Volunteering - Am I Crazy, or Just Overcome With Passion?

Am I crazy? I’ve volunteered to chair a major fundraiser for Art In Action next March. I have no prior experience running an event like this. The closest I’ve come is having a few large dinner parties, but this event is on a whole new level. And it’s a challenging time in the economy, and I’m really busy in my work and personal life already, but...

I was at a recent Art In Action board meeting - the meeting where I was being considered as one of three new board members. The voting in was to take place at the end of the evening, after we candidates left the room. But before that, there was a robust discussion about the needs of the organization in the coming year - where to focus resources, what direction to take on program development and marketing, and how next year’s fundraiser would factor into the planning. Several times, Board members mentioned almost in passing, how identifying a chair for the 2012 event was an urgent need. The planning for major fundraiser events typically starts immediately after the event concludes, and here it was already May. This years fundraiser, Atelier d‘Artistes, was in early March.

I kept feeling the urge to raise my hand, then I would remember a little plastic tote bag a friend gave me awhile ago that is emblazoned with smiling Mad-Men vintage women saying “Stop Me From Volunteering Again.” Throughout the rest of the meeting, the urge to chair this event didn’t diminish. I wrestled with whether I could volunteer if I wasn’t officially on the board yet. Surely they would welcome any help, but I wasn’t sure about protocols, so I stayed silent. But my years of project management experience kept leading me to think “I can do this!”  I can organize and lead Art in Action to hold a highly successful event in 2012. After we three new people were excused so the Board could vote, I stepped into the Finance Manager’s office and asked if she could tell me more about the chair’s responsibilities. Immediately, I felt I could and should volunteer for this position.

I am passionate about Art In Action’s mission, which is to ensure that schools continue to provide art, in spite of budget struggles that have eliminated many art and other important programs such as music and sports. Art In Action is a cornerstone of the art programs in my community, including Alvin Hatch, El Granada, Farallone View and King’s Mountain schools. In a matter of only a few minutes, I decided that the most value I could bring to Art In Action would be to work to ensure that one of their major funding sources for 2012, the event proceeds, was handled carefully and thoughtfully. 

I may be crazy - I will have to motivate and lead people I haven’t even met yet through this process to raise more than $100K for the important programs Art in Action delivers to K-12 schools throughout the Bay Area and throughout the US as they continue to expand.  And, I am passionate about Art In Action, and I know myself well enough to know that energy will carry me through the challenges chairing this event will present. I will learn a lot, and I have a huge network of people to call on for advice. I have fresh new ideas, and I’m committed to making it easy and fun! So away we go....and please let me know if you have ideas for underwriting, sponsors or a great speaker for next year's event, which will be March 12th.