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February 3, 2011

Team Wench is amazing. In 2001, a bunch of friends from the MD Renaissance Festival got together to put on a fundraiser to help a couple of mutual friends who were doing a charity walk. Since that time, the Team has blossomed to an organization which has donated more than $200,000 for various charities.

I'm proud to say that got involved with Team Wench since it first came to my attention late in 2001. I've seen this group go from putting out an oversized almost-potluck themed dinner (which netted $3,500 to fight breast cancer) through its incorporation and it's certifcation as an official 501(c)(3) charity that nets $10K-$15K in an evening at its bigger events. The best part is that, though the group has had to become more process-oriented and rule-following (due to the tax implications), it's never lost its feeling of friends-and-family and it's still, at its core, a group of folks who like to hang out at the Festival.

Though there have been some rough times -- even a year when two events had to be cancelled due to lack of ticket sales -- but the Team has always bounced back.

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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...

In my eight years of walking and crewing to fight breast cancer, my fundraising accounts for my walks have been enriched by nearly $13,000 through the efforts of Team Wench. I've seen the faces of those who benefit from the fundraising light up when they hear what we've done for them, and it's a wonderful feeling.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

solidify more of the processes and procedures that surround its day-to-day operations. Team Wench may have started out as a group of friends with a good idea, but it has to behave as big business does. Though it's never done anything wrong in its operations, the lack of transparency in some of its decisions has caused consternation with some of the community -- which in turn caused the Team to have to spend valuable time and energy proving that no wrongdoing occurred rather than on its primary mission.

Will you volunteer or donate to this organization beyond what is required of board members?

Definitely

How much of an impact do you think this organization has?

A lot

Will you tell others about this organization?

Definitely

How did you learn about this organization?

Friends told me about a volunteer opportunity and I signed on.

What is this organization's top short-term priority?

Getting ready for the 2011 season of fundraising events.

What is its top priority in the long run?

Leveraging its 501(c)(3) status into sponsorship by larger corporations with larger checking accounts so that the overhead on its events can come down under the ~20% where it's been for several years.