Wining and dining your donors

One thing that has been on my mind lately (and will continue to be until the 23rd of this month) is Engineers Without Borders' Third Annual Wine and Cheese- Wine for Development. Cheese for Change.

The main goal of this event is to fundraise money so we can send a volunteer (a Junior Fellow) overseas in the summer months to complete a volunteer placement. This will enable them to experience the complexities of poverty and bring back that knowledge to Canada so that we can see how our actions in Canada affect those overseas.

The WC (wine and cheese) is an awesome night. The hall is decorated with photos from overseas placements, in Canada activities, and outreach events. There are tons of raffle and door prizes. And the wine and food abound! The wine is great, although there are some non-alcoholic beverages too. The desserts are mouth watering...



If that doesn't convince you then I don't know what will. I'm salivating just thinking about the delicious-ness.

Okay, enough dessert pictures...

(And here is my blog thank you to Canadian Bread Bakers who are phenomenal and donated this stuff.)

The night is pretty relaxed and fun. And educational! But not in the boring way.

We have a speaker who is a returned overseas volunteer. This year it's Holly, who was last year's JF (the summer student for whom most of the WC fundraises for). It's a nice look at the technical aspect of the project but also some fun cultural things. Holly will tell funny stories about the kids she met or a funny encounter at work. It's nice to see the human side of development and realize that people living in poverty are not miserable all the time.

We're also going to have Kimberly, an EWB National Office staff member. She'll talk about action and advocacy in Canada. It's nice when you can get both aspects (in Canada and overseas) to balance each other out. It makes the people attending feel like they really can do something.

So what does it take to make a successful event?

You should also have a team or committee that is working with you. Create a common goal, establish responsibilities, and keep in touch. Motivate and support each other for a good group dynamic and synergy.

It's also nice when you can get lots of your supplies donated. When the food, refreshments, door prizes, and/or raffle prizes are donated it eliminates a lot of stress (both mental and financial) on your team.

In my opinion the event needs to be fun. You can't have fundraising without fun! (Sorry that was really bad.)

You need to make people feel like they are contributing to something worthwhile. Make sure they know where the money is going and how it will be used. Also outline the benefits of the project/whatever you're fundraising for.

There should be good entertainment (whether the main speaker or not) and people should also be able to network and meet new people at the event or get some awesome food/refreshments to feel as if they are getting something out of it. Rarely will people give away money without hoping for something in return. Good refreshments, a great speaker, and some knowledge sharing is a great "thank you" for your donation and attendance at the event.

Fundraising events can also make people feel like they are contributing to a common goal. The people attending are donating money that will help be used in projects to alleviate poverty. They are directly contributing and that feeling can be just as sweet as the desserts.

This post has been more about fundraising for development than development itself. Sorry I've detracted a bit but I cannot get the WC off of my mind!

It's on Friday, Nov 23rd and should be an amazing night.

If you're inclined to attend tickets are $20 for students ($30 for professionals or $50 for a pair) and it will be held at the Masonic Temple on the corner of Erie and Ouellette at 7pm (doors at 630). Email me at uwindsor@ewb.ca for more details.