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Sample of a successful scholarship request on behalf of AIDS Services Foundation.

Please write and attach to this application a brief narrative/statement of need describing why your organization is in need of a scholarship and also what you hope to gain from attending the Conference. Please include at the end of your narrative the size of your event in relation to your agency’s other fundraisers. Sierra’s Narrative

I am gratefully requesting a 50% scholarship ($2,000) to supplement the cost of attending the Dining Out for Life Conference.

When you think of Orange County, CA the idea of “need” doesn’t generally come to mind. We are home of some of the wealthiest, most privileged communities in the United States. We started the phenomena of the “House Wives.” Four of our cities rank in the “Top 50 Safest Cities in the Country.” We are home of the “Happiest Place on Earth,” for goodness sakes.

But there are two Orange Counties. There is the one portrayed above – the County of Excess. And there is the one hidden away from the “Hollywood” eye.

The annual Well-Being Index, which polls Americans on factors such as emotional health, physical health, healthy behaviors and access to basic necessities, offers context and clues to this duel reality.

Orange County ranks favorably overall. But a closer look shows significant disparities within the county itself. Of 435 congressional districts nationwide, two adjoining districts in Orange County rank on opposite ends of the spectrum. The 48th district (mostly south Orange County) is one of the best-off in the nation, ranking in the top 3% for basic access to food, shelter and medicine and the top 2% for overall well-being. However, the neighboring 47th district (central and north Orange County) ranks in the bottom 1% for basic access and the bottom 30% in overall well-being.

As a nonprofit that focuses much of our services on those found among the bottom percentile, we have first-hand experience with and, knowledge of, the “other” Orange County.

And let’s be honest. While California is considered a liberal bastion, the conservative slant of Orange County is well known. There is still an overwhelming resistance to openly discussing sexual health, sexual-orientation and sex education, let alone, to throwing ones support and funds behind organizations that do. Finding new donors here is a challenge indeed.

ASF is a “progressive” nonprofit in a “traditional” town, and, so, we don’t take any individual or foundation donations for granted. We strive to spend as much of our fundraising dollars on our clients as possible. Covering a portion of our Conference Budget will certainly help us continue this practice. In addition, our Dining Out for Life revenue (explained below) is still relatively small compared to our other fundraising events. While I truly believe investing in this model will pay off in the long run, for now, keeping the costs of being an Affiliate as low as possible will certainly help as we begin to establish DOFL in our community.

One of the reasons ASF chose to become a Dining Out for Life affiliate was because we saw it, not only as a fundraising avenue, but also, an awareness campaign. We appreciate that the structure of the event gets us in front of people we wouldn’t normally reach. We like to think our message is subtly being presented to the unsuspecting businessmen making a deal over drinks, the family out for a weeknight meal and, maybe, the lonely patron that feels misunderstood. We hope they see that AIDS is still here and so are we.

I’m not going to lie, as an ambassador last year for one of the South County establishments, there were some awkward moments. Our message was not always embraced. I hope by attending the Dining Out for Life Conference, I will get to meet, collaborate and brainstorm with other affiliates that might share some of the same challenges. I also hope to glean strategies and systems from those organizations that have been doing this a lot longer than us. With only one event under our belt, we have much to learn!

As a fundraising event for ASF, Dining Out for Life is still in its infancy. We raised $25,000 last year. We have three additional large fundraising events throughout the year. Our OC Ride for AIDS (a Peer-2-Peer cycling event) raises ~$120,000. Our Annual Gala raises ~$440,000. And, our longest running event, AIDS Walk OC which raises ~$305,000. While Dining Out for Life currently makes up a small percentage of our event revenues, we see great potential in its growth. Our 2015 DOFL campaign exceeded our expectations, and 2016 is promising to be even better.

On behalf of the 7,000 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Orange County, I thank you for your thoughtful consideration.