The past two years have been brutal on events and nonprofits—and life in general. Especially for those we serve, who saw their world shrink and opportunities disappear. Now more than ever we need our funding to keep up with the rising costs of caring for others. Food, transportation, and housing expenses are at what feel like an all-time high. Add in the staffing crisis impacting our industry especially hard, and the proposed cuts to disability funding, and it feels imperative that we rise up, with our partners, to meet the increasing demands.
On May 11, 2022, our partners at SixSpeed Integrated Marketing and FUSS Marketing are hosting a pre-event Transforming Lives Gala Sponsor Kickoff party. If you or anyone in your network is interested in learning how to sponsor or support our event, we would love to invite you to this preparty party. You will learn about what we do, why we are worthy of your donation dollars, and the benefits associated with sponsoring a nonprofit that has been dedicated to disability advocacy for the past 50 years.
2021 VIP sponsor event, entirely outside.
Last year we shifted plans three times to accommodate Covid restrictions and ever-changing guidance on gathering in groups. But as we plan now, entering summer, there is an air of optimism in the event landscape. Organizations have met in person for the first time in years, and many are exceeding their goals. People are happy to get out again, and companies and families alike are hungry to support organizations in need. To capitalize on the giving trends we have seen, we moved our gala from October to August. This move bodes well for better weather, or at least no worries about snow, allowing us to have an event utilizing the indoor and outdoor spaces at the Depot in downtown Minneapolis. We know people are looking for connection again and have pulled together a great evening to help us celebrate our five decades of commitment to transforming the lives of people impacted by disabilities.
We have the space, we have the emcee and the auctioneer, and we have the enthusiasm. Now we need to add a few more sponsors so we can continue to meet the needs of those we serve. Living Well Disability Services Transforming Lives Gala is coming up on August 19, and for the first time in our history we added a $50K sponsorship level. We are hopeful to raise over $350K once the event is wrapped up. Please help us rise to this challenge and support our exceptional services.
We know, sometimes it feels as if there are as many ways to raise money as there are to spend it. In supporting our mission, you will feel confident offering your time, treasure and talent to an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities live rich and full lives. We fit the parameters of most giving plans with 100% of the people we serve being both low income and disabled. We also have a workforce that is almost 80% female, and just over 50% people of color. Our mission, vision and values align well with corporate giving, and we fully believe that when people learn about us, they will fall in love with what we do, and find a way to support us.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Heather Heier, Manager of Communications and Events at heather.heier@livingwell.org. She will happily invite you to the preparty or set up a meeting to discuss the beautiful work we do.
THANK YOU
BIG THANKS to our Gala sponsors from the past three years. We couldn’t do what we do without you. With funding from government sources like Medicare only covering the basics, we rely heavily on donations to keep our services truly exceptional. We appreciate your commitment to making a direct impact on the lives of the people we serve and their families. Your preparty invites are on the way!
Pate Bonding; Galen & Karen Pate; Mike & Tina Douglas; R & M Clark Family Foundation; Forever Pets; Herve & Veronique Gindre; Wells Fargo; Geritom; Mary Jo & Walt Roberts; Bituminous Roadways; Phillips Distilling; David & Julie Jones; MidWestOne Bank; J.Zac; Federated Insurance; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Vikings; Peggy Eck; Miles & Cheri Cohen; JoAnne Zoff; Kingwood Management; Anne & Bill Losby; Mercer; Radisson Hotel Group; CBL Floors; Beth Ryan; Paul & Karen Hillen; Michael Morrow & Katherine MacKinnon; Kevin & Leslie Pleasant; Fuss Marketing; 3M; Think Bank; Timmaron Group; Gray Stone Consulting – Morgan Stanley; Tony & Lisa DeRerose; Kris & Darrell Olson; Comcast; Tapemark Company; Bell Bank Mortgage; Rollx Vans; Bolt Hoffer Boyd, Law Firm; Staples Financial.