House Party Fundraiser a Success

By Michelle Wibbelsman

(On August 18, Michelle and her friends hosted a fundraising house party.)

Our thanks go out to neighbors, friends, party hosts and RG4N representatives for coming out to our recent party and for your generous contributions. We had about 40 people show up, and in one fun evening we raised $2000 for the RG4N lawsuit! It was a terrific opportunity to hear about recent developments in the case from RG4N reps, and to rally enthusiasm and support. RG4N set up an information table, sold T-shirts and bumper stickers, and raffled off comedy club tickets. A few neighbors offered moving speeches about why this case matters, and about how we should all feel compelled to participate in a vision of progressive and responsible development for our neighborhoods and our city. We kept track of contributions throughout the evening on a giant fundraising thermometer and watched the arrow go up, up, up! The piñata we saved for last. Each of us took a turn at bashing a big smiley face piñata, and once it was shattered, we all scrambled for candy, "No Walmart Supercenter" buttons, and evil smiley face surprises. It was a blast!

How we did it:

The idea for the fundraising party started over dinner conversation with some friends. Once we decided on a date for the party, we invited a few other friends to co-host the event. Each co-host spread the word through their networks (listserves, friends, contacts) and pitched in a donation for purchasing food, drinks, etc. We spent about $200 total, which was probably a high estimate, since we had lots of things left over. We drafted a brief timeline to keep everyone more or less on the same page over the course of the evening, and wrote up a few talking points—mostly about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. RG4N provided all kinds of support, from logistics to helping us advertise on the RG4N webpage. The RG4N photo and music DVD was a hit, and people got a laugh out of the South Park video "Something Wallmart This Way Comes" (although probably not appropriate for kids).

We truly enjoyed hosting this event and encourage others to throw a fundraising party of their own. As an added incentive, we will donate the items that were left over from our party (plates, napkins, cups, sodas, chips...) to get you started with a party package! Oh, and, of course, the giant fundraising thermometer is also available to anyone who is interested!