HAND encouraging donors not to show up for latest fundraiser

Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development is testing a new kind of fundraiser this year in which it is encouraging prospective attendees not to show up.

The fundraiser, called Stay at Home for HAND, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, but there is no venue, dinner, cash bar or program.

The Noblesville-based not-for-profit, which focuses on providing affordable housing, wants donors to enjoy a night at home, doing whatever they like to do.

“We were looking for a fundraiser that spoke to what it is we do,” HAND Executive Director Jennifer Miller said. “Basically, we want people to celebrate the thing that they have that others wished they had.”

Tickets cost $75 per household or $150 for VIP households. The goal is to sell 80 to 100 tickets this year. About 40 have already been purchased.

Miller said another benefit to this non-traditional fundraiser is that it should result in more proceeds than usual because the cost to host it is significantly reduced.

“The idea is really to make sure that every dollar earned goes toward our mission,” Miller said.

The one aspect of traditional fundraisers that is included in Stay at Home for HAND is a silent auction that will be available online for attendees until 9 p.m. Saturday. Items in the silent auction range from restaurant gift cards to a week-long stay in the Bahamas.

It’s the first time HAND has tried a fundraiser like this, but Miller hopes to make it an annual tradition.

“Obviously, this is our first time out of the gate. We’re hoping for a successful evening,” Miller said. “If this goes well, this is definitely something we’ll repeat in the future.”