The winning formula for fundraising

It takes more than good intentions to create a successful fundraising event. It takes even more than just the name of a well-known personality to open the wallets that would fill the donation boxes. The charity cause may be worthy and all proceeds might be accounted for, but until you learn the techniques that some people have mastered, your fundraising event can lack that oomph that will draw the cash. 

For the past three years, the Johann Strauss Society of the Philippines (JSSP) has been contributing P1 million to the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Their generous contribution of P3 million came from monies they raised from five events each year. The CCP’s projects to make the arts more relevant to the lives of Filipinos encouraged JSSP members to continue their fundraising activities to support the CCP’s projects.   This is the story of the success of one of these events. 

It was a moonlit evening in November 2008 when over 200 beautifully dressed guests came to the Captain’s Bar in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for dinner. The formal setting of round tables at which men in their tuxedos and barong tagalogs sat complemented the ladies in their long gowns. A gentleman from Bulgaria, another from Iran, a couple from Monaco, a charming ambassador from Austria, and a friendly British gentleman were some of the guests who came to attend the dinner. It seemed like a gathering of the United Nations as there were so many foreigners sparkling among the Filipino patrons. 

After dinner, all the guests went up to the ballroom where the stage was set to resemble a piazza. Musicians from the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra were within an arm’s reach of the front row. Seating was increased to 400 because there were many guests whose tickets entitled them to the show but not the dinner. The audience was seated in rows of chairs that gave everyone the feeling of attending an intimate parlor concert. 

By the time the tenor and the two soprano singers raised their powerful voices, the audience knew what a taste of heaven could be. Arias from Puccini’s operas sung by Rachel Gerodias, Anna Carnovali and Franco Becconi made the high price of the tickets worth it.

Preparations for this event began in April 2008 when JSSP vice president Helmut Gaisberger suggested that they celebrate Puccini’s 150th anniversary. Fortune Ledesma, the group’s president, agreed to make the opera composer’s birthday anniversary one of the activities of JSSP and she immediately started working.  

“We invited the Italian ambassador and asked him if he would like to be a part of our program for Puccini and he said, ‘Of course. Gladly.’ ”

With this ready and willing reply, the group was assured of the cooperation of the Italian Embassy, which eventually sponsored the Italian soprano and the tenor in the dinner show held at the Mandarin.

“We had a meeting about five months ago and divided the work right away,” continues Fortune. “My style is always work. If I am the overall chairman, I ask someone to be a co-chairman. Howard Belton and Betty Chua were more than willing to be co-chairpersons. Then we set up the committees at once. As soon as we tap them they say, ‘Of course we will help.’”

Except for those who excuse themselves because they are going abroad, most of the members want to be part of the JSSP’s projects. If they are too busy, Fortune tells them cheerfully that she will ask someone else. 

All it takes is for someone to dedicate herself to calling up the members and that is what an overall chairman needs to be good at. Fortune calls each person she thinks would be suitable to head a particular committee and makes sure they know that they have the discretion to make the decisions.  

“For a committee, the less people the better. Two to three people in a committee is better so we can decide quickly. For example, the program committee has two people. I just have to talk to two people and that is enough. If you talk and receive so many suggestions, it will not finish. Everyone will have a suggestion and then once you decide, someone will make another suggestion and walang katapusan,” she explains. 

When the committee makes a decision, a chairperson has to support them so the members feel good knowing that they can make decisions. 

When you call the person to ask him if he would like to join a committee, be very specific: “Betty, can you be in the sponsorship committee and is it okay if Marge also joins your committee? If she says okay or asks if you can add more, then go ahead and do it. Sometimes you have to ask, ‘Agnes, can Edith be your co-person?’ I ask them what they think about different ideas.”

For the Puccini event, the working committees included sponsors, advertisements, physical arrangement and décor, reception, tickets, program, souvenir program, publicity and registration. Of these committees, the most important were the groups seeking sponsorship, advertisement and those preparing the evening’s program.  

“We get most of our income from sponsors and advertisers. The money raised from our sponsors is the gravy which we give to our beneficiaries.” Advertisers in the souvenir programs play an important part in raising funds so this year, the committee had to decide on a strategy to raise the price of advertising. “We approached less people and found it more efficient than offering the advertisements for a lower amount.”

Fortune relates that ticket sales cover only the cost of food for dinner shows or the décor, so it is better for organizers not to rely on ticket sales for their income. 

Helmut was in charge of the program and he asked Rachel Gerodias to perform. “She is so beautiful and her projection is so good. Helmut coordinated the singers and fixed the set. We have to give the honors to Helmut and to our members.”

Meetings were short and decisions made quickly since communication on the phone was done regularly.   Yes, the committee members reported regularly to the chairpersons and Fortune would call them often to ask how they were doing. She would give some suggestions on what they could do, ideas were bounced back and then she would encourage them to go ahead with their plans and explore. A month before the Puccini concert was held in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental, the committees met once a week. They would report to Fortune and she would update those who needed to know. 

“It’s teamwork. When we put our heart and soul into it and there is passion, then we can only have success. We all feel like we are one family. Thank God we are always successful in all our activities.”