Dear Gala Sponsor

April 2015

Dear Gala Sponsor,

This past winter season, HopeWorks has seen a dramatic increase in the number of calls we get from the hospital requesting advocacy services for those who need medical attention due to their victimization and we have seen record use of our hotel program because our shelter has been too full to accept new clients. Fundraising for us is imperative as grant funds don’t cover all the expenses of providing critical services to victims of sexual and domestic violence. However, the upfront costs and labor involved in fundraising events not only takes time and energy away from direct client services, but often results in a narrow margin between expense and profit. With your help, we want to take a fun, new approach this Spring.

On Friday, May 29th, we will host our first annual Comfy Couch Soiree – a virtual fundraising gala. This is a chance for all our friends and allies to continue to support HopeWorks’ mission without the obligation of coming to an event. Instead of buying a new outfit, hiring a babysitter and spending Friday night eating rubber chicken, folks can kick off their shoes, slide on their fuzzy slippers and fundraise for HopeWorks from the comfort of their own couch. We will ask people to send a donation for what they would have spent coming to our gala, but forgo actually attending an event. Folks will be encouraged to post pictures of themselves on their couch on social media and we will live tweet that evening about what fun things folks are doing instead of attending a traditional gala.

HopeWorks needs your help to reach our goal of $35,000 and we ask you to become a sponsor of this virtual event.

Enclosed is a description of the different sponsorship levels and benefits. Your support will not only help fund programs and services essential to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, it will also bring significant exposure to your organization among members of our community. As a past sponsor of our traditional galas, you know that sponsorship means more that than just financial support – it is a way to publicly demonstrate that we will no longer tolerate these types of violence in Howard County. This year we will be able to increase your exposure by including certain levels of sponsorship in a full page ad that will run in the Columbia Flyer. In addition, 100% of your sponsorship is tax deductible as there are no goods or services exchanged for your contribution.

Thank you in advance for your on-going support and for strategically investing your dollars in an approach that will result in a greater impact on survivors of sexual and domestic violence in our community. For more information, please contact me at or 410-997-0304.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Pollitt Hill

Jennifer Pollitt Hill, MSW

Executive Director