20th Anniversary Nonprofit Gala Washington DC

Brief: For its annual gala, this Virginia-based non-profit hosted silent and live auctions to raise funds to support its mission, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and achievements to date, and to look forward into the future.

Concept: With the unifying concept of “Celebrate Sizanani” and being that it was the 20th anniversary for the organization, we used the organization’s brand guide for the color palette and embraced the essence of its mission. We developed pre-event communications with attendees, managed on-site registration, volunteer coordination, graphic design and printing, vendor sourcing and coordation, and on-site event management.

To get the most out of our budget and to ensure that our client reached its fundraising goal, we were intentional about our design choices and opportunities. Here are some design examples:

• For our tablecloth, we chose the Yoruba design from Table Manners. Yoruba is the name of a West African ethnic group.
• On cocktail tables, we topped them with colorful fabrics sourced from South Africa
• Catering servers wore South African-design vests
• Handmade crafts from South Africa served as centerpieces, which were also available for sale as a fundraiser during the event.
• Lubanzi Wines, a South African producer, sponsored the cocktail reception wines.
• For background music, we played South African musicians and musical groups.