After capping off a successful year raising money for the Port Washington School District, the Ed. Foundation will host its first fundraising event for the new school year.
On Nov. 11, the Ed. Foundation, an organization that raises private money for grants for Port Washington schools, is holding its second annual Progressive Dinner.
Patrons will pay $75 for “one evening in three homes,” said Paula Whitman, the foundation’s president.
“It’s a good fundraiser that’s different than something like a gala,” Whitman said. “People get to move around and talk to new people and go to different houses. People get to spend time with a lot of different people.”
Patrons will begin the night at a house in Sands Point for a cocktail hour, and then split up among 12 to 14 houses where they will eat dinner.
The night will be capped off when the patrons meet for dessert.
About 180 people participated last year, and this year the foundation is hoping for around 200, Whitman said.
In the spring, the Ed. Foundation hosted a gala that costs around $150 to attend, more than the Progressive Dinner.
But Whitman said the Progressive Dinners attract people who are deterred by the gala’s high cost.
“It’s $75, which is a much lower ticket price, so it appeals to more people who might balk at the gala,” Whitman said. “It also serves another purpose: It brings in new people that we’re not used to seeing. Usually we run into the same people at these events, but for the Progressive Dinner, we see a lot of new faces that can help out.”
Unlike a gala where the Ed. Foundation would provide food and drinks and pay for the venue, Whitman said, the host families will provide the food and drinks, which allows the foundation to raise more money.
The Progressive Dinner brings in a younger crowd, too, Whitman said, attracting families with kids in kindergarten and younger.
“We get to meet all these new people with younger kids who might not know what we do and what we’re about,” she said.
In January, the Ed. Foundation will be hosting a family game night, where families will compete against each other in a Family Feud-like event.
In the spring, it will host a fundraising party with a band and food that will run like a casual Friday night party, Whitman said.
