My husband and I have a tendency to stretch ourselves too thin. We get overly involved in community and church activities to the point of feeling used. In our former parish we were lectors, Eucharistic ministers, on the parish council and the environment committee. When we were asked to chair the fund raiser we agreed to do it for one year. We ended up heading it for five. When we relocated to a different area we agreed that we would not jump in with volunteering with our new parish. Within a year we were both on committees. Last year we were asked to head our parish fund raiser. I cannot believe that we said yes.
The parish had tried an adult prom the year before as a fund raiser. It was to be a formal dinner followed by a dance. Such few tickets were sold to parish members that the event needed to be opened to the community. The event raised a small amount of money once all the expenses were paid. The young families in the parish could not justify the price of the ticket and the cost of a babysitter for the evening. This year it was decided to have a family event. It was going to be a carnival evening with games for children and adults and concessions. We wanted very nice prizes. We decided that stuffed animals go over big with kids of all ages. We needed to find wholesale stuffed animals so that we would be able to keep the cost of the event down. We also solicited prizes from area businesses and took in donations for a silent auction.
One person on the committee volunteered to locate wholesale stuffed animals. They had worked in a large toy store for a while and thought that they could get some resources from the manager of the store. They thought was if we could not find wholesale stuffed animals, the manager of the store maybe willing to sell us some of the store’s supply for the store’s cost. The donations for the silent auction were very generous. People had great ideas of donating fishing trips, homemade cookies for the holidays, lawn and yard clean up and other services as well as items.
A week before the carnival we had a meeting with all the committee members to make sure everything was in place. The person in charge of the wholesale stuffed animals came into the meeting carrying four huge stuffed bears. He said that he had several more in his van as well as smaller stuffed animals. He would not give us the name of the benefactor, but it turned out that an owner of a warehouse for wholesale stuffed animals anonymously donated the prizes. We knew that all the kids that came were going to be delighted with the animals.
Most people enjoy going to parties. Have you ever stopped to think about what makes a great party versus one that is just okay? There are many answers to that question, but the main reason is the planning that goes into the event. So often it seems that the bigger the event the greater the dissatisfaction. Certainly part of this is the more people you are dealing with the less likely everyone will be pleased, but another part is that some party planning ideas are just too regimented around time frames.
For me the best parities are those that I can come and go as I please and can mingle with the other guests. I have been fortunate enough to have been part of party planning ideas for several large as well as intimate gatherings. These parties range from introducing political candidates to launching a new artist. When ever someone comes to me for help in party planning ideas my first response is to keep things as simple as possible. Simplicity places people at ease and when people are at ease they have a good time.
A client of mine came to get suggestions for a fund raising event for a local charity. The charity involved raising money for children that have been abused. The money was going to be used to create two group foster homes. The client’s party planning ideas included a dinner with the cost of seventy five dollars a plate and then presentations by children that would benefit from the foster homes. I explained to her that my experience with high cost meals is that the price eliminates many people from attending. There are many couples that will not spend one hundred and fifty dollars to eat a catered dinner and then give additional money in addition to that cost.
I suggested that instead she should plan a wine tasting and hearty appetizer evening. Many liquor establishments will set up wine tasting events for a very reasonable price and will donate a portion of the sales of the wine. If she paired this with a silent auction of donated items, she will make more money and have more satisfied participants. She can charge twenty five dollars a person and invite five times as many as you would for a catered dinner. People will feel that they are getting a good bargain for their admission rate and will be willing to spend additional money on purchasing wine and bidding on auction items. People will also know that they can come and go as they please. I suggested having the children tell their story on video tape and play the tape throughout the evening. When we talked about numbers and costs she agreed that these party planning ideas did seem more appealing. I stress keeping things simple and not putting time restraints on guests.
