Fundraising Dinners

The work in my department is going well - something that has been exciting but quite challenging and a lot to get used to. I'm working in the Partnership Department which does all the events / fundraising stuff and within that I'm specifically working in the Major Donors area on fundraising dinners.

We had a fundraising dinner in Manchester just last Friday night so in the lead up to that we've been sending out invitations, getting menu chioces out to people and doing lots and lots of phone calling for RSVPs. The actual organisation of the dinner is probably the easiest part, the hardest part is getting people to RSVP to us within enough time!

Anyways, 140 people said they would come, which is great! One of the fantastic things about CAP is that despite being a charity, they are extremely business like and professional and they want to do the best that they can, and give the best that they can. For example, they want to give the best debt advice and counselling service possible, believing that just because the people they help are poor, this does not mean they should get a poor service.

This is extended into everything that CAP do, including their events which means that everything is meticulously planned and thought out. For the fundraising dinners, by getting a well known, respected venue to host us gives a great impression and so last Friday the dinner was held at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester - one of the swankiest places I have EVER been to! As a charity, they have got very good at gettting things really cheap so although The Lowry is normally ridiculously expensive they managed to get room hire and a three course meal for an absolute steal! (Although I guess it helps the business of the hotel if they have just had over 100 people come to an amazing dinner and enjoy being there.)

We got there around 2pm to do all the set up such as table decorations and drinks reception before the guests started arriving at 7pm. I and a couple of others registered them, (whilst Manchester United footballers walked past - apparently a lot of them stay at The Lowry!) they had a small drinks reception and then we all went in and sat down for the meal. Matt Barlow (Chief Executive) welcomes everyone, says grace and we have starters. I was a table host for the evening which was quite scary to begin with, but meant I just needed to be a point of call for those who maybe didn't know all that much about the work of CAP and so wanted to know more. Did test my 6 weeks worth of CAP knowledge quite a bit though!

After starters they showed a short 6 minute DVD which gives a brief explanation about the work that CAP does. There are some amazing client testimonies in the DVD as well, which although I've seen it loads of times by now, still breaks my heart with the pain of what some people go through, and yet shows the light and redemption that God brings through CAPs intervention.

We then had our main course, and after that there were two clients there that evening who had come to share their stories. One was a lady called Stella and another lady called Kerry. Two really brave women with a fantastic testimony of God's love and grace in their lives who just explained what the impact debt had on their lives before CAP were involved, the impact which having that hope of being free from debt had, and then the impact church and coming to know Jesus had on them and their families - amazing!

John Kirkby (founder and international director of the charity) then gives a talk with more of the background, vision and heart of CAP. I've heard the talk quite a few times by now through different events, and yet it is always so inspiring - John's passion and belief that this nation can be changed and that people can be reached with the good news of the gospel is incredible.

So after giving peiople the vision and heart of the charity, and after hearing from some of the clinets who have been helped by CAP, John then gives people an opportunity to respond financially. Because the tickets to the dinner are free, people are never under any pressure to give - they can just come, have a great meal, and then leave although most people are so touched by what they hear that this doesn't happen very often!

Anyways, it was amazing - in the end people gave around £180,000 in gifts of pledges that evening. Really humbling to see God's provision to CAP through such amazing people.