Why I want to live in DC . . .

Fantastic event benefiting DC Central Kitchen … check it out below.

- Jeremy@JeremyGregg.com

From: DC Central Kitchen [mailto:DCCKfeedback@my-websites.org]

Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 1:00 PM

Subject: Food Fight Tickets On Sale Now

Save the Date!

Wednesday, November 11th 2009 - 6:00 PM

Chair José Andrés and Co-Chair Ted Leonsis invite you to watch top chefs battle live on stage to benefit DC Central Kitchen.

Watch last year's winner, Chef Barton Seaver, defend his title against 4 challengers, with judges Ted Allen, Eric Ripert, Carla Hall, and Co-Host Anthony Bourdain.

Buy tickets online at:

http://www.capitalfoodfight.org/

$175 each ($150 before October 9th!) Get your tickets early—this event will sell fast

Boldly making profits like no non-profit has made before....

Thanks to my friend Charles Senteio for pointing out this piece in The Economist:

Walk this way? Not so fast...

Profit in the non-profit sector | How to be bold

BETWEEN 1994 and 2002, more than $300m was raised in America for dozens of AIDS and breast-cancer charities at bike rides and walks organised by a profit-making fund-raising outfit called Pallotta TeamWorks. Then, in August 2002, after many of the charities decided to bite the hand that fed them, the Los Angeles-based organisation was forced to close, sacking its 350 employees. The final straw had been the decision by Avon Products Foundation to launch its own version of a three-day breast-cancer walk developed by Pallotta, which it fired.

The charities had become angry after a number of newspapers complained that the firm was too costly, charging expenses that typically exceeded the 35 cents per dollar raised recommended by various charitable watchdogs. They also complained that Pallotta was a for-profit company, and that its founder, Dan Pallotta, paid himself a salary well above the norm.

As Mr Pallotta points out in his riposte, “Uncharitable”, firing his firm may have got the expense ratio down, but it did the charities no good. After Avon started its own three-day walks, the most it managed to raise was $22.7m after expenses; the last walk organised by Pallotta TeamWorks, after costs, had provided Avon with $70.9m to make grants. The other charities that dispensed with Mr Pallotta’s services suffered similar falls and some had to lay off staff.

Mr Pallotta’s anger at his treatment has prompted a big idea: the charitable sector should embrace capitalism, and not just by borrowing business methods from the corporate world, but by actively seeking to make a profit by doing good. Why is most charity hopelessly ineffective, he asks? Because it is run according to an ideology that ensures it will fail: charities are starved of the money, techniques and talents they need to succeed—things that are taken for granted in the business world.

Mr Pallotta blames the Puritans who founded America, especially John Winthrop, who set out in his famous “city on a hill” sermon that the “Modell of Christian Charity” requires the poor to be given handouts rather than helped to escape from their poverty. “Charity”, argues Mr Pallotta, “is no longer an exchange between the non-needy and the needy. It is an exchange between the non-needy (donors) and the non-needy (the charity work force) to provide services to the needy. It is an exchange between equals to help the needy.” Why is society happy that carmakers make a profit, pay competitive salaries and advertise their goods, yet it is outraged when charities do the same?

Mr Pallotta produces quite a lot of both data and logic. If you do not first analyse a fund-raiser’s results, how is it possible to judge whether what it spent was justified? He also makes a convincing case for charities to spend far more on advertising, perhaps even selling shares to pay for it. If this makes you queasy, read Mr Pallotta’s book. As he says, “To mount a campaign to convert 6 billion people to love—which is essentially the role of charity—takes a lot of money…Raise the capital to promote the idea by offering a return on investment, hire the best people to manage the effort, and run the advertising to spread the word. You beat capitalism at its own game.”

See the article here:
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12970810

[where: 75223]

Stewpot multiples event revenue by THIRTY times!

Sure, a bad economy is a bad time to host a charity event... but you'd never know it by looking at the Stewpot's event this year! They increased their revenue by THIRTY times -- from $5,000 to over $150,000! What an amazing credit to the far more amazing work of this fantastic organization, which is a bright spot in the heart of a very difficult situation at The Bridge.

Here is Robert Miller's column on the event:

The Stewpot Alliance "Soups On!" luncheon, which raised $5,000 last year, has raised more than $150,000 this year.

Proceeds from the event Tuesday at the House of Blues will benefit Second Chance Cafe, which serves meals to the homeless and at-risk clients served by the Stewpot. The luncheon is sold out.

Since the Bridge homeless facility opened in May, the Stewpot has had a 25 percent increase in requests for services including medical and dental care, food and shelter

The Stewpot is a resource center for homeless and at-risk individuals of Dallas. It operates under the 501(c)3 status of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, which provides for building maintenance, utilities and administrative expenses.

It also gets donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, churches and civic groups throughout the area.

Eight of the city's noted chefs will prepare their signature soups to be served as the luncheon's first course.

Brian Luscher, chef and owner of the Grape restaurant, is chefs' chairman.

Participating chefs include Nick Badovinus of Neighborhood Services, Kevin Garvin of Neiman Marcus, Keith Hanks from House of Blues, Joel Harloff of Dali Cellar and Wine Bar, David McMillan, Jim Severson of Sevy's, John Tesar of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and David Uygur of Lola.

Longtime Stewpot supporters Billie and Gillis Thomas are honorary chairmen.

Luncheon chairmen are Rusty Duvall, Janet Evans, Bonnie Mastin, Dian Moore and Bonnie Thompson. Jan Hegi is underwriting chairman.

For more information, visit thestewpot.org.

Major donors are:

$10,000: Janet and Craig Evans, Ben E. Keith and Billie and Gillis Thomas.

$5,000: Robyn and Don Conlon, Rusty and Bill Duvall, Margie and Ray Francis, Fred and Jan Hegi, Mr. and Mrs. William Montgomery, Mike A. Myers Foundation, Marilyn and William Oates, Peggy and Carl Sewell and Bonnie and Doug Thompson.

$2,500: Bank of Texas, A.L. Chilton Foundation, B.R. and Denny Holman, Ken Malcomson, Jill Smith, Blanche Mary Taxis Foundation and Jack and Nancy Zogg.

$1,500: Barbara Barton, Pat Schiff and Cayla Woodruff, John Bickle, Beverly and Larry Dale/Vicki and Bruce Stensrud, Linda Evans and Debbie Snell, friends of Dian Moore, Bonnie and David Mastin, Dian Moore and Debbie Raynor, Nancy and Bill Nelson, Jane Pierce, Brandy Ratchford, Lou and Lee Schaufele, Bill and Kathy Shuford, Carol Ridale, Mike and Mary Terry and Thompson & Knight Foundation.

CAPTION

[where: 75223]

Grantseeking 101: Navigating the Proposal Process

Oh, to be a proposal reviewer...

Next Wednesday, The Center for Nonprofit Management will present Grantseeking 101: Navigating the Proposal Process:

Grantseeking 1: Navigating the Proposal Process
Grantseeking 1 is one of the Center’s most popular workshops, valuable for both beginners and for people who would like to review the fundamentals of seeking grants. This practical class covers how to prepare to seek grants, types of foundations and grants, and the basics of public and private sector research and grant seeking. By the end of the class, you’ll apply all you’ve learned to conduct research for your organization!

This session is offered quarterly, typically on the first or second Wednesday of the month. It is the first of a quarterly three-part series made up of GrantSeeking 1, GrantSeeking 2, and Writing the Case Statement Clinic.

Seating is limited, so please enroll early here:
http://my.cnmdallas.org/source/Meetings/cMeetingFunctionDetail.cfm?section=unknown&product_major=GR081105&functionstartdisplayrow=1

[where: 75223]

Great Event: Fundraiser for Angela Hunt

Angela Hunt is one hot firecracker.

The campaign to re-elect Dallas City Councilmember Angela Hunt has just announced a very creative event for one of her first major fundraisers prior to the next election:

Celebrate Indepence Day with an
independent voice on the City Council!
Unfortunately, the event will be on June 26 instead of the 4th of July, but the tie-in to the national celebration is made through the following innovative sponsor levels:

• $2000 - Roman Candles (Couple)
  
• $1000 - Bottle Rocket (Individual)
  
• $500 - Firecracker
  
• $250 - Sparkler

Tickets are only $100 each. See the invite below, or visit:
www.angelahunt.com/








Not sure if Angela is your representative on the Council? Check out the (bizzaro!) Redistricting map here:
http://www.dallascityhall.com/government/council/adopted_map.html



Want to know who represents you in the State and U.S. Government? Go here:
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/