In the spring of 2020, The HUB Houston was ready to celebrate its fifth year—and their annual fundraising luncheon was going to be bigger than ever. The venue had been booked, the speakers confirmed, the video highlighting the last five years produced and ready to go. But it soon became evident: COVID wasn’t going to let it happen.
Kipp Baxter, Director of Development and Marketing, wondered whether they should hold any sort of fundraiser, pared down or not. In the middle of a pandemic and a severe economic downturn, could she really be asking people for money? She could: The HUB’s mission and the needs of its students, families, and staff were too important to set aside. The HUB offers relationship-centered educational programming to teenagers and young adults with neurological differences. Especially during this time of physical distancing, they could not stop creating a community where members are Heard, Understood and Believed in.
Instead of throwing up her hands, Baxter and her board threw themselves into overhauling the event. They might not be able to have a live celebration—but they could still feature speakers, board members, and supporters in a new video, and go virtual with their yearly fundraiser. At first, it was a little shaky; just like the rest of the world, The HUB and the community it serves had to get familiar with Zoom and other online technologies. But by the end of the campaign, the team had raised their fundraising goal and had even expanded their audience and donor base.
It was hectic. But it was also a rewarding process that offered a silver lining. Never having been much of a social media user, The HUB’s efforts showed Baxter that the one-on-one relationships she’d built in person could be fostered online. And getting familiar with livestreaming and more social media opened up new worlds and brought in new friends and supporters. Able now to see the benefits of both in-person and online activities, The HUB continued to learn and innovate, treating their seniors to a special day on Zoom and livestreaming their socially distanced graduation ceremony.
Kipp says The HUB Houston was also thrilled to be included in Bike to the Beach’s COVID-19 Add Impact Challenge—not only because of its contribution to funding The HUB’s programs, but also because it provided a way her students and their families could do something together at a time when it felt like so many options were being shut down.
Knowing they have these new resources available, Baxter has big plans going forward, with new tools to use even after the pandemic is over. Check out everything Kipp Baxter and the entire HUB team is doing for the community at their website, https://www.thehubhouston.org.