How special events elevate charity missions beyond fundraising

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 ~ Updated 10:53 PM

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Charitable organizations are often known in the communities they serve by their special events. From galas and concerts to 5Ks and golf tournaments, there are events throughout the year that support the good work being done by our not-for-profits in Southeast Missouri. Often these are referred to as fundraisers, but the true impact of these activities is not as much in the dollars raised as in the increased awareness of the charity’s mission. For organizations like the Community Counseling Center Foundation, the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Foundation, and the Safe House of Southeast Missouri, special events provide a platform to share information about critical needs in our region and the services they provide to meet those needs.

The Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Foundation has provided much-needed support to the residents at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau for the past 30 years.

“Until this past summer, not many people were aware of our foundation or the opportunity to support the work we do on behalf of our 150 veteran residents,” explained Kristen Pind, who oversees the work of the foundation as supervisor of volunteer services. “We’ve held a golf tournament to raise funds for many years, which will continue, but we also decided to make a big splash this year with our first Freedom Fest music festival at Arena Park. Our goal for the first year was to simply see if there was interest from our community to support an event of this caliber, and we were very pleased to meet that goal, but the primary purpose was to increase awareness of our foundation in the community. We met and greatly exceeded expectations in that regard! Traffic on our website increased by 500% after the event, and the number of new donors who found out about the work we do on behalf of our veterans was tremendous. Our hope is that Freedom Fest grows each year, and its success will allow us to provide even greater quality-of-life enhancements and experiences for our veterans.”

A lot of hard work and commitment goes into establishing and growing an event, and the benefits have been clearly demonstrated by one of the area’s most popular charity events, VintageNOW.

“Safe House of Southeast Missouri is the beneficiary of VintageNOW, which has been put on by the VintageNOW Planning Community chaired by Deb Maevers,” explained Jessica Hill, executive director of Safe House of Southeast Missouri. “Fifteen years ago, Safe House desperately needed to build a new shelter to serve our community. Deb had a unique idea and gathered a great group of volunteers with a passion for our mission to help victims of domestic violence. The first VintageNOW raised a comparatively modest amount of money but increased the awareness of Safe House, the services we provide, and the importance of community support. Through their hard work and perseverance, VintageNOW eventually generated the funds to build our shelter and continues to provide 10% of the shelter’s operational budget.”

Hill further shared, “Besides these critical funds, VintageNOW provides visibility in the community, not only to potential donors but also to potential clients. It is so gratifying to have someone seek the services that Safe House provides because that person learned about us through VintageNOW. The outreach of this event has saved and changed lives in Southeast Missouri.”

Clearly, the ability to reach out to the region is a significant aspect of charity events.

“The Community Counseling Center serves five counties – Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, Perry and Ste. Genevieve – but not a lot of people know about all the services available through the center for individuals at times of crisis or in need of long-term counseling,” Michelle Ramsey, executive director of the Community Counseling Center Foundation explained. “We hold a variety of events each year for specific programs we offer. For example, proceeds from the Merry Mingle 5K Run & Walk in December support Christmas for each of our 120 residential clients in all five counties while also building awareness for this program. Our Superheroes Have A Heart luncheon in February focuses on our children’s services. Each of these activities appeal to different types of people. As a result, we’ve had great success expanding the awareness of the center’s mission throughout the region.” Ramsey added, “In addition to single events, Mental Health Awareness Month in May and Suicide Prevention Month in September are activities specifically designed to increase awareness of these critical needs of our communities in Southeast Missouri.”

So when you receive an invitation in the mail or read about an upcoming event in the media, remember that the awareness of the charity’s mission and outreach to the community are as critical as the funds raised. If you can attend, take the opportunity to have fun and share your support. If you can’t join in the fun but are interested in the charity’s mission, reach out to the organization’s staff to learn more. There are many ways to serve those who serve our communities and you can join with them to make a difference in the world!

Southeast Council on Philanthropy (SECOP) is a group of charitable organizations seeking to advance philanthropy through education of our communities throughout Southeast Missouri as well as training and networking for not-for-profit staff and volunteers. If you are interested in learning more about SECOP, you can visit secoponline.org, follow SECOP Southeast Council on Philanthropy on Facebook, and feel free to attend future meetings. Our next meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.