BRAC’s Friendraiser: Lessons in raising friends
One week, two great events… (Part 1 of 2)
Event 1: BRAC’s Friendraiser
Last Wednesday I headed over to BRAC’s Friendraiser at the Edwynn Houk Gallery. I was invited to the event by my friend Laina–who is always up to good. My hat goes off to the BRAC Host Committee, who organized the free event, as it was truly a great way to introduce new “friends” to the organization’s mission and activities. There were a bunch of things about the event’s structure itself that I really appreciated. Some Friendraising tips to consider for your organization’s next Friendraiser:
Price: The event was free. While fundraising and/or off-setting costs are definitely important and events can be a great opportunity for such a thing, free events are a great way to encourage new attendees. In NYC especially, everything seems to have a dollar sign attached to it.
Free for all: Rather than having a panel or guest speaker discuss the organization’s community development work around the world, guests were encourage to mingle and visit informational stations throughout the venue. There are obviously pros and cons to either a formal speaking event or an informal mingle event, but its a good idea to keep in mind the other types of engagements your audience is likely participating in…an over-indulgence in either type of event can be a little daunting.
Creative: BRAC’s Host Committee definitely gets kudos for being creative and fun. Guests were given a “passport”–a booklet with information about BRAC–and asked to visit “countries” (high tables with laptops displaying powerpoint presentations) scattered throughout the gallery space. At each “country” you were able to learn more about BRAC’s involvement in that region as well as receive a “passport stamp”–a sticker with more facts about BRAC’s work. Friendraisers are a great way to show people what awesome things your organization is up to, but it’s good to keep in mind that the way you present your information can impact people’s perceptions. Being innovative in your presentation shows people you are innovative!
Friends: The best part about a Friendraiser is the friends part. While I wasn’t particularly familiar with BRAC before receiving an invitation to the event, I respect and admire the people I know who are involved with or connected to BRAC (in addition to being very impressed with those Host Committee members and staff that I met at the event)–which, by default leads me to respect and admire an organization they believe in. Friends of your organization are a great resource as they can advocate in meaningful ways on your behalf…remember to cultivate these relationships!
All in all, it was a creative and fun environment to learn more about a great organization that has a lot of advocates within the NYC community.