House Parties
Introduction
One of the easiest special events, and sometimes one of the most lucrative, is the common house party. In some ways, it seems ludicrous to describe how to do a house party, since anyone who has ever had a birthday party, school picnic, anniversary celebration, a small wedding or bat mitzvah already possesses the knowledge and experience necessary to organize and host a house party. However, because sometimes the seemingly easy events are fraught with pitfalls, some obvious and not-so-obvious tips on hosting a house party are described below.
What is a House Party?
A house party is a social event organized by staff, board members and/or volunteers associated with a nonprofit organization whereby they invite their friends to a party at their house as a means of educating attendees about a particular issue, establishing greater name recognition for the organization, and generating financial support for the organization.
Education – A house party is a good way to raise consciousness about the issues addressed by the host’s organization. House parties are best used to explain a complicated issue to many people at once, allowing them to ask questions and get the information they want. In the early days of the United Farm Workers movement, for example, house parties were used to explain the plight of migrant farm workers and the concept of UFW union to sympathetic, middle-class, non-agricultural people who had financial ability to give, but possessed little concrete information about the movement.
Name Recognition – A house party enables a group of people to meet someone famous or important whose work is related to the cause championed by the host’s organization. For example, a candidate for office, a prominent spokesperson for the cause, a person who has direct life experience related to the cause. This person gives a testimonial or asserts a particular viewpoint, and the host describes what people can do to respond (vote, give money, boycott, give money demonstrate, give money). Attendees often feel compelled to take action and more apt to remember the organization because in their minds it is associated with the moving testimonial.
Financial Support – A house party provides a social setting to meet people, see old friends and eat good food. When organized correctly, it sets up a cordial atmosphere for someone not familiar with the group to hear a lot about it, ask questions, and get some personal attention without being obligated to give. People can either give a very small gift or not give at all without embarrassing themselves, and they can attend without having to pay to get in. No matter what else you ask people to do, ask them to give money. It is the only thing they can do right on the spot and, because it is usually the most passive action, it requires the least amount of work. There are five steps to putting on a house party.
To organize a house party and invite Kimmie Weeks to speak email: natsumi@peaceforkids.org
Download full how to guide: house-party-how-to.doc