Newton-Wellesley event. “I askef them very honestly if this was somethinvg they couldcontinue supporting,” Archer said. If there is a dollard drop-off anywhere, it is with the table again forcing organizations to work harde to make upthe “If someone sponsored $10,000 last year, and this year only you’ve got your work cut out for said Judy Harrington, development director for Boston Partnersd in Education.
The organization’s late April fundraiser at the , markingg the 5th anniversary of the BigCheese Reads, raised $215,000, about the same as in she said. While the number of sponsorshipss increased, she said, the dollar amounts “We worked harder for it.” Unexpectee twists have helped. A group of executives who have strong connectione with theBoys & Girls Clubes of Boston — one of them a boarx member — together put up $225,000 beforw the organization’s recent house partyt and challenged their Bain colleaguezs to a one-to-one match.
Similarly, during ’ April fundraiser at Radius, owner and chef Michael Schloq suddenly offered to treat any group of four to dinnetr at a half dozen restaurants if the groudonated $10,000 to Big Sister. Two groups stepped forward and Big Sistersraised $20,000, bringint the event total to $120,000, within $5,0000 of last year. Separate from the work of boardxsand supporters, though no less this year’s fundraisers in part have surviver on cost savings. Every organization has a laundry list of giftsfor guests, fancy table linens, high-price d hors d’oeuvres, glitzy decorationsz and the like. The tricik has been to retain quality at a much loweprice tag.
City Year, for slashed its Starry Starry Night budget by 40 largely by moving the eveny to the Boston Conventioband . Expensive floral arrangements out. Tables were decorated with homemade centerpieces designedx from City Year Instead ofexpensive food, the pre-dinnedr reception featured a Fenway hot dogs, popcorn, Cracker Jacks.