The Community Table. Susan Cole Urano

      MY BEST piece of advice is to find the right chair! When the Roanoke Valley Arts Council undertook a fundraiser in conjunction with the opening of the new regional airport, we knew that a well-connected committee was the only way we could raise the big sum of money budgeted for a new arts fund. We worked for several weeks carefully selecting each member of the committee, considering the talent and resources each could bring to the table. The woman we approached to chair the event was married to the contractor who built the airport. We knew she was a high-powered and well-organized leader with great connections in the community. The committee decided on a travel theme and got to work planning the gala. We didn’t know our new chairwoman loved Cajun music. When she paid to bring one of the leading Cajun bands in the country to play at the opening, the result was an event that will be etched in the memories of the guests for years to come!

       The Bounty on the Bricks committee sets up the day of the event. Photo courtesy of Jo Carpenter

      The predictor of a fundraiser’s success is the quality of the team assembled to do the work. An effective chair is the glue that holds the team together and steers its members to success. A chair should be well connected in the community and have those phone numbers that allow access to the resources needed to pull the community together to do the work. A good chair understands the mission of the organization and how the money raised will be used to improve the community. This person can articulately and passionately tell your story. A good chair will be highly praised and sought after, yet motivated, not by praise, but by the community’s needs. This individual has the skills to organize and motivate people to get the job done—not by micromanaging—by empowering others to rise to the occasion.

      Finding the right person to chair a fundraising event sets the stage for success. Look for someone who has demonstrated leadership or potential leadership ability—the capacity to understand and motivate people, see the big picture, and hold a clear vision of success. A strong leader is a master delegator who makes every member feel as though each contribution is invaluable to the success of the event. A good leader knows when to roll up the sleeves and pitch in and when to stand back and let others work through challenges. This person is not afraid of conflict.

       Bounty on the Bricks event chair, Cheryl Sylvester, and her husband Tony arrive the night of the event. Photo courtesy of Jo Carpenter

      Our Bounty on the Bricks chair honed her leadership skills over years of running a large insurance office while managing her family businesses at the same time. She is as comfortable at a black-tie gala as at a corn-hole-pitching barbeque in the backyard. She finds everyone she meets intriguing and is a great listener, asking clarifying questions and making connections. She probably wouldn’t write a $50,000 check for a name band, but she’s a woman of integrity that no one can say no to!

      The event chair is a volunteer, possibly a member of the organization’s board. Although people working in business and the corporate world are usually considered desirable, don’t overlook other folks who support your cause, have strong leadership ability, and are well liked in the community. Remember, the added value of fundraising events is to connect and build community. Those connections last far beyond the dollars raised.

      Who should ask someone to chair an event? Ideally, the invitation should be delivered by a representative of the nonprofit, either the CEO or the board president. When you approach prospective chairs, emphasize the potential benefits of the fundraiser on the mission of the organization or the community. Because these people are accustomed to seeing the “big picture,” they will understand the need that exists in your community and the potential value of the additional money that a fundraiser could generate. They enjoy fundraising and inviting others to become involved in an event. When you ask, be direct and clear about the responsibilities of the position.

      The first job of the event chair is to decide what subcommittees are needed, what their job descriptions are, and who would be best to chair each. Subcommittees, a great way to disperse the many tasks of a fundraiser so that all the work doesn’t fall on the chair, could include the following: volunteer coordination, finance, food and beverage, decoration, logistics, marketing and ticket sales, and entertainment. If you are having an auction as part of your event, you’ll also need an auction chair. The chair and subchairs will serve as the group that plans and makes most of the decisions about the fundraiser. However, some decisions will have an impact on the sponsoring nonprofit and will need to be made jointly with the CEO or board chair. For instance, licensing will need to be done through the nonprofit. Most major financial decisions are also the responsibility of the nonprofit. (See sample organizational chart above.)

       THE FUNDRAISING chairperson is responsible for coordinating and planning an event to raise money for your organization or cause. The chair will recruit and develop volunteers to help with the planning, setup, and teardown of the event. The workload for this position will be intense throughout the entire year. To be successful, the chair must develop and use systems that allow volunteers to participate with minimal direction when helping with fundraising events.

       Tasks

       1. Develop strategy to implement fundraiser.

       2. Invite volunteers to fill committee positions.

       3. Work with CEO or board chair to secure sponsorships for the event from local businesses.

       4. Work with auction chair (if applicable) to secure donated items to sell.

       5. Work with marketing chair and staff to ensure timely and accurate information about the event reaches the public.

       6. Network in the community to generate support, enthusiasm, and attendance.

       7. Oversee work of subcommittees.

       8. Implement event in a timely and successful manner.

       9. Celebrate success.

       10. Evaluate event results and prepare recommendations for next year.

       Qualities and Abilities of a Fundraising Event Chair

       1. Motivates: Keeps the focus of the group on the outcome of the event.

       2. Plans Strategically: Can see what needs to happen and asks the right people to carry it out.

       3. Uses Diplomacy: Fluidly interacts with different people in the community.

       4. Communicates: Is clear, easy to understand, and transparent in all interactions.

       5. Delegates: Empowers and motivates others to do the work.

       6. Oversees: Works within a budget and in a timely manner.

       7. Fundraises: Is not afraid to ask for money!

      Written job descriptions with enough detail about deadlines and lines of communication will be invaluable to the chair and subchairs. These could include their main tasks, the amount of time they have to accomplish the tasks, the available budget and income goal, who they will work with, what they will need to do the work, and how success will be measured.

      Next, each subchair can begin recruiting a team of volunteers. The following paragraphs treat the general responsibilities of each committee and give some ideas about what skills are needed to fill each role.

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