IWCS Charity Cocktail Party – Tickets on sale in May

We’re really looking forward to our fundraising cocktail party on July 19th! Funds raised through ticket sales will be added to our annual contribution to the Frauenhaus women’s shelter  run by Frauen helfen Frauen e.V here in Stuttgart.

Even though this fundraiser is not our usual full-blown annual charity event, we still have a theme! This year we are excited about the theme ROOFTOP MENAGERIE because this event will be held at the top of the gorgeous Jaz Hotel in Stuttgart and we hope to get a little wild. We would like to encourage you to ‘dress the theme’ with your own interpretation but for some inspiration, check out our Pinterest board.

For 2019’s largest fundraising event of the year, IWCS members are invited to bring a +1 guest but tickets will be limited this year to just 40 guests total. With such limited numbers it’s important to buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Your RSVP in the Facebook event does not guarantee you a ticket; you must transfer your payment to the IWCS bank account to receive your confirmation.

All members will receive an email next week with all the necessary details about tickets, going on sale May 6th.

Frauen helfen Frauen supports women and children at risk in the greater Stuttgart area through its Frauenhaus, crisis assistance and counselling and support services. You can learn more about how IWCS donations have helped support them here.

2019 FUNDRAISING UPDATE

So far we’ve raised several hundred euros toward our annual fundraising target of €1500 but we still have many fundraising dedicated events coming up. With your support we can meet our annual contribution goals!

Some of the highlights so far have included:
Bake Off Viewing Party – €90
Clothes Swap  – €70
Fondue Lunch – €136

Upcoming events:
Candle Making Workshop
Wine Tasting walk in Hohen Asperg
Rooftop Menagerie Cocktail Party

If you have any questions about our charity work, please use the form below to contact our charity coordinator, Claire DeVaney!

[contact-form to=”charity@iwcstuttgart.org”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”By submitting this form, I agree to the storage of my personal data for the sole purpose of processing my inquiry. I agree that the International Women’s Club Stuttgart e.V. may contact me in the future via email regarding my inquiry and that my email will be deleted after processing.” type=”checkbox” required=”1″ /][/contact-form]

Hey member! Yes, you.

Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated aspects of being an IWCS member is the potential to use the network for personal growth. Did you know we even mention personal growth in our mission statement?

‘…the club offers opportunities for involvement that not only look good on a resume but also make members feel good inside.’

Taking the initiative to organize anything requiring “personal engagement” in a country where you might not speak the language can be daunting. Transforming an idea into one that works in Stuttgart can be incredibly frustrating, challenging, exhilarating and rewarding all at the same time. I learned this firsthand when I became involved with the Annual Charity Event during my second year in Germany – it’s not easy and takes real resilience but you would be surprised how far a little determination can go!

Maybe you’ve thought about doing something to give back but you’re not sure how. Perhaps you’d like to work collaboratively to reach a goal but find yourself stumped on how to start.

We can help.

With our support, many of our members have transformed their personal interest into a fundraising opportunity to support women and children in crisis through our charity partner, Frauen helfen Frauen e.V.

In the past club members have held make-up parties and donated a portion of the profits; hosted themed get-togethers such as the annual Great British Bake Off Final Viewing Party and Clothes Swap; and organized a club-wide family Summer Party where we donated the deposit money from our bottles! Both small and big ideas that add up to an impressive contribution when taken together.

We’d love to help you take an idea or something you love doing already and transform it into something that really counts.

Fundraising needn’t always be a gala event. There are plenty of ways to raise money:

  • set a goal and get your network to pledge donations
  • sell some home-made preserves, craft or artwork
  • organize a day trip with a group of kids
  • offer a service (face painting, yoga instructor, tour guide, German language tutoring, musician etc) for free
  • hold a garage/tag/jumble sale
  • organize a car rally or a scavenger hunt
  • donate a raffle prize

And if all that is simply not for you, why not get behind our other members already planning charity events this year? Check out this blog post with all the 2019 plans and details!!!

Yours in Personal Growth,
Claire DeVaney
IWCS Charity Coordinator

Have an idea? Contact Claire using this form:

[contact-form to=”charity@iwcstuttgart.org” subject=”I want to help raise money for FHF!”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”By submitting this form, I agree to the storage of my personal data for the sole purpose of processing my inquiry. I agree that the International Women’s Club Stuttgart e.V. may contact me in the future via email regarding my inquiry and that my email will be deleted after processing.” type=”checkbox” required=”1″ /][/contact-form]

What’s On: 2019 Charity Events

Back in October, we made an announcement that we wouldn’t be planning an Annual Charity Event in 2019. Our team decided to take a break from the big events this year to focus on a smaller and more personal approach.

We promised to update you on our 2019 program so that members can still help make a difference in the lives of the women and children at the Stuttgart Frauenhaus.

Here are some events already on the schedule which will directly support our fundraising efforts this year – click on the photos to see details!

2019 clothes swap

2019 coin collection

2019 book swap

 

And that is just the first quarter! Some charity events being considered for the rest of the year include a fondue lunch at a member’s home and a night out with cocktails somewhere nice.

Additionally, this year we are restructuring how we price some of our monthly special events (generally tours and cultural events). You might also notice us requesting a donation for some events in lieu of a participation fee. For other events we will start “rounding up” the oddly-priced member prepayment amounts, giving you a nice round number to transfer and some extra change for our 2019 collection.

We hope you enjoy what’s on offer and even think about getting involved in organizing a smaller event yourself! Check our Claire’s blog post about that here.

Here’s to a successful 2019 year of charity!

 

UPDATE ON 2019 CHARITY ACTIVITIES

2017 ace bubbly
2017 Black and White Night

The IWCS Annual Charity Event (ACE) has truly flourished with each passing year, growing exponentially in sophistication and offering. We are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve, raising thousands of euros for the Frauen helfen Frauen e.V. in Stuttgart.

However you may have noticed that this autumn we haven’t put out our usual call for volunteers. Around this time we would ordinarily be asking members for their ideas and skills to support the 2019 gala, but this year we have decided to make some changes to the club’s fundraising efforts.

With our La La Land theme evening this past April at the Villa Humboldt we feel we reached a real zenith. Where could we possibly go next?

We’ve realized that sustaining our upward progress would mean a real challenge and require an immense concentrated effort.

Furthermore, without significantly compromising the quality you’ve come to expect from the event, increasing your ticket price further, or finally finding a reliable and generous corporate sponsor we simply can’t top this years’ effort.

We’re also quite aware the ACE isn’t for everyone. There are plenty of members who have other interests and perhaps prefer not to attend.

But charity remains an important part of our club life and purpose, and we are still committed to Frauen helfen Frauen as our designated charity. With such a talented and diverse group of women, we of course have a goldmine of fundraising potential, ideas, and know-how.

We are keeping an eye on 2020 for the next big party but have decided for 2019 to adopt the motto that “Many hands make light work.” We will be looking for ways to decentralise the club’s fundraising efforts and host many smaller events instead of one big one. We hope this will create a broader appeal and spread the effort among the club membership.

Some strategies include:

  1. Encouraging members to set a modest fundraising goal and work with the club’s event Activity Planning team to meet it.
    We’ve already included fundraising in some of our member hosted events such as Clothes Swap, Bake-off Party, Summer Party, Mary Kaye parties; and we’ve accepted donations as event costs for very low-cost or free outings.
  2. Incorporate an element of fundraising into smaller quarterly events.
    Look out for these in 2019. We’ll aim to bring at least four charity focused events to you in the coming annual plan.
  3. Start planning for the ACE 2020.
    Don’t worry, we still love to party!  We are trying out the idea of a smaller off year in 2019 with an eye to larger events every other year, so do get excited for 2020. Stay tuned if you’ve got any great ideas for themes, venues or fundraising tips or you would like to get involved as a volunteer.

If you would like to be part of the Charity Committee for 2019 or 2020, please use the form below to contact Claire directly. We will need YOUR help to continue making our yearly donation to the Frauenhaus.

[contact-form to=”charity@iwcstuttgart.org”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=”How can you help? (It’s OK if you don’t know but just want to throw your name into the ring!)” type=”textarea” required=”1″ /][contact-field label=” By submitting this form, I agree to the storage of my personal data for the sole purpose of processing my request. I agree that the International Women’s Club Stuttgart e.V. may contact me in the future via email regarding my request and that my emails will be deleted after processing.” type=”checkbox” required=”1″ /][/contact-form]

ACE 2018: Dreamers, Here’s To You!

img_3509
Photo of the ACE Organizing Committee by Sandra Ruth

It has been my absolute pleasure to work with a fabulous team of volunteers to bring you the IWCS 2018 Annual Charity Event, which took place April 14th. I’m so proud to report that it not only proved to be a big hit with our guests, it was also a fundraising success for the Frauenhaus, with just under €2500 in profit at the end of the night!

Money raised through our efforts and everyone’s contributions, large and small, will go to Frauen helfen Frauen e.V as part of our 2018 donation to support their tireless work providing safety for vulnerable women and children right here in Stuttgart.

The Evening’s Program

This year’s event drew inspiration from the Hollywood film “La La Land,” which saw guests donning colorful clothing and enjoying a magical evening in the parlors of the sparkling Villa Humboldt.

First our guests checked out the fabulous Tombola table and bought raffle tickets while enjoying a welcome drink from our long-time sponsor, Kessler Sekt. Just like the film, the evening’s program opened with a surprise dance sequence from our friends at SwingKultur Stuttgart, whose joyful Lindy hop put everybody in the right mood. Throughout the evening, photographer Sandra Ruth captured our guests looking their finest in her photo booth and in candid shots, while Michelle and Allison served us tasty cocktails of their own design. After a delicious dinner with homemade desserts, we were entertained by the fabulous Fanny di Favola  and Raunchy Rita and taught a few swing dance moves by SwingKultur Stuttgart.

On the night of the event we raised €1010 through tombola tickets sales and the bar and dessert table took in €1055. Adding in private donations, business sponsorships, and other related fundraising activities, we’ve raised a net total of €2436!

To see pictures from our amazing evening, please visit the official IWCS ACE 2018 Photo Album.

The ACE TEAM 2018 

If you’re wondering who was responsible for all the magic, you can thank:

  • Sandra Ruth for her amazing photography and her German language skills, which helped a lot in contacting sponsors;
  • Sandra Bartsch for her decorating ideas, taking care of the raffle , keeping everything on time, and being there to tidy up after us all;
  • Vaida Kovalick for giving up her Saturday to set up and her Monday to tidy up and for doing the rather boring but necessary work of selling raffle and drink tickets during the event;
  • Michelle Moore for bringing a crowd and being an amazing hype girl, also for baking like fiend and welcoming everyone to the Villa;
  • Dorothee Klein for keeping us protected insurance-wise (making it possible for us to have candles at the event), paying all our suppliers, doing all the boring paperwork, and checking guests in at the door – Katja too!!;
  • Michelle Niese-Mendel for convincing Eurail to supply us with a MEGA major prize, inventing some amazing cocktails, and sacrificing her whole night to be at our service with said beverages;
  • Alison Mendel for allowing herself to be dragged along again like every year but being such a good sport behind the bar and running errands for me upon request;
  • Alison Tyler for whipping our bakers into line, for being the first one on site to ensure desserts were handled as they arrived, and for ensuring all the cute towers made out of old LP records were properly assembled;
  • and Emily Born for making sure everyone in Stuttgart with a Facebook account got an invitation, editing my often less-than-perfect copy writing, helping to shape and drive the entire concept, and approving pretty much everything I wanted to do.

What an amazing team. Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm, for buying into my idea and ‘getting it’!

Thanking Our Sponsors

Many of our sponsors are organizations owned and run by women in the Stuttgart community. They give generously to our cause through financial support or by donating prizes to our raffle table. If you would like to support our any of our sponsors, you can find a complete list on our website.

I look forward to helping out in 2019 – what on earth are we going to do to top this?!

Until next year,
Claire DeVaney
IWCS Charity Coordinator

IWCS Member Advertising Policy

 

We have a lot of amazing members who own small businesses and a common question is, “How can I make my fellow members aware of what I have to offer?”

The IWCS Steering Committee actually considered this question in depth a few years ago and came up with an official advertising policy for the club. If you have a service or product that you would like to let other members know about, here are some tools you can use:

Include your business in our Member Business List
Sandra has created a section in the monthly newsletter that includes your business information for members to refer to as needed. Contact her by replying to any of our newsletters or weekly reminders if you would like to be included!

Personal Networking
We encourage all of our business owners to attend IWCS events, get to know people, and share information about your skills and services in person. You can also add members you have met as friends on Facebook, who will then see any promotions you post on your personal page.

Share your expertise in an event just for members
If your business involves a special skill that you might be willing to teach to other members at a private workshop, we are happy to have you do so with your promotional materials on hand to share at the end. For example, if you are a photographer, maybe volunteer to give a seminar about taking photos at night.  Talk to one of the activities coordinators about getting an event into our official calendar.

Sponsor the next Annual Charity Event 
Donate your services or buy advertising at an upcoming Annual Charity Event and your sponsorship will be promoted at the event and on our website. Keep your eyes on the newsletter for information about the next big event.


We love our members’ entrepreneurial spirit and want to see them succeed! But please be aware of what our advertising policy does not allow:

🚫 We cannot hold any direct sales events for the IWCS (such as Tupperware) nor pay members for a presentation at an event.

🚫 Members are asked not to post business promotions in the member Facebook groups. We would like to keep those spaces ad free.

🚫 The shared member directory should not be used to send unsolicited emails to other members. Please do not send business emails to anyone who hasn’t opted in to your mailing list.

If you have any additional questions about this policy, please talk to Emily or Sandra for clarification.

 

*This post was updated on 18.12.2022