Product Description

THE FUNDRAISING HOUSEPARTY completely demystifies this useful and flexible method of garnering donations from individuals for a wide variety of nonprofit programs - from community education programs to capital campaigns to individual arts project - and with every type of donor in both grassroots and wealthy settings. The book contains sections on: o Key Elements of a Successful Houseparty o Pre-Party Check List and Timeline o Instructions for the Evening Presentation o Sample Invitations and Donor Cards o Bibliography The Fundraising Houseparty is based on Warshawski's years of work with individuals and organizations, and contains numerous examples from actual houseparty events. Anyone interested in raising money for a noncommercial program - individual artists, community groups, nonprofit arts and social service organizations - will find The Fundraising Houseparty an indispensable addition to her fundraising bookshelf.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #242796 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-05
• Binding: Paperback
• 58 pages

Review
Fundraising Without Fear: How to Throw a Fundraising Houseparty Ah, the fear of the ask! We have all been through it, whether as a board member, or part of a nonprofit staff. One way to ease the fear of the ask is through a fundraising houseparty. One that I worked on when I was with a large university that had a nationally known writer's program included rounding up a handful of our better known writer/graduates, and pairing them with volunteers who were willing to host a party. The results were delightful evenings with our writer/stars that culminated in considerable support for the university. In that case, tickets to the parties were sold to the participants, the price of which constituted their donations. That is a variation on the typical fundraising houseparty as described by Morrie Warshawski, an arts consultant and writer, in his fun-to-read book, The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party with a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause (2nd edition). The process is simple and to the point: People receive an invitation to come to a party at a private home. The invitation makes it clear that the evening will be a fundraising event. Participants arrive and are served some refreshments. Participants sit through a brief presentation. The Host or a Peer--someone articulate, enthusiastic and respected by participants--stands up and asks everyone to make a contribution. Now that is simple enough to garner a sigh of relief as you realize how non-threatening this process will be for you, the host, and the donors. Warshawski's little book (only 58 pages!) takes you through all the steps in detail...those details having been developed through Warshawski's experiences with many clients. And there are a lot of details, from the invitation list and finding hosts, to how the invitations should read. Warshawski leaves nothing out -- he even discusses parking and signage. The book includes some valuable helps such as a pre-party checklist, a sample script for the host, a houseparty brainstorming worksheet and, my favorite part of the book, examples of real letters and invitations for house parties. Warshawski has simplified giving a fundraising party to a recipe that anyone can follow. If you do follow it, you are virtually guaranteed success. By Joanne Fritz January 3, 2008 --About.com

About the Author
Morrie Warshawski is a consultant, facilitator and writer who has assisted nonprofit organizations and individual artists for thirty years on issues of long range strategic planning, staff and board development, marketing and fundraising. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including: SHAKING THE MONEY TREE 2nd Edition (Wiese Books/LA), A STATE ARTS AGENCY STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (NASAA/DC). Recent clients have included: President s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Habitat for Humanity San Francisco, Western States Arts Federation, Grantmakers in the Arts, and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Customer Reviews

A great update to a terrific book
Morrie Warshawki's second edition of "The Fundraising Houseparty" is as informative and eye-opening as its predecessor. At a slim 58 pages, Warshawki's conciseness is a welcome alternative to wordier books that say much less. The cost may seem a bit steep but not when weighed against the cost of hiring a fundraising house party consultant. Because that's what this book is: your own houseparty guide.

Warshawski is quick to admit that not all houseparties are financially successful. Care must be taken. But it's hard to imagine losing money if following his detailed advice. Someone brand new to personal asks will find this work helpful.

Warshawski's work is eminently practical. He tells you:
* how much time to allow for the people to mingle (30-45 minutes),
* how to position the food table (pulled away from the wall), and
* which type of video presentation works best (one that makes people cry).

The Fundraising House Party is packed with checklists, annotated outlines, attractive and informative samples of invitations, and even a script for the peer solicitor. Most of the invitations can be done on something as easy as Microsoft Word.

"The Fundraising House Party" is easy to read in 30 minutes but you'll be refering to it for months to come!


Chapters include:
*Introduction
*Key Elements
*Pre-Party Checklist
*The Party
*Some Last Notes
*Appendix

Awesome!
I just finished The Fundraising Houseparty and I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and quality of content that Morrie presents.

No goofy gimmics or weird tactics to make money off of houseparties.

Morrie presents a lot of quality ideas, tips, and principles to make your fundraising houseparty a success.

Highly recommended for the nonprofit professional.

An expanded edition with new examples
Now in an expanded edition with new examples, The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party With a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause lives up to its title as a concise, no-nonsense guide to organizing a successful fundraising houseparty. Chapters cover how to compose a tasteful invitation, the all-important task of selecting an "Ask" (the person who will ask party guests for money), how to tastefully make follow-up calls, the role of refreshments, setting a target fundraising goal for the party, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and a wealth of sample documents, especially sample invitations, round out this easy-to-follow guide useful for corporations, charities, and even private individuals (such as struggling artists). "Follow-up calls to confirm that people are in fact coming are absolutely vital. You don't want to hound, but you also want people to realize that this is not a casual party... Two weeks before your house party, start calling everyone on your list... If someone says they cannot attend, then ask them to make a contribution." Highly recommended.