Groundbreaking Galas: Non-profits Innovate during Coronavirus Crisis

It was Saturday night, and Mariam Matin was decked out in a long black dress, shiny earrings and striking makeup. It might sound like she was ready for a night out on the town; in truth, she would not even step out of her house. 

Though the coronavirus pandemic has consigned us to our homes, Mariam, 26, still wanted to put on a special fundraising gala for the non-profit she recently cofounded called Second Day. So, asking supporters to dress in “quarantine chic” – which for Mariam manifested as a black dress and sneakers – Mariam and her team quickly put together the virtual event within the short span of two weeks. 

“As a non-profit, we had a certain plan for fundraising, and this whole situation threw it out of whack,” said Mariam, whose organization focuses on helping talented college seniors enter social impact careers. “We had a lot of conversations about how we should handle this, and we finally decided to go for [the virtual gala]. But we wanted to be thoughtful about it every step of the way.” 

Mariam acknowledged that this is an abnormal time to host a fundraising event. But she emphasized that significant thought went into planning the gala and ensuring it would ultimately serve as a tool for good. 

“We wanted to acknowledge the moment. We’re not going to pretend like there isn’t a pandemic going on. We should be putting resources towards that,” Mariam said. “We also feel like this [event] isn’t antithetical to the crisis. If you look at the issues that have surfaced – around healthcare, economic security and housing – [Second Day] is fighting those deep-rooted issues by building the talent pipeline.” 

About 100 people from across the country attended the virtual gala, a free event, which raised money through an online silent auction held throughout the weekend, as well as a live auction component. During the event, attendees were invited to participate in raffles where, for instance, they paid $5 to guess the weight an attendee's dog for a chance to win a prize. Other raffles prompted attendees to guess how many chickpeas were in a can, or by what percentage points HBO binge-viewership surged in March. 

The tone of the event was lighthearted and fun, with the emcee cracking jokes throughout and attendees showing off their festive attire while sipping on wine. Through the live event and silent auction, Second Day collectively raised over $20,000 for the organization. 

As the coronavirus continues to keep people from gathering, other local non-profits have also turned to technology to offer supporters a chance to attend galas virtually. 

Houston reVision, for instance, has decided to hold their seventh annual Revisionaries Luncheon virtually on April 21, instead of cancelling or postponing the event. Houston reVision is focused on breaking the cycle of isolation among disconnected youth, many of whom are caught in the juvenile justice system. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the organization has been delivering meals to more than 70 kids, six days a week. 

“Our supporters have been asking us how they can help, so we feel like this luncheon will give us an opportunity to answer those questions on a broad base,” said Reverend Carrie Leader, director of operations for reVision Houston. “We’re hoping to tell the story of our Covid-19 response effort and ask for our donors to support that effort.” 

The day after the reVision event, another non-profit, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IMGH), will hold their annual Tapestry Gala virtually. 

IMGH runs the Meals on Wheels program, delivering hot meals to more than 4,300 homebound seniors each day. IMGH CEO Martin Cominsky came up with the out-of-the-box idea of using those capabilities in a new way – to deliver meals to supporters as they attend the gala virtually. 

“He had this idea of, what if we take the expertise we already have through the Meals on Wheels program and give it a twist so now we’re delivering meals to our donors,” said Brandi Ledet, assistant director of special events at IMGH. 

Brandi explained that ticket sponsors and their guests will have their meals delivered to their homes one to two days prior to the event through no-contact delivery. The guests can then heat the meal up before tuning into the gala from their computer, while wearing their pajamas if they please. 

The gala itself will feature remarks from members of the organization and entertainment led by opera singer Kenneth Gayle. 

“The blessing is that Houstonians are people who come together,” said Brandi. “We are really focusing on that. How the community can come together in this time when we’re all at home.”