Fundraising Culture Clash

The weeks following Thanksgiving in Canada are chock full of fundraising events. It seems every organization schedules a banquet, arts evening, auction, gala, or other type of gathering to engage with donors and generate funds before the end of the calendar year.With so many events happening in a span of a few weeks charities work hard to distinguish not only their actual work, but the style of their fundraiser to capture the attention and dollars they need. I find it fascinating to see the variety of ways they try to draw people in.One of the questions I find myself thinking about as I hear about and attend fundraisers is whether they truly reflect the charities they support. I often wonder if the people the organization serves would fit in to the event where their stories are told.It's rare to have donors and clients sharing the evening. Most often there might be just a couple representatives from the programs sharing their stories to an audience of funders.I suppose the uncomfortable truth may be that we aren't sure that wealthy donors will respond to the kind of event where our clientele would fully participate. The cultural differences are too real, the distinction too awkward.When I was a youth pastor at a church we held a fun evening for the congregation that featured a dessert auction. I don't remember what we were raising money for, but the night had a really fun atmosphere with lots of laughter and good-hearted competition. I was surprised when one of our staff, who spent a lot of time with the least economically well off people in our community, told us at staff meeting that the night had made him and the families he invited very uncomfortable. He explained that while they enjoyed the fun, they knew they couldn't afford to bid on the cakes and pies that were for sale. It reminded them that they weren't in the same situation as the majority of our congregation, they didn't feel they fully belonged.I imagine that could easily be true of our fall fundraisers in their own ways.I don't know what the solution is, but the whole thing makes me sad.Can anyone point me to an event that welcomes both donors and clients o a charity on equal footing while also raising the much needed resources to keep the organization functioning?