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Host a House Party for Until There's A Cure Until There's A Cure... Together For A Cure Party Kit shows you how to host a party that will raise money to fund prevention education programs, care services, and vaccine development for HIV/AIDS. In addition to fundraising for a meaningful cause, throwing this party is a great way to get together with family and friends to help increase awareness, compassion, understanding and responsibility regarding HIV/AIDS, and to have a great time! Read on... or download the information as a PDF. Create a theme: While a fundraiser is a great way to make your party have a higher purpose, coming up with fun and unique themes can help amp up the attendees' enthusiasm and to keep the atmosphere vibrant. Here are some ideas: Color theme party: white party, black/white party, red party Invite guests: Invitations - Make sure to include the details: who, what, when, where, and why. Invite family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. As with any party, you should invite four times the number of people that you would like to attend. Encourage everyone to RSVP (attending or not) so you know how many people to expect. In-person donations - Make sure your invitation specifies that this is a benefit party. Be clear about what kind of donations you are willing to accept. In the "supplies" section we suggest you have a donation jar for your party, but be clear on whether you are accepting cash, checks or both. The more your guests know about how to donate, the more likely they are to fork it over! Online donations - To maximize the number of donations please create a firstgiving.com page for your event. Please visit http://firstgiving.com/21952 to get started. This allows guests to donate even if they are not able to attend, or are uncomfortable bringing money to the party itself. Including donation envelopes in the invitation also allows people who cannot attend to participate even if they aren't internet savvy. Other useful websites - If you choose to use one of the many free websites that help with invitations (evite.com, etc.) make sure to include your fundraising website on your information page as well as the invitations themselves. Also, consider using social networking sites such as myspace, facebook, twitter etc. to direct people to your fundraising page. Supplies: Here are some suggestions on what to have prepared for your party: Until There's A Cure... Together For A Cure Party Kit – Click Here to see our available Party Kits. All Party Kits also include the following: Sign-in sheets - Use the included form to have your guests sign in as they arrive to your party (trying to round people up after the party has begun can prove difficult, and time consuming!) This form will help you track donations as well as knowing who to thank for coming to your party. Donation Jar - Make sure it is large and visible. Put it in the entranceway where it can't be missed. It is important to be a gracious host, but your guests should already be aware that the purpose of this party is to raise money for HIV/AIDS. By putting the jar in a conspicuous spot that everyone must pass to enter the party allows them to donate their money right away so that it is taken care of right off the bat (and gives you more time to enjoy yourself!). Welcome Table - This is usually the best place to put the sign-in sheets and donation jar. Speech - At some point during the event we suggest giving a short speech. Make sure to thank your guests for attending, remind your guests to take advantage of the donation jar (or the first giving website if they forgot their $$). Give some information about why HIV/AIDS is such an important issue and where their money is going. To make it easy we have included some basic statistics about the AIDS epidemic and where the money raised at this event will go. Camera - Cameras are a great way to memorialize a great event! We would also love for you to share some of them with us so we can share your story/success with others. Afterwards: Gather Donations and Sign-In Sheets - Total the donations and update your fundraising page with the amount you raised. Please send a check to made out to Until There's A Cure Foundation. Please do not send cash. Thank Your Guests - If this is a small party where significant funds were raised, consider handwritten notes. If this is a bigger get-together you can use social networking sites, or websites that send e-cards. Be sure to let everyone know how much money was raised! As participants in this event they should be as excited as you are to know how much you accomplished as a group... all while having fun! Share Your Feedback With Us - Until There's A Cure... Together For A Cure is a growing evolving program. Any suggestions to make it better are greatly appreciated. The more information we can provide to people interested in throwing the parties, the more prepared they can be so that the most money is raised and maximum fun can be had!! Send any comments, suggestions, thoughts and photos to: events@utac.org To Be Continued... - Consider making this an annual event! The more often you throw an event of this kind, the easier it will be to organize. If your party is a success, as we know it will be, your friends will spread the word and your party can grow to new level of fun and success the next time around! How to use firstgiving.com Visit Until There's A Cure first giving webpage at http://firstgiving.com/21952. There it will ask you to if you want to create a fundraising page. You do, so go ahead and click "get started." Next it offers you some choices for what kind of page you would like to create. We suggest "personal occasion." From there just follow the simple steps to personalize your event. You will also be sent two emails detailing where to go from there, frequently asked questions, etc. This site is easy to use, and the more you make it your own, the more excited you can get your guests about the event and the Cause. Be creative!! If you have any questions about using the website please feel free to contact us at events@utac.org. Home | Shop | Donate | Get Involved | Grants | Partnerships | Retail Program |
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