The Community Table. Susan Cole Urano

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       PREFACE

      THIS BOOK is a guide to planning a successful fundraising event in your community. Some of the ideas come from an event, Bounty on the Bricks, held in my community and originally sponsored by the Athens County Foundation. I also share suggestions from my experience planning other events and from fundraisers I’ve attended. I hope that you will find something of use in these pages that will help to raise money for organizations and causes you care about.

      When my friend Cheryl suggested putting on a locally sourced meal for four hundred guests on the main street of our town, I knew immediately that it would work! The fundraising event that developed from her idea would provide money to benefit hungry people in our community. One board member reacted to the idea by saying, “I knew this was a project that fit the foundation’s mission.” The energy, vision, and skills that Cheryl and her team brought to planning the event had the additional benefit of dramatically raising the visibility of the Athens County Foundation in the community while raising funds to support the local food pantries and the regional foodbank.

      The Athens County Foundation (ACF) is a nonprofit that serves people and organizations in Athens County. It was founded in 1980 by Claire O. Ping, the first lady of Ohio University, as a way to preserve wealth within the community and support its citizens. The foundation’s assets generate income for grants and community-leadership work. ACF provides a vehicle for the county’s citizens to invest in their community while maintaining a connection to where their money is deployed. It brings people “to the table” to help solve some of our area’s toughest problems.

      Money is only one of the foundation’s resources. Our community leadership activities provide a way for citizens to become involved in important issues such as those concerning health, town-gown collaboration, the area farmer’s market, and facilities planning for public education. This fundraiser aligned perfectly with our initiative: to feed hungry people.

      One of the best things about working for a community foundation is you never know what gift will walk through the door. СКАЧАТЬ