It’s a unique fundraising dinner that brings together all the right people, from donors and benefactors to social activists and their supporters. And the formula for success is remarkably simple: create a menu that appeals to both meat eaters and vegans; pair it with a variety of wines; and then present the entire feast family-style.

On Nov. 14, the San Diego Foundation for Change will hold its annual Changemaker Celebration to commemorate 20 years of funding organizations that promote social equality, economic justice and environmental sustainability. The event, which also includes a silent auction, serves as the foundation’s biggest fundraiser each year, having generated more than $50,000 last November.

“The dinner started out as an opportunity to recognize our grant recipients. It went from costing us money to raising us money,” says Joni Craig, the foundation’s executive director. “We’re expecting nearly 500 people this year.”

The celebration, to be held at the Balboa Park Club, begins at 5:30 p.m., with a reception stocked with wine from Piatti restaurant, beer from the Coronado Brewing Company and appetizers from Marriott La Jolla. Drummers from the Super Sonic Samba School will perform at the entrance.

The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m., and will feature big bowls and platters at each table filled with a variety of foods catered by Bob Johnson of Coronado Catering. The eclectic lineup includes Greek Salad, Chicken Tetrazzini, Vegetable Melange, Chimayo Corn Pudding, Roasted Potatoes and Pumpkin Cheesecake.

“Eating family-style is the best way to bridge cultural, ethnic and sexual orientation differences,” says Craig. “If a La Jolla donor is seated with a welfare activist from City Heights, for example, passing the potatoes helps them connect.”

Craig also notes that the autumn-theme menu appeals to both carnivores and vegans. “We used to serve the traditional turkey and stuffing meal, but moved away from that because we have a growing number of vegetarians in our volunteer core. And we also wanted to do something different for our 20th anniversary.”

The celebration also includes a silent auction for merchandise and alluring vacations, which include two 10-day cruises on Holland America to anywhere in the world (except Alaska), a 10-day condominium stay in Utah with roundtrip airfare on Southwest, plus one-week rental home stays in Hawaii, Colorado Springs and Mammoth.

Tickets to the event are $500 for tables of eight; $100 for benefactors; $65 for the general public; and $35 for grantees, students and low-income guests. Reservations are required; call (619) 692-0527.