Annual Benefit Dinner
Challenge
The American Alpine Club’s Annual Benefit Dinner needed to do more than promote a single fundraising event. It had to communicate the value of the organization’s work, build excitement around a high-profile keynote, and give corporate partners a clear reason to sponsor the evening.
With Kris Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia, serving as keynote speaker — and Jimmy Chin connected to the event community — the opportunity was to position the dinner as both a celebration of climbing culture and a serious fundraising moment for conservation, education, and policy work.
Work
I created an event invitation that also served as a corporate partnership deck for the AAC’s Annual Benefit Dinner.
The piece needed to speak to multiple audiences at once: members, attendees, donors, and potential sponsors. It introduced the event, elevated the keynote speaker, reinforced the AAC’s mission, and helped show how sponsorship would support the organization’s broader work.
The creative direction centered on the overlap between climbing, conservation, stewardship, and community — positioning the dinner as a meaningful gathering for people and companies invested in protecting outdoor places.
Impact
The Annual Benefit Dinner helped raise more than $400,000 to support the American Alpine Club’s programs in education, conservation, and policy.
The invitation and partnership materials helped frame the event as more than a dinner: it was a fundraising platform, sponsor engagement tool, and mission storytelling opportunity. By connecting the event’s keynote, conservation themes, and AAC program impact, the materials helped give attendees and partners a clearer reason to participate and support the organization’s work.