Fundraising Event: Welcome To My Place

A Lakeside Fundraiser

One key to having a successful fundraising event is creating the right win-win for sponsors, donors and attendees. The win for each sponsor or donor is typically different, whether that is to receive program recognition, exposing their company to attendees through signage, receiving an event tickets, goody bag inclusion, or to use as a tax write off. It is important they get something in return for giving money or donating their time and resources to the cause as well as being sure all attendees, volunteers, hosts, donors, sponsors and media leave saying WOW! that was an awesome event.

In November, I was hired by a well-known businessman to create an event raising funds for a family, and friend of his, that had fallen on hard times. Since people love to attend events hosted at the homes of the "rich and famous" or at least someone with a local celebrity status, I convinced him and his wife (God bless her!) to host an evening house/backyard VIP party at their lake home. The casual Sunday evening event featured live musicians, food stations, open bar, silent auction, live auction and there was a "$30 donation" at the door. The evening event was combined with a golf event held earlier in the day and hosted by Bay Hill Country Club (the golf fee included an evening event ticket).

For part of the silent auction, a contracted company set up signed celebrity and collectible items where they received a small percentage of what was bought. In addition, for the silent and live auction, a volunteer team and I contacted companies to secure unique items such as: a gourmet dog basket; spa packages; a kitten and a puppy with vet exam and all shots; attraction tickets with behind-the-scene tours; hotel packages to New York (including charter flight), Tampa, Tahoe, Las Vegas and Hawaii; golf rounds with dinner; bathroom vanity; exterior home lighting; packaged restaurant gift certificates; custom jewelry; candle/spa baskets; health packages; a gently used ski boat; Diva Shopping Tour; car wash/waxes; and more items that people want for themselves.

Since there really wasn't a budget, so to speak, vendors, friends and family volunteered and/or donated their services including: security (Eddie and Dee Love); check-in; live auctioneer; bartenders (Lindsey Mackail); food stations (Winter Garden Pizza, The Crepe Cart Company, Timpano's, Gator's Dockside); valet parkers (John Chipps); dance floor, a huge glowing bar and high tops (Dennis Clegg); beer and wine (Florida Beer Company and Lakeridge Winery); fire pits; black Frisbees covered with magnolia leaves for floating candles in the pool (Sherry Martin); live auctioneer (Lori Chipps); borrowed coolers and trashcans (neighbors); money collection (John Kelly); photography (Keith Lambert); videography (Nathan Weatherford); and way more people helped out than I can list.

We could not get everything donated, so there were a few hard costs that were taken out of event profits, most of which were negotiable. Those included: my event management fee (deeply discounted because it was a cause I supported in a big way); rented glassware $150; ice delivery $150; professional musicians $500 (discounted being a Sunday night); 25 rented pieces of white leather furniture $1,800 (at cost because Cort Furniture Rental was a sponsor otherwise would have been $7,500); clear plastic plates, napkins, utensils $100; rented 10-4'x8' tables and linens $250; 20 tiki torches and oil $100 (the host bought and kept for future parties); fire pit wood $75; and 2 teenage boys were each paid $50 for 10 hours work to set up and take down.

The wife of the family, benefitting from the event, made a last minute decision to attend and unexpectedly asked to speak just before the live auction. As she took the microphone, her voice began to shake. We had never met before that night, but I knew their story and felt like she needed someone to stand beside her. So, I casually moved on the stage and put my right arm around her. My intention was to be there for moral support, but the longer she talked, she began to physically lean on me to hold her up. Her words brought tears to everyone as she humbly spoke amazing words of gratitude.

In theory, we tend to think people only donate to causes they champion, but a well-organized, themed event set in a unique location is a huge draw for attendees. Donors or sponsors just want to meet desired marketing or sales goals for future payback (in this case, their win was direct exposure to attendees). Combined with the golf outing, $60,000 was raised in one day for one family.

Invited guests came early, enjoyed food, sipped cocktails, danced, shopped and stayed way later than we ever expected on a Sunday night. It was hard work on my and the host's part, but we agreed it was very fulfilling. Everyone went home with a little less in their wallet, but with a bigger heart blessed by giving to a family in need.

If you want to be sure your event has WOW! contact me to discuss your needs at mmonte@hotmail.com or 407-341-9866.

(A special thanks to my mom, Sherry Martin, queen of Southern hospitality, an award-winning brownie chef, vendor coordinator and the best ever details activator as well as my friend and sidekick, Rhonda Murphy, the queen of fun, my timeline orchestrator and an awesome onsite coordinator. I could not have made this event successful without them!)