In this heart-forward episode, hosts Libby Sundgren and Alysse Bryson gather with Kristin Graham, Amy Liz Harrison, Dele Downs Kooley, and Sarah Caples Noble to dive deep into the art (and heart) of nonprofit and fundraising events. From unforgettable gala moments to innovative carnival-style fundraisers, the group shares stories, strategies, and plenty of laughs about what makes giving events meaningful, effective, and fun. Key takeaway: No matter your time, talent, or treasure, there’s a way for everyone to contribute to causes they care about, and the right sprinkle of fun and connection can make philanthropy truly unforgettable.
Resources Mentioned:
- Event: Dreaming in Analog
- Get your own glassybaby
- Meet The Fun Table: Kristin Graham, Amy Liz Harrison, Dele Downs Kooley, Sarah Caples Noble
- Alysse & Libby: Bios & LinkedIn
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.beatsworkingpodcast.com
- LinkedIn: @BEATS WORKING Show
- Instagram: @beatsworkingshow
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- YouTube: @BEATSWORKINGPODCAST
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BEATS WORKING is a platform on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. We believe that work is the most honorable act in the universe, and through inspiring stories and practical insights, we want to transform the way people think about work and help them discover greater fulfillment in their lives. We invite you to join us as we build community through sharing and actively demonstrating what we learn.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
Kristin Graham [00:00:00]:
Sometimes it’s the prizes that gets me to stick and stay. Right. Well, first of all, true. I think if they ever had the option of, like, pay to go, kind of like y’all at the opera, I’d be like, oh, if I just give 200, I can leave right now and go home and be in my jams.
Libby Sundgren [00:00:14]:
Like, oh, my gosh, that is a really good idea.
Alysse Bryson [00:00:19]:
Buy your way out.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:00:21]:
But if you were able to donate when you walked up to the door and you could leave.
Kristin Graham [00:00:26]:
Well, let me take a step further with Elise and I, who are always like, I want to be included, but I want you to cancel at the last minute. If it was like, hey, we’ve invited you to this event, but if you donate this, you don’t even have to get out of your jammies and can just. That would be an amazing thing.
Libby Sundgren [00:00:40]:
Yeah, you can cancel.
Kristin Graham [00:00:43]:
I mean, I think there’s something to add. Our time as such a commodity. And if I still want to support and get my tax write off, but I can still go home or go to Dick’s Burgers. Let’s just be honest.
Alysse Bryson [00:00:55]:
Welcome to Beats Working Winning the Game of Events, where we share stories and strategies to turn any event or life moment into something unforgettable.
Libby Sundgren [00:01:05]:
Events are wild, and the people who work in them are some of the most resilient humans on earth. If you know, you know.
Alysse Bryson [00:01:12]:
So come with us behind the curtain for a look at their most memorable experiences.
Libby Sundgren [00:01:18]:
As they say, the show must go on.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:01:20]:
So.
Libby Sundgren [00:01:20]:
So let’s get on with the show. Welcome to Beats Working. In this Heart Forward episode of the Fun Table, we are diving into the world of nonprofit and fundraising events, where passion meets purpose, and budgets are a whole different kind of beast. Whether it’s gala, glam or community based giving, we are exploring how meaningful moments get created when the stakes are high, the missions are personal, and every dollar counts. Truly, because this is all for nonprofits and, you know, doing good in the world. I am your co host, Libby Sundgren, event planner, event attender, event lover, and next to me at the fun table is Elise.
Alysse Bryson [00:02:12]:
Thanks, Libby. I am Elise Bryson, co host alongside you for Beats Working Winning the Game of Events. And I love when we get to come to the Fun table and talk about all these different topics, especially when it is philanthropic in nature. Libby and I have been rolling together for a long time, and almost every event we’ve ever worked on, maybe all of them have always had a philanthropic profit partner as part of it. Because doing good feels good. And so I’m really excited for today’s topic. And Sarah, why don’t you go next?
Sarah Caples Noble [00:02:47]:
I’m Sarah and I my the very first event I was ever involved in was when I launched a nonprofit music festival and street fair. My second nonprofit experience lasted for a decade with Providence of Christmas Trees raising money for seniors who’ve outlived their resources in King County. To this day. I think about that cause and it moves me to tears. Other I’ve worked on a variety of nonprofits. Those two were the ones where I really, I think, rolled up my sleeves and was incredibly accountable and responsible for fundraising.
Libby Sundgren [00:03:21]:
I love it. I can’t wait to hear more about it. Amy, what about you?
Amy Liz Harrison [00:03:25]:
Well, hi, I’m Amy Liz Harrison. There’s my little funko. And I have eight kids. I end up doing a lot of nonprofit volunteer work at the school where they attend. And we attend a lot of things as a family through my husband’s job. And so I had a lot of experience attending and giving at nonprofit fundraising opportunity events.
Alysse Bryson [00:03:52]:
Love that. Kristin, what about you?
Kristin Graham [00:03:54]:
Hi everybody. I’m Kristin Graham. Actually, my very first job was working at a nonprofit, so I was on the other side of the table. And then over the course of my career, both between school fundraisers and in working in big companies where there was philanthropic ties I’ve helped do from little events to the big raise your paddle along the way. So I’ve seen a lot.
Libby Sundgren [00:04:18]:
What about you, Deli?
Dele Downs Kooley [00:04:19]:
Well, time, talent and treasure. I’ve done all of those different things. So whether it was sitting as the president of the board of directors like Kristen in corporates, I think some of my most favorite and memorable events were the ones where we got to make a big, big splash because we had big funding to support those philanthropic endeavors. And I also love the little ones. Like I was the president of the the VP of philanthropy for both the National Charity League and National League of Young Men with my kids. So I’ve had a lot of fun working with my kids in donating our time, talent and treasures. I’m excited to talk about this topic today here with you all at the fun table.
Libby Sundgren [00:05:03]:
Love it.
Alysse Bryson [00:05:04]:
So let’s start off with some questions. I’m curious for the group, what is one nonprofit or one fundraising event that you either attended or you helped produce? It could be either one that has really stuck with you over the years. And why Was it the mission? Was it the moment? Was it the mayhem? And I’ll go first because I’m already talking haha. One of my favorite events that I that I did with Libby. It started when we were at the magazine and then we rebranded it and took it with us over to the TV station. Originally was called Generosity. It then the name changed to Connected. And essentially it was a nonprofit carnival for 21 and up where you would come and you would have great food and drinks.
Alysse Bryson [00:05:51]:
And there were all kinds of surprise and delight experiences at every corner like photo booths and tarot card readers and fun things like that. But it had over 30, 35 nonprofits. And each of the nonprofits profits. They got a space to kind of have a carnival type booth and activate their space in a way that people could learn about how to get involved in their organization or just what the organization even does, but in a really fun, low pressure, non salesy way so that people could essentially go speed dating for nonprofits. And our target audience was people that were up and coming through their career and maybe just getting to a point where they were being able to have extra resources that they could donate or they worked for a company that had matching programs. It was our way of inspiring people to get involved. And I know that there were many people that attended those events that then ended up connecting with an organization and then has stayed with that organization. And I know that because I was one of them.
Alysse Bryson [00:06:55]:
At the very first year that we threw Generosity Year one, Recovery Cafe was one of the nonprofits that was selected by Vulcan, who was a sponsor. And that was back. It was well over a decade ago because I have been on the board every ever since. I think it took a one year break in there somewhere. And I was even the board president during COVID which was a lot because we were opening up a new facility, et cetera, et cetera. So I love it when people get connected to nonprofits and then it sticks with them. So I can’t wait to hear what each of you bring to the table around this. Kristin, why don’t we start with you?
Kristin Graham [00:07:33]:
Yeah, I remember that event, Elise. It was. I remember Deli and I standing in a long line for our tarot reading and just how exciting it can be to illuminate other people during one cause. So I had a chance to work at a lot of big companies, but one of the. One of the ones that I thought was really, really clever and accessible for a lot of people was a food drive. And lots of people do food drives. But I was working at a travel company, so we called it Tanstruction. So we got a list of needed foods from this food bank.
Amy Liz Harrison [00:08:03]:
So.
Kristin Graham [00:08:03]:
And everybody was able to either donate or Come in and work at a station. But they had to build something. So think of it like Legos with canned food in the spirit of travel. So people did airplanes or they did the Eiffel Tower. And that’s where the creativity came. Instead of just saying, hey, bring in a can of food, we really kind of put the theme of our employees, but also giving them something to do. So even if they didn’t contribute the cans of food, they had the great engineering ideas or they were out there putting it together. So everybody had a different way to contribute.
Kristin Graham [00:08:34]:
And it was really fun and super creative.
Alysse Bryson [00:08:37]:
That is awesome. Now, did they. I have a technical question, because you want to be able to obviously donate that food afterwards. So they couldn’t remove the wrappers. Did they put, like. Do they put, like, paper over it to protect the can?
Kristin Graham [00:08:51]:
If they wanted to. You’re right. They didn’t, like, puncture the boxes. So weave things together. And it was all. It was more about color coding or different elements like that, or you could wrap it, post it notes, et cetera. But it was really more the creativity of the design and also how many needed food items were used. So it was to make sure it went to the applicability for the organization that we’re raising.
Kristin Graham [00:09:14]:
That it was really, really fun.
Alysse Bryson [00:09:15]:
Sarah, you. When you did your introduction, you talked about the Providence Festival of Trees. I was once a Christmas tree designer back in my early, early, early newspaper days in Centralia, Washington. So I would love to hear about. I’m hoping that is your example that you wanted to talk about, because I love talking about Christmas trees.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:09:35]:
It’s so layered, and I want to be cogent. I don’t want to talk too much, but that experience will probably. I don’t know that there’s any other cause I could ever be part of that can quite hit me the same way for so many reasons. But part of it is I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school, and my daughter went to Catholic school, and so fundraising and things like Lent and tithing and all of the sacramental aspects of. Of that life that go with giving and service and fasting and showing up for your community. The rituals around baptism, where we constantly remind each other that we’re in you in unity, that we share a soul. That’s all a big, heavy download for me culturally. And when I moved to Seattle, I was spinning out because I could not find that feeling anywhere.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:10:36]:
And I had gone through a stint where I wasn’t going to church, and I didn’t realize that was the issue So I went back and started to feel some traction. And it coincided with I was asked to chair the luncheon for the otrees event, which is a Catholic organization. And it all happened kind of accidentally. So they’re doing a big fashion show. I had a public name. I was in a Seattle Times fashion experts. So they thought, oh, she’s the perfect person to chair this luncheon. And I really didn’t know that much about the cause.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:11:07]:
And I got brought in by someone that I met socially who said, kind of put my name in and said, we gotta have her do this. And it was just. It all fell into place, you know, where I. I found that level of community that I’d been looking for. It aligned with me going back to my roots, and I could bring myself as a professional, the value that I feel on a deep level around fashion styling and what it empowers people to do and who they are. Just so many things were going on there. And then when I got told what the mission statement was for seniors who’d outlive their resources, it was like so many profound moments in my life, watching my uncle take care of him and my dad’s mother at the end of her life. And, you know, we’re not nursing home people in our family.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:11:54]:
And so I wrapped my head around. You mean to tell me there are people who run out of money and there’s nobody there. Like, I know this culturally, but I. It really hit me, and I thought, how. How do you abandon somebody? You know? And a lot of these people had nowhere to go, have nowhere to go. So I got super passionate. And then I saw families that it wasn’t. That they didn’t.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:12:20]:
That they were abandoning their families, that they just didn’t have the money. And so through Otrees, they were able to find housing with medical care and it’s facilities everywhere because it is this massive institution with the Catholic church behind it and providence behind it, they’re very able to create an entire infrastructure. I mean, an enormous infrastructure. Thank God we have it. So if my job was to publicize it, to bring in, you know, my rich, fancy, socialite girlfriends who would throw a bunch of money down and, you know, have some fun at Christmas, I thought, I can message that I can get people excited about this. And I was so passionate. And, yeah, that’s probably the most profound thing I’ve been involved in for personal reasons, not just for the community reason.
Libby Sundgren [00:13:15]:
Seniors not having a place to live. You know, senior care is so expensive, and you don’t really think about it. Until you’re about to try and find a place for a parent or someone in your family to go. And a lot of the senior living places in here in Seattle are $5,000 a month, you know, and how if you’re not, you know, planning for that your entire life, that’s a lot of money.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:13:46]:
And, you know, Libby, I got the privilege of getting to. To tell people this is here. A lot of people just don’t even know what the resources are. And I was one of the early adopters of Facebook. And, you know, these organizations, they are. They were not wanting to touch social media. It was like, bad, bad, bad. Don’t go there.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:14:07]:
And I said, no, we need to do this. I actually took me a few years to get them to even let me make them a Facebook page. But I would post this on my Facebook page. And I mean, I pulled large numbers of people that they. They were like, what? This is. This is a thing that can happen. So people getting the information and understanding, there are resources and, you know, once they see that and know. Know how to connect with it, it can be such a game changer.
Libby Sundgren [00:14:38]:
Oh, totally. And provide so much hope for people and their families. You know, one of the. The nonprofit event that I think has had the biggest impact on my life is called Celebrity Stakeout. You guessed it, celebs Steak spins once a year. It was started in 2010 by Brad Brotherton, who owns a few auto dealerships here in Seattle. Well, Shoreline and Renton, Brotherton Cadillac and Brotherton Buick gmc. He started it because his dad was diagnosed with cancer and he just wanted to do something, and it came together in a few months, and then it just has happened every year.
Libby Sundgren [00:15:22]:
My. I lost my dad to cancer when I was 22, and it was very quick. And I think. I mean, a lot of my family members have died of cancer or have cancer or had it at some point. A lot of them grew up in Richland, so, you know, they were swimming in Hanford waters when they grew up. Anyway, so the event had a really. I just had a real personal connection to it. And, you know, even the kind of cancer that my dad had at the time, there wasn’t a whole lot of research and not a lot of hope for folks who were diagnosed with that kind.
Libby Sundgren [00:16:03]:
And, you know, since then, huge strides have been made, and I just really, you know, once they get closer to figuring out one kind of cancer, I think it helps spur other, you know, cancer research. And anyway, all the funds go to Fred Hutch, which is this incredible world Renowned cancer research institution here in Seattle that’s partnered with a few other hospitals to really provide incredible care and really, you know, groundbreaking research in the field of cancer. And the event is also so fun. It’s like a wedding, you know, when you’re in that season of life where you’re going to all your friends weddings and it’s just real good vibes at all of them. Just like great parties. It’s like that every year. So this year, August 6, 2025. DM me if you want more details.
Alysse Bryson [00:16:58]:
It’s like the classiest kegger in town. That’s kind of what it feels like. That’s kind of what it feels like.
Libby Sundgren [00:17:05]:
But it’s like. But it’s like. It’s fancy. Ish.
Alysse Bryson [00:17:09]:
It is. Yeah. No, it’s super classy.
Libby Sundgren [00:17:11]:
Yes, it’s fancy, but it’s also just so fun.
Alysse Bryson [00:17:16]:
It’s very fun. Amy, what do you, what do you think? What are your thoughts here?
Amy Liz Harrison [00:17:20]:
Well, I loved hearing you guys just share on all of that because I was thinking about the whole element of storytelling and how crucial I feel like that is, especially at a non profit event. And, you know, I’m quick to say, oh, I don’t do fundraising, I’m not a fundraiser, I’m not great at it, blah, blah, blah. But I was asked to do the keynote speech and the ask, quote unquote, at the hospital where my kids were born for they were putting together a new birthing center. And in 2019, I had almost died from a dilated cardiomyopathy at that same hospital. And so I was able to share all of that. And they, they said I did pretty well, which is awesome because I think also it replaces narratives that we can’t do something or we’re not good at it or whatever. At least for me, I realized, oh, just stepping into that role and saying yes and sharing my story created connection. And I think that’s such an important element of these nonprofit events, at least for me.
Alysse Bryson [00:18:41]:
Deli, what about you?
Dele Downs Kooley [00:18:42]:
So, Elise, I have been to that carnival style event that you put on, and I do have to say those are my favorite types of events because I’m like, just a bite of everything. I just want to taste, take a bite and taste it and see what it’s like before I commit to something. So I love the carnival events because I was able to learn about a lot of different not for profits and then find the ones that resonated with me. Because even as we were talking, the reason that philanthropies exist is because of some really sad things that happen. And when. When you start getting to the heart of it, like, it’s sad, it feels heavy. And what I love about philanthropic events that are raising money in that cause is the fun part of the fundraiser. So those are the things that really appeal to me is the.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:19:38]:
The fun factor. When the fun factor is high and I feel good, I mean, that’s what we’re looking for. I’m going to be totally honest. Like, these are really heavy topics. So things that are a lot of fun and that are meaningful, those are my favorites. If I had to just go back and think about what was the. What was one of the things that really jumps out. It was the Make a Wish foundation.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:20:04]:
And I worked for someone who was on the board of the Make A Wish. That was the philanthropy that we were focused on for years, just because that was their primary focus. And I really enjoyed going, like, learning about Make a Wish, going there, and then seeing the wishes that were brought to life for these children. And then later on down the road, what really made it full circle for me was meeting people who had been Make A Wish recipients and seeing where they were in their lives and then seeing them give back in meaningful ways because of the difference that Make a Wish made. So I think there are a lot of philanthropies that speak to me, but if I was to just go with one that, like, jumps out and was super memorable, it was the Make a Wish because I got to see from start to finish how that whole process worked and really connect it to humans well.
Alysse Bryson [00:21:05]:
And I think that’s a good transition deli to. The next thing to talk about is, like, what motivates us to donate at an event? It’s usually the storytelling, right? There’s a reason that they do the ask the paddle raise right after. They either have a compelling keynote or they have a video and the lights go down. Sometimes the lights go down, I just start crying. And they haven’t even pushed start yet. Like, I’m just like, you know, and so. Because it’s the impact and it’s the. And, you know, like, this is really what you’re here to do.
Alysse Bryson [00:21:39]:
So I’m curious if anyone has something to share about an event that maybe you were going to that was new to you or you ended up donating more than you had originally planned because something at the event made it compelling for you to be like, actually, just take all my money. Just take it.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:21:57]:
The American Heart association, that was it for me.
Alysse Bryson [00:22:01]:
I.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:22:01]:
My daughter is in a Sorority Alpha fee. And we went to. Every year they have a gala where you get dressed up because, you know, I like to be fancy. And they do the. The story the ask, and then they do the raise the paddle. And for me, listening to these stories of women who were like me and had kids like I did and are talking about the impact that these heart health issues had on them, for me, that was. That was where I think I. I have won the most things because I was really compelled to bid and bid high on.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:22:46]:
On something for a cause. So, like, those stories, whatever the storytelling is, it’s one. It really speaks to you. And for me, I think back to one story in particular. She was a mom. She had children that were the same age as my children. They went to the same schools together. And she talked about being busy and that her son was graduating and she had been feeling off and had not done anything about it.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:23:18]:
And 30 minutes before his senior presentation, she decided to go to the emergency room instead of to the senior presentation because she was feeling that off. And she found out that had she not gone, she would have died. And for me, that was the moment where I. Her words were, I almost ruined my family’s life because instead of taking care of myself, I was going to do the thing that I always did, which was push through. And so those words will stay with me for the rest of my life because I never want to be in the position where my kids are without me, because I pushed through instead of listening to my body. And you have to hear those stories from people for it to really resonate. That was the story that resonated with me. Everyone has a different story, but that was the one that being on Kristin’s Women of Impact campaign, and whenever an American Heart association ask comes up, I’m typically willing to say yes because of that story and the story, the many stories that I’ve heard from the guest speakers.
Alysse Bryson [00:24:32]:
Yes, Kristen, hit em with the facts.
Kristin Graham [00:24:34]:
Oh, yes. Thank you, Elise. That’s not why I had my funko up, but I’m gonna go for it. But because your question was, what’s something that compels you to donate more or do something? And absolutely what everybody else says, it’s that personal connection or the stories that stick. So one of the stats for sure is that cardiovascular disease affects one in three women. And so an obviously the much larger population. But to deli’s point, seeing yourself in a story is always going to be something that compels. And for me, anything with kids and animals, I’m just I’m just a sucker for.
Kristin Graham [00:25:06]:
I’m just sign me up. But I was actually going to tell a funnier side story about what motivates us at events because. Because of careers and network. I’ve been to a lot of events where I may not necessarily have a connection to it. So I’m just going to be really honest right now and say sometimes it’s the prizes that gets me to stick and stay. Right. Well, first of all, I think if they ever had the option of pay to go kind of like y’all at the opera, I’d be like, oh, if I just give 200, I can leave right now and go home and be in my jam.
Libby Sundgren [00:25:37]:
Oh, my gosh. That is a really good idea.
Alysse Bryson [00:25:42]:
Buy your way out.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:25:43]:
But if you were able to donate when you walked up to the door and you could leave.
Kristin Graham [00:25:49]:
Well, let me take a step further with Elise and I, who are always like, I want to be included, but I want you to cancel at the last minute if it was like, hey, we’ve invited you to this event, but if you donate this, you don’t even have to get out of your jammies and can just. That would be an amazing thing.
Libby Sundgren [00:26:03]:
Yeah, you can cancel.
Kristin Graham [00:26:05]:
I mean, I think there’s something to add. Our time as such a commodity. And if I still want to support and get my tax write off, but I can still go home or go to Dick’s Burgers, let’s just be honest. But the thing I was going to say too, if I’m there, what causes me to raise a panel? So I was just at an American Heart Association. They were doing all the things. So sometimes I like to raise my paddle because I feel like my value is raising the price. And then I dab out. I’m like, oh, I’m here to.
Kristin Graham [00:26:34]:
I accidentally won the grand prize by doing that a few weeks ago. So if anybody needs me in November, I’ll be in Hawaii. And I have reached out to. I’m not mad about it, but I did reach out to my accountant and I’m like, this is tax deductible.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:26:49]:
Right?
Kristin Graham [00:26:49]:
And it’s all cuz Alaska Airlines donate and somebody else had a thing. So sometimes in the spirit of it, the events, really good events, pull on heartstrings, but they also pull on competition and psychology.
Alysse Bryson [00:27:03]:
And it got me.
Libby Sundgren [00:27:05]:
You know, my husband is very good at that. He loves raising his paddle to, like, bid people up. One time he accidentally bought something that was way out of our budget. Like this. It was not real. We were not. We Weren’t even married, I don’t think. Yeah.
Kristin Graham [00:27:26]:
What’d you do? What’d you do?
Libby Sundgren [00:27:27]:
I called them over and I said, I’m so sorry. Why don’t you explain what happened? And so he told them he was only like, the third person to raise a paddle too. So it was a little weird that nobody else raise anything. It had, like, movie cameos. Like, it was. It was real. It was big. But they.
Libby Sundgren [00:27:47]:
They were very gracious and they said, okay, well, we. We know who. The other person who raised their. Their paddle, because usually they would just go to the person who had just raised their paddle who got up it. And also, do not raise your paddle for the rest of the night.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:28:04]:
Okay, Got it.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:28:05]:
Hey, I’ve got a pizza oven. I have gone on family vacations. I love to win something, but.
Kristin Graham [00:28:14]:
But Libby’s saying, like, what if you get carried away, like Chris and Graham, and you get something that you weren’t expecting?
Libby Sundgren [00:28:20]:
Like Libby, like, did.
Kristin Graham [00:28:22]:
Okay, yeah, I’m relating to that. I have anxiety about that. We’ll talk about that.
Libby Sundgren [00:28:25]:
So just you raise the competition, but just, girl, be mindful about the audience. And when you’re doing it in the program. And Sarah, did you have.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:28:36]:
Well, to Kristen’s point, I mean, it’s. It Amy and Kristen, I’m, like, having this. This idea between things that both of you have said, but I’m going to focus on the otree’s experience was really awesome because, you know, we have these sides to us that are very compassionate and philanthropic and moved by. By these higher parts of ourselves and deeper parts of ourselves. And then we have the side of ourself that’s like, totally, you know, about all the wrong things. And I noticed that when I became part of that organization, they were so smart because they played off both of them. So the. The Amy who comes in and gives this beautiful, compassionate story where it’s just like people feel it in their soul and they’re like, oh, my gosh, she just.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:29:27]:
She was the prophet on the stage, and I want to give my money and I’m crying. But then there’s the flip side where they would like very tactically, and it was part of our conversation, like, okay, these people are going to come in for this reason, and I’m going to be straight up. It was the dudes with the money. This is the one room where they can flex and have a pissing match with each other publicly, publicly. And we exploited that. And I don’t know if you want to put that in this podcast, because.
Alysse Bryson [00:29:58]:
Yes, we absolutely do. Yes.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:30:00]:
It was so fun because I would get. And I. I would very strategically build my tables around these dynamics, and it was a blast because you would get one guy to put up his paddle, and I would look at my husband and I’d be like, why aren’t you bidding on that? You’re such a cheapskate. Like, are you going to let this guy make. You know, I would just push him. And then the guys would all play off each other, and they had a whole. They would have a completely different culture around what they were doing. They were running to the bar and bringing drinks for the table to show that they were more gentlemanly.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:30:36]:
They would pull chairs when the women would stand up to go to the bathroom. Oh, I’m the one standing up, like, competing with each other for who’s, like, the. The manlier man in manners and in generosity, in terms of serving and then in bidding. And so you would have two guides across the room from each other, yelling at each other and doing this. And, like, it was like a. I don’t know, like, frat boy, like, side of them would come out. And I was there for it, and I was. I loved it.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:31:07]:
I thought it was the coolest, funnest dumbest thing, but it worked.
Libby Sundgren [00:31:11]:
Nature. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Sarah Caples Noble [00:31:15]:
You bring the two sides together, the heart people that respond to that, and then the people who are just like, I get to publicly throw my money around and get a big ego boost. Like, you know, fundraising is for a higher good. Like, I’m tap into all the sides.
Kristin Graham [00:31:33]:
It’s still a business.
Alysse Bryson [00:31:35]:
Yes, it’s still business. I’m curious what the strangest thing any of you have seen at a live or super silent or silent auction. I bring it up because I was recently at. Every year I go to the Christian school auction in Centralia, where I went. My mom was a teacher there forever. So every year I go and I always get cool stuff. But this year, there was a goat. There was a goat.
Alysse Bryson [00:32:01]:
There was a gun. I mean, there were some very interesting options. So I’m just curious. Was it a fainting goat? It was not a fainting goat. The goat did. I would have a lot of money for that. Take a poo on the stage. That was really something.
Alysse Bryson [00:32:15]:
And then, you know, what actually happened is somebody bought the goat, but bought it and they were giving it to somebody else that was there. And that guy, again, I guess it was men that were fighting. That guy was like, no, I’ll pay more and send it back to the other Guy. And then they were outbidding each other to give the other person the goat. It was pretty funny.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:32:36]:
I’ve seen that dynamic. I love it.
Alysse Bryson [00:32:38]:
Yeah, it was funny. I love it. But does anybody have a goat story?
Dele Downs Kooley [00:32:43]:
I mean, all I had was a goldfish. Like, that’s not weird. I just was like, how many goldfish are we taking home from this fundraiser? When I take my kids to the little carnival ones where they could win goldfish, I’m like, how many of these are going to make it out in the bag?
Alysse Bryson [00:33:01]:
Okay, that’s. Now I have another question. And, Amy, I. You almost get disqualified for this, but I’m just curious, because we’re all in the greater Seattle area. We’ve all been to a lot of fundraisers. How many glassy babies does each person own? Because we all like. Yeah, how many glassy babies? I have over 20. Under 30, somewhere in that range.
Kristin Graham [00:33:26]:
Well, Deli and Amy certainly have to win, right? I mean, I don’t know your house, Sarah, but I’ve been to theirs, and.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:33:31]:
It’S just like, I don’t have a single glassy baby. I don’t own a single glassy baby.
Kristin Graham [00:33:35]:
But good for you, Sarah.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:33:38]:
I don’t know how many I’ve bought because every time I go to anything that’s selling a Glassy Baby, it’s always a gift for someone in my life. I always buy it to give as a gift, and I might have one that I don’t remember getting. It’s possible that I might have acquired one in the same way, but I. I always have given them away.
Alysse Bryson [00:33:59]:
I don’t think I’ve ever received a glassy baby from you, Sarah.
Amy Liz Harrison [00:34:05]:
First time for everything. I would say that admittance is the first step. And so for me, I have so many glassy babies, it is a borderline addiction. But I prefer that so much over getting a bottle of wine, for example, to celebrate, or a bottle of champagne when we bid on an item and we win it. I much prefer a glassy baby any day, which is why I have so many, because I’ve been able to politely suggest after some events, hey, maybe you want to give something else, I. E. A glassy baby for those who don’t drink.
Alysse Bryson [00:34:46]:
It’s fair.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:34:47]:
Yeah. I mean, I love a Glassy baby because I love themes and, like, being able to find awesome ain’t easy. Or I think my boss loved the masters of the universe Glassy Baby. And when I worked at Microsoft, like, I could buy those and give them, like, the most expensive one and give it as a gift and also buy myself one. And Amy, I can’t find my Glassy Baby inventory because I do have one. Like every time I get one, I add it to the list so that I know. Do I already have that one? I’ve got multiples for sure.
Alysse Bryson [00:35:26]:
That’s. That’s hardcore.
Libby Sundgren [00:35:28]:
That’s a whole new level.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:35:29]:
Swap them out. Swap them out for the different holidays. Like we’re getting ready. I’m already working on my Memorial Day through the end of the summer vibe with the red, white and blue.
Alysse Bryson [00:35:41]:
Well, I don’t know how you would do this with AI, but I do want to share a tip with you. All that I just did yesterday, I went around my house and I took pictures of all of the spines of all of my books and then I uploaded it into ChatGPT and asked it to publish an inventory. Inventory of all the books that I own and organize it by genre.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:36:01]:
I love it.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:36:03]:
And I was taking pictures of the refrigerator and saying, tell me what to make for dinner. I clearly missed that.
Alysse Bryson [00:36:11]:
Take it up. Take it up a notch. Yeah, I like that.
Kristin Graham [00:36:16]:
At least you could do that with your magnet.
Alysse Bryson [00:36:17]:
Yeah, I could.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:36:18]:
I could deal with a lot of things.
Alysse Bryson [00:36:20]:
Well, as we start to wind down, I would like to do a little shameless self promotion. Promotion. Because this episode is going to air two days before a concert, a philanthropic concert that I have been working on in Seattle. So if you’re in the Seattle area and the event has not sold out, it is possible by the time this airs, all the tickets will be gone. But if not, I am working on a concert called Dreaming in Analog. And it’s definitely got Seattle vibes, its legends, its rebels, its rising stars coming together for one unforgettable night to uplift Seattle. And also remember Charles R. Cross.
Alysse Bryson [00:37:04]:
And for those of you in the music industry, specifically in the greater Seattle area, you have probably come across Charles work or you maybe would remember the Rocket from back in the day. While I didn’t know Charles that well, we became friends over the last few years before he passed. And he was always very supportive of my writing and my work with the sober curator, which meant so much to me because he was such a respected journalist and author. And the lineup for this concert is incredible. So let me just shout out a few. We’ve got Nancy Wilson from Hart. She’s a guitar goddess and a Grammy winner and obviously a rock icon. We’ve got Sir Mix a lot, who, you know, Baby does have back, and he is just legendary.
Alysse Bryson [00:37:55]:
We’ve got Chris Ballou, President of the United States of America. We’ve got Molly Sides from Thunderpussy. We’ve got Eva Walker from the Blacktones. We’ve got Pete Droage, Elaine Summers, Jeff Fielder, Caspian Koberly, Mary Lambert. There’s going to be so many people at this concert, and it’s truly a concert. While we’re all giving a nod and in memory to Charles and the net pro scene from this concert, go towards a writing grant for musicians in his name. Like, this is really a concert. There will be over 20 songs performed.
Alysse Bryson [00:38:31]:
They’ll also be in between songs, reading different passages from different books and different pieces of work that he put out. But I’ve had so much fun working on this project. I helped build the website and work on a lot of the social media graphics. I did not do the poster illustration. That was done by a gal named Mandy. And I can’t wait to work with her on other projects because she has been phenomenal to work with. It’s an awesome, awesome illustration. If you haven’t seen that, you can go to dreaming and analog.org and if tickets are still on sale, it’s going to be a really, really good time.
Amy Liz Harrison [00:39:08]:
Sounds amazing.
Alysse Bryson [00:39:09]:
Yeah. And I’m not. I’m just going to say that when I heard through my friend Nicole, who’s the one producing this event, Nicole John Sievers. When I heard from her that she had gotten an email from Nancy Wilson and Nancy said that she loved the website I put together, I. I fell over. Like, I was just like, that wasn’t on the bingo card for 2025, but, like, receive it. Wow.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:39:36]:
And I was like, I would like to add that the amount of time, the window of time that Elise has had to pull this off is tiny. And so everything has been done in very short order with a lot of pressure. And it’s pretty cool to see and.
Alysse Bryson [00:39:56]:
A lot of moving parts and a lot of people. You know, there’s a lot of cooks, a lot of cooks in this kitchen, so to speak. But I, you know, at the end of the day, like, I am not someone that I can’t write big, huge checks. I wish I could. And if I’m ever given that opportunity, I most certainly will because I consider myself a generous person as part of my DNA. But what I do have to give and how I’ve shown up in the philanthropy world in Seattle over the last two decades is I can give my talents, and my talents are many. But they’re connecting people. They’re sponsors, they’re pulling things together.
Alysse Bryson [00:40:36]:
They’re making things happen. This case, it was building social media assets and building a website, helping with some press releases, because I have a lot of contacts. Like, that’s the way I can get involved. So for anyone listening, anyone can get involved in philanthropy. You just have to have a skill and a will to get involved, and there’s nothing better than giving back. My whole life today thrives because of. I am actively in service, big chunks of every day, helping other people figure out what they want and how to get it. And in this case, if it has to go for a good cause, I’m, like, all in.
Alysse Bryson [00:41:17]:
Like, sign me up. Yeah.
Libby Sundgren [00:41:19]:
That’s amazing. I’m going to be out of town for this concert. I almost canceled my family trip so that I could go to it.
Alysse Bryson [00:41:27]:
The FOMO is real, Libby.
Libby Sundgren [00:41:29]:
I know, I know. It’s going to be so awesome. And I think, you know, as so many nonprofit and fundraising events do, this is going to bring just such a feeling of community and, like, really fill people’s hearts and, you know, just fill their souls the way that nonprofit events do. When you go someplace and you know that you’re supporting, even if it’s just by attending and learning more about it and being able to share. Share the organization or their mission with other people, it just. It feels good to. To support others and to go to these kinds of good events. Yeah.
Alysse Bryson [00:42:14]:
Well, and one of the things we thought about when we were putting this together was making sure that the ticket prices were accessible to everyone. So I think the most expensive ticket might have been, like, 175. So not at Taylor Swift prices, to be clear, but the lowest price, I think, is 35. So that it really was. Everybod should be able to have access to this concert because it is truly like a love letter to Seattle. And we also set aside a chunk of tickets that we’ll be giving away to some other nonprofit organizations so that we can continue to pay it forward. So I love that. I just think that is.
Alysse Bryson [00:42:53]:
That’s what community is. That’s what community is. And people are desperate for community right now. And community is not found on Facebook and Instagram. It might start there. Sure. Conversations happen there. Yeah.
Alysse Bryson [00:43:08]:
But real community is when we get together and we are like, what can we do to make this little corner of the world a little bit better? Right. And if we all do that, like, the ripple effect will be significant. Kind of going back to the Thought around generosity event and the carnival. Like, the ripple effect is what I’m always after because, like, how can we make the biggest bang with the smallest buck? Right. How can we make the biggest splash with a minimal effort? Because that’s how we can really maximize our resources.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:43:41]:
You know, Elise, just plusing one. Because we like to plus one. We’re all about math. It’s the connection piece. Like, the community is what brings people together. It’s the connection that comes from bringing people who have this, like, mind, like heart. Like, Kristen and I at that event, met a woman because she had an amazing handbag that turned out to be related to one of my husband’s favorite people in the world that I’d never met before. Do you remember that conversation? We were complimenting on the handbag, and this guy, I was like, oh, my God, I know him.
Dele Downs Kooley [00:44:20]:
I’ve never met him before. And so I walk up to this stranger and I’m taking selfies, sending them to my husband. That’s the connection piece. Like, the community is what brings us together. It’s the conversations and the connection over things that we all value. The philanthropy is what brings us together, but it’s that the cop. The connection piece is. Is the part that fills our cup up.
Alysse Bryson [00:44:46]:
It is. And, you know, if you’re thinking, like, I don’t know, I don’t have. I don’t have something. I don’t have something I’m connected to. Like, you are best equipped to serve the person you once were. So just think back on your journey to obstacles that have crossed your path. That’s your own personal experience. That’s what you are uniquely gifted to go and serve as the person that you once were.
Alysse Bryson [00:45:12]:
And if you look at it through that lens, then you should not be able. You should not have a hard time finding a place to get involved.
Sarah Caples Noble [00:45:19]:
That’s good. I like that.
Kristin Graham [00:45:21]:
Well said.
Libby Sundgren [00:45:22]:
All right, well, that is a wrap for this episode of Beats Working Winning the Game of Events. If you’ve got an idea or want to reach out, email us at infoatsworking show. Remember that every detail matters, every moment counts, and no matter what, the show must go on.
Alysse Bryson [00:45:40]:
Thanks for listening to Beats Winning the Game of Events, where we explore what it takes to make moments unforgettable.
Libby Sundgren [00:45:47]:
If you’re leaving with a little more inspiration, a little more perspective, and a big sideache from all of the laughing at our funny jokes, then we’ve done our job.
Alysse Bryson [00:45:56]:
Beats Working is a work P2P production. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review us on your favorite podcast platforms.
Libby Sundgren [00:46:06]:
Your support helps us keep the magic going.
