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Steps to a Successful House Party |
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What is the role of a house party host?
- Create a list of 80-100 friends, family, co-workers and neighbors
to invite. Experience tells us that one needs to invite four
times the number of guests one hopes will attend.
- Plan a date and get MFOA speaker.
- Provide a location for the event.
- Send out invitations provided by the campaign to potential guests.
- Follow up with the invited guests to confirm attendance.
- Provide light refreshments and vegetarian snacks.
What is a typical house party agenda?
Evening party (7-9 P.M.)
7:00 P.M.
| | Guests arrive, sign in, make donation, mingle, and eat.
| | 7:45 P.M. | | Host gathers and welcomes guests, explains why the campaign is important to
them, guests introduce themselves, and host introduces guest speaker. | 7:50 P.M.
| | Speaker makes presentation and shows video and takes questions. | 8:20 P.M.
| | Host or speaker makes pitch for additional contributions and volunteers | 8:30 P.M. | | Guests mingle then leav |
Other good times for a fundraising houseparty are from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. and weekend afternoons.
Specific steps for a successful house party.
You may think that if you send invitations and hold the party, the
guests will come. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work that way. The
key to a successful house party is good planning and good follow
through. Don't underestimate the need to confirm your attendees,
even if they are good friends. But don't worry. By following the
guidelines below, your event will be a success!
1) Brainstorm 80-100 people you can invite 4 weeks prior to the event.
Possible sources of names:
- You and your spouses address (social & family) list
- Co-workers & your spouse’s co-workers
- Neighbors
- Animal advocates who live in your area. (list from MFOA District Coordinators)
- Members of local civic groups you belong to.
2) Send out invitations 4-6 weeks prior to your event.
3) Call everyone you invited that hasn't RSVP'd to see if they can
attend 2 weeks prior to your event. Track your responses so you can
follow-up with them later.
4) Make reminder calls the night before your event to everyone who said
they would attend. This will improve your attendance.
5) Have appetizers and drinks available for your guests. Ask fellow animal advocates and MFOA members to contribute.
If you have any questions, contact the MFOA office (781-2187) or
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MFOA President and Director Robert Fisk, Jr. will
readily speak at house parties if date is available.
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