Get Seen if You Participate in a Charity Event or DON’T DO IT!

There is a very fancy smancy Country Club next to the new store and the houses that are built on and around the Country Club are absolutely amazing. This posh neighborhood hosts a bunch of local charity events that I’ve been trying to get involved with. Not only do I want our store and staff to be apart of the community but this is a great way to give back and get seen…so I thought.

After awhile of hunting down a bunch of women who are on the board of these charity events—one finally called me and asked me to participate in their auction for which all proceeds would go to a hospital for cancer patients. A local gentleman living in that neighborhood was affected by the disease and his family has now started this fund for other local patients who’ve been affected as well.

The store wasn’t open, but I decided to participate with a Guliani’s Fine Jewelry gift card. I was also allowed to place a beautiful board (containing our stores theme) on a large easel that would be seen all three days, an excerpt about Guliani’s in their neighborhood newsletter, and so forth.

Finally, it came time for me to iron our all the details and I asked the event coordinator, “How many people may I bring with me to the event?” The event coordinator says, “Oh, I’m sorry. The companies that donated to our wonderful cause will get press through our newsletter and their easels that will be set-up all three days.”

I had already committed prior to asking these questions, and I really didn’t know how these event worked so I said, “Oh, okay.”

That was a couple months ago—looking back that was a huge mistake and I will not make it again. I was just contacted by another woman who also coordinates events in the same neighborhood and this time I stood my ground and said, “Guliani’s would like to participate in the auction as long as we can attend to network and promote our efforts for this wonderful cause.”

Participating in events like these should be mutually beneficial. The store needs to be recognized for its efforts. Get seen or don’t do it—there are hundreds of great causes that will allow your store to be recognized for its efforts. I’m not saying you need to be present at every auction/charity even you participate in but if they deny you or your staffs presence your money/merchandise needs to go elsewhere.