Raising Money in a Down Economy - It Can Be Done!

Congratulations to the Summer Class at UNLV in TCA 490 taught by Professor Todd Uglow.  They put on a great event to raise money for the Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation, the largest non-profit hospice in Las Vegas (and only 1 out of 2 that are actually non-profit).  On August 4, these students hosted a piano concert benefit featuring Steve Siu, a wonderful pianist who is the resident pianist at the Montage in Laguna Beach, California.  The event was unique in that the second half of the event was music requested by the audience through Steve's facebook page.  He played songs from Eminem to Journey, all without sheet music!

It was a pleasure to be a part of this class and watch a group come together so well.  Who knew a group of 40 students and a dedicated teacher could raise $5800 in just 4 weeks!?!?  The community also helped.  We had great sponsors like Lee's Liquor, Rio, Cosmopolitan, and many more.  Our silent auction boasted tickets to Celine Dion and Barry Manilow, artwork from local artisans, golf packages, etc.  And free drinks!  If you missed it, you will definitely want to keep an eye out for next semesters program.

TIP:  Get your volunteers motivated!  Getting sponsors and donors is hard.  Give your team the tools they need to make it as easy as possible.  In this case, a good grade was a great benefit but we also had Stephanie Forbes from Nathan Adelson come in and speak to the class about the foundation and how the money would be going to youth hospice and what that means.  Bringing the group closer to the cause really helps.  For more ideas on fundraising, I go to The Chronicle of Philanthropy on LinkedIn.

You can learn more about Steve Siu at http://www.facebook.com/SteveSiuPiano.
You can learn more about Nathan Adelson at http://www.nah.org/.

Please comment or email me if you want information on putting on your own event.  Be sure to stay tuned for more non-profit event ideas.