I worked at the senior level at a fine arts museum for many years, during which time I served as a staff member collaborating with governance membered-planning committees for galas and other fund-raising events. I also serve on the boards of several non-profit institutions, where I have been a volunteer member of fund-raising events such as galas. I believe that it is very short-sited to assume that the only, or even primary, value that trustees et al. bring to these fund-raising events is their network of contacts. In my experience, my fellow governance members
serve in the very real sense of the word, bringing deep and wide-ranging professional experience as leaders in the fields of politics, business, arts, technology, medicine, education, and more. They generally have ample experience in galas and fund-raising events, and deep insight into what leads to a successful event: one that raises not only money but also goodwill and essential lasting connections with members of the community, some of the key people who can effectively support museums in myriad ways. Moreover, these governance volunteers who serve voluntarily on gala, etc., committees are the key interlocutors who personally invite/persuade/cajole their network to attend these events. This is a population who discriminate among many such invitations, and it is hard to get their attention unless you have an advocate such as a committed member of your board. Also, by sharing their names to the gala committee, they are also agreeing to share their reputation in association with the event. Justifiably, they want to feel proud of the event to which they are inviting their circles of friends and colleagues. Selecting effective gala chairs and a robust committee requires careful planning for maximizing each person's diverse strengths, experience, personality, available time, and more. It can and should be a literal and otherwise enriching experience for both the staff and the volunteers.
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Valentine Talland
Conservation Consultant
Valentine Talland Art Conservation LLC
Cambridge, MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-19-2018 02:34 PM
From: Gwyneth Burak
Subject: Volunteer committees for gala (and other fundraising) events
Interestingly, I have also just survived my first gala which required 6 months of planning with a volunteer committee. Given the size of our staff, their assistance was instrumental in the success of the event. That said, I also found that there was time wasted talking about the floral arrangements and music choice versus discussing topics that would drive improvements in dollars raised. I did find that working through expectations of how/when the committee would be involved at different points of the process and with different decisions helped tremendously. Next year, I am going to start that conversation at the event kickoff meeting, so everyone is on the same page about how their time and talents will be used within the process. Maybe that could help you better utilize your volunteer committee as well?
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Gwyneth Burak
Deputy Director
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Boulder CO
Original Message:
Sent: 10-18-2018 06:27 PM
From: Cleveland Johnson
Subject: Volunteer committees for gala (and other fundraising) events
Having just survived my first gala fundraiser at my new institution, I'm interested in what models other development offices may be using to organize such events successfully. I'm asking, in particular, about the balance of responsibilities and decision-making between a volunteer committee and the institution's development and/or event professionals.
I'm reacting to the inefficiencies of having a volunteer committee deeply invested in decisions re. food, decor, music, timeline, budget, etc., when what I feel I really need from them, most basically, is to tap their personal networks to get their friends and colleagues (of financial capacity) to the event. How does one find the balance between having volunteers invested in a grand event, to the extent that they truly want to go the extra mile and have it succeed, or having them lost in the many distractions of throwing a grand "party" but losing sight of the prize?
My question may be asked and answered, but I would be grateful to hear other experiences that I could learn from.
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Cleveland Johnson PhD
Executive Director
Morris Museum
Morristown NJ
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