- THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY'S SUCCESS'992600 Virginia Avenue, NW,Suite 100 *Washington DC 20037 * (202) 333-0008 * www.LPorg

Event _____ne-lineWhatgoes into planning a major fundraising event

Description of Liberty Fest Dinner Plans based on the meeting of 5/7/97, updated 5/23/97, 6/24/97, 7/8/97:

Liberty Week:Liberty Fest Dinner:

Location:

.' .Maximum attendance:

Price:

Event Chair:Registration:Contact:Treasurer:Decorations:Press Releases:Secretary /Keyliner:Flyer in Michigan Libertarian:Flyer to Affiliates:Invitations Chair:Invitations & Post Cards Mailing:Web Page Announcement:Agenda & Programs:Master of Ceremonies:Speaker Liaison:Keynote Speaker:Defender of Liberty Awards:Fundraising:Literature/books (Boaz's books):

Budgeted items:SpeakerRegistrationDecorationsProgramsInvitationsPostcardsFixed Cost:

10/19/97 to 10/25/9710/25/97, Saturday, Cocktails at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 7:00 pm,

Speaker and Fun until 1:00 am.

Northfield Hilton on Crooks Road between Long Lake Road and Square, Lake,Road.lnthe.MainBallroom{accessiblefor setup at 5:00pm).

200,20 tables (60" diameter) of.10 persons each. No head table .

To September 10, $40/person; to October 15, $50.00/person

Marie Wishart, 248-642-9047. Dianne Szabla (Livonia mail pickup: Ben Bachrach)Dianne Szabla, 248-626-6322Paul SoykSuzanne Gruden & Pam CollinsTop Secret (by request ... )Doug MacDonald, 313-591-9117Keith EdwardsStacy VanOastRichard ClarkMarie Wishart, Ben Bachrach, David NagyMark HeilMarie WishartJon CoonRichard Clark 313-482-9563David BoazStacy VanOastBarbara Goushaw, 248-355-5058, fax 248-355-5801Keith Edwards

Air / hotel/mealTicket printing / postageCenterpiecesPrintingPrinting (250)/ postage (200)Printing / postage

$ 350.00100.00150.0050.00450.00200.00$1,300.00

Variable Costs:(fish 18.95, chicken or beef 17.95, veggie 16.95) + 18% tip, + 6% tax =

Fish: $23.50 Chicken or Beef: $22.26 Veggie: $21.02Proceeds: $16.50 $17.74 $18.98

Break-even: 1300/16.5 = 79 1300/17.74 = 73

November, 1997:

Defender of Liberty Awards Banquet Timeline (Reverse Chronology):

October 25, 1997:October 22, 1997:October 18-21, 1997:October 15, 1997:October 15, 1991:Sept./October, 1997:September 25, 1997:September, 1997:September, 1997:September 10, 1997:September 10, 1997:September 1, 1997:August 30, 1997:August 25, 1997:August 11,1997:August 9, 1997:August 1, 1997:August 1, 1997:

. June to January, 1997:June to October, 1997:June to Sept., 1997:May & July, 1997:May & July, 1997:Mayor June, 1997:April/May, 1997:

Keith Edwards reports the success of event in the Michigan Libertarian: Great speaker,great Defender of Liberty (DOL) Award winners, and huge profit.Dinner.DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.Marie Wishart makes meal commitment with Hilton. Paul Soyk cuts check to Hilton.DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.$50.00 registration ends.Press Releases.$450 due to Northfield Hilton.Keith Edwards publishes flyer in Michigan Libertarian.Keith Edwards reports DOLAward nomination procedures in Michigan Libertarian.DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.$40 registration ends.Oversized postcards mailed.Postcards labeled and stamped.Ben Bachrach prints labels.Invitations mailed.Invitations stuffed, sealed, ·and stamped.Ben Bachrach prints labels (Done)Doug prints invitations.Paul Soyk does financial reporting to the behemoth .Registrations [see process description below]Stacy VanOast distributes flyers to affiliates with other affiliate mailings.Keith Edwards publishes flyer in Michigan Libertarian.Keith Edwards reports DOLAward nomination procedures in Michigan Libertarian.Mark Heil posts info on event at website.$500 deposit paid to Northfield Hilton. (Done)

Someone needs to check on sound system for speaker ... do we need to provide one? ... what about musicduring cocktail hour? ... is anyone videotaping (3/4") event? ... reserved seating for dignitaries ...

Note: Meals are:Fish: Baked Orange Roughy with Lobster SauceChicken: Chicken Piccante with Lemon Butter SauceBeef: Top Round Sirloin with Cabernet SauceVeggie: Pasta Primavera

Registration Process:--'.Diannereceivesregistration:(Paul' scopyr..copies. the form (Marie's. copy) .:and:.to'gs;,registration-(Dianne's

- --copy). :If-registration;ismultiple.persons, Dianne caUs fOLthe.otherpeople's-:namesJand,associatedfood· order.Dianne mails tickets with map to confirm registration.

• Once or twice weekly: Dianne forwards the original registrations wIchecks, .money ordersrto PauLSoyk.• Bi-monthly: Dianne and Marie make up name-tags and Marie sends a thank-you card/note and tallies food

orders.• Walk-ins will eat "stand-by," on an as-available basis. NO speech-only tickets.• The first flyer sent included the LP Merriman address, so Ben win need to double check the mail there as the

event approaches. Any registrations received at the Merriman address win be forwarded to Dianne only.

Please send any corrections to this description of the DOLBanquet plan to Doug MacDonald(dm@compserv.net, 313-591-9117, PO Box 531411 Livonia MI 48153-1411).

Thank you, Doug MacDonald

Libertarian Volunteer May/June 1994 - Raising money at LP banquets & special events Page 1 of2

May/June 1994

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Raising money at LP banquets &special eventsActivist Library

Manuals andHandbooks It's become traditional to raise money at convention banquets and similar

events, and for good reason. These events represent occasions where largenumbers of Libertarians are all together in one place.Libertarian

Volunteer

There have been many examples of successful fundraising at these events --and, unfortunately, many examples of fundraising attempts which were notsuccessful. The difference hasn't been accidental. Fundraising succeeds orfails according to the preparation that's gone on before it. Successfulbanquet fundraising usually follows these guidelines:

1. Pledge/contribution cards and envelopes are ready and on the tablesbefore the banquet starts. This is absolutely essential, since it makes nosense to ask for money without providing a means to respond.

2. The fundraiser -- the person making the "pitch" -- should identify theneed, set a fmancial goal, and ask a specific minimum contribution fromeach person there.

3. As a general rule, there is a formula which can be used to set thefinancial goal for a typical event. Multiply the number of people in theroom by $25.

4. Two or three should be assigned the task of collecting the pledge cardsand envelopes. They should visibly circulate around the room, asking eachtable of people if there are any envelopes to be collected.

5. The fundraising portion of the event should have a predetermined pace.For example, the fundraiser makes the appeal, sets the goal, asks for theamount, and signals the collectors to begin making their rounds. While theenvelopes start coming in, it's often a good idea to have another person saya few words, in order to vary the program and keep the interest of theaudience. Then the principal fundraiser can come back and make the fmalappeal.

6. When possible, obtain commitments from several people ahead of theevent to make significant contributions which can be announced as thefundraising starts. Being able to say "Joe Smith has already pledged $200toward this important effort" will set the tone for subsequent contributions -- people will then tend to give their maximums.

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Libertarian Volunteer May/June 1994 - Raising money at LP banquets & special events Page 2 of2

7. Consider having party members who can play the piano or guitar, sing,etc. provide entertainment between the initial pitch and the wrap-up.Sometimes this can be an incentive for more contributions: "If we get fourmore pledges of $25, Sally here will play 'Lady of Spain.' " This idea wasenormously successful at a Florida state convention, and has worked wellsince. (As a variation, some people may be willing to pay not to hear Sallyplay "Lady of Spain. ")

8. Fundraising gimmicks, such as auctions, require someone who knowswhat he or she is doing to be pulled off successfully. '

9. An Oregon experience illustrates a variation on good banquet fundraisingtechnique. The party needed $400 per month for a headquarters, so thefundraiser announced that he needed twenty people in the audience to raisetheir hands and pledge $20 per month for the next six months. As handsstarted to go up, the fundraiser ticked off the number of people he stillneeded -- "OK, I need eight more people. Now six." etc. -- until the goalwas reached.

Summary and Conclusions

Of the thousands of methods of successful fundraising -- whether theyinvolved phone calls, direct mail, one-time-only contributions, monthlypledgers, wealthy people, not-sa-wealthy people, experienced fundraisers,or novices -- the essential ingredient to the success of the effort can besummed up in one word: ASK.

Unless people are willing to ask other people to contribute money, nofundraising will be successful. There is no substitute for asking, no "easyway" to get the money party organizations need. But successful fundraisersattest that, after the first few approaches have been made, asking forcontributions gets progressively easier because the success rate amongLibertarians is usually so high.

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