Every private school mom will have to organize a fundraiser at least one time in their child’s private school career. Therefore, I will give you a quick tutorial on how to organize a fundraiser. Call your private school mom friends. No one answers at this time of year. They know you are calling to sucker them into donating to this year’s annual private school fundraiser. This will be the most amount of work you will do between now and the day of the event.
Form a committee
Advertise in the school newsletter that you are forming a committee for the upcoming school fundraiser. Only three people will respond, Heather, Valerie and Camille. They are your three best friends.
Befriend a famous person
Camille will ask the most famous parent to be a ”Special Guest” for the fundraiser. They are not available because they are on tour. A semi-well known parent will email Valerie. Make them your tentative “Special Guest”. They can always go to the bottom of the line-up or get cut completely if someone better comes along.
Event Planner
Delegate everything to the event planner.
Decorations
The palette will set the tone for the evening. (Fundraisers are never during the day). Provide your favorite colors to your event planner and ask her to hire a decorator. Spend the next week chatting in Starbucks with your three best friends (the planning committee). Expense the coffees.
Invitations
A great invitation is a must for a successful fundraiser! To attract the big donors, they need to receive a quality invitation on thick paper, bark, laminate or plexiglass. It’s best if both the planner and decorator work with the printer directly. You will approve the final product because you don’t really care what it looks like. The school will provide the addresses directly to the printer who will address and mail the invitations.
Catering
You make the final decision on what food will be served. The planning committee (only two your best friends, Camille couldn’t make it) will have a catered tasting menu (with champagne). Price is no object when someone else is paying for it!
Additional entertainment
Your first pick is not available, and your second pick flaked out. You’re now left with only the semi-famous parent. To save face, you must hire an A-List host for the evening. Luckily the event planner can pull a few strings for you. She will reduce her rate to only 20% over what they charge, since this is for a good cause.
Make a budget
As the bills start coming in, realize that you should have a made a budget. It’s OK, things always work out and you haven’t lost money on an event, yet.
Choose a gown
Most of your gowns have been worn once and cannot be worn again. The last month’s brand new gowns are no longer in style. Buy a new gown. They are investments you can hand down to your children. Ask your accountant if you can expense the gown.
Escape to a Spa Retreat
Complain how busy and stressed out you are from all of the organizing. Take a week (or two) off before the event to reduce your stress and your dress size. Organizing a fundraiser is hard work!
Day of the event
Since you will be in the spotlight, the event planner has already scheduled your favorite masseuse, make up artist, manicurist and hair stylist to come to your mansion. You and your planning committee are on a tight schedule! Drink more champagne to relax and expense everything to the charity.
At the event
When the head of the school calls you on stage to congratulate you for all of your hard work, be humble and accept the gift and/or award with grace. Give credit to your best friends, but never, ever, ever mention the event planner, caterer, decorator, printer or anyone else that worked so hard behind the scenes. There’s nothing wrong with the parents mistakenly thinking you did all of the work yourself.
The Day After
When your accountant totals out the profit/loss, he will tell you that you lost even more money this year than last year. Donate your own money to make up the difference and a little extra. You needed the tax deduction, anyway. Brag to everyone in the newsletter how this was another successful year. But, it was so much work, you can’t possibly be the chair again next year (even though you know you will).
It’s important to give back to the community and to those that are not as fortunate as us. The parents and the faculty had a great time at the party and a very nice donation was made to the charity. Now that you’ve completed your volunteer work, rest up for the next 11 months by going to more spas and on vacations so you are ready to do it all over again, next year. Sign up for my newsletter for more private school mom secrets!