FundraisingHouse Party Guide

Friends of MFK

How to Host a Fundraising House PartyOne way supporters of Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) can raise money and awareness to support our mission is by hosting a fundraising party. This is a great way to catch up with friends while raising awareness about the MFK mis-sion and the important work being done to save lives and create a sustainable future for Haiti.

A house party can come in many forms. You know your guests better than anyone. So, you may want to consider a party theme you know your guests will be comfortable with and enjoy. Some examples of this might include:

• A casual barbecue or pool party• A wine and cheese gathering• A potluck gathering• A small dinner party

Whatever the theme, the purpose of the party is to connect with friends and loved ones and to introduce them to Meds & Food for Kids’ mission and vision.

Next Steps...• MFK will provide you with an invitation template that can be sent to your guests via e-mail. However, if you

wish to mail an invitation, you are welcome to create your own.

• Be sure to specify on the invitations that this will be a fundraising event! The purpose of the party is NOT to ambush your friends and family. Let them know that MFK and its mission is important to you and you want to share this with them.

• You should also indicate there will be a presentation and that the guests will have the opportunity to meet MFK’s founder, Dr. Patricia Wolff (a prearranged date must be set to ensure Pat’s availability at your event). Specify the time of the presentation to ensure that as many people as possible will be in attendance for this por-tion of the evening.

• It is advisable to invite twice the number of people you would like to attend. You should send your invitations at least one month in advance and request and RSVP at least one week in advance.

• MFK will provide you with printed materials and donation envelopes. We recommend sending the donation envelope with the invitation (or provide them a donation link in an e-mail). This will ensure that even those who are unable to attend will still have opportunity to donate.

• Follow up.... A week before the event call those who have not already sent in an RSVP to confirm their atten-dance. Remind them about the event. The most well-attended house parties are typically the result of the host or hostess making a reminder call.

Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) is dedicated to saving the lives of Haiti’s malnourished children and other nutritionally vulnerable people.

We achieve our mission by developing, producing, and distributing highly nutritious foods, including the gold-standard Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). We make our food products in Haiti, employing Haitian workers and, whenever possible, using Haitian raw materials. Haitians call our RUTF “Medika Mamba” which means “Peanut Butter Medicine” in Creole.

Our vision is a four-pronged approach to creating a sustainable solution for Haiti, including:

85%

MALNUTRITION TREATMENT

...success rate treating severe malnutrition

42

JOB CREATION

...Haitian workers employed, providing much needed

technical capability

1,120...farmers trained.

Improving yields and the quality of their peanuts

3,237...children benefitted from research to test the efficacy of a nutritious school snack

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PREVENTION

Today

To date, MFK had saved the lives of over 120,000 children. The factory, which opened its doors in August of 2013, employs over 40 Haitian workers.

Recently, MFK introduced two new products to aid in the treatment of malnutrition: Mamba Djanm/Plumpy Sup, a treatment for moderate malnutrition and Vita Mamba, a nutritious snack for school children.

MFK also recently completed construction of a Demonstration Farm at our Factory, enabling us to do important agricultural research. Our team has trained over 1,120 farmers and we continue to be the largest buyer of locally-sourced peanuts in the region.

MFK was founded! After visiting Dr. Mark Manary in Malawi, Dr. Wolff introduced Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Haiti. With a hand crank and a desire to save lives, MFK was born.

2003

In 2009, MFK’s RUTF became the gold-standard for treating malnutrition in the world, and MFK’s treatment protocol became Haiti’s national requirement. 2009

2010 In 2010, MFK became a member of Nutriset's PlumpyField Network.

2011

In 2011, MFK began building a state-of-the art factory in Cap Haitien, Haiti. The new factory has the capacity to produce enough Medika Mamba to treat 80,000 children annually.

About MFK

Checklist

q Determine a few possible dates for your event

q Contact MFK to confirm Dr. Wolff’s availability

q Finalize your date and create your invitation list

q Send your invitation to family & friends (30 days prior to your event)

q Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) to talk about MFK and your party

q Share the MFK website and Facebook page so your guests can learn more about MFK before attending

q Create a Facebook event page to promote your event with family & friends

q Send a reminder to invited guests to RSVP

q Make personal phone calls to guests to ensure their participation

q Make final preparations for the event (food, wine, music)

q Receive printed materials and a copy of the video from MFK (1 week prior to your event)

q Test the DVD to ensure it plays

q Create a guest sign-in sheet that includes name, address & e-mail (this is important for thank you notes)

q Event Day - Prep the food - Display the donor cards and printed materials - Display sign-in sheet - Ensure there are plenty of pens on-hand

q Collect donation envelopes and give them to Dr. Wolff (or MFK representative)

q After the event (within 48-hours) - E-mail or write thank you notes to guests - Send MFK the sign-in sheet (we will send personalized thank you notes as well) - Collect any additional donations and send to MFK