Foggy Bay Photos
AHA Walk
Heart Walk, held by American Heart Association
From fairs and festivals to concerts and stage plays, COVID-19 has canceled just about everything that involves big crowds and socialization. But perhaps few groups are feeling the hit harder than nonprofits, many of which lean on events like galas and golf tournaments to bring in thousands of dollars for their respective causes.
The American Heart Association Fort Worth (AHA), for example, looks forward to three signature fundraisers that take place each year: the Go Red for Women Luncheon, the Heart Ball, and Heart Walk. Go Red for Women took place as normal earlier this year. But COVID-19 canceled the 2020 Heart Ball altogether, and at press time, details for the Heart Walk were still up in the air. (Update: AHA recently announced that Heart Walk will take place virtually on Sept. 12. More information can be found here.)
This poses a problem for AHA Fort Worth — events account for 100% of the organization’s funding.
“We didn’t make our budget,” says Amber Baker, AHA’s associate executive vice president of the southwest region. “It was financially devastating across the country.”
Like many other nonprofits facing the same scenario, AHA has had to quickly come up with alternate solutions to keep the public engaged and encourage donations. One of those initiatives is Hearts of a Hundred, an ongoing fundraiser which encourages people to give online and help provide blood pressure equipment to those in need.
Foggy Bay Photos
AHA Walk
Heart Walk, held by American Heart Association
While Baker says donations in general have been smaller, AHA is still grateful for sponsors who’ve remained committed to their cause despite the cancelation of events.
The same goes for other organizations like Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth (RMHFW), which canceled both its signature events — Roadhouse and Wild Game Dinner — this year.
Rachel DeLira
Roadhouse is one signature event of Ronald McDonald House Fort Worth, which helps families with children in the hospital.
RMHFW, which provides housing for families with children in the hospital, was forced to suspend all programs March 16 – June 7 due to COVID-19. On June 8, the house once again began accepting referrals for family stays from hospital partners.
Throughout the pandemic, chief marketing officer Beth Lamb says donors have been “overwhelmingly” generous, with some event sponsors electing to support the organization with the money they already paid. For RMHFW, signature events account for 27% of the organization’s budget.
“We haven’t missed a step,” Lamb says.
BEATLEukemia Ball
Another nonprofit, Leukemia Texas, took a big hit after canceling one of its two golf tournaments and the BEATLEukemia Ball, its signature Beatles-themed gala that traditionally brings in upwards of $400,000 for research and patient aid.
As of press time, Leukemia Texas still intends to hold its Concert for a Cure and second golf tournament in the fall, though “everything is fluid,” says executive director Jessica Dunn.
“Cancer doesn’t stop. Our patients are fighting their battles every single day,” Dunn says. “We’re going to do whatever we can to support them. We’ll just keep on keeping on.”
Of course, there are other ways to give besides attending events. RMHFW, for example, is encouraging people to make online donations to programs like Meals from the Heart, which feeds families staying at the house, and Share-A-Night, which goes toward the utilities and other needs of each room. Lamb also says RMHFW takes item donations; some of the house’s biggest needs right now are cleaning products like laundry detergent and bleach, as well as gloves and hand sanitizer.
Last year’s BEATLEukemia Ball presented $100,000 to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Another way to help is to participate in North Texas Giving Day, a day-long fundraiser hosted by Communities Foundation of Texas, which encourages donors to give to one or more nonprofits from a list of thousands in the area. The next North Texas Giving Day takes place Sept. 17.
A few dates for next year’s events have been nailed down — AHA’s Heart Ball is expected to take place in May, BEATLEukemia Ball is now May 8, 2021, and RMHFW’s Wild Game Dinner is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2021. But for now, each organization hopes individual and corporate donors will remain generous — even while socially distanced.
“[Our volunteers] are disappointed, as are we, that we can’t be in-person,” Baker says. “But they’re still giving to us and toward the mission, and talking to their friends about it, knowing this is temporary.”
