Twenty years ago, "giving back" meant simply writing out a check to a charitable cause. But thanks to a rising number of fundraising events hosted by Twin Cities nonprofits and cultural institutions, donating money has become a social act.
These events give their organizations an opportunity to showcase the work they do while engaging their audience, and offer donors a chance to participate in local culture, mixing fundraising with fun.
Events provide a major source of funding for Twin Cities nonprofits. In 2013, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported that Minnesota's top 25 fundraising events grossed $37.6 million that year, an 18 percent increase from five years earlier. The Starkey Hearing Foundation's annual gala is the biggest in the state, boasting celebrity guests and live performances from big names such as Katy Perry and Elton John. Its 2016 event, So the World May Hear, raised a record-breaking $9.5 million.
State of the art
Perhaps the most stylish fundraising soiree is Walker Art Center's annual Avant Garden. The event provides guests with a unique opportunity to dress to the nines and party at one of the Twin Cities' most celebrated cultural institutions. While typically held on the grounds of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which is under construction, the upcoming Nov. 19 event moves inside the art museum, with the grand opening of its new main entrance and the exhibition "Question the Wall Itself." In addition to an art auction, food and cocktails, and a set by a Tribe Called Quest DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the event will also debut new commissions by artists Frank Big Bear, Philippe Parreno and Aaron Spangler.
"It's a quintessential Minneapolis art event," said Anne Labovitz, a professional artist who is co-chair of this year's event. "It's a great way to support the Walker and come together as a community around contemporary art."
Avant Garden is integral to the Walker's bottom line. The 2015 event netted more than $625,000, its most successful to date. Tickets to this year's event range from $125 for a single "Silver Key" ticket to a $10,000 package price that includes entry for 10 guests, a reserved table and a VIP reception with the Walker's executive director, Olga Viso.
Whoa, baby
Though it was founded in 2010, the Newborn Foundation has produced its annual fundraising event, Babies & Badasses, only for the past three years. Until then, the organization, which is dedicated to combating newborn mortality and connecting fragile infants with medical care, had done little to no fundraising because it had been built on corporate contributions and grants.
"We used to joke that we have the smallest footprint for an organization in the public health world," said the Newborn Foundation's Annamarie Saarinen. "People in the public health ecosystem knew about us, but people on the street had no idea who we were."
