Chairing for Charity: A Personalized Approach

Have you ever watched in awe as a fearless leader takes the stage in their Event Chair role for a charitable gala or high-profile fundraiser? Poised from the stage. Powerfully engaging. Purposeful in their duty. What we may not realize is the amount of time and level of commitment that goes into this volunteer position. As consummate San Francisco volunteer leader, Layne Gray says, “Being the Chair of a charitable event is like being a duck: You may be paddling like hell under the surface, but you look cool and calm on the surface.” 

Chairing a community event is less a noble act and more so a demonstration of dedication to a charitable cause. Any chair will tell you that the event isn’t at all about them. There’s no room for ego. It’s about how they can give their best self to the organization’s mission. 

“Leaders are responsible for creating an environment in which people feel they can be their best.” - Simon Sinek

The Chair responsibility is layered in leadership, empowerment, attention to details, and the power of human connection. I’d like to emphasize the latter as I consider it foundational to executing a successful event that yields positive volunteer engagement and high attendance. Applying a personalized approach to aligning shared interests for the cause can position the Chair leader for success.

When first stepping up to the call of duty, it’s great to seek mentorship in preparation for the responsibility of Chairperson. This can be seeking counsel from previous Chairs, or requesting guidance from the organization’s leadership and staff. 

One of the organizations that I hold near and dear are the Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) - a national organization with a 100-year history of building girls of courage, character, and confidence, who make the world a better place. This extraordinary mission aligns with my life’s purpose to be a partner with programs that support the advancement of women and young girls. 

Spanning over 20 years, GSCO honors top women leaders throughout Colorado as Girl Scout Women of Distinction (WOD). With the help of a Selection Committee of past WOD honorees, 10 women are chosen (out of dozens of nominations) for reaching remarkable levels of achievement as business, community, and civic leaders.

In the fall of 2015, I received this esteemed recognition along with 9 fellow honorees at the annual WOD Thin Mint Dinner event. What resulted was an unwavering commitment to pay it forward by raising support for GSCO leadership programs and future Thin Mint Dinner fundraisers. My dedication was immediately recognized by GSCO staff and I was asked to be a Class Agent for my WOD Class of 2015 - where I would rally my classmates to annually support GSCO. This later led to being invited to join a focus group of past honorees in planning the 20th anniversary of Women of Distinction Thin Mint Dinner in 2017. 

The following year, I was asked to be Selection Chair for the WOD Class of 2018, which would be my first foray into chairing a committee of this magnitude. Not to mention chairing a committee that actuated the genesis of my volunteer service to GSCO. In preparing for this role, I sought background from the GSCO staff on how the committee traditionally operates in selecting the 10 WOD honorees.

By seeking to understand the process, I wanted to ensure that I would be well equipped to lead our committee of seven past WOD honorees. 

The Selection Committee included veteran business and community leaders with more experience chairing high-profile events.  With this knowledge, I knew it would be important to convey confidence in my Selection Chair role, while also creating a respectful environment where everyone’s voice would be heard and our Top 10 selections would occur in a democratic fashion. Also, in an effort to maintain efficiency and be cognizant of everyone’s volunteer time, I honored the allocated hours for completing our committee objective. 

Allotting time limits to agenda items and coordinating calendars two weeks or  three months in advance, are just a few examples of how a Chair can achieve event success. Remember, the role of Chair is often more supervisory, most especially in the case of a large-scale event. Delegating responsibilities not only helps spread the workload, doing so also helps define the type of volunteer support required to fulfill the organization’s fundraising goals.

Once there is clarity around what’s needed to position a charity event for success, the Chair can begin implementing these essential steps:

• Recruit & appoint volunteer roles -  Provide clarification on expectations of roles as this empowers the Committee Chair to lean into their leadership responsibilities.
• Solicit sponsorships and ticket sales - The more prominent the Event Chair is in the community, the more influence on garnering support from local leaders and businesses. However, sponsorships and ticket sales can be assigned to a committee that can take the lead in leveraging the name recognition of the Event Chair and routinely report on sales progress.
• Support organization staff - The Event Chair sets the tone for building solidarity with the staff who often bear the majority of the logistical work.
• Recurring check-ins and open communication - Ultimately, open lines of communication between the Event Chair, staff, and committee volunteers are crucial to the success of the collective team. From providing clarity of roles, to periodic status updates, and one-on-one phone calls throughout the days leading up to the Big Event. 
• Promotions and community outreach support - The Event Chair is the lead in garnering community-wide support. While there is often a committee that oversees promotional logistics and community outreach, they provide the Event Chair with the communication tools to help disseminate information to the public. 

Agreeing to commit to a community leadership role such as Chair is much more than “having the power.” It’s about connecting with the people who are the volunteers, and doing so in an inspiring fashion.

When recommending 10 Ways to Successfully Chair an Event, Layne Gray notes, “Keep lots of personal note cards, envelopes and stamps around. Send them out willy-nilly to anyone and everyone who contributes to the success of your event.” 

Following my service as GSCO’s 2018 WOD Selection Chair, I was asked to return as Co-Chair for the 2019 WOD Thin Mint Dinner alongside my friend and admired business leader, Michelle Lucero. Together, we knew we wanted to bring an element of human connection, so we agreed we would coordinate our schedules to meet with all 10 honorees prior to the Thin Mint Dinner. The purpose of these in-person meet-ups was to make an authentic connection with each of the honorees, having a sole interest in getting to learn their stories and come to know them personally. From August through October, we managed to successfully meet with 9 out of the 10 honorees for in-person coffee meetings, lunches, or happy hours - where we celebrated their well-deserved WOD honor. 

This personalized approach in rising to the occasion of serving as Co-Chairs took our volunteer roles to a new level. We were able to more deeply connect with the women being honored, who were helping to raise money for GSCO at the annual Thin Mint Dinner. We promoted the event by sharing their stories on Facebook and Instagram with photos from our meet-ups, inviting GSCO supporters to learn more about them and purchase tickets for the October 30th fundraiser. 

Each of these meet-ups resulted in a personal connection that has extended beyond the awards dinner. We’ve shared in the celebration of women supporting women, spreading inspiration as role models to young girls and to each other.

Not only did chairing the Thin Mint Dinner prove successful with over 50 tables sold, but it was most especially a great way to elevate involvement with a charitable organization I love. It was an opportunity to develop meaningful connections with all the volunteers, staff, and honorees associated with the program. My greatest takeaway was getting to know the outstanding women honored in 2019. 

• Marti Awad - Co-founding Partner of Cardan Capital Partners, advising clients on virtually every aspect of the complexities of wealth management. 
• Honorable Judge Diane L. Briscoe - Appointed to Denver County Court in 2011, following service as an assistant city attorney for the City of Denver.
• Elycia Cook - President & CEO of Friends First, an organization that empowers all teens with tools, knowledge, and positive role models to make choices leading to healthy relationships and successful futures.
• Helen Drexler - President & CEO of Delta Dental Colorado, a healthcare non-profit improving oral health in local communities and the state’s leading dental benefits company. 
• Verónica Figoli Fleischer - President & CEO of Denver Public Schools Foundation, the strategic fundraising partner for DPS.
• Vanecia Kerr - Regional Executive Director of College Track Denver, a non-profit organization focused on ensuring students from low-income communities have access to college. 
• Dr. Theresa Szczurek - Appointed as the State of Colorado’s Chief Information Officer in January 2019, bringing a vast history of IT experience met with a tried-and-true entrepreneurial spirit - given her foundational start as a Girl Scout in 4th grade. 
• Dr. Sarah Winbourn - Medical Director of Kids First Healthcare, where she has focused her career on the medically underserved and committed to improving the health of children ages 0-21. 
• Robin D. Wittenstein - CEO of Denver Health, a complete health care system, proudly providing care for all Denver residents, delivering preventative, primary, and acute care services. 
• Helen Young Hayes - Founder & CEO of Activate Workforce Solutions, a people-centered placement agency and professional coaching firm providing economic freedom through the dignity of work - combatting intergenerational poverty. 

Tasha L. Jones 

NOTE: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.