1. - THE LIBERTARIAN
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW,Suite 100
PARTY'S SUCCESS'99
* Washington DC 20037 * (202) 333-0008 * www.LPorg
Event _____
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Whatgoes into planning a majorfundraising event
Description of Liberty Fest Dinner Plans based on the meeting of 5/7/97, updated 5/23/97, 6/24/97, 7/8/97:
Liberty Week: 10/19/97 to 10/25/97
Liberty Fest Dinner: 10/25/97, Saturday, Cocktails at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 7:00 pm,
Speaker and Fun until 1:00 am.
Location: Northfield Hilton on Crooks Road between Long Lake Road and Square
, Lake,Road.lnthe.MainBallroom{accessiblefor setup at 5:00pm).
.' .Maximum attendance: 200,20 tables (60" diameter) of.10 persons each. No head table .
Price: To September 10, $40/person; to October 15, $50.00/person
Event Chair: Marie Wishart, 248-642-9047
Registration: . Dianne Szabla (Livonia mail pickup: Ben Bachrach)
Contact: Dianne Szabla, 248-626-6322
Treasurer: Paul Soyk
Decorations: Suzanne Gruden & Pam Collins
Press Releases: Top Secret (by request ... )
Secretary /Keyliner: Doug MacDonald, 313-591-9117
Flyer in Michigan Libertarian: Keith Edwards
Flyer to Affiliates: Stacy VanOast
Invitations Chair: Richard Clark
Invitations & Post Cards Mailing: Marie Wishart, Ben Bachrach, David Nagy
Web Page Announcement: Mark Heil
Agenda & Programs: Marie Wishart
Master of Ceremonies: Jon Coon
Speaker Liaison: Richard Clark 313-482-9563
Keynote Speaker: David Boaz
Defender of Liberty Awards: Stacy VanOast
Fundraising: Barbara Goushaw, 248-355-5058, fax 248-355-5801
Literature/books (Boaz's books): Keith Edwards
Budgeted items:
Speaker Air / hotel/meal $ 350.00
Registration Ticket printing / postage 100.00
Decorations Centerpieces 150.00
Programs Printing 50.00
Invitations Printing (250)/ postage (200) 450.00
Postcards Printing / postage 200.00
Fixed Cost: $1,300.00
Variable Costs:
(fish 18.95, chicken or beef 17.95, veggie 16.95) + 18% tip, + 6% tax =
Fish: $23.50 Chicken or Beef: $22.26 Veggie: $21.02
Proceeds: $16.50 $17.74 $18.98
Break-even: 1300/16.5 = 79 1300/17.74 = 73

2. Defender of Liberty Awards Banquet Timeline (Reverse Chronology):
November, 1997: Keith Edwards reports the success of event in the Michigan Libertarian: Great speaker,
great Defender of Liberty (DOL) Award winners, and huge profit.
October 25, 1997: Dinner.
October 22, 1997: DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.
October 18-21, 1997: Marie Wishart makes meal commitment with Hilton. Paul Soyk cuts check to Hilton.
October 15, 1997: DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.
October 15, 1991: $50.00 registration ends.
Sept./October, 1997: Press Releases.
September 25, 1997: $450 due to Northfield Hilton.
September, 1997: Keith Edwards publishes flyer in Michigan Libertarian.
September, 1997: Keith Edwards reports DOL Award nomination procedures in Michigan Libertarian.
September 10, 1997: DOLAwards Banquet committee meeting.
September 10, 1997: $40 registration ends.
September 1, 1997: Oversized postcards mailed.
August 30, 1997: Postcards labeled and stamped.
August 25, 1997: Ben Bachrach prints labels.
August 11,1997: Invitations mailed.
August 9, 1997: Invitations stuffed, sealed, ·and stamped.
August 1, 1997: Ben Bachrach prints labels (Done)
August 1, 1997: Doug prints invitations.
. June to January, 1997: Paul Soyk does financial reporting to the behemoth .
June to October, 1997: Registrations [see process description below]
June to Sept., 1997: Stacy VanOast distributes flyers to affiliates with other affiliate mailings.
May & July, 1997: Keith Edwards publishes flyer in Michigan Libertarian.
May & July, 1997: Keith Edwards reports DOLAward nomination procedures in Michigan Libertarian.
Mayor June, 1997: Mark Heil posts info on event at website.
April/May, 1997: $500 deposit paid to Northfield Hilton. (Done)
Someone needs to check on sound system for speaker ... do we need to provide one? ... what about music
during cocktail hour? ... is anyone videotaping (3/4") event? ... reserved seating for dignitaries ...
Note: Meals are:
Fish: Baked Orange Roughy with Lobster Sauce
Chicken: Chicken Piccante with Lemon Butter Sauce
Beef: Top Round Sirloin with Cabernet Sauce
Veggie: Pasta Primavera
Registration Process:
--'.Diannereceivesregistration:(Paul' scopyr..copies. the form (Marie's. copy) .: and:.to'gs;,registration-(Dianne's
- -- opy). :If-registration;ismultiple.persons,
c Dianne caUs fOLthe.otherpeople's-:namesJand,associatedfood· order.
Dianne mails tickets with map to confirm registration.
• Once or twice weekly: Dianne forwards the original registrations wIchecks, .money ordersrto PauLSoyk.
• Bi-monthly: Dianne and Marie make up name-tags and Marie sends a thank-you card/note and tallies food
orders.
• Walk-ins will eat "stand-by," on an as-available basis. NO speech-only tickets.
• The first flyer sent included the LP Merriman address, so Ben win need to double check the mail there as the
event approaches. Any registrations received at the Merriman address win be forwarded to Dianne only.
Please send any corrections to this description of the DOLBanquet plan to Doug MacDonald
(dm@compserv.net, 313-591-9117, PO Box 531411 Livonia MI 48153-1411).
Thank you, Doug MacDonald

3. Libertarian Volunteer May/June 1994 - Raising money at LP banquets & special events Page 1 of2
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May/June 1994
Raising money at LP banquets &
Activist Library
special events
Manuals and
Handbooks It's become traditional to raise money at convention banquets and similar
events, and for good reason. These events represent occasions where large
Libertarian numbers of Libertarians are all together in one place.
Volunteer
There have been many examples of successful fundraising at these events --
and, unfortunately, many examples of fundraising attempts which were not
successful. The difference hasn't been accidental. Fundraising succeeds or
fails according to the preparation that's gone on before it. Successful
banquet fundraising usually follows these guidelines:
1. Pledge/contribution cards and envelopes are ready and on the tables
before the banquet starts. This is absolutely essential, since it makes no
sense to ask for money without providing a means to respond.
2. The fundraiser -- the person making the "pitch" -- should identify the
need, set a fmancial goal, and ask a specific minimum contribution from
each person there.
3. As a general rule, there is a formula which can be used to set the
financial goal for a typical event. Multiply the number of people in the
room by $25.
4. Two or three should be assigned the task of collecting the pledge cards
and envelopes. They should visibly circulate around the room, asking each
table of people if there are any envelopes to be collected.
5. The fundraising portion of the event should have a predetermined pace.
For example, the fundraiser makes the appeal, sets the goal, asks for the
amount, and signals the collectors to begin making their rounds. While the
envelopes start coming in, it's often a good idea to have another person say
a few words, in order to vary the program and keep the interest of the
audience. Then the principal fundraiser can come back and make the fmal
appeal.
6. When possible, obtain commitments from several people ahead of the
event to make significant contributions which can be announced as the
fundraising starts. Being able to say "Joe Smith has already pledged $200
toward this important effort" will set the tone for subsequent contributions -
- people will then tend to give their maximums.
http://archive.lp.org/litllv /9405- fr-banquets.html 2/21/2002

4. Libertarian Volunteer May/June 1994 - Raising money at LP banquets & special events Page 2 of2
7. Consider having party members who can play the piano or guitar, sing,
etc. provide entertainment between the initial pitch and the wrap-up.
Sometimes this can be an incentive for more contributions: "If we get four
more pledges of $25, Sally here will play 'Lady of Spain.' " This idea was
enormously successful at a Florida state convention, and has worked well
since. (As a variation, some people may be willing to pay not to hear Sally
play "Lady of Spain. ")
8. Fundraising gimmicks, such as auctions, require someone who knows
what he or she is doing to be pulled off successfully. '
9. An Oregon experience illustrates a variation on good banquet fundraising
technique. The party needed $400 per month for a headquarters, so the
fundraiser announced that he needed twenty people in the audience to raise
their hands and pledge $20 per month for the next six months. As hands
started to go up, the fundraiser ticked off the number of people he still
needed -- "OK, I need eight more people. Now six." etc. -- until the goal
was reached.
Summary and Conclusions
Of the thousands of methods of successful fundraising -- whether they
involved phone calls, direct mail, one-time-only contributions, monthly
pledgers, wealthy people, not-sa-wealthy people, experienced fundraisers,
or novices -- the essential ingredient to the success of the effort can be
summed up in one word: ASK.
Unless people are willing to ask other people to contribute money, no
fundraising will be successful. There is no substitute for asking, no "easy
way" to get the money party organizations need. But successful fundraisers
attest that, after the first few approaches have been made, asking for
contributions gets progressively easier because the success rate among
Libertarians is usually so high.
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