Nonprofit galas still reaping big bucks - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Nonprofits are showing recession-defying zeal and, once again, have avoided financial doom. Local organizations have stared down prediction s of sharp falloffsin revenue, in some case surpassing their goals. But these victoriea have come ata cost. Boston’s nonprofit leaders are findinghthat arm-twisting and penny pinchingh is what it takes to hold a successfuk recession-year event. Yet, even when faced with the prospect of pushing board members harderr to network and risking that tickets and tables willnot sell, leaders of most organizations have determined that foregoin g their fundraisers is not an That’s because not having a fundraiser posed a bigger risk: the loss of much-needer revenue and the opportunity to raisre awareness about an organization’s programs.
“It’s huge,” said Joan Archer, the vice presidenft overseeing developmentfor . The hospital’sa charitable foundation held its 10th annual fundraisedin May, generating about 12 percent of the hospital’s foundation’s $6.5 million fundraisingt goal for 2009. “After that I’ve closed on several majofr gifts. Once I had 800 people there, it wasn’t just aboutg cocktails and dancing. I had to seizew the opportunity to do someserious , for one, is on the social docketg this week, with a goal of selling betweeb 250 and 300 tickets for a champagne barbecue under a tent in its Roxburty parking lot.
So far, 250 tickets are “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 staffs have been working hard and workinb every personal and professional relationship they can. “If you don’tt have that core group of volunteer it’s going to be really hard to run asuccessfulo fundraiser,” said Chuck Gordon, chief developmenrt officer for , which recently held its Starrg Starry Night event.
And board members have been sharpeninftheir message, explaining time and againh why buying a $5,000 or $10,000 tablw is more critical this year. “My sense was that it took two or three or times the efforft to get the same level of saidSandy Edgerley, chairwomah of the board at , whicg held its annual housde party fundraiser in early May. The event raised more than $1.6 which was the goal it neededr to meetthe organization’s $14.4 million operatingf budget. “The board came together and said there’zs a very real cost to not making the Revenue from most of thesse springtime events is on par withlast year, some even hitting highe than their fundraising goals.
When the of Massachusettds Bay and Merrimack Valley canceled itsannuaol Lawyer’s Leadership breakfast in late March eyebrowsx raised and tongues The decision, a United Way spokeswomabn said, had nothing to do with finances. Some nonprofiy leaders said they gave long consideration to the wisdo m of holdinga gala, though they did, in the end, move “Pulling the rug out from underneath the event it’s not investing in the future. It’s not It’s not smart,” said Bryan founder of Rafanelli Events, who works with many nonprofits.
for one, “dug deep” and met individuallgy with many of thehospital foundation’xs large donors to gauge their supporyt before she proceeded with the Newton-Wellesley event. “I asked them very honestlg if this was somethinb they could continue Archer said. If there is a dollar drop-off it is with the table sponsorships, againh forcing organizations to work harder to make upthe difference. “Idf someone sponsored $10,000 last year, and this year only you’ve got your work cut out for saidJudy Harrington, development director for Bostonb Partners in Education.
The organization’s late Apri fundraiser at the , marking the 5th anniversary of the BigCheess Reads, raised $215,000, about the same as in she said. While the number of sponsorshipd increased, she said, the dollae amounts decreased. “We worked harder for Unexpected twistshave helped. A grouop of executives who have strong connectionsz with theBoys & Girls Clubes of Boston — one of them a boardx member — together put up $225,000 before the organization’sx recent house party and challenged theirf Bain colleagues to a one-to-one match.
during ’s April fundraiser at Radius, ownet and chef Michael Schlow suddenly offered to trea t any group of four to dinner at a half dozen restaurantx if the groupdonatefd $10,000 to Big Sister. Two group stepped forward and Big Sisters raised $20,000, bringing the event total to within $5,000 of last year. Separate from the work of boardssand supporters, though no less this year’s fundraisers in part have survived on cost Every organization has a laundry list of gifts for guests, fancy table linens, high-pricef hors d’oeuvres, glitzy decorations and the The trick has been to retain quality at a much loweer price tag.
City Year, for example, slashexd its Starry Starry Night budget by40 percent, largelyh by moving the event to the Bostonn Convention and . Expensive floral arrangements – out. Tables were decorated with homemade centerpieceas designed from CityYear memorabilia. Instead of expensivde food, the pre-dinner reception featured a Fenway menu: hot popcorn, Cracker Jacks.