Why Do We Need Your Support?
The cancellation of an entire season of our festivals, (the April 2020 Wine & Brew Fest, the October 2020 Bacon & Bourbon Fest and the January 2021 BOB Fest) is a huge financial loss for our organiztaion so many levels. Not being able to hold our festivals means you don't get to have an amazing time, but it impacts the donations (about $250,000 annually) we make to so many organizations and the businesses that benefit from our estimated $1 million dollars annually in economic impact.
It also directly affects us, Smithfield VA Events. We are a self-funded non-profit charitable organization. We pay for our overall annual operational expenses from the event's proceeds as well. It has been a good business model for the past nine years. However, we need help now to survive the impact of this virus, so we can get back to doing "our good thing" when it is over.
Check out the ways you can help us survive these crazy times.
It also directly affects us, Smithfield VA Events. We are a self-funded non-profit charitable organization. We pay for our overall annual operational expenses from the event's proceeds as well. It has been a good business model for the past nine years. However, we need help now to survive the impact of this virus, so we can get back to doing "our good thing" when it is over.
Check out the ways you can help us survive these crazy times.
Click on the question below to see the answer.
Who are we & what do we do?
Smithfield VA Events was a vision a decade ago, and we held our first festival in 2012. The concept was to utilize the new Windsor Castle Park and it’s beautiful historic grounds as a backdrop to create something special that would benefit the community. Since then, we have proudly donated over a million dollars back to our community. Our festivals have grown from our signature spring Wine & Brew Fest to the current Trio of Festivals that include the fall Bacon & Bourbon Fest and the funky-fun oyster BOB Fest in January. We have held (21) total festivals over the past nine seasons and donated to over (90) organizations. We select benefiting organizations each year, donate back to groups that volunteer, make donations on behalf of individuals who volunteer to their favorite charity and support other’s fundraisers by donating tickets, tables and chalets for them to use to raise funds at their own events. The funds donated to all of these organizations assist them in fulfilling their important missions & causes that benefit the community.
Why is $1.2 Million Dollars important?
The proceeds from our (3) festivals enable us to annually donate about $225,000 to about sixty different local organizations. Total to date, SVAE has donated $1.2 million dollars. The organizations we support then go out and “do their good” by impacting the community with their own missions and causes. SVAE has an estimated $1 million dollars in annual economic impact. When we can’t hold festivals, it is a big deal to those groups we donate to, businesses that benefit from our economic impact and to ourselves as a self-funded organization.
How is covid19 IMPACTING US?
Besides making substantial donations, we fund our overall operation as a non-profit from the festivals. The financial loss of an entire year of canceled festivals means we are struggling to stay afloat.
For the past nine years our financial model has worked very well and we are proud of what we have accomplished. What we do for the community is extraordinary. Due to this yucky virus, like many other businesses, we have to figure out how to survive. By not holding festivals, we also are not funding ourselves.
Short-term we are holding some small fundraising dinner events, and perhaps some other new small socially distanced safe events next spring to help us bridge the gap until we can return to holding our festivals.
For the past nine years our financial model has worked very well and we are proud of what we have accomplished. What we do for the community is extraordinary. Due to this yucky virus, like many other businesses, we have to figure out how to survive. By not holding festivals, we also are not funding ourselves.
Short-term we are holding some small fundraising dinner events, and perhaps some other new small socially distanced safe events next spring to help us bridge the gap until we can return to holding our festivals.
So, what now?
We have to have a new plan.
We need your help.
We have to have a new plan.
We need your help.