Chapter Spotlight – Eta Xi (UNC Wilmington)

This week our Chapter Spotlight is on Eta Xi (UNC Wilmington). As the 2014-2015 Most Improved Fundraiser of the Southern quadrant, we wanted to know just how they did it and if they had any advice to share with other chapters.

2013-2014 Giving: $2,768
2014-2015 Giving: $11,353
Percentage Increase: 76%

How did your chapter make changes from previous years?
First and foremost, we worked as a team on all events and made sure all tasks were distributed evenly. We also planned ahead to do as much as we could all along the way and made a big focus to work within our budget instead of using ticket proceeds to cover venue costs. Proper budgeting was key for us.

There was a noticeable difference in your most recent Red Dress Gala. What improvements did you make specifically with that event?
This year we established small groups of members who were assigned 16-20 businesses and were required to secure donations equal to $25 or more per member. If this was not reached, that group was required to make a basket with a value of $25 a person. We also featured two on-campus music groups and a heart disease speaker in our program to provide entertainment and express the true need for fundraising that evening.

How did you market the event?
We set a date far in advance and reached out to parents through our newsletter. We advertised the event as an opportunity to grow the parent/daughter bond and relationship. Before the event, we hosted activities and fundraisers on campus that were geared toward student engagement since the Gala itself is a parent and alumnae focused event. This helped get the whole campus community involved in our philanthropy.