Human-rights support group WITNESS strikes a balance to keep its mission in focus at its galas.

FS: Tell me about a successful fundraising effort that WITNESS has undertaken recently.
SF: Our annual “Focus for Change” gala is a huge success. For about five years we held an annual house party at the home of a board member, which was a very intimate event with A-list acoustic performers like Suzanne Vega, Phillip Glass and Rufus Wainwright. Our guests loved these events, but they never raised very much money — only around $20,000 to $30,000.