Pasadena Nonprofits Gear Up for Return to In-Person Events, Fundraisers

For Pasadena nonprofits that have traditionally depended on dinners, galas and other fundraising events, a year of social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced charities to get creative, shifting efforts primarily to the virtual arena.

But with more people being vaccinated, students preparing to return to classrooms and Los Angeles County poised on transitioning into the less-restrictive “orange” tier under the state Blueprint for a Safer Economy, several local nonprofits are making plans for in-person gatherings in the coming weeks and months.

The Junior League of Pasadena has announced it is planning a small fundraiser for its sustaining members at an Old Pasadena retailer on Saturday. Discounts, gifts and door prizes will be offered at the event, with 20% of proceeds being donated to the JLP. 

“We have not had an actual fundraiser — a primary fundraiser — since the COVID shutdown,” said JLP Sustaining Members Director Chris Case. “We will be hosting a virtual fundraiser on April 24th, and it will be our first primary fundraising effort since March of last year.”

The JLP was better positioned to weather the pandemic than some other charities, she said.

“Our league is robust, fortunately,” Case said. “Much of that is attributed to our legacy and our past fundraising successes, and also donors who have helped us build an endowment.”

“We do raise money through [membership] dues,” she added. “We also have had several virtual fundraising events with local vendors… but in comparison to past years, obviously, it paled in comparison.”

While many people have sustained financial losses during the pandemic, others still in a position to support the organization have increased their efforts, recognizing a time of particular need, Case said. 

“We’re celebrating our 95th anniversary this year,” she said. “People really have come to the table. It’s been very rewarding.”

Foothill Family in Pasadena, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health, childhood development and social services and also marking 95 years in the city this year, is planning to host “The Enchanted Garden” gala on June 5, both in-person at the Annandale Golf Club and remotely online, organizers said. More information is available online at foothillfamily.org/take-action/get-involved/annual-benefit.

“We’re kind of planning for all different scenarios. And I think a lot of organizations are having to do that,” said Foothill Family spokeswoman Patti Johnson. “If guidelines allow us to reopen, [events] would be a good thing for us to be able to do more of, but really, what we want to get back to, and our top priority is, being there for our community and for our families.

“Being able to start moving towards in-person sessions and therapy services is really one of the priorities. And that’s really where our focus right now,” Johnson said.

With respect to weathering the yearlong societal shutdown, “I think we’re a little bit different in that we are deemed an essential business,” Johnson said. “So providing mental health services to children and families, we’ve really had to switch very quickly to telehealth services and really looking for ways that we can be there for the community during times like this.”

“The mental health challenges that people are facing are at levels that we haven’t seen in the past,” she said. 

Despite the economic slowdown over the past year, Johnson said Foothill Family also saw many donors increase their support in light of the situation.

“We’ve really been fortunate that some of our community has really come together to support the organization,” she said. “So our fundraising, although it’s down, I don’t think down to the levels of what some other nonprofits are facing.”

With uncertainty still ahead, flexibility will be key, Johnson added.

“We’re constantly monitoring. We’re constantly looking at the numbers — the local, the federal, the CDC guidelines. We’re continuing to make sure that we really adhere to that and just taking it as it goes.”

Lawrence Moore, president of the Lawrence Moore and Associates Inc. public relations and marketing firm in Pasadena, works with several local nonprofits and said he’s witnessed them innovate amid the pandemic.

“It’s definitely been a trying year for everybody. It seems that the word of the year is ‘pivot.’ Everyone’s been pivoting,” Moore said. “A lot of people have learned to do the virtual events and they’ve had some success with that…  Obviously, they’re not bringing in the donations that they would have brought in pre-COVID.

“They’ve had to rely on things that we may not have had to focus on before: More of the grassroots marketing and donations, a lot of their email campaigns and their direct mail campaigns,” according to Moore. “I think a lot of those things have actually done better this past year than maybe in the prior years, because I think so many people are home.”