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September 6, 2007
The Dwindling Parties
Some of the annual fundraisers we have come to know and love are disappearing.
The One Hundred Committee Tea -- Down the drain!
Broadway on Beachside -- Washed up!
The Sail-A-Bration -- Sunk!
Ok, you might have forgotten about these parties, so here's a review.
The One Hundred Committee Tea was a fundraiser for the Center for Women and Families, the former Bridgeport YWCA. As you might have gathered, it was a tea party for women at a private home, although men were invited in the last two or three years. And -- no surprise -- they didn't only serve tea. Hey, that's one thing they got right!
Broadway on Beachside took place in Westport in a private home on the shore. (For its final year, the venue was switched to the Inn at Longshore for reasons that are unknown to me.) It was a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and included entertainment by Broadway stars. One wag told me that the event suffered from one speech after another. Now, if there's one thing that'll throw a wet towel on the fun, it's a speech.
The Sail-A-Bration was a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. It took place on one of the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferries, which patrolled Long Island Sound while the Habitat supporters partied on. Sounds like fun, no? Well...the Port Jeff ferry isn't really set up to be a party boat, with its seating arrangement that's designed for strangers who want to stay that way.
In defense of all of these events, they did raise a lot of money for their causes. They were, for the most part, fun to attend. And the volunteers who worked on them deserve our gratitude.
I can tell you from personal experience that staging a fundraiser is no picnic.
One source told me that the real reason they're not with us anymore is because there's no one willing to step forward and stage one of these complex affairs. No surprise there. Those of you who show up to these things, write a check for $200 (or whatever) for a ticket and stay for a couple drinks and some hors d'oeuvres have no idea what goes into them.
There's a million little details to deal with, and any one of them can send you to the rubber room.
Here's a few you might not have considered:
1. The tent. If it's outdoors, you'll need one. But will it be big enough? Should you spring for the options, like a floor? Heat? Fans?
2. Decorations: This has to tie in with a theme, and let me tell you, on the night the volunteers uh... "agree" on a theme, it's best to hide the sharp objects.
3. The wine list. Man, here's another one. There's always a numbskull wine snob or two out there who spews out something like "Anything but Chardonnay!" So, more often than not, the committee winds up spending more than they should on vino. My advice? Hire a professional bartender and let him or her pick out the booze. And have a bottle or two of Chardonnay.
4. The invitations. These have to tie in with the theme, not have any spelling or grammar errors, have the right day and date, look nice, and they must get in the mail at least four weeks prior. Here's a common mistake: They'll say "Sunday, August 4", when Aug. 4 is a Saturday.
5. Food. You could write a book on party food. A lot of people have. Just don't forget the coffee, or you'll have a riot on your hands.
6. Music. A live band is nice, but which one?
7. Parking. I remember one party in which someone knocked over the car key board. Good thing I didn't take advantage of the valet parking that night. (I really don't like other people driving my car, because it has a manual gearbox.)
8. The date: Pick a date -- any date -- and someone on the committee or the Board of Directors will say "That's a bad night for me!" To them, I say, "Well, then, I guess you won't be able to make it."
9. Garbage management. Parties generate lots of trash. You'll have to have someone with his eye on the solid waste buildup during the event, or it'll look, well, trashy.
10. Fire safety. Don't pack too many people in the aforementioned tent, or the fire marshal might decide to stop by and send everyone home. And seriously, a few fire extinguishers might be a good idea, particularly if there's a roaring barbecue pit.
11. Liquor permit. Yep, you'll need one. Apply at least a month ahead of time.
12. The empties. Decide ahead of time what to do with the beer bottles, wine bottles, etc.
13. Flashlight. Handy if the power goes out.
14. Security. Something to keep in mind if some of the auction items include things that sparkle. You don't want to face the scandal when the $25,000 Tiffany necklace walks out the door. As an aside, I'm not a big fan of jewelry auction items. They're usually sold "on consignment," meaning that if it turns up missing, you're on the hook for the cost of the item. It also means the profit margain is too slim to make them worthwhile.
I could go on. I hope this won't discourage you from volunteering for the next non-profit fundraiser, but I suspect it will.
Posted by john on September 6, 2007 9:41 PM
