Site Visit: Penn Museum

I serve on the board of directors for Nationalities Services Center, an organization that's been serving immigrants and refugees for 90 years.  To celebrate our 90th anniversary, we are of course having a big party.  This year's 90th anniversary gala will likely be held at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archeology and Anthropology.  Earlier this week, I did a site visit and man, this place is cool. 

I walked in from the South Street entrance to this amazing garden and immediately wanted to have a party there.  Such a beautiful space.  I'm imagining high top tables peppered throughout with floating candles and flowers in that center pond.  Just so pretty. 

 Our gala would be held in the Chinese Rotunda among the artifacts and the Upper Egypt Room among the Pharaohs and mummies.......

 

But then I took a little tour of the rest of the event spaces like the Lower Egypt room.  Just imagine a wedding ceremony at the foot of the sphinx!

Like this adventurous couple did...

There are so many interesting and cool details about this place, the authentic Tiffany windows, the cobblestone driveway, the dramatic doors, the artifacts...  Definitely worth a look when you are looking for a unique space for your next event!

Client Spotlight: The Arthritis Foundation

The #1 cause of disability in the U.S., costing $128 billion annually, arthritis is an umbrella term comprising more than 100 different rheumatic diseases. The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of over 46 million Americans living with doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and is the largest private, nonprofit contributor to arthritis in the world.

We are honored to announce that this year’s affair will feature a special performance by legendary pianist, Byron Janis.

Client Spotlight: Resolution '12

Following the success of Resolution '11, next year's website and goals will be ramped up.  There will be a New Year's event to kick it off, but the idea remains simple and moving:  make a New Year's Resolution that is in service of others.

ENFJ and the Party Planner

I may have mentioned this before, but I love my work.  What I may not have mentioned is all of the reasons why...  I met with a client on Monday (more about that in a later post) and he asked me some questions that got me reminiscing.  You see, I've been planning events since 1998.  I started out in book publicity, planning author tours and book launch parties designed to attract media attention for the book and author.  Then I moved on to sales promotions and marketing for Toys R Us where I planned marketing events across all 800+ stores simultaneously.  I also planned all of their corporate events like the staff holiday party, company picnic, etc.  All of this while also planning weddings and parties for friends and family on the side; until I had my moment of crisis.  As much as I loved planning events and as much as I knew how good I was at it, I wasn't happy.  Although everything about the work it came so easily to me and my personality was perfectly suited to the work, I couldn't get my head around the fact that I wasn't doing anything of any significance in the world.  Planning parties?  Come on.  I have to have more to offer the planet than that?

I was considering going to graduate school so I could get a degree in anthropology and then work for CARE or some other organization like that.  (I told you it was a crisis).  But before I did that, I decided to see a career counselor.  Part of the process with a career counselor is taking all of these tests do determine your personality type.  Apparently mine makes up only 2.5% of the population.  I had one of the highest extrovert scores he’s ever seen (seriously) and an extreme drive toward service of others and greater purpose.  Here’s a quick description. If you know me personally, you’ll love this:

They are driven to implement their vision of what is best for humanity. They tend to see the grand scheme of things, and to be able to deduce connections between things that other people miss. They often act as catalysts for human growth because of their ability to see potential in other people and their charisma in persuading others to their ideas. Talkative and expressive, ENFJs are adept communicators and are motivated to understand and please other people. They enjoy talking about relationships and sharing their insights about people, their emotions, and their motivations. ENFJs like to be liked and are very sensitive to feedback. They expect the best not just from themselves, but from others as well, and tend to idealize relationships. People love ENFJs.  They are fun to be with and are typically very straight-forward and honest.  Usually, they exude a lot of self-confidence and have a great ability to do a number of different things.  ENFJs often play host or hostess, energetically engaging everyone in the group and making sure that a good time is had by all. They are very responsive to the emotional state of others; while their empathy is often an asset, engaging with others can also become overwhelming for the ENFJ. More than other Extroverted types, they need time alone, away from the demands of serving and caring for others. Popular hobbies might include organizing social events, reading, the arts, museums, storytelling, listening to music, writing, and gourmet cooking.

At work, the ENFJ is motivated to organize others to implement positive social change. ENFJs are often found in leadership roles; they enjoy being able to use their creativity to develop innovative initiatives with a humanitarian goal, and they want to have the organizational resources to put their ideas into action. They are enthusiastic problem-solvers, especially when they can put their strong intuition about people to good use. They like for things to be well-organized, and will work hard at maintaining structure and resolving ambiguity.  They strive for cooperation and work best in a harmonious environment where they can encourage the growth of others. The ideal work environment for an ENFJ is forward-thinking and people-centered, with a clear humanitarian mission and an emphasis on constructive action. The ideal job for an ENFJ allows them to develop and implement ideas that improve the circumstances and well-being of other people while expressing creativity.

Seriously.  It's like they went into my head, pulled out my personality and put it on paper, even my hobbies are listed in there.  Apparently Oprah, Obama, Lincoln, Elizabeth Dole, Tony Blair, MLK, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Mead, Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, and Peyton Manning fall into that same category with me.  Good company to keep!

Now, after having gone to see this counselor and learning this about myself, which felt like an enormous relief for some reason, it became very clear to me.  I need to do events with a purpose.  I immediately got to work planning events for non profits and haven't looked back since.  It's amazing what happens when your work aligns perfectly with your personality.  You just soar.  Never again will I question if I'm doing the right thing with my life, I know I am.  And this is why I do what I do and why I love my work.

Quick Tip: Random

Do you want to hold a random drawing?  There is a website for that.  random.org will help you create a truly random drawings, passwords, randomize lists, even pick random times of day.  Check it out, I'm SURE you have some need for random in your life or work.

Special Events as Part of Your Development Strategy

I am always surprised when I meet an executive director of a non-profit who tells me that their organization doesn't really use special events as part of their development strategy.  EVERY charity needs an event, whether small or large,  new or established, everyone should do an annual event of some sort.  While most people think the goal of special events is to raise money, and that is true, a successful event does so much more than that.  An annual event will help your organization to connect with new potential donors, help to reconnect and re-energize your donor base, and provide you an opportunity for publicity and marketing, as well as make some unrestricted money for your organization. 

Let's begin with this example: let's say you are cultivating a new potential donor.  You have identified this potential donor as someone who you think would have a connection to your mission and you just need to close the deal, why not invite this person to be a guest at the Executive Director's table at your annual gala, or to golf in your Board Chair's foursome at your annual golf outing, or to meet the constituents you serve at your annual Holiday Party.  It's a way to keep the dialog with this potential donor going.  Once at the event, the mission will sell itself.

A special event, be it a race, a gala dinner, a concert or a luncheon, provides a unique opportunity to get your message out to your guests.  Beginning with the details of the event, everything should reflect your mission.  If you serve immigrants and refugees, your decor, food, and auction can have a global influence.  If your mission is to provide art therapy to autistic children, perhaps you have a gallery showing of the art with stories of the children along side.  Whatever event you choose, try to connect the type of event to the mission of the organization and pay attention to the details.  That's what tell the story of the event.  Finally, take time to talk to all of your guests and remind them of the work you do, providing the entire room with a moment when everyone is being touched by the same thing at the same time is a powerful connection and will incentivize your guests to turn into donors. 

The other, often missed opportunity is that of the marketing and public relations possibilities.  The mere act of sending out the invitation is a special direct mail connection to your donor base.  An invitation is a piece of mail that will stand out in the mailbox and will, by it's nature, beg to be opened.  Getting your event onto the local news, promoted in magazines and talked about on the radio is usually as simple as asking.  Local media is almost always willing to mention a a charity event, or add it to their online calendar.  Every mention of your organization's name is free publicity, so take advantage.  Also, if as part of your event, consider honoring a special guest that is media worthy, thus getting your local newspapers to cover the event and run an article after the event is over. 

In all, special events should be a fundamental part of your development strategy.  Gather a committee together and start brainstorming now and you will be reaping the benefits from it for years to come.

Love is in the details

I'm often asked why I specialize in charity fundraisers and personal celebrations.  The answer is simple... and complicated.

I've planned so may types of events in my career, from small holiday parties in the homes of clients, to large corporate rallies, to intimate weddings, to money raising non-profit galas.  Through the years I've noticed that what I do best, and what sets me apart, is tell the story I tell in the event.  I love getting to know a client and learning about how the anniversary couple met, or what the non-profit does for our community, or what the birthday girl always wished she could be, and then creatively putting special touches in the event that tell that story.  Big or small, I love a good story, and love to tell it through parties.

When planning your next event, try it out.  Think about what the story you want to tell is.  What is the one thing you want your guests going home learning, and what is the one emotion you want your guests to go home feeling?  Try to stick to just one or two because the message will get lost if there is too much clutter.  Next think about your event and what small details can be tailored to that message.  For instance, if you are planning a golden anniversary party for a couple who have prided themselves on the family they've created, try centerpieces that are family trees, or table names after the different great-grandchildren.  For a sweet 16, don't just plan a party, but dedicate the party to her goals or interests.  If she loves photography, put some of her art blown up on the walls, create a photo studio corner, with a backdrop and an umbrella light, or unroll some undeveloped film roll as decoration.

This is what I love to do, I could go on for hours and hours about it, but that's what makes my events memorable, when the guests all feel something and learn something about the subject.