Although many philanthropy groups have encountered fund-raising problems because of the current economic environment, Suitcase Party leaders say they are bucking that trend.

The group has raised a larger amount of corporate donations this year than in the past three years, said Talia Raviv, Suitcase Party’s corporate co-chairwoman. The event will take place Thursday night at Patten Gym and raise money for the group’s beneficiary, La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Students pay $8 in advance or $10 at the door for admittance, and organizers anticipate to have a crowd of 2,000 people.

Raviv said the group received cash donations from Kaplan Educational Centers, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, Integrated Profit Associates, Inc., of Buffalo Grove and radio station WKSC-FM (103.5). In previous years, Suitcase Party only has been able to gain “in-kind” donations from corporate sponsors, which are gifts of supplies such as food or equipment used to host the charity event.

“(Sponsors) really didn’t meet our needs for ‘in-kind’ donations, so they thought the best way of supporting us would be monetarily,” said Raviv, a Communication senior. “Numerically, (corporate donations probably went) up because of our more solid efforts for fund raising.”

In 2002 Suitcase Party raised a total of $32,148 for the Chicago-based charity Children’s Place Association, which helps poor children with HIV/AIDS. This figure was less than the previous year’s party proceeds of $38,307.

Dance Marathon saw a decrease in their fund-raising totals, which group leaders have partly attributed to the economic downturn.

In an effort to diversify fund-raising methods, Suitcase Party switched its focus to smaller events leading up to the party, according to the group’s treasurer Rebecca Behrens, a Weinberg junior.

Events this year have included canning, a 5K Run/Walk on Saturday and restaurant partnerships with local eateries such as Carmen’s, where Suitcase Party receives a percentage of sales to Northwestern students.

Last December, a group of about six Suitcase Party members headed to the bar-lined streets of Wrigleyville carrying cans and information about La Rabida Children’s Hospital, which serves children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The group collected almost $200 from bar patrons and even a few panhandlers.

“We figured people would have lots of money to spend,” said food committee member Melissa Buenger, a Weinberg sophomore.

She said the time spent canning was more of a bonding experience than a productive fund-raiser and generated a very small portion of Suitcase Party’s anticipated proceeds.

Behrens said proceeds from the restaurant and 5K fund-raisers have exceeded totals from similar events last year.

Proceeds from smaller events are “not as significant as a large corporate sponsor,” said corporate committee member Aparna Raj, a Weinberg senior. “But little things add up.”