Though it provided an enjoyable evening, La Alianza's first fundraiser after five months of existence raised so little money that the organization is in danger of shutting down.
The dinner Tuesday night at Our lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Sun Valley included live Peruvian music, Mexican-inspired cuisine by Ric Lum and traditional Mexican dances.
Ruben Rivera, co-chairman of the organization's advisory board, said the organization hoped to raise at least $20,000 in addition to the $5,000 it received from the Wood River Women's Charitable Foundation last week. However, the fundraiser grossed only $4,915.
Rivera noted that at least two of its major donors did not renew their pledges this year. He also raised concerns that if La Alianza does not raise more money, the organization may have to close its doors by the end of the year.
Rivera asked attendees to assist the non-profit in two ways: donate what they could and enlist other community members to donate and get involved.
"Since we are a new organization, we need to grow our donor base," said La Alianza's interim executive director, Rebecca Hornbach, in an interview. "Right now we don't have any committed multi-year donors, which we really need, because it takes a non-profit about five years to become financially stable."
Since its opening in March, La Alianza has served over 250 clients. Of those, 87 percent were Latinos and 13 percent were Caucasian. Of all cases, 16 percent involved children. The organization has also held 15 free classes on finance and law-related issues.
"The number of Latinos and Anglos we have served suggests that our message is catching on," Hornbach said during the dinner. "People are starting to understand that La Alianza promotes cross-cultural alliances for all people."
The cross-cultural nature of the organization was also apparent in the diverse crowd of 45. There were an equal number of Latinos and Anglos representing a variety of groups and businesses in the Wood River Valley, including city council members and county commissioners as well as employees from local banks, St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center and real estate companies.
Despite financial setbacks, La Alianza has a number of events planned for the fall, including a college night for Latino high school students, a diversity seminar for community leaders and more classes on finance, law and citizenship.
"We have great programs," Hornbach said. "We are new, but the more people I speak with, the more confident I am that this organization will continue to grow and to thrive as the community's awareness increases."
For more information or to donate, visit www.laalianzaidaho.org or call 578-5408.
La Alianza founding board member Penny Thayer with interim Executive Director Rebecca Hornbach and Co-Chairman of the board Ruben Rivera.
