Amid Gloomy Times- Rethink Galas and Get Togethers

The Wall Street Journal's Mike Spector writes about the difficulty business, firms and charities are facing with their traditional marketing, networking and fundraising efforts. The Robin Hood Foundation faced that issue on Tuesday when it held its annual benefit in Manhattan. A year ago, the antipoverty charity's dinner included the auction of a trip to Australia to scuba dive and have lunch with Hugh Jackman. It went for $420,000. This year, the only prizes offered at New York's Javits Center were things like opportunities to feed hungry families, enroll children in charter schools and teach new parents to care for newborns.

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Bryan Derballa for The Wall Street Journal

"Consider this ... your Yom Kippur," quipped host Jon Stewart, referring to the Jewish Day of Atonement. "You're going to donate a lot of money. Not enough, obviously, to offset all the s- you've done, but a lot."

The toned-down event reaped nearly $73 million, topping last year's $56.5 million haul. Robin Hood, founded by hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II, used some Wall Street-style financial incentives to motivate giving in a potentially tough year: Financier George Soros and Robin Hood's board of money managers and corporate executives joined forces to match contributions dollar for dollar from guests' tables during a scaled-back auction. Tables donated about $28 million during the auction, and ticket sales for the event generated another $17 million.

As New York's first spring gala season since last year's market crash kicks into gear, all sorts of charities are facing a difficult juggling act: They need to tone down the glitz to respect the terrible economy and the bubbling anger toward Wall Street excess. But they still need to stage high-profile events to attract wealthy donors.

What creative events that help the community can we you integrate into your firm's marketing efforts? A well thought-out and executed event that helps struggling community groups will encourage firm team-building, peer networking and great PR!