Recipe for a Fundraising House Party

I've put together a detailed instruction article explaining how to organize a fundraising house party, which I hope people find useful. It's available for download here if you'd like to take a look. Please let me know if you end up using it and let me know any suggestions you have for improving it. It's intended for volunteers, but can also be helpful for organizations running their own house parties.

I first became conscious of house parties as many did, during electoral campaigns. They are an efficient way to have intimate contact with new supporters and leverage networks of people to form new relationships and get your message out. It's also a good way to energize your base, as house parties tend to be events that spark dialog and re-enforce the urgency and importance of your issues.

I think the key is to keep it simple, and keep it focused on your message. Don't try to touch on more than two or three important points, and don't distract people with random themes or performances, unless they are directly tied to what you are trying to raise money for. If you are a music organization, then a small solo performance would fit, but this isn't the kind of special event where you have to entertain your guests and get admission in exchange. This is a night all about you and your mission! People are there because they are at least open to the prospect of supporting your organization with their time and money, so don't be shy!

The rest is in the article.

Get it here.

Here are some issue or organization-specific how-to's that I used to research my article:

Amnesty International

Rainforest Action Network (PDF)

Nadar-Gonzalez Campaign (PDF)

Want more in-depth info on the topic?
Check out Morrie Warshawski's book: How to Throw a Fundraising House Party