Hope may be a concept, but at the Helping Hope Happen fundraising dinner, guests saw the power of what a little bit of hope can do.
In late May, 310 people from all walks of life gathered at the Caboolture RSL to celebrate the work of chaplains in their region. Together, they raised over $70,000 for the thirteen wonderful chappies who have been constant givers of hope in their communities.
Field Development Manager Julie Hose has been a key organiser of this dinner for the past five years, and she wholeheartedly believes in the power of hope.
“The night celebrates community coming together to talk about chaplaincy. The energy is just electrifying,” Julie says.
“The truth is, we can’t all be chaplains. But we can become part of their stories through our financial support.’
“That is what it’s all about! We’re one team, and all have different parts to play.”
The total costs for the meal were covered by generous donations from local businesses, such as Knights of the Southern Cross, Connect Church, North Harbour, Fairmount Property Group and Rotary Caboolture, as well as the supporters who sponsor in kind like Radio 101.5.
“We can hand-on-our-heart say that every cent we earn goes to chaplaincy,” Julie affirms.
The Helping Hope Happen dinner invites local principals and chaplains to talk about the ways they are supporting our young people.
The success of this dinner is testament to the hard yards put in by the planning committee, local donors and volunteers on the night, but also to the precious gift of hope that was brought by the guests in the form of their financial support and their advocacy for chaplaincy.
Julie’s Top Tips for How to Run a Successful Fundraising Dinner:
- Sponsorship – One of our keys for success is that we approach local business for Sponsorship. This ensures our costs are covered. This means we then can hand-on-heart say all proceeds on the evening go to the front-line to support chaplaincy services where the money is most needed. This Sponsorship approach is a win-win because we partner with businesses who support our dinner financially and we promote them in various ways to our guests.
- Never underestimate the power of story – On the evening have people share from their own experience the value of having a school chaplain. We have a principal and a past student speak from their experience. We also have a chaplain share a powerful story.
- Team – Surround your self with a good team who have different talents/skills. This way you compliment each other . You can’t do it alone.
- Be brave and ask – People genuinely want to be involved in things that make a difference but they don’t know what they don’t know.Step out and ask for Help financially and practically.