December 10, 2009 | Read Time: 2 minutes
A little publicity never hurts fund-raising, especially during the important end-of-the-year period.
That’s why some charities come up with headline-grabbing events, contests, and auctions as the year draws to a close.
Women in Need, which operates six shelters for homeless families in New York City, auctioned 29 papier-mâché houses decorated by celebrities in November.
The homes were on display at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store before they were sold.
The charity, which houses about 2,500 homeless people every night, laid off roughly 5 percent of its staff this year, due to declines in donations and government support.
Bonnie Stone, the charity’s president, says Women in Need came up with the idea during a brainstorming session and then put in plenty of hours lining up the celebrity designers.
The houses were for auction through November 30 on Charitybuzz.com. Altogether, the charity earned more than $29,000 from the auction, including more than $5,000 for a house designed by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue that features his iconic blue dogs.
Other charities also hoped to make a splash with special events and other strategies. GlobalGiving promoted its second annual “Great American Sleep-In,” pegged to Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The charity, best known for connecting donors with development projects overseas, urged people to “rediscover the true meaning of the holidays” by sleeping in, avoiding the mall traffic, and instead purchasing a GlobalGiving gift card or making a donation in honor of a friend or family member. The charity raised $12,600 through gift cards and tributes in the first four days following Thanksgiving. A year ago, the promotion raised about $130,000 in the two weeks following Thanksgiving.
Even modest events can raise a charity’s profile with donors. The New York Foundation for the Arts next week will host a “swap meet,” where people can trade things like books and clothes. It’s one in a series of forthcoming efforts the charity is making to reach out to potential donors.
“If we can do a number of smaller events where we make a little bit of money and they don’t cost us much, if anything, that will supplement our income and really raise awareness about who we are and what we do,” says Mark Rossier, the charity’s development director.
