By Jasmine Attwell
BUCFS is back! Mark your calendars: on Feb. 6, the most anticipated event of the school year returns to the stage.
When one thinks of the charity fashion show, many picture the fabulous clothes, choreographed performances, an energetic audience, and, hopefully, a runway where nobody trips. On the other hand, the fashion show committee sees months of hard work, long to- do lists, and a business strategy that must happen before anyone walks the runway.
Photo courtesy of Bishop’s University Charity Fashion Show
Behind the scenes, BUCFS operates like any organization with a financial purpose, except success is measured by the impact on Champions For Life (this year’s charity) instead of “traditional” profit. Although the purpose may be different, there are still budgets to manage, strategies to maintain, and teams to coordinate, but most importantly, money to raise for the cause.
Ultimately, the BUCFS must operate under the premise that raising money costs money.
Every BUCFS fundraiser requires an investment, meaning the committee has to decide whether the potential return justifies the cost. The team has to ask: How much will an event cost to put on? How much money can realistically be raised? Where can we reduce? And after everything is paid for, is the margin large enough to make the event worthwhile for the charity?
Those questions are currently shaping one of BUCFS’s best- known campus traditions: Rubber Ducky. With the golf tournament returning October third, the event requires more than getting students onto the course. Food, operations, prizes, raffles and other expenses all have to be weighed against the revenue the event can generate. The fundraising and sponsorship teams also play an important role in securing community donations. Having the capital to successfully execute Rubber Ducky and other fundraising events increases what we give back to Champions For Life. Fiscal responsibility means making good financial decisions, including knowing when not to spend.
Case in point: last week’s Sip & Thrift. The Dancing with the Stars watch party and thrifting event generated a highly respectable return. The original plan included a painting component, but with materials such as paint and canvases, the committee would’ve had to take on additional costs. Claudia, Juliette, and Natascha (the lovely head coordinators) saw this as an opportunity. Noting that they needed as much student engagement as possible and recognizing the potential return on investment, they decided to pivot and use the current buzz around Dancing with the Stars as the icing on the cake. Long story short, a typical dry business strategy was made shinier.
The thrift portion itself also relied on another important resource: community support. Clothing donations provided inventory without the cost of purchasing it, allowing a larger slice of the revenue generated to contribute directly to fundraising.
Overall, one of the most important resources making this possible is volunteer labour. Every member of the charity fashion show contributes something that would carry monetary value in a traditional business. This includes the committee volunteers who dedicate hours behind the scenes and the models who bring months of ideas to life.
Up next, Rubber Ducky. Come for the golf and stay for the cause (or the prizes).
