Party with a Purpose!
Brainstorming
Dear Party Host,
Thank you for agreeing to host a Party with a
Purpose!
This toolkit was created to help you prepare for
your fundraising party. As you go through these
steps, please keep in mind the two key goals of
a Party with a Purpose!:
1. Have a lot of fun
2. Raise money for people who are too sick to work
Sample Themes
Elegant
•Intimate dinner in •Brunch followed by
your home or restaurant SF summer street fair
•Cocktail party in your or a friend’s home
•Fashion Show (Dress in Red)
Outdoors
We want to ensure your success!
•Sunday in a park
•Hiking/Picnic
•Ski weekend
Choose Your Theme
•Open air walk with a naturalist guide
•Hot-air ballooning
Whether you’re organizing an intimate gathering
at home or a blowout BBQ in the park, choose
a party theme that you and your guests will love!
If extravagant dinner parties are your forte, then
invite ten friends and make it a glamorous evening. If a crowded, rollicking time is more your
speed, organize a larger group for something
more boisterous. Check through the list of party
ideas and create one that works for you.
Check Your Math
Whatever party theme you choose, remember
to consider the size of your space and how many
guests you will need in order to secure your
fundraising goal.
•Boating
Personal
•Birthday
•Anniversary
•Wedding
•Housewarming
Risqué
•Sex toy party
(No Tupperware!)
•Sling Shot party (randy, fun event with
memento photos)
•Roosters-hosted dinner
(sexy gay boy waiters
•Folsom or Dore skimpily attired like Alley pre-party
Hooters waitresses)
Social
•Pub/club crawl
•Segway tour
•Japantown Karaoke
•Singalong movie
•Divisadero Art Walk
•Urban scavenger hunt
Tasty
•Wine country tasting
•Cooking class
•Home beer brewing
•Oyster Festival
Multiple options to reach your minimum
goal of raising $3,000
•Chocolate Factory tour
•Garlic Festival
1 person donates $3,000
3 people donate $1,000 each
10 people donate $300 each
30 people donate $100 each
300 people donate $10 each
•Museum/Gallery docent tour
•Urban safari to the SF Zoo
•SF Niners game and tailgating
•Sleepover-on-Alcatraz
(spooky!)
•SF Giants game and tailgating
•Cable Car ride
•Expert-guided tour of neighborhood homes
•Duck Tour of SF
Yo u r F u n d r a i s i n g G o a l s
Local
•Booze cruise
Sporty
•Drag bowling
•Gay sports team game
•Circus school
•Yoga retreat
•House of Air (trampoline) •Guided biking to see the murals of SF
•Whitewater rafting
•Surfing
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•Ice skating
Party with a Purpose!
Party Planning and Logistics
Select a Date
Send Invitations
The first step is to choose a date! Allow yourself
plenty of lead time to get organized. Also, you’ll
want to give your guests ample notice so they can
fully participate. Planning timelines vary, of course,
but here are general guidelines:
AEF will provide you with both printed and electronic invitation formats. To enhance turnout, we
recommend sending a printed invitation (mailed
in a hand-addressed envelope), with a follow-up
electronic invitation. Using both formats always
gets a better response. We also recommend
that you create a Facebook event as an additional
recruitment mechanism.
• Local party: start 8 weeks in advance
• Out-of-town party: start 12 weeks in advance
Make a Plan
Some factors that may impact your preparations:
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Party theme
Location/space
Decor
Guest list and invitations
Food and/or drink (sponsorship opportunity
for a supportive neighborhood merchant)
Transportation
Production/Logistics (staffing, security,
audio/visual)
PR/Marketing/Communications
Donation collections
Prior to distributing your invitations, we suggest
the majority of these action items be ironed out,
with the understanding that some details will
fall into place after invitations are sent. This will
put you in a better position to sell your party to
prospective guests and address any last-minute
details.
Compile Guest List
Consider which of your friends, family members,
or colleagues would be interested in joining you,
contributing vitality to your party, and helping you
reach your fundraising goal. Once you’ve come up
with people you want to invite, create two lists:
List 1: likely to attend
List 2: might attend
Remember, it’s critical to carefully consider the
multiple paths that can help you reach your fundraising goal.
You will be most successful in reaching your fund­
raising goal by informing your guests in advance
that they will be asked to make a contribution.
Timing Checklist
It’s important to distribute your invitations
early and to receive prompt RSVPs from
your prospective guests.
5–6 Weeks Prior
• Send first wave (List 1) of invitations
• Follow-up phone calls to first wave invitees 5 days after invitations sent
• Count RSVPs and determine if confirmed
invitees will help you reach your fundraising goal
• Determine if you’re on target with your
number of guests. If so, proceed to party
planning
3–4 Weeks Prior
• If not on target per above, send second
wave (List 2) of invitations
• Follow-up phone calls to second wave
invitees 5 days after invitations sent
• Count RSVPs and determine if confirmed
invitees will help you reach your fundraising goal
2 Weeks Prior
• Follow up with an AEF representative
who can help with any concerns
• Finalize party-planning preparations specific to your Party with a Purpose!
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Party with a Purpose!
Party Planning and Logistics
Let AEF Help You
AEF is pleased to provide you with resources to
help your Party with a Purpose! be a smash and
to help you reach your fundraising goal. Please
note that additional alcohol (beyond our sponsors’
donations), soft drinks, food, decor or transportation cannot be arranged or provided by AEF nor
can they be reimbursed. We are trying to raise
money for our clients, and expenses are always
kept to an absolute minimum by AEF. We could
not do this work without your help in this regard.
An AEF representative will help collect donations
during your party, as well as serve as the point
person before the party to assist with various
questions or needs that might arise.
We might be able to send a photographer for your
party, if it is held in San Francisco. Photos can be
showcased at the AEF Gala in late 2012, and we
are happy to provide the photographs from your
party at no cost to you or your guests.
Some AEF client, donor, and volunteer profiles/
storyboards can be displayed at your party. Use as
many as will work within your party’s space, and
select those that will have the greatest resonance
with your guests. AEF will also provide a range of
print materials about the organization and its services for your party guests.
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You and your
friends will be
making a huge
difference
in the lives of
people in your
community who
are too sick
to work.
Party with a Purpose!
The “Ask”
So you’ve put together the ideal Party with a
Purpose! and the time has come to ask your
guests to make a donation to AEF. For some, this
step will be easy. For others, it may feel slightly
awkward. Just keep in mind that your guests are
expecting to contribute — they want to give their
support.
As the host, you are the person with whom
guests have a direct connection. In most cases,
you would simply welcome your guests and
an AEF representative would make the “Ask”
itself. In a few cases, you may be willing to “Ask”
for the donations yourself with the help of an AEF
representative to answer questions about the
agency or our clients.
In either case, to help you speak effectively about
AEF, we’ve put together the following tips, suggestions and talking points. You can use these
to create your own short “elevator speech” to
gain interest and solicit donations from potential
donors and guests.
WHAT
Start by giving your guests a little background
about AIDS Emergency Fund:
• Since 1982, AEF has responded compassionately to the HIV/AIDS crisis by providing immediate, short-term financial assistance
• AEF is a grass-roots “safety net,” providing
resources to help with medical treatments,
avoid utility shut-offs and prevent evictions and
homelessness
• AEF is now celebrating its 30th year of helping
San Franciscans in need
NOTE: many people do not know what “AEF”
stands for. Use “AIDS Emergency Fund” when
communicating with folks who may not be familiar with the organization and its mission.
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WHO
Let them know about the people who benefit
from AEF services:
• AEF assists low-income people disabled by
HIV/AIDS
• San Franciscans in need — AEF helps our own
neighbors and local community
• Many AEF clients are people who add to the
extraordinary diversity of San Francisco —
AEF helps to keep them part of our community
WHY
There are many compelling reasons why your
guests should support AEF. Here are just a few:
• HIV/AIDS is still an emergency for people
who live with it — AEF provides direct, muchneeded support for them
• Donor contributions enable AEF clients to live
with greater stability and dignity
• AEF is fiscally responsible, with a small staff
and low overhead — funds are effectively and
efficiently spent
• For additional reasons, see the “Useful Facts
and Figures” sidebar (on next page)
Party with a Purpose!
The “Ask”
HOW
Now that you’ve got your guests interested in
making a contribution to AEF, practice how you
may make the “Ask.” It may go something like
this: “As someone who cares about our city and
our community, I want to welcome and thank you
for coming to this Party with a Purpose! [AEF
representative’s first name] has joined us today
to ask you to contribute to and help AEF’s clients.
Some of these people in need are our friends,
relatives, and coworkers, and those of us who
are more fortunate can step up and help them.”
Another tip: make this part more about the donor
than the organization: “Because of you, our community can help people with HIV/AIDS keep a roof
over their heads.”
Consider your audience when speaking and if
your communication style is more impactful oneon-one, then ask people in advance of your party.
Choose what works best for you. An AEF representative can be present to assist with donation
collection. The process is simple, with two main
options:
• Check made payable to AIDS Emergency Fund
• We will have donation sheets on hand for
charges to Visa or MasterCard
Individual contributions may be larger or smaller
than anticipated, but aim for a party that ultimately
raises a minimum of $3,000.
WHEN
Ideally, the “Ask” should take place during the
middle portion of your party, when things are in
full swing. It’s important to give guests time to
relax and socialize first — avoid making the donation request at the beginning. Likewise, waiting
until the very end might not be ideal — approach
guests before the party winds down and people
begin to depart.
Depending on the size and style of party, you may
request donations from the entire group during a
brief break, or you might wish to approach each
guest personally. You can always practice the
“Ask” and ask some people for a gift in advance
of your party.
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Once your guests agree to a donation, an AEF
representative can handle donation paperwork.
Just direct your guest to us, so that you can focus
your attention on hosting.
Useful Facts and Figures
Here are additional talking points that may be helpful as you request donations
for AEF. These can be used to inform your
guests about the ongoing impact of HIV/
AIDS in San Francisco and beyond, as
well as stress the critical importance of
maintaining funding for AEF’s programs.
Not all of these will resonate with your
guests. We suggest selecting 2 or 3 that
seem appropriate.
Local
• 120: number of younger clients (aged 20–29) AEF served in 2011 (up from 1 in 2003)
• $500: average level of assistance for
each AEF client in need of medicine, or utilities and housing assistance
• 700: number of new HIV infections each year in San Francisco
• 2,400: clients helped by AEF each year
• 16,000: people currently living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco
Regional
• 150,000: persons living with HIV/AIDS in California
• 650,000: persons living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
Global (2009)
• 1.8 million: HIV/AIDS related deaths
• 9 million+: persons living with HIV/AIDS unable to access treatment
• 33.3 million: persons living with HIV/AIDS
Party with a Purpose!
After-Party Follow Up
We encourage you to keep your own records,
collect all donations received by you and send
them to AEF.
All donations from your guests will be acknowledged by AEF with a formal thank you letter. This
letter will state their donation level and can be
used for tax purposes. You might wish to send a
thank you note of your own as well. Hand written
notes are obviously more personal but do what
works best for your situation and party.
The Internal Revenue Service Tax ID (sometimes
called Employer Identification Number or EIN) for
AIDS Emergency Fund is 94-2922039.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Rajat Dutta
Development Director
[email protected]
415.558.6999 x223
Jonathan Foulk
Development Manager
[email protected]
415.558.6999 x236
Make checks payable to:
AIDS Emergency Fund
12 Grace Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94103
Donate securely online at:
www.aef-sf.org
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Thank You!
$3,000 enables six
clients disabled
by HIV/AIDS
to continue with
medical treatments,
avoid utility
shut-off and
prevent eviction
or homelessness.