My Fundraising Dream in Paris
 

I might be out of my mind but that's usually where my best ideas come from. The first time I went to Paris I had this vision of putting together an event that will fund raise for a cause. No experience doing anything like that so I'm fully aware of the learning curve. I love throwing parties but have only done it in a smaller scale (family and friends). The idea in my head is it will be in Paris, around 50-200 people (flexible), luxury experience that someone like me can afford (50-100 euros).

Where, How, When, What: Those have not been decided yet. I will need your help!

I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life and I decided to start with something I love. I love creating, I love Paris, I love food, I love quality wine and liquors, I love beauty, I love people who care beyond themselves, I love feeling productive, I love achieving a goal, I love the potential of opportunities that might come out from this, I love thinking big and outside of the box, and most importantly, there is nothing that feels more fulfilling than living the life you love and helping others while you're at it.

What I don't love: feeling insanely intimidated, feeling like there is no way I can pull this off because I don't speak French, I've only been to Paris a few times and constantly still get lost after 3 months there, feeling humiliated if it doesn't turn out well, feeling no one will come to the event, the feelings of self doubt, the feelings really come from an endless pit that I constantly try to beat down with self empowering feelings.

I know it might be a silly dream but I really want to do it. I know I can do it and do it incredibly well. I just need to prepare what needs to be prepared to experience a memorable fund raising event.

All input welcome. Merci.

You're quite late in this idea, because party organizers have existed in Paris for the last 50 years or so. And now the online romance/sex sites have entered the fray and have inundated the market with TV commercials for their events. Meetic.com, for example. On top of that, Paris remains the #1 city in the world for "swingers" events in mansions and suburban châteaux, so if you were thinking about that, it is already covered, too.

You're out of your mind or putting us on? Better check with a Parisian authorities first to see if you can get the necessary permits, etc. How are you going to advertise such an event, which Paris probably does not lack?

Fodorgarchs should have lots of fun with this one!

That is very enlightening. However I want nothing to do with that. I was thinking more like a classy event benefiting social causes in France.

How about going first to some of those type events that kerouac a Parisian himself is on about?

Seems like a pipe dream to me - what have you been smoking?

first get a co-sponsor or planner that speaks French - why in Paris - why not in London or some British city where English is spoken?

Sorry to rain on your parade but this is a non-starter once you think of the logistics and red tape you may have to go thru to even get a permit and if you charge I think you will need one.

I was thinking more like a classy event benefiting social causes in France.>

Try to get their sponsorship - maybe appeal to Americans in Paris to negate the language issue - lots of Americans always in Paris who may be enticed by this - pass out fliers to them as they enter the Louvre,Notre-Dame, etc.

If charities and social causes are your objective, that has been covered for the last 300 years in Paris. You would have to think of a social cause that nobody has ever thought of before. Perhaps something along the line of financing gender reassignment for Syrian refugees.

Do you have the financial capability to actually pull this off? Douteux...

Have you ever arranged a big party before? If yes, did it go well?

What will you do if not all of the invited guests actually come? Will you be able to pay for the food and the venue and the entertainment if only half or a third of the paying guests turn up?

How are you going to convince people that your cause is a good one and that the money will actually go to the cause? I'm not saying you're trying to scam people, but if you don't get enough paying guests you aren't going to have any money to give to the cause after paying the bills for the party.

I think it will be extremely difficult to do something like that without contacts and at least some start up money.

If you truly do want to do this, you should start by volunteering to help other people set up fundraising parties. See how it's done and what can go wrong. Get some contacts that you can use as references for when you try it on your own later.

Do you have liability insurance - that may be required or advisable? How about security - in light of the terrorist bombing of an American concert recently?

Do your footwork to see if this scheme is even possible, legally and financially.

€50-€100 won't buy a luxury event.

Without fluent French and a host of important connections, this is truly a pipedream. Just the phrase you used, "benefiting social causes in France," suggests you don't have a clue. Sorry, but there are thousands and thousands of "social causes" already well-assigned to professionals in France who know what they're doing. Did you have a particular, new one in mind? Something that hundreds of people haven't already thought of?

You cannot even begin to imagine what kinds of detailed, technical paperwork you will need even to attempt something like this. And it will all have to be done in French and apostillé at the cost of 60 euros per page.

I'd spend my time learning the language while you ponder this.

My first thought was that anyone who says "I love thinking big and outside of the box" seems most definitely an inside-the-box thinker, a walking cliche. People who create just do it, and here you are talking big to people who (for the most part I think) aren't even a little interested. This is a travel forum. Saying Paris does not a travel question make. Please go find the fulfilling-your-life forum.

Doing this event wouldn't be just a learning curve, it would be a whole circle. You don't know venues, florists, musicians, chefs or caterers. You don't know the best people to set up and decorate tables, etc. You don't know where to rent things. All this is hard enough to do in your own language. Are you fluent in French? If not, better get going or you will have to hire someone who is.

I did a very small wedding in another state. Having to rely on people I had never met was horrible. I ended up hiring a local planner to deal with renting and setting up chairs, getting food, etc. Still, several things went wrong and could not be fixed at the last minute.

Lots of organizations (museums, schools, theaters, women's clubs, zoos) do these all the time. Most of them already have the support of an existing social group or network to attend the event. Why don't you get your feet wet by getting involved with one of those events near you?

Just about everybody loves the same things you do. Nothing unusual in that. Loving something yourself has little to do with providing it for others. I like food - doesn't mean I should run a restaurant. I like kids - doesn't mean I should run a day care.

Food, music, flowers, venue, some one who speaks French to deal with the suppliers you use, tickets, promotions, advertising and sales. Since suppliers would not know you or have worked with you before, they will not give a line of credit. You will have to pre-pay everything.l

IMHO, 50-100 euros pp would not be a luxury event.
100 people, 50 euros each = 5,000 euros.
100 people, 100 euros each = 10,000 euros.
Your costs per person will probably exceed that. Certainly nothing left over for any charity.

Not saying you can't do this at some point, but get some experience first.

Perhaps the best gauge of what the essential elements of this type event are and whether you can pull it off, is to put on such an event where you are. You would not want to experiment for the first time in a foreign country where you (a) don't know what the social and cultural issues are, (b) don't know the lay of the land, and (c) don't have the social contacts to make this a successful event.

Your idea is not silly at all - don't listen to the misery gutses above. What a bunch of middle aged sad sacks.

Start small. A dinner party for ten - pull that off with aplomb. Then move on to a bigger event - a party for everyone you know - make it theme based and charity focused if that is your wish. In the meantime, crash course your French!. You don't need to be living in Paris to do this in fact I think your idea would fly where people *dream* of Paris.

If your party goes off without a hitch, offer to plan parties for your friends and their friends. Network and create links.

Good for you and don't be dissuaded by all that negativity.

You have only done some family dinners -- and think €50 - €100 equals 'luxury'. Even €1000 wouldn't be a <i>luxury</i> event. High profile charity dinners charge in the region of €10,000 to host a table.

Heck, €50 won't buy a nice dinner w/ more than one glass of wine . . . in a middle of the road restaurant. You mention 'quality wine and liquors' . . . @ €50 a head???? Silly.

>>I know it might be a silly dream but I really want to do it. I know I can do it and do it incredibly well. I just need to prepare what needs to be prepared to experience a memorable fund raising event. <<

Not one word you have posted indicates you have any idea what to do.


>><i><blue>I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life and I decided to start with something I love. I love creating, I love Paris, I love food, I love quality wine and liquors, I love beauty, I love people who care beyond themselves, I love feeling productive, I love achieving a goal, I love the potential of opportunities that might come out from this, I love thinking big and outside of the box, and most importantly, there is nothing that feels more fulfilling than living the life you love and helping others while you're at it.</blue></i><<

Is mostly gibberish out of some life coach's self help book.

Sorry - but you are living in fantasyland. As a small - very small - part of my business I often have to supervise organization of upscale events for members of our group in various places around the world.

Here are your problems:

You don't speak French
You have no connections to organizations you might want to support
You have no local connections to know anything about how to set up an event like this
Your budget is woefully inadequate just to cover expenses - where would the money come from to donate to this organization
Your number of people makes no sense unless it is a very expensive event that would be $1K or more per person
When you do this you need to be able to demonstrate substantial financial backing or no venue will work with you
If they don't have insurance you will need to provide it
You will need to figure out how to market this event and create the necessary materials, including design, copy and production (not cheap), as well as identifying the best targets and disseminating the information to them

If this is really your dream I suggest you learn some basic French - or head to an english speaking country - and look for a stater job in this industry. Then in a few years, when you understand how it works, you can hit up relatives to give you the funds necessary to start up a business.

And one other point. This type of business is incredibly detail oriented with checking and rechecking every facet of the event. If you constantly get lost in Paris (IMHO not easy) I would work on putting in the effort to solve that problem as a first step.

Sorry - you don;t need "self-empowering feelings". The feelings you are having are perfectly normal considering what you are trying to do. What you need is some actual thought and experience about what you are doing.

NO ONE starts at the top unless daddy is handing them the business.

Kerouac who lives in Paris has addressed some of the more obvious points. For me, red flags went up when you said you didn't speak French. Sorry but a crash course simply won't get you there. Also if you have spent time in Paris surely you realize that € 50/100 is no where near luxury point. See janisj's response.

One thing that no one has yet mentioned is your financial situation. Such a project will require a genuous outlay of money. Can you afford to finance such a project?Do you have any contacts in Paris? Any experience in this area? Certainly your list of things that you don't love point out some important weaknesses and to some degree a lack of confidence. And, you want to rely on this forum for help? My advice is to start out on a much smaller scale and do it where you live, not in Paris!

It's amazing to me how this forum brings out the nastiest, rudest, and most negative aspects in some of you! There's really no need to be so harsh on this person!

Dotted stripes, it's obvious that your post comes from a good heart and from a person who is looking to raise money for a good cause, and to help others. That's commendable.

You may need to start on a very small scale and in a different location, and work your way up. Maybe start in a city where English is the primary language, and rent banquet hall, find a local band, a cheap caterer, and advertise to family, coworkers, and friends that the money goes toward a specific charity. Pick a charity close to your heart. Have a raffle and the winner wins 2 plane tickets to Paris. Then move from that onto something bigger the next time.

Your heart is in the right place. Ignore the nasty comments. Do some research. It's a great goal to have :)

There have been no nasty comments. Most have just pointed out the real problems in trying to achieve this dream. Please note the OP's comment << all input welcomed>> Shouldn't anyone pursuing such a task be aware of the difficulties? Would it be better not to mention them? No one questioned the integrity of the OP's goal just addressed the realities involved in achieving it.

Janisj - how about you go read a self-help book? You could clearly do with a bit of positivity. I wonder if you were every young once and put a dream out there - only to have it ridiculed and mocked?

Where is the empathy from ANYONE who can remember what it was like? A bit of encouragement wouldn't go astray.

OP - I would take your plans away from this bunch of pontificating beard-strokers who think they all run the world because they travel a bit.

Blueeyedcod: >>A bit of encouragement wouldn't go astray.<<

Since you are such an Italy expert, why not help the OP - tell her how she can accomplish this in Venice or Rome. Can't - right?


Maybe you can bankroll her --

Historytraveler, your comments were not rude. But read again. Several of the others were extremely rude, mean, and condescending. There's nothing wrong with pointing out the faults in her plan, but it can be done in a respectful way.

I wasn't rude -- I was direct and explained that her concept of luxury is wildly (WILDLY) off. That she doesn't have any experience other than family dinners.

I will concede that 'gibberish' was a strong word and could/maybe should have omitted that bit. But <i>read</i> that section . . . if it isn't gibberish, it definitely is bushwa.

brubenow -

Sorry - but what you are recommending is illegal. Only registered charities can provide the donors with the opportunity to take deductions for their contributions. And holding a lottery is against the law almost everywhere except under the aegis of a registered charity.

The OP has very high flown ideas but no concept of what s/he is doing. Encouraging him/her to just wander off and do something like this without understanding the rules/regs can result in him/her unwittingly committing a crime.

Charitable donations are subject to rules/regs (granted different everywhere) and this is a very easy business in which to get in way over one's head.

Giving the OP some basic information is not being rude. It's helping to bring some fantasies back down to earth - so perhaps the OP can eventually do what s/he wants. Blind encouragement is not a positive response - it's preventing the OP from actually getting anywhere.

I'm still wondering - fund-raising for what? Does not the "who" & "why" logically come before the "...Where, How, When, What: Those have not been decided yet." ??? I don't think it's rude to point out the gaping holes in the proposed venture. In any case, I think we've been had.

JanisJ - have you heard of Caritas? All donations gratefully accepted. The OP does not have to set up a charity - what nonsense.

You can still have a small, local fundraiser where the money is given to a registered charity, for example, The American Cancer Society, and the fundraiser doesn't need to be run by that charity. The OP can organize it, collect the checks which are made out to that charity, and send the money on. That's legal and tax deductible.

And I'm not talking about a lottery. I said a raffle. Very basic.

I've been to dozens of local fundraisers for local charities, or even to cover medical expenses for someone in need. School fundraisers also come to mind. There a dozens of options that are not going to get her arrested, don't worry. It doesn't need to be that complicated starting out.

And I agree, giving basic information is not being rude. But the manner in which that information is given, can be and was. By several posters. You know who you are.

Blueeyedcod: >>JanisJ - have you heard of Caritas? All donations gratefully accepted. The OP does not have to set up a charity - what nonsense.<<

Where did I even mention the word 'charity' or setting up a charity? I never addressed that issue at all. I have no idea what you are blaming me for now . . .

Since the odds are overwhelmingly against the OP being able to pull off a luxury charity event in a city where she doesn't speak the language or understand the paperwork involved, why not just pick an existant charity in Paris, hold the event where she lives, and send the money to Paris? That way, everybody will have a good time.

brubenow wrote: "You can still have a small, local fundraiser where the money is given to a registered charity, for example, The American Cancer Society, and the fundraiser doesn't need to be run by that charity. The OP can organize it, collect the checks which are made out to that charity, and send the money on. That's legal and tax deductible. "

And what happens if you have this small, local fundraiser doesn't raise enough money to cover the costs?

If you have told everyone the money will go to this specific charity, the donors will want to know their money actually goes there. If you don't get a receipt from the registered charity, how can the donors do a deduction? If I was a donor I would certainly be upset.

If a donor got really angry he/she might accuse the organizer of fraud. Even if the organizer did have honest intentions it would get messy. And the registered charity that was named in all the invitations would also be upset, since it could taint their reputation.

There's already WATO, so the OP can desist.

https://www.facebook.com/wearetheoracle

Janisj - You said how can she accomplish this? she can accomplish her charitable intentions by giving to Caritas - that was my point. As for the whole event thing - hey just start small. Of course she can do it in Italy. Not everyone is not stuck in some time warp with nonna doing all the cooking for all the family gatherings all the time. I wish her well.

In France, one can deduct from one's income tax 75% of the amount given to charities who help "persons in difficulty" and 66% for donations to other charities or foundations. And this includes donations to charities in other countries of the EU as well as in Norway and Iceland (but not Switzerland). For this reason, most people prefer to finance charities directly to get a personal receipt rather than paying something to an organizer who may or may not donate to a charity.

https://www.service-public.fr/partic...vosdroits/F426

I admire OP's dreams, but question whether they are practical, never mind legal, just as others have done.

Presumably OP is intending to make a living out of this as well as donate to charity? In which case they instantly hit the problem of a work visa, unless they are an EU citizen.

No experience at all, unrealistic prices, no French, or connections in France, all major obstacles, to put it mildly.

Start with trying this at home, with friends and family. See ho you get on with organising such an event, be prepared to make a loss though!!

I might be out of my mind but that's usually where my best ideas come from. The first time I went to Paris I had this vision of putting together an event that will fund raise for a cause.

I have read the first post several times--and the many interesting responses. It is more than obvious that the OP has no experience in fund raising. I am active in a several organizations that DO fund raise (and it ain't easy no matter the BEST of causes) and realizing a significant profit (aka, donation to the charity) over costs comes down to the number of corporate sponsors enlisted to underwrite the event. IME it is impossible to charge enough for the event to net significant money after expenses.

Above is the OP's first sentence which I find totally fascinating and I am pretty sure she is the ONLY person in the world with this experience of seeing Paris for the first time.

The red herring of "you can contribute to Caritas" is interesting. One of the first necessities in attracting people to go to an extravagant fund raiser anywhere is a devotion and belief in the cause it will support to be willing to pay the fee. It is highly personal and finding a guest list of invitees with that desire is required.

I think this could be a way for the OP to get a free trip to Paris on the premise of a "good cause". :o)

I might be out of my mind but that's usually where my best ideas come from. The first time I went to Paris I had this vision of putting together an event that will fund raise for a cause.

I have read the first post several times--and the many interesting responses. It is more than obvious that the OP has no experience in fund raising. I am active in a several organizations that DO fund raise (and it ain't easy no matter the BEST of causes) and realizing a significant profit (aka, donation to the charity) over costs comes down to the number of corporate sponsors enlisted to underwrite the event. IME it is impossible to charge enough for the event to net significant money after expenses.

Above is the OP's first sentence which I find totally fascinating and I am pretty sure she is the ONLY person in the world with this experience of seeing Paris for the first time.

The red herring of "you can contribute to Caritas" is interesting. One of the first necessities in attracting people to go to an extravagant fund raiser anywhere is a devotion and belief in the cause it will support to be willing to pay the fee. It is highly personal and finding a guest list of invitees with that desire is required.

I think this could be a way for the OP to get a free trip to Paris on the premise of a "good cause". :o)