Birthdays are the one day a year when all the attention is on you, and your family and friends are at your beck and call to help you celebrate your special day! Since you’re another year older and another year wiser, maybe this is the year you’ve been thinking about giving back to a good cause to mark the occasion. In the new age of Marie Kondo and minimalistic attitudes, people are starting to ask themselves, “Do I really need another gift card to Bed, Bath, N’ Table?” Throwing a fundraiser party is easier than you might think. Choosing a venue like the Pineapple Hotel to host your party also gives you the added perk of skilled and professional event staff to help you make it all happen!
Choose your charity-
The first step is to decide what cause you’d like to support. There may be one that is near and dear to your heart, or you may want to reach out to family and friends for suggestions. Sometimes there are even local community causes that stand out. Depending on how you handle the event, you may even be able to support more than one cause. Tables set up with different collection boxes and signs outlining each cause can allow your guests to pick the charity that speaks to them the most.
Contact the organisation-
It can be helpful to actually reach out to the charity that you are interested in supporting. They will be able to give you guidance as to what they need the most and may even have handy literature or other items like buttons for the cause that you can put out at your event. For example, a youth shelter may be in need of backpacks and school supplies, while a women’s shelter may be looking for personal hygiene products or new toys. Consider ideas like a Purse Party, where purses are filled with feminine products and donated to a local shelter.
Let your guests know-
Once your party has been planned out and you’re ready to send out the invites, decide how best to have your guests donate. Are you collecting cans and packaged food at the door for a local food bank? Or are you going to ask for cash donations? Either way, your invitations should clearly state “In lieu of gifts” and outline the charity and type of donations being accepted at the event.
Follow up-
When all is said and done, be sure to follow up with your guests. Thank you notes that include a final tally and maybe a photo or two of the presentation to the organisation will allow your guests to share in the feeling of having helped their fellow man, and who knows, maybe even encourage them to have their own give back birthday event!
The Pineapple Hotel loves this new trend, giving back to celebrate your birthday. What better birthday gift than to commemorate your special day with family and friends by helping out a good cause. Contact our event staff to find out how we can help make it happen, with venue spaces for any size gathering available.