Profile of a Gala Chair
Profile of a Gala Chair
If you are a Development Director or Executive Director of a Non-Profit and have been around the Charity Benefit/Non-profit world for a few years, you have probably already learned the secret of real success in fundraising. It’s all about the manpower. It is no different when forming a committee for a Benefit Auction. The right people on your committee can make the difference. The right Chair can take your event to new heights and make it the “Must Attend” event of the season. But be cautious! The best thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. The worst thing about working with high level volunteers is that they are strong, independent, aggressive and very resourceful. A clear understanding of what is expected is very important and such things can not usually be communicated verbally.
Selecting the right Gala Chair is vital. An Executive director once said to me,
”A key Volunteer should be one of 4 D’s. A Doer, a door opener, a donor, or departed!”.
An organization once asked me what kind of person makes the best chair. I thought about it and prepared this profile/job description for them. It is designed to be shared with a prospect when recruiting them to make sure they understand what is expected of them. Although this is designed for an Auction/Gala chair with a few changes it could be used for a Sporting Clays or Golf Tournament Chair.
———————————————————————————————————–
Job Description- Gala Chair
Statement of Purpose of the Organization- Sell your Organization.Something Like:
“The Boy Scouts of America has earned the reputation over the years of being one of the premier charitable organizations in the traditional annual giving campaign arena.” Or “The Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce is the driving force behind the economic vitality and quality of life within the Central Colorado Region”
Attributes of the Chairman ( This is where you flatter your prospect. When they read this they say to themselves, “Me? I’m this kind of person? Well of course I am!” )
The Gala Chair is an individual of affluence and influence in the community. He/She must be well respected in the community and goal oriented. They should have an affinity for (Scouting/The Chamber/ The Shelter) and the values we promote.
The Chair should be someone who has a certain amount of control over their own schedule and someone who can hold others accountable in a positive manner. Above all the Chair MUST be an individual who can and will take ownership of the event and be responsible for the failure or success of the endeavor.
Objective of the Chairman ( Do not be shy here. State your goals and objectives. If they say no to this kind of specific goal they may not be the right person. )
To take ownership of the Gala/Event and successfully recruit and train the necessary volunteers to adequately identify and evaluate the giving ability of potential donors and guests, and to tell our story and share our needs to these potential donors and guests, so that we raise $ 500,000 of the overall $1,300,000 Finance objective by May 31, 2010.
Responsibilities ( Again, be specific. Let them know EXACTLY whats expected. This will help later, trust us!)
A. Accepts the responsibility of assisting with the recruiting of volunteers and promoting the 2010 Gala and the achievement of the goal of $500,000 and the recruitment of top level community Leaders to fill the following positions:
1. Ticket Sales Chair
2. Table Sponsorship Chair
3. Live Auction Chair
4. Silent Auction Chair
5. Entertainment and Logistics Chair
B. Keeps the team on schedule by setting expectations and providing coaching for team when needed.
C. Makes a substantial contribution to the Gala
D. Keeps volunteers motivated and committed to success.
E. Hosts a regular report meeting with key gala leadership.
F. Empowers Committee members to be successful and lend assistance when needed
Notice how it is specific. How much money to be raised? By when? How many positions to be recruited? What kind of positions?
This kind of written job description can save you a lot of headaches. If a Gala chair thinks the Auction/Gala will be a big party and all they have to do is be a “Party Planner” you have lost the opportunity to have a reliable partner and you have potentially left tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
Save yourself time and trouble. Recruit the right Chair at the start.
