Atlantic Ave Magazine July 2023

Mimi Haley Meister
regulars | city people
Mimi Haley Meister is a woman of many talents.
Her magic potion is based on the concept of
connectivity and community and her higher
power is one of goodness.
That is one reason she has raised the profile (and
profits) of many non-profit organizations. She is
also a treasure chest of goodness bundled within
a perfectly coiffed persona. When Meister walks into a
room sparks fly and she becomes the center of attention.
This is not her motive or her message, but trying to
bottle the essence of this woman is like trying to capture
a sunset in a plastic bag. “I am all about empowering
others. No matter whose idea it is, you want to make
sure the team owns it. The quieter you are the louder
you are heard.”
If this is truly the case then Meister is a whisper in the
windstorm of life. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut
but moved around with her family to Mentor, Ohio,
Wheaton, Illinois and finally Wilmington, Delaware. Her
father, John J. Haley Jr. was in fiber sales and took his
family with him as he climbed the corporate ladder.
Meister calls her upbringing traditional, and is quite
vocal about the influence of her parents and the schools
she attended. “I went to Catholic schools my whole life
and part of going to a Catholic school means giving back
to the community and fundraising for the school.”
Her parents also echoed the same sentiment. “Make
sure you give back,” they told her repeatedly.
Those words did not fall on deaf ears. Meister has
been giving back ever since she came to Florida in 1984.
When she was in the Boca Junior League she would
throw parties in her backyard and everyone had to
bring a toy which was donated to charity. She also did
fundraising for her daughter’s school, St. Vincent Ferrer.
Meister used her talent of collaboration and connectivity
to support other parents in her community.
“I was friendly with all the other mothers in the area.
We had fundraising events for our children’s schools
and would meet, compare schedules, and attend each
other’s events. These same women support my charity
projects to this day.”
Though Meister’s career started in retail, the trajectory
of her life has been through the lens of building, creating
and giving back to a cause greater than herself. She
worked in the non-profit world for Kids in Distress and
learned from the best brains in the fundraising arena.
While she was on bedrest waiting to give birth to her
daughter Haley, four different non-profit agencies called
to hire her.
by diane feen | Photo by melissa korman
A Force For Good
But she took a decidedly different path. As a matter of
fact, her couch was the place where she gave birth twice.
“A friend of mine called and said, ‘Now is your time
to think about working on your own. I told her I am going
to deliver a baby in a month. She said, ‘You’re so dynamic
you should work with charities.’ So, I called the
president of Kids in Distress and told him I was going to
start my own company and he became my first client.”
She named her company Charity Dynamics & Auctions
and hasn’t looked back since. Her networking
skills are monumental and her charisma rivals FPL’s
power grid.
At the last “We are Delray” event for the Delray Chamber
she brought in a helicopter that dropped golf balls
onto the course. Tickets were sold to win a free helicopter
ride and the event raised triple the amount expected.
That’s what is so amazing about Meister, everything
she touches turns to gold. She is adamant that her
events are a team effort – and many are – but it is Meister
who motivates volunteers to create miracles. She’s
also adept at getting the business community to partner
up with charities to do good.
“I tell non-profits, ‘You are not asking for money, you
are giving them the gift of giving and feeling good.’”
As anyone will tell you – giving in itself is a gift to the
giver. For Meister this old adage couldn’t be more fitting.
“I love watching fundraiser professionals’ eyes light
up with their accomplishments. I love helping charities
grow. I get a number high like a runners high. Give me
a financial goal and I will shoot to beat it every time.”
You bet she will. She did just that for the Delray Beach
Public Library. She was a volunteer, founding member
and vendor chair for the “Girls, Pearls, Hats and Heels”
event. Meister was asked to bring in 10 vendors and
raise $2,000; she brought in 28 vendors and raised over
$12,000. The next year the team raised over $65,000.
Meister has also volunteered at Old School Square,
St. Vincent Ferrer, Be Like Brit, Bound for College
and others. She’s on the Board (and does fundraising)
for the local Notre Dame Club, and is an advisor
and educator for the Non- Profit Council of the
Delray Chamber.
At St. Vincent’s she chaired - and grew - a yearly golf
outing from 24 to 144 players, raising $60,000 a year.
Meister also created fundraising events like Tea Parties
COPYRIGHTED
80 | july 2023 | www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com