THE Guide to
Gr e at
Fundraising
E V EN T S RAIS E MON EY AND HAV E FUN AT YOUR NEX T EVE NT
A Project of the Austin Community Foundation
A Little Story About Big Dreams
SUMMER 2011
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GivingCityAustin.com
GivingCity THE GUIDE TO DOING GOOD IN AUSTIN
SUMMER 2011: ISSUE 8 Editor-in-Chief Monica M. Williams Managing Editor Sun Connor Creative Director Torquil Dewar, October Custom Publishing Photographers Candace Blandford Gregg Cestaro Jonathan Garza Matt Lemke Joel Salcido Contributors Lyssa Myska Allen Margaret Barry Anne Boyd Juan Castillo Christine Cox Kate Harrington Wendy Heiges Shelley Seale Suzi Sosa Jessie Torisi GET GIVINGCITY ONLINE Flip, click and share the digital version, available at GivingCityAustin.com
2011 Copyright GivingCity Austin and Austin Community Foundation. No part of this document may be reproduced without permission.
CONTENTS
Letter from the Editor Meet the Board.................... 05 WHY I GIVE Suzi Sosa’s innovative new funding model...................... 06 UPDATE Learn about Austin Youth River Watch, 5604 Manor, Shave for the Brave, Going Up Day and more.................................... 08 Austin Business That Gives Back BuildASign.com................... 12 Happening Now Late-summer events from Ballet Austin, Arc of the Capital Area and I Live Here, I Give Here.................................... 14
FEATURES The Guide to Great Fundraising Events The city’s biggest event planners share their secrets................................. 19 A Little Story About Big Dreams A single donor gives hope to two college-bound girls......... 24 How Food Stamps Work One family makes a survival plan..................................... 28 GIVE BETTER How to have a school-supply drive, get to know AfricanAmerican connectors........... 30 CALENDAR A list of local fundraising events this summer......................... 34
The Worst Hard Times When government funding dries up for nonprofits.......... 16
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IN THIS ISSUE
This is progress. A few months ago I said to myself, “Duh.” For some reason it hadn’t occurred to me that to get some help creating this magazine, all I had to do was ask. So I did. With this issue I want to introduce a GivingCity Austin Advisory Board. It consists of only my favorite people who already love what I do. Kidding! It actually consists of people who are informed, opinionated and critical, not only about GivingCity but also about local philanthropy in general. Not that they sit back and complain. Nope, these folks are do-ers. And their role is to help me create content that takes Austin philanthropy to the next level. So you know they’re just as generous as they are opinionated. See the list of them, right. Thanks, you guys. Oh, one more thanks: Thank you, GivingCity Austin sponsors and advertisers! You support the nonprofit community and now you support GivingCity, too! YES, YOU CAN ADVERTISE! Help GivingCity tell more stories and share our work with all of Austin. Visit GivingCityAustin.com and click the ADVERTISE tab to learn more.
Monica Williams Editor-in-Chief
Brett Barnes, Lifeworks Kate Stoker, Young Women’s Alliance Alix Floyd, United Way Capital Area Lori Donley, Club Red for American Red Cross of Central Texas Amy Silvey, Greenlights Virginia Cumberbatch, Austin Area Urban League Young Professionals Harper Scott, Hill Country Conservancy Michele Walker-Moak, Applied Materials Narissa Johnson, Southwest Key Terri Broussard Williams, American Heart Association Linda Medina, McGraw-Hill Dorian Fogo, March of Dimes Courtney Clark, Austin Involved Ryan Meyer, Friends of the Ronald McDonald House Rachel Lasseter, Austin Community Foundation Stephanie Fisher Priscilla G. Cortez, FuturoFund Yvette Freemyer, National Instruments Monica Anderson, DDS, Austin’s Black Newcomers Association Armando Rayo, Cultural Strategies Summer 2011
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why i give
Suzi Sosa photo by Joel Salcido
The entrepreneur describes a new funding model that could change the way we do philanthropy in Austin.
As I approach the 10-year mark of being a philanthropist in Austin, I have been reflecting on whether my giving has had the impact I hoped. Over the past 10 years, my husband and I have contributed hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars among several organizations around our city. But, what does it all add up to? Could the same time and money have been invested in another way that might achieve significantly greater results? This was the inquiry that a year ago led me, in partnership with Dennis Cavner and Bill Forsberg, to launch a philanthropy experiment called “Innovation+.” Our hypothesis was that together we might be able to play a unique, catalytic role in Austin’s philanthropy scene. Each of us had worked with some extremely high-impact nonprofits that we felt had significant untapped potential. Unfortunately, these
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nonprofits were lacking both the human and financial resources needed to launch beyond their current orbit, and perhaps even more, they needed a strong champion to guide them along the way. What Bill, Dennis and I proposed was this: We would scour the city for a small group of nonprofits that met specific criteria. We would then subject those organizations to a rigorous due diligence process and critically assess their growth plans. Ultimately, our goal would be to find an organization that had the following traits: significant, proven social impact, exceptional leadership, a strong and sustainable funding model and clear potential for scale. In September 2010, we tapped into a local network of 10 “scouts” who we asked to help identify any Austin non-profits that appeared to meet our criteria. Three weeks later, the scouts returned a list of 34 organizations. A sixmember volunteer group evaluated these organizations and invited 16 of them to return a detailed questionnaire. We reconvened our evaluation group, and after many hours of deliberation, selected four finalists to engage in extensive due diligence and growth plan assessment. Each of the four finalist organizations—College Forward, Emancipet, English at Work, and Heart House—exemplified the traits we valued most. Ultimately, though, we forced ourselves to select two with whom to launch our partnership. In February 2011, we selected College Forward and Emancipet as our first two “portfolio” nonprofits for Innovation+. Unlike other giving clubs, we did not award or promise them any money; instead, our pledge was this, “We will personally work with you to develop an ambitious, entrepreneurial, financially sustainable and scalable growth plan. Then we will help you attract and engage human and financial resources you need to achieve that plan.”
We believe our role with both of these organizations is to serve as a catalyst. For the nonprofits, we are catalyzing ideas and latent potential that needed focus and direction. In the donor community we want to catalyze untapped funding by engaging new philanthropists who are excited by the dynamic vision of our portfolio nonprofits and who value the rigorous assessment and oversight that we provide through Innovation+. So far, more than 10 other Austin philanthropists have joined our efforts. Our experiment has its roots in the entrepreneurship, venture capital and investment banking models that Austin knows well. Like venture capitalists, we are looking for organizations that are just on the cusp of explosive growth. At the same time, our financial model is more like an investment bank than a venture capital firm. We have not raised a “fund” that we will then deploy, nor do we seek any unrestricted capital. Instead, we see our portfolio nonprofits as potential “deals” that we will circulate among funders, both in Austin and around the country, until we find a match. The long-term vision for Innovation+ is to demonstrate that Austin nonprofits have the potential to achieve significantly greater results through a strategic, long-term investment of human and financial capital. In doing this, we hope to transform the non-profit sector in two ways. First, we want to encourage more Austin nonprofits to consider how they can substantially increase their social impact through innovation, risk-taking, entrepreneurship and scale. Second, we also hope to encourage more Austin philanthropists to consider how their investments might be structured to promote and accelerate that kind of vision and growth. GivingCity
Suzi Sosa is an associate director of the RGK Center, where she leads the social entrepreneurship program, including the Dell Social Innovation Competition. She is also President of the MPOWER Foundation and oversees Austin’s annual entrepreneurship conference, RISE. For more information, suzi.sosa@ mpowerfoundation.org
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Integrate First Two couples create a new kind of cooperative on the East Side.
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The River Watchers
by Jesse Torrisi photo by Joel Salcido
An after-school program that puts kids in nature also puts them on the right track.
Welcome to 5604 Manor, an East Side
by Sun Connor photo by Matt Lemke Think a bunch of teenagers want to spend the afternoon taking water samples from a river? Apparently, they love it. In fact, thanks to Austin Youth River Watch, about 120 teens from10 Austin high schools consider themselves “river watchers.” AYRW hosts underserved teens in an after-school program that’s half mentoring, half environmental education and half just being a kid outdoors. “I love the hikes, camp trips and time with friends,” says 17-year old Sara Antunez, a junior at McCallum High School. “Now I’m more conscious about the environment.” This past school year, 100 percent of participating high school senoirs graduated, and half of those will attend a local college. AYRW gets funding and support from Austin Water Utility, the City of Austin, and individual donors like you. LEARN MORE AYRW.org
warehouse-turned-community center. Three nonprofits share this two-acre parcel, which includes brightly painted offices, meeting rooms and a childcare room inside and a large backyard complete with playground outside. 5604 Manor is a place for mistreated low-wage workers, fledgling community activists and green business owners alike. It’s a group of unlikely allies, but with 5604 Manor, that’s the whole point. Here’s how it happened: Christina Tzintzun heads the Workers Defense Project, a labor rights group in Austin making waves by recouping lost wages, fighting for safe jobsites and even getting some exploitative employers put behind bars. For years, Workers Defense worked out of a space the size of a walk-in closet. “If you had to have a private call, it was in the hallway or bathroom. If you needed a quiet moment, you had to go into the bathroom or hallway.” They would hold meetings in parking lots or at churches. It’s a story familiar to many shoestring nonprofits. That changed when she met Bob Jensen, a UT-Austin journalism professor by day and an antiwar rabble-rouser by night. Though their missions were somewhat aligned, it’s the differences that made for an attractive match. Jensen and his partner, songwriter Eliza Gilkyson, run the Third Coast Activist Resource
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Center, which helps Austinites organize to affect policy. “On paper, we look like Mars and Venus,” Jensen says. Third Coast Activist members and staff are largely over 50, white and professional. Workers Defense is mostly young, low-income, and predominantly Hispanic. But Jensen realized if he were to change the world, it would have to start here. “I don’t see any way to cross those boundaries, except by doing it,” Jensen says. “I made a commitment that I wasn’t gonna start any new projects that weren’t explicably cross-racial.”
“I don’t mind failing, but I would like to fail in new and different ways.” Bob Jensen
Too often, progressive white groups launch a project, realize there’s no people of color, then scramble to integrate. “I was tired of that particular kind of failure,” he says. “I don’t mind failing, but I would like to fail in new and different ways.” Now Third Coast Activist Resource Center shares a home with Workers Defense Project as well as Third Coast Wokers for Cooperation, a resource for green worker-owned cooperatives like Ecology Aciton and Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery. Workers for Cooperation is led by Tzintzun’s partner, Carlos Perez de Alejo. Together, these three nonprofits have created a mix of people from across social, economic
Left to right, Gilkyson, de Alejo, Tzintzun and Jensen founded 5604 Manor community center.
and racial populations. And so far, it’s working. Not only are they achieving that mix, they’re progressives pushing social issues forward simply by inviting everyone in from the very beginning. For Jensen and Gilkyson, it’s about leaving a legacy. For Tzintzun and de Alejo it’s about starting a revolution. Remarkably, there’ve been very few disagreements. There was the feud over what music to play at 5604 Manor’s one-year anniversary party. In the end, they blasted cumbias, Michael Jackson, hip-hop and Eliza Gilkyson. At 5604 Manor, there just may be enough room for everyone. LEARN MORE 5604Manor.org Summer 2011
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Shave for the Brave
A group of mothers finds its way through the tragedy of children lost to cancer. by Shelley Seale, photo by Candi Coated Photography Nine months was how long Janet Pollok waited for her son Luke to be born in 1999. Ten years later Janet spent another nine months helplessly watching a brain tumor take away her baby boy. In January 2009, Luke was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer called DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), which is a malignant tumor inside the brain stem that only affects children. There is no cure, and no survival rate. When Janet and her husband Darren were told of his
UPDATE
tumor, they were also told at the same time that Luke would not survive it. “It’s something no parent ever wants to hear,” Janet says. “That your son has a cancerous brain tumor, and that they cannot operate on it. “I don’t think I could even breathe when the doctor uttered those words to us. I ran out of the room into the hall and cried like I have never cried before. Not my son, not cancer, and definitely not incurable!” The family spent the next nine months praying for a miracle, cheering the rebounds and never giving up hope that somehow, Luke would be able to fight this. “It brought me to my absolute knees seeing him so scared,” Janet wrote in an online journal.
“Luke has inspired me to do so much with my life.” One of the hardest moments for Janet came when Luke asked her the question she had been dreading: “Am I going to die, Mommy?” It all seemed unbearably real, and the fight grew harder, but Luke stayed amazingly positive. Shuttling between Santa Rosa and MD Anderson in Houston, more treatments and drugs were tried as Luke’s symptoms grew worse. On September 18 he was taken to Santa Rosa in an ambulance. “Something is different now,” Darren posted 10
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on Caring Bridge. After a rapid decline, Luke lost his fight with cancer on September 30. During Luke’s battle, dad Darren and brothers Lance and Brent had shaved their heads in support. “Shaving represents a very small part of what children go through as part of their chemo treatment,” Janet says. “To lose their hair and be stared at, pointed at and ridiculed only adds to the already hard and painful time they are going through.” When Janet heard of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, more than a year after Luke’s death, she was inspired by the method they were using to raise research funds to fight children’s cancers: shaving their heads. She was inspired to discover that St. Baldrick’s funds more childhood cancer research than any other organization outside the U.S. government. Janet quickly signed up as a shavee—and so did 45 other mothers of children who had fought, or were fighting, cancer. The “46 Mommas,” as they’re known, represent the 46 children who are diagnosed with some type of cancer every weekday; seven children each of those days die from the disease. The 46 Mommas believe that can, and should, be stopped—and they are all shaving their heads bald in Washington D.C. on September 21 at the “Shave For The Brave” fundraiser. “I know if Luke were still here, he would totally dig this,” says Janet, who is also donating her hair to Locks of Love. “It is only through research, which costs millions of dollars, that a cure will be found. It is my hope that we can find a cure in my lifetime.” Janet has learned that the hard way, as she’s struggled to adjust to her new normal in the 18 months since losing her son. “It is almost like having to relearn your life. I have learned a lot about myself and what I’m made of. Luke has inspired me to do so much with my life.” GivingCity HOW YOU CAN HELP: 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave: www.46mommas.com St. Baldrick’s Foundation: www.stbaldricks.org TV News Reports about Luke: www.ksat.com/video/18893187/index.html www.kabb.com/vod/videoplayer.shtml Information about DIPG: icouldbeyourchild.org/otherkids.htm
Bullies Beware A new nonprofit asks you to stand up for bullying against gay youth. by Christine R. Cox Going Up Day launched with a candlelight vigil on the steps of City Hall. More than 500 people in purple came to stand up against bullying of gay teens. “We cannot continue to neglect these homeless youth or the youth committing suicide because they are rejected by society,” says Colt Woods, founder of Going Up Day. The Center for American Progress estimates that 1.6 million homeless youth struggle to survive in the United States. Where LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) youth make up about 10 percent of all youth in America, they account for between 20 to 40 percent of all homeless youth. “Our children need to know that there are communities all across the country that embrace LGBT people; that there is somewhere they can go where their talents can be harnessed and they can have a full, productive life,” says Woods, who plans to go to law school next year. Woods adds that the LGBT community can’t do it alone. “It’s the allies of our community that need to be vocal and supportive of who we are.” LEARN MORE GoingUpDay.org Summer 2011
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How an Austin online sign company is growing by giving signs away. by Margaret Barry, photos by Gregg Cestaro “When my husband Don returned from Bahrain after
With employees who get so much six months, I threw him a very special welcome home party,” satisfaction from their work, it’s no remembers Heather McNeil. “A friend of mine told me that wonder the company has landed on BuildASign.com offers free signs to military families for this the Austin Business Journal’s list of very purpose, so I ordered one. “Best Places to Work” in Austin “That sign has a very special meaning for for the past four years. AUSTIN our family because it will always remind me In addition to the Troops BUSINESSES Giveaway program, the and my daughters of one of the happiest days of our lives—the day that Don came home and company operates what they GIVING we celebrated being a whole family again,” says call a sponsorship program, BACK McNeil. which offers deep discounts on McNeil’s sign was just one of the hundreds products to nonprofits not only BuildASign.com has given away as part of what they call in Austin but around the world. their “Troops Giveaway.” All total, the company has donated So far, the company has millions of dollars worth of “welcome home” signs, a retail helped more than 225 organizations value of $6,062,098, since it started the program in 2008. by providing discounts totaling “We can’t imagine life at the company without the Troops $116,000—that includes $53,000 Giveaway program,” said Dan Graham, the company’s owner, in 2011 alone, says Chelsea founder and chief executive officer. Woodhead, BuildASign.com’s full-time The program has special meaning for the BuildASign. sponsorship coordinator. com production staff, some of whom have either served in the “Giving back to the community military or have loved-ones who are serving. is a smart business decision. It 12
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engenders good will and enhances the company’s reputation. The military families, for example, are loyal, life-long customers—customers who refer others to us,” she said. The formula seems to be working. BuildASign.com is on pace to make over $30 million in revenue in 2011 and will open a store in Germany (following Canada and the UK) in the next three months. “We have gone from 110 to 175 employees in 2011 alone,” says Woodhead. “And we’re still privately held, still completely bootstrapped.” The Troops Giveaway program and other philanthropic ventures have been part of the company’s business model since it was founded “We love the very simplicity of the messages: ‘Welcome home, we love you, we missed you, thank you.’ We look at these messages and can’t help but picture sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives holding up our banners to welcome their loved ones home.” —email from BuildASign.com production staff
Chelsea Woodhead manages all of BuildASign.com’s donations and sponsorships.
by Graham, J.R. Kraft, Blake Borgeson and Ty Barho (Barho is no longer an owner). Woodhead doesn’t know of any other company with a program like BuildASign.com’s. “We wanted to share ideas and best practices, so we looked hard to find one, but we couldn’t. We are very proud of it,” she said. LEARN MORE at BuildASign.com GivingCity
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Happening Now Last year’s winner, Any Baby Can
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organizations. Winners are chosen by each agency’s donor base. Last year, more than 4,000 people voted for 100 organizations. To vote for your favorite nonprofit or to purchase tickets visit ilivehereigivehere. org. The first round of voting ends August 15.
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Ballet Austin’s Two Rockin’ Parties—“Fête” and “Fête*ish”
All of this sounds expensive, but Ballet Austin never spends more than 30 percent of its parties’ budget on the parties themselves; the remaining 70 percent goes directly to the organization, said director of development Christi Cuellar. To buy tickets or to become a sponsor, visit balletaustin.org/ fete.
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Incomparable Auction “The Big Give,” I Live at The Arc of the Capital Here, I Give Here’s Ballet Austin’s “Fête” and Area’s “Building Bridges Annual Fundraiser—Not “Fête*ish” black-tie fundraisers to Paradise” Fundraiser a Sit-Down Stuffy Gala are “always among Austin’s most One hundred works of art—50 “It’s not your typical rubber chicken dinner—not a sit-down stuffy gala with assigned seats.” That’s how Maddy Moffett, I Live Here, I Give Here’s director of community education and special events, describes the “The Big Give,” the organization’s annual fundraiser. “Our party is planned by volunteers in their 20s and 30s, so it has a different vibe. ” To encourage more people to donate money to Central Texas charities, I Live Here, I Give Here connects individuals with nonprofits and educates them about giving opportunities. During the party, I Live Here, I Give Here will award grants, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, to its partner 14
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exciting galas,” said Michael Barnes, the Austin AmericanStatesman’s social columnist. “They bring style, wit and glamour to the social circuit. I wouldn’t miss them.” Entertainment at the parties will be a multi-media affair incorporating music, painting, innovative lighting and, of course, dance. Nationally known performance artist Norton Wisdom will pair music with painting as he creates an original work of art during the party, Grammy award-winning jazz musician Kurt Elling will play and Ballet Austin dancers will engage partygoers in a “dance activity,” said Brooke Rogers, Ballet Austin special events coordinator.
percent of them created by nonprofit Arc of the Capital Area clients will be auctioned during its “Building Bridges to Paradise” fundraiser. “Our clients are people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their faces light up when someone buys
Ballet Austin’s Cookie Ruiz and Stephen Mills
their artwork. They feel a tremendous sense of pride,” said Randi Knight, the group’s director of development and marketing. During the party, clients will collaborate on a large painting—a street scene from Paris or New York. “The clients paint very fast and with a lot of enthusiasm. It will be very exciting to watch,” said Knight. Also up for auction are pieces by professional Austin artists. At last year’s auction, pieces ranged in price from $40 to $5,000. Clients create art year round in The Arc of the Capital Area’s art studio and gallery at 6717 Burnet Road. “Our clients have difficulty communicating, but they can express themselves through their art. They make big, beautiful pieces. Their artwork serves as a common ground—gives them something they can talk about with others. They love to talk about it.” says Knight. To buy tickets or become a sponsor, visit arcofthecapitalarea.org. GivingCity
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The Worst Hard Times Government funding is down, but demands for services continues to rise. Here’s how one Austin nonprofit is navigating the new era of funding. by Kate Harrington CEO Kelly White has been doing some literal and figurative hand wringing as she considers the future of the Austin Children’s Shelter. A whiteboard that takes up an entire wall of her office shows columns of ideas, outcomes and goals—all up in the air due to changes in city and state funding. What it doesn’t show, but which nonetheless weighs heavily on White’s mind, is what those diminishing public funding numbers translate to in human terms. Take the eight-year old rape victim who tried to commit suicide. “It costs us so much money to care for her,” White says. “The cost of keeping her safe is very intense staff supervision.” Which is why learning that the shelter won’t receive the $100,000 that usually comes from the city of Austin has felt like a punch in the gut to White. A state redesign of the foster care system along with decreasing state dollars toward child and family services also leaves the shelter with some big question marks.
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City rethinks funding model This spring, the Austin/Travis County health and human services department and city council members reworked the way the city awards social service contracts. After more than a decade of status quo funding, the new RFP and scoring systems open the door to a new, competitive process, and also offer organizations that have not been funded in the past the chance to apply, Vince Cobalis, assistant director of the HHSD’s human services division, wrote in an email. The proposals that came in were scored based on city goals, with the highest scores going to organizations that provide safety net, infrastructure, transition out of poverty, and prevention services. Those new contracts will take effect October 1, 2012. More organizations 16
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have gained funding under the new system, but, says White, “My understanding is that we didn’t make the cut but we also haven’t had any official notification. And we really don’t know why we didn’t make the cut.” Council Member Laura Morrison, a member of council’s public health and human services committee, says collaboration is also a goal of the new funding process. But Morrison acknowledges that the scoring matrix, based on organizations’ stated priorities, doesn’t give the whole picture. “It was clear to me from the whole process that we need to get a lot more sophisticated in how we do our evaluations,” Morrison says. “We didn’t integrate at all what specific
Take the eight-year old rape victim who tried to commit suicide. “It costs us so much money to care for her,” White says.
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number of children currently residing at the Austin Children’s Shelter
5,600
nights of care the Austin Children’s Shelter provided in 2009
13,000
nights of care provided in 2010
20,000
projected nights of care it will provide in 2011
80%
the amount of Austin Children’s Shelter funding that came from the state in 2000
30%
the amount of shelter funding from the state today services are or aren’t being funded, and what the gaps are…if you fund just based on priorities, you don’t have that extra look.”
State slashes funding Morrison says the council is working on ways to find more funding. Meanwhile, state cuts are also taking a toll on the city and on the services that White says make up a critical part of the safety net.
“We actually receive so few state and governmental dollars that we aren’t seeing many (state) cuts that will impact what we do,” White says. “but child abuse prevention dollars are being cut and, while that doesn’t impact the funding we receive, I fully expect that it will impact the demand for services. Proposed cuts in city funding could also have a major impact in those programs we rely on for parenting classes, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, and more.” But right now White has to worry about the shelter. Losing $100,000 is a detrimental blow to an organization that’s already running with a smaller number of development and administrative staff than it had when it was serving one-third the number of its current client count. Cutting staff positions is difficult because of mandated staff-to-child ratios. White can’t just cut a few staff, because then an entire shift is short of its required number—so she has to look at cutting an entire cottage, which is shelter for 14 kids. “At the end of 2010, I eliminated 16 positions. Last week, I eliminated three more. I don’t have any place else to go. A month ago, we were raising money to pay for food and utilities two months from now.”
A new strategy White and her board are trying, in White’s words, to shift the shelter from being a one-and-a-half legged stool to a threelegged stool by growing fundraising, collaborating with other residential programs and thinking creatively. The shelter is talking with other organizations—here White has to remain vague due to pending discussions and grant applications—about how to have stronger partnerships and it’s reexamining its mix of services.
How to help Jason Sabo, senior vice president for public policy with United Way, says as the public sector absolves itself of responsibilities toward families and children, nonprofits are increasingly left to fill the needs—which aren’t diminishing. To do that and survive, he says nonprofits have to engage in the debate, and, as the Austin Children’s Shelter is doing, work with other organizations as much as possible. The general public can help, too, White says, by voting and by communicating with legislators. “Give time, give money, say what you think is important, and make a difference,” she says. “So many people say what they do doesn’t count. Together we can make a difference; we can all be a huge powerful force.” LEARN MORE AustinChildrenShelter.org GivingCity Summer 2011
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THE
Guide to GREAT FUNDRAISING EVENTS Sometimes philanthropy is a party. And what’s wrong with like-minded people getting together to raise money and toast their heroes once in a while? By Lyssa Myska Allen
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othing. Unless, that is, the party winds up losing more money than it makes. And no one shows up. And the volunteers get angry. And the MC gets the honorees names wrong. And we could come up with nightmare scenarios all day; that’s not what this story is about. This is about planning for success. And maybe even being the talk of the town. The important thing to know is that a successful event isn’t just fun, it needs to make money. Missy Strittmatter, special events director for the Ronald McDonald House, says, “We used to be in a period where people talked about special events as ‘friendraisers.’ But we need to get back to special events being fundraisers.” Camille Styles, veteran event planner and co-chair of LifeWorks’ White Party, agrees: “While increased awareness is an
important secondary goal, for many charity organizations, fundraising events throughout the year bring in the money that allows the organization to survive and remain healthy.” Maybe it’s best not to think of friendraising and fundraising on competing terms. Matt Swinney, founder of Launch787, which puts on Austin Fashion Week, Modern Home Tour and more, says, “Austin is a social town. People network at events. Nonprofits can use that to their advantage and use the opportunity to get their message out to a wider audience.” Allison Cook, director of annual giving at the Seton Fund agrees: “We want to friendraise! We want to share the story, celebrate what we’re doing, whatever the event is supporting.” Of course, while Cook’s two fundraising events certainly made Seton Fund lots of friends, they also made more than $400,000 last year.
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your goal:
raise MONEY Step 1 Have a Great Idea
Step 3 Control Expenses
“Make sure it hasn’t been done before—or if it has, know how we can do it differently,” says Swinney. Figure out a way to celebrate what people love about Austin or find something compelling that tells a story about your organization. Styles agrees, noting, “These days events are less lavish and over-the-top; now they’re more meaningful and intimate. I’ve seen a move away from large-scale galas, and an increase in smaller events where guests and volunteers really get to know each other and often become even more personally invested in the cause.” Michael Barnes, social columnist for the Austin American-Statesman says, “I go to parties for the people,” so make it easy for guests to interact, and you’ll have a winner in his book (and it’s a crowded book).
Keeping overhead low is the number one way to ensure your event actually makes money. Styles says, “In my experience, keeping overhead costs low is every bit as important as ticket sales.” Strittmatter notes that typically, 35-40 percent of dollars raised are used for expenses—but Ronald McDonald House tries to keep it at 20 percent of the dollar. Swinney says “A nonprofit has to have great vendor connections to help them control costs.” How do you make the ask? Styles says, “Be direct.” When contacting potential partners or sponsors, let them know explicitly what you need and they’re more likely to respond and potentially support your event.
Step 2 Get Great Volunteers Without a doubt, our on-staff experts keyed in on the importance of volunteers. “Oh, you gotta have volunteers!” exclaims Strittmatter. “We couldn’t do it, straight up, absolutely, could not do it, without them. They are your event.” Cook is equally enamored with her corps of volunteers. She says they are “a major part of our success … it wouldn’t happen without them.” Our experts agreed, though, that volunteers need to be utilized in order to be successful. Don’t be afraid to say no to potential volunteers if you don’t have a great job that will keep them busy throughout the process.
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Step 4 Mix Up Revenue Streams Create at least two, if not three revenue streams—from sponsorships, tickets and participation fees. That can help mitigate any risk on whether ticket sales are a little slower than expected or the big sponsor doesn’t come through. The experts all agreed that a big trend is planning events with tiers of involvement a la Ballet Austin’s annual gala, which progresses from a gala dinner to cocktails to an after-party. Make sure people of all ages, interests, and income levels can be involved in the event.
Missy Strittmatter’s Best-Ever Event Planning Tips First, establish the mission for the special event Develop an event that plays off the unique culture of Austin, and make sure it allows attendees to develop a deeper understanding of the work done by your organization through their support. Aim for an experience that’s fun and engaging and will have people talking about coming back next year.
Second, develop a comprehensive integrated plan Make a 12-month working calendar for each event. Within that event, plan for sponsorship, communication and logistics. Create a comprehensive communication strategy that consists of social media, earned and purchased media, printed collateral, online communication and face-to-face conversations. Make sure your event promotions are fun and infromative prior to the event and celebratory and appreciative after the event.
Third, focus on the mission Understand that as much as the financial bottom line is your benchmark, your ability to connect and engage your donors with your mission—while giving them the best party of the year—is key to your success. Strittmatter is the special events coordinator for Ronald McDonald House of Austin.
The Details Matter. A Lot. “A colleague at the ballet was asked, ‘What’s the most important part of your event?’ She said ‘The valet. It’s the first and last impression they have of my event.’ Think about it: If you come in queued up for hours, you’re frustrated when you come in. If you leave having a great time but have to wait in line, that’s what you remember. I know my party is going to be good, so how can I treat them good from the moment they drive into the lot to when they leave to drive home?” – Missy Strittmatter
“Give Good Email” Email invitations might not be new, but our panelists had plenty of tips on how to do it correctly. If you’re talking to potential sponsors, donors, bloggers, or guests, you need to know how to give good email. Here’s how: 1. Use the BCC: line. You want recipients to feel special, so don’t let them see that you’ve invited everybody in the world. 2. Paste your information in the body of the email. Don’t include any attachments. If you must, make sure all the information in the attachment is also in the body of the email. 3. Keep it short and sweet. Sell it in the first two sentences. 4. Do not use Evite or any other online invitation tool. An Evite is harder to search for in your email, harder to add to a calendar, and all-around harder for the recipient to use. Summer 2011
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Our experts pick their Favorite Austin Events of this Year: Dancing with the Stars, Ballet Austin, Red Cross at Truluck’s, Elizabeth Anne Seton Gala, White Party
Meet the Experts Both our June and August panel discussions were sellouts, with almost 100 NPO pros, board members, event planners and volunteers taking in great advice from our panel of experts. Thanks to all the event professionals who contributed. Lyssa Myska Allen, blogger of ThisIsLifeInAustin.com Mike Bacon, founder and principal of Bacon Lee & Associates Michael Barnes, social columnist for the Austin American-Statesman and austin360.com Allison Cook, director of annual giving at The Seton Fund Victoria Gutierrez, live auctioneer and founder of Apex Auction Joyce Penland, associate at Bacon Lee & Associates Joanna Linden, chief development officer for the Capital Area Food Bank Missy Strittmatter, event coordinator at Ronald McDonald House of Austin Camille Styles, owner of Camille Styles Events Matt Swinney, founder of Launch787 Mia Washington, director of special events for Austin Children’s Shelter
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EVENT TRENDS 2012 Our sources are on the cutting edge of events. So what do they forecast for the upcoming events season? Events that take place in stages. Events that take place in stages—a reception in the VIP lounge, a sit-down dinner, a live and silent auction, an after-party—offer the best of all worlds because they reach all demographics and price points. Retro events. Ice cream socials, cigar bars and bowling alleys throw something different up on the social calendar. Intimate groups. As much as they love galas, our panelists talked about the resurgence of intimate cocktail parties or hosted dinners that let people bond with each other and the cause. Polish. Even the casual events should invest in the details. Those events that hire professional planners...? You can tell. Kid-friendly events. Where it fits, nonprofit events are seeking to include the whole family, knowing that busy parents want to support causes
but also spend time with their little ones. Videos like mini-documentaries. A well produced video can take a program from blah to hurrah in seconds, so don’t be afraid of investing in a professional. Social media. Don’t just use it pre- and postevent. Capitalize on social media throughout the event itself. Mission plus event. Events like Arthouse 5 x 7 or the Nobelity Project seamlessly integrate their programming and mission with their event because the event speaks to their cause. less focus on age. Focus on lifestyle and location when catering to a certain demographic for your event. service, service, service. Never pass up an opportunity to go above and beyond for an attendee. They’ll remember. GivingCity
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This is a story about giving and how the deep, shining kindness of selfless people has the power to lift others, the gentle force even to give them hope when they thought there was none. Sound corny? Whatever. It’s a true Austin story.
A Little Story About by Juan Castillo photography by Joel Salcido
I.
This is a story about Mark Barkan, a tall, striking Frenchman with a booming voice. He had a trademark handlebar mustache, wore bolo ties and possessed a hundred-thousand watts of charm. Barkan was a beloved hero straight from the pages of a children’s book. He’d immigrated to the United States in 1939 when he was 21 years old. For the last two decades of his life, he’d visit Zavala Elementary School in East Austin, reading and telling stories, mostly about how in America, anything was possible with hard work 24
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and an education. Before he died in June 2010, he’d probably read to and mentored hundreds of Zavala kids. This is a story, too, about Damaris Arzate, a sweet, oval-faced 11-year-old with long eyelashes and dark hair flowing past her waist, her sister Nereyda and her hard-working mother Eliberta. Eliberta speaks little English and is an immigrant herself. But she too believes in the dream of education and hard work. Mark Barkan had not met the Arzate family before he died. But he would have liked them.
Big Dreams
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Damaris calls her mother her inspiration. “Ive seen how she suffers, working hard and raising us.”
II.
Damaris, who will enter the sixth grade at Zavala, describes herself as shy. Her voice is high and thin, but she is confident just the same. And bright. Damaris scores As on her report cards and hopes to go to college one day, as does her sister Nereyda, who will enter the 11th grade at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. While the girls excel in the classroom, they cling to their college aspirations with a whisper, fearing that college is just an unaffordable dream. Eliberta Arzate is fiercely proud of her daughters and wants them to have the opportunities she has not had. But she is eking out a living working nights as a dishwasher at IHOP, and she struggles to pay rent. Recently, Nereyda had asked her mother what the point was to work so hard in school if they could never afford to pay for college. “How could I tell them that we’re going to be able to pay for college when all we can afford is this apartment?” cries Eliberta. The Arzates live in a public housing apartment where the walls are covered with photos of family and a cabinet holds a handful of awards Damaris has won for making the honor roll and for perfect school attendance. 26
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Mark Barkan, an immigrant from France, believed anything was possible in America.
And now she can add another award. This past May, as the school year wound to a close, Damaris was awarded the first-ever college scholarship for a Zavala student—the Mark and Maxine Barkan Scholarship. Sitting in the auditorium’s front row, Eliberta wiped away tears with her hand as Damaris walked across the auditorium stage to accept it.
III.
Mark Barkan’s widow, Maxine, said it had been her husband’s idea to create the scholarship. The scholarship fund is administered through the Austin Community Foundation and it will be given to Damaris to help pay for college when she’s ready.
Though the $500 award is modest when compared against hefty college tuitions, Eliberta Arzate said it has already had a profound impact. “This means so much to me, and to them,” she said, choking back tears. A native of Mexico with a vocational degree in accounting, she said she has not been able use that education in the United States. “Life has been difficult, but we’re fighting and I’m working as best as I can to get my daughters ahead,” she said, wiping away more tears. “I have an opportunity now,” Damaris said later, a bright smile lighting her face. Even Nereyda is more optimistic that her hard work in school won’t be for nothing. At Barkan’s funeral, someone wrote in the guestbook, “Some people light lights that never go out. Mark was one of them.” Now the scholarship created in his memory is lighting a path for Damaris Arzate and her family. GivingCity
How to Help
You can help more girls like Damaris and Nereyda go to college. Contact these organizations to learn more. Con Mi MADRE College Forward Breakthrough Austin Ann Richards School Foundation KIPP Austin Seedling Foundation Or contribute to or start your own college scholarship fund at the Austin Community Foundation. Summer 2011
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How food stamps work And how they don’t. by Wendy Heiges, photo by Joel Salcido
“SNAP saved us.” Sarah O’Brien uses seeds supplied by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, to grow food for her family. More than 280,000 Central Texans are enrolled in SNAP—though many more are eligible. For everyone who is enrolled, SNAP provides a vital nutrition safety net for people struggling against food insecurity, In the O’Brien’s case, SNAP supplements their diet and budget as they cope with serious health problems. Sarah’s medical issues left her bedridden until recently, and though her partner Wayne’s lung cancer is in remission, he’s disabled and needs further surgery. Neither has health insurance, and affording medication is a struggle. And yet Sarah never gives in. She says, “The smallest victories in those garden beds represent the tenacity of life.”
After approval, the SNAP user receives a Lone Star Card to purchase groceries at the cash register. Pre-loaded with benefits on a monthly basis, it works much like a plastic debit card. Sarah sometimes feels using her Lone Star Card to buy a few organic items provokes skepticism about her needs. But not everyone can have a garden. Many SNAP users live in urban and rural “food deserts” with few stores stocking fresh produce and healthy food; they turn to corner stores where nutritious food is limited or nonexistent. Families resort to buying cheap, nutrient-deficient food high in fat and calories, which contributes to high rates of adult and child obesity. Many people simply go without. Unfortunately, more than 250,000 eligible Central Texans don’t receive SNAP benefits, according to Capital Area Food Bank. Further, federal and state budget cuts threaten the program’s capacity to feed more hungry Texans in a state with one of the highest rates of child hunger and poverty.
“The smallest victories in those garden beds represent the tenacity of life.”
SNAP is broken The federal government pays 100 percent of SNAP benefits and shares administrative costs with states. In Texas, SNAP is administered by the Health and Human Services Commission, which determines eligibility based on family size, income and other criteria. The application process can require multiple visits to a state office, often a challenge for older adults and people without transportation. And Texas’ finger-imaging requirement, which finally was repealed this past legislative session, deterred people who feared being stigmatized by a procedure they associate with criminals. 28
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You can help LEARN MORE by calling the 2-1-1 Helpline, a resource for SNAP information and referrals specific to Central Texas communities. DONATE to Capital Area Food Bank and Catholic Charities, which offer community outreach programs and application assistance. CALL your federal and state legislators to urge protection of SNAP’s funding. SUPPORT local food pantries with donations and volunteering. GivingCity
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GIVE BETTER
By Sun Connor Gregory Harrison was flipping through the TV channels on a Saturday afternoon, when he found inspiration. “I ran across Chicago’s Bud Biliken Parade in the middle of August and thought this was the kind of thing we needed in Austin,” he says. So Harrington did it. Since its beginning in 2008, the Back to School Parade has raised over $60,000, allowing it to hand out more than 3,000 backpacks filled school supplies. But you don’t have to organize a parade to have a school supply drive. Here are some easy ways to help a student out this fall: • Look through your home and gather any extra school supplies you may already have, such as blank notebooks, packages of paper (lined, construction, and printer), pens, pencils and art supplies. Even gently used items such as scissors or staplers will do. • Donate unconventional items like televisions, DVD players, computer supplies, music equipment, etc. This information may be provided on teachers’ online wish lists on websites such as AdoptAClassroom.org and DonorsChoose.org • Stop by your local store and purchase school supplies. You can call your local school and find out if anything specific is in demand. • Donate money to a local drive. They can make a dollar buy many more Crayons than you can at Target. • Volunteer to wrap up or hand out supplies at a local giveaway. 30
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The Back to School Parade SUNDAY, AUG. 21 3-6 pm A parade starts at the Delco Center and ends at Bartholomew Park on E. 51st Street. All school supplies will be handed out at the end of the parade on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that children who are present will get first chance to go home with school supplies; there may not be enough school supplies for others to take to children who do not attend. Go to BacktoSchoolParade. org for more information.
Manos de Cristo Helps more than 2,000 East Austin children get school supplies, backpacks, and clothes for school. DONATE: Just $20 can provide a backpack with school supplies for one child, and for $45 you can completely outfit a child with a new backpack, supplies, and two new outfits. VOLUNTEER: Volunteers needed to prepare for event, sort items, help distribute items, take photos and video. WHEN: Pre-sorting & Preparation: July 25-29 Distribution Dates: August 1-5 and August 8-12 WHERE: The North Austin Events Center, 10601 North Lamar Boulevard MORE: ManosDeCristo.org
Round Rock Partners in Education Currently, more than 30 percent of RRISD families in Round Rock, Northwest Austin, and Cedar Park (approximately 13,000 students) qualify for the federally-funded free and reduced lunch program. These students are eligible to receive free basic school supplies from RRISD and the RRISD Partners in Education Foundation. DONATE: “Support-A-Student-Program� lets you sponsor a student for only $10. VOLUNTEER: Volunteer at Cedar Ridge High School, 2801 Gattis School Road, Round Rock, TX WHEN: Sorting and distribution August 11-12 MORE: RoundRockISD.org EducationFoundation
Communities in Schools Two thousand CIS students need backpacks and school supplies. YOU can help! CIS serves over 6,000 students at-risk of dropping out of school on 50+ Central Texas school campuses annually, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. DONATE: A $19 donation provides a CIS student with a backpack and a full set of school supplies. WHEN: The school supply drive is currently active and runs through July 29. MORE: CISAustin.org
For the Children FTC is an all-volunteer nonprofit, so 100 percent of your donation goes toward school supplies. Low-income children from 10 Central Texas school districts are eligible for school supplies, which they receive on the first day of school. Last year, FTC supported just under 55,000 children in the 10 Central Texas school districts, grades Pre-K through 4th. This year they hope to help 9,000 more. DONATE: SchoolSuppliesFortheChildren.org
Hope & Love 4 Kids Founded in 2006, Hope & Love 4 Kids is a non-profit based in Kyle serving the children of Hays county. DONATE: The school supply drive will be going all summer long. Donation bins are located at a number of stores across Kyle. WHEN: The 7th Annual School Supply Drive will take place July 22 WHERE: Buda Whataburger located on Old San Antonio Road MORE: HopeandLove4Kids.org
By the way, did you know...? Nationwide, our African-American and Hispanic students are dropping out of school 50% of the time, while 25% of all students dropout each year? The connection is powerful and you can be a part of it. Donate or volunteer today!
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CONNECTORS
These days, nonprofits are looking for diversity—on their boards and in their donor base. How do you find them? You network, of course. Meet four people crossing social lines and building the African-American contacts you need to know. by Anne Boyd 1. Terri Broussard Williams
2. Virginia Cumberbatch
• Vice President of Advocacy/Government Relations for the American Heart Association • Co-chair of Leadership Austin’s 10th Annual Best Party Ever Relocated to Austin in 2008 because of a promotion with the American Heart Association. When she arrived she was “counting down the days to move back to Louisiana.” Chose to stay in Austin instead. “I see Leadership Austin as my family,” Williams says. The civic engagement organization helped her learn the city and how she could contribute to it. She even met her husband there when they were volunteers for one of the group’s events.
• Coordinator, Client Services at Hahn, Texas • President, Young Professionals at Austin Area Urban League The Austin native left Austin to attend Williams College in Massachusetts. Hoped to settle in Washington D. C. after graduation, she only applied for one job in Texas. Got the Texas job, and is happy to be home. Cumberbatch focuses her efforts on reviving the Austin Area Urban LeagueYoung Professionals, a service and networking group.
AUSTIN’S BIG CHALLENGES: Fighting the perception that Austin doesn’t have good schools, sustaining the growth and the quality of life that we enjoy in the city, and filling the pipeline of leaders who are willing to accept the mantle of service.
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GIVE BETTER
AUSTIN’S BIG CHALLENGES: Addressing “racial/social reconciliation.” She sees the dearth of diversity in city leadership as evidence of the racial divide. She also recognizes the need in education to build kids’ skills in math and science, but notes that those subjects aren’t enough to ensure Austin youth reach their potential in an inclusive society.
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3. Dr. Monica Frazier Anderson
4. Pamela Benson Owens
• Speaker, author, doctor of dental surgery • Founder and president of Austin’s Black Newcomers Association Anderson moved to Austin simply because she loved the city. “I felt I could pursue my arts better and just enjoy the second half of life,” said the divorced mother of two. Anderson soon created Austin’s Black Newcomers Association (ABNA) because she initially found it difficult to connect with the African American community. The ABNA website acts as a portal to the many organizations that blacks should know about, from the Austin Chamber of Commerce to Mocha Moms.
• Owner and CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting • Development consultant for nonprofits, including most recently I Live Here, I Give Here Owens uses her knowledge and connections to further philanthropy across racial lines, focusing her time and her money on organizations that are going to move the needle. As a member of The Links, she was questioned for also joining the mostly white giving circle of Impact Austin and the mostly Hispanic giving circle of Futuro Fund. Now, she says, “I ask people if they’ve seen the data about Austin. And then I ask them why they aren’t supporting these groups.”
AUSTIN’S BIG CHALLENGES: The sluggish economy, evidenced by unemployment and school budget cuts, and racial matters that still keep people from working together for the common good.
AUSTIN’S BIG CHALLENGES: Taking what she calls the H.E.A.T.: Hear people out, empathize, apologize and take responsibility. “Sometimes it seems like just when there’s about to be a breakthrough, we get uncomfortable. It’s time to take some responsibility.” GivingCity
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CALENDAR
Jul 7 An Independence Day Celebration 7–10 pm Independence Brewery Benefiting: Health Alliance for Austin Musicians Jul 14 Not Just Another Cancer Event 3.0 6:30 pm Stubb’s Benefiting: Capital of Texas Team Survivor NotJustAnotherCancerEvent.org Jul 16 “Aspire to be Me” Fundraiser 7 pm Stateside at the Paramount Theater Benefiting: The African American Men and Boys Harvest Foundation (AAMBHF) AustinTheatre.org Jul 21 Leadership Austin Emerge Kick-Off Party 5:30–7:30 pm TenOak LeadershipAustin.org Jul 27 Good Guys Lunch 11:30 am–1:30 pm AT&T Education & Conference Center Benefiting: Safe Place Safeplace.org Jul 28 Anti-Defamation League Austin’s True Colors: Celebrating Shades of Diversity with Art 7–11 pm Private Home Benefiting: ADL Austin Young Professionals Regions.ADL.org/Southwest/ Events Jul 28-30 Lights.Camera.Help. Film Festival Various times, various locations LightsCameraHelp.org Aug 3 “The Dog Days of Summer” 6–8 pm The Arc of the Arts Studio & Gallery Benefiting: The Arc of the Capital Area ArcOftheArts.com
Aug 5 Texas Rollergirl Fundraiser 7–9 pm Fado Irish Pub Benefiting: Texas Rollergirls TexasRollergirls.org Aug 4-5 Seton Highland Lakes Gold Tournament Benefitting: The Seton Fund SetonFoundations.org Aug 13 Taking Care of Tiny Texans Gala Embassy Suites-San Marcos Hotel Benefitting: Seton Hays Foundation SetonFoundations.org Aug 17 Citizen Generation: Celebrate & Launch 6:30–9 pm Mexic-Arte Museum CitizenGeneration.org Aug 20 Ice Ball 7– 11:55 pm Hilton Hotel Downtown Austin Benefiting: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas AustinIceBall.org Aug 20 Austin Fashion Week Kick-Off 7:30 pm Cowboy Harley-Davidson Showroom Benefitting: Dress for Success and Austin Involved FashionWeekAustin.com Aug 22 Brian Jones Celebrity Golf Classic 8–5 pm UT Golf Club Benefiting: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area BGCaustin.com Aug 26 Concordia Excellence in Leadership Gala Four Seasons Austin Benefiting: Concordia University Scholarship Program Concordia.edu Aug 27 Wonders & Worries 10th Anniversary – Que Maravilla! 7 pm The Salt Lick Pavillion Benefiting: Wonders & Worries WondersandWorries.org Aug 28 Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival 11 am–5:30 pm Waterloo Park Benefiting: The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas AustinChronicle.com/market/ hotsauce
Sept 6–12 Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival Various Locations Benefiting: Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) AGLIFF.org Sept 9 Beauty of Life Gala and Glossy 8 Austin Style Maker Awards 9:30 am Renaissance Austin Hotel Benefiting: Hospice Austin HospiceAustin.org Sept 10 PRIDE Festival 12–6 pm Benefiting: The Austin Gay & Lesbian Pride Foundation AustinPride.org
Oct 1 Texas Mamma Jamma Ride Against Breast Cancer Benefiting: 11 local nonprofit organizations in Central Texans MammaJammaRide.org Oct 1 Austin Lyric Opera 25th Anniversary Celebration Ball 5 pm Westin Domain Benefiting: Austin Lyric Opera AustinLyricOpera.org Oct 2+3 Kids Classic Golf Tournament and Auction Party Various locations Benefitting: Children’s Medical Center Foundation ChildrensAustin.org Oct 4 HAAM Benefit Day Various Locations Benefiting: Health Alliance for Austin Musicians MyHaam.org
Sept 10–11 Ghulam Farid Nizami Concert 6 pm (10th) and 10 pm (11th) Central Presbyterian Church Benefiting: Austin Interfaith Arts Oct 5 “Building Bridges” Art & Music Festival Celebration & Auction AustinInterFaithFestival.org 6–10 pm Hilton Austin Hotel Sept 11 Breast Cancer Resource Benefiting: The Arc of the Center’s 16th Annual Champagne Capital Area Brunch ArcofTheCapitalArea.org 11 am–3 pm The Long Center for the Oct 6 March of Dimes Signature Performing Arts Chef Austin Benefiting: Breast Cancer 6:30–10 pm Resource Center of Texas The Driskill Hotel BCRC.org Benefiting: March of Dimes MarchofDimes.com Sept 12 8th Annual Texas Exes Golf Championship Oct 13 La Dolce Vita University of Texas Golf Club 6–9 pm Benefiting: UT Heritage Society AMOA – Laguna Gloria TexasExes.org/golf Benefiting: Austin Museum of Arts Education Programs Sept 18 Seton Social 2011 AMOA.org 5:30–10 pm The Wild Onion Ranch Oct 13 Lone Stars & Angels Benefiting: Seton Medical 7–10 pm Center Hays The Bob Bullock Texas State SetonHaysFoundation.org/ History Museum seton-social Benefiting: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Sept 24–25 The Texas Tribune StJude.org/austin Festival The University of Texas Benefiting: Texas Tribune TexasTribune.org Sept 25 The Big Give 2011 7 pm W Austin Benefiting: I Live Here, I Give Here ILiveHereIGiveHere.org Sept 29 Austin Children’s Shelter Fore the Children Golf Tournament Grey Rock Golf Club Benefiting: Austin Children’s Shelter AustinChildrenShelter.org
Event listing brought to you by AustinSocialPlanner.com Make sure to list your event on Austin Social Planner.