Event Planning Questions To Answer Before You Begin i

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1 Event Planning Questins T Answer Befre Yu Begin i 1. D yu have clear gals fr staging a special event? Is the purpse t raise mney? Assuming ne f yur purpses is t raise funds, it is imprtant t determine when the funds are needed and what yur financial net gal is. The strategy t raise significant dllars will be cnsiderably different than ne t generate a few hundred dllars. As a basic rule f thumb, match the event t yur financial needs and timeline. Is the purpse t generate new dnr prspects r vlunteers? In mst successful fundraising events, ne f the gals is t attract new vlunteers and mney t supprt the rganizatin. Otherwise yu may be redirecting mney previusly given t the rganizatin thrugh ther avenues and vertaxing current vlunteers. Is the purpse t increase public awareness f yur rganizatin? If yu want t increase the visibility f the rganizatin, the event shuld be held where many peple are expsed t the name and missin f yur rganizatin and great effrts shuld be aimed at gd media cverage. Is the purpse t bring attentin t yur cause r missin? T ften the ppulatin served by the rganizatin is cnfused with the audience fr an event. Althugh the tw shuld be cmpatible with regards t the basic values f the rganizatin, the audience f yur event may be significantly different than the clients yu serve. David Nelsn, authr f Getting the Payff frm Special Events, distinguishes between tw majr types f events thse that raise mre mney and thse that raise mre public awareness. He divides these int Type A and Type B. Type A events generally raise mre funds and gain less public awareness and have the fllwing characteristics: High individual cst t participate Smaller attendance Lwer administrative and advertising investment Mre dnr prspects Greater lyalty t the rganizatin by thse attending Type B events generally raise visibility but may require high investment f time fr the financial return t the rganizatin and have the fllwing characteristics: Lw individual cst t participate Larger attendance/higher visibility Higher administrative and advertising investment The Keeley Grup 1

2 Fewer dnr prspects Less lyalty t the rganizatin by thse attending 2. D yu have access t apprpriate attendees, spnsrs and underwriters? Wanting t stage an event will nt guarantee success unless yu have cnnectins t and the interest f apprpriate attendees and financial underwriters. Ask yurself: Wh wuld be the natural chice f event participants fr the rganizatin? It is als imprtant t knw if any ther cmmunity activities will be cmpeting with yur event fr the audience, vlunteers and dnrs yu will be targeting. There may be ther activities ging n in a cmmunity at the same time, but the imprtant issue is whether yur target grup will have t many cmpeting activities n r arund the same time f yur event. Many cmmunities have grups that keep cmmunity calendars. Check ut ther ptential cmpeting activities and make certain that as sn as yu knw the date f the event yu get it n the calendar and get the wrd ut s that thers will nt plan cmpeting events. 3. What event can meet the gals and reach the targeted market? Mst events will fall under ne f the fllwing categries: Audience Participatin Events require that yu attract peple, generally thrugh ticket sales. Examples are dances, decratr shwcases, art appraisals, celebrity ck-ffs. Fr sme rganizatins these are perfect events because they have a dedicated grup f vlunteers wh enjy the scial nature f spnsring such an event and the cllective cntacts t create gd press cverage and sell many tickets. Fd and Drink Events feature a meal r have special fd served. Examples include wine-and-fd events, "rasts" f special peple, lunchens with fashin shws, events featuring ethnic fds, tea parties and restaurant penings. These generally require extensive preparatin and attract peple thrugh ticket sales. Many f these types f fundraisers becme signature events fr an rganizatin and are held annually, with ptentially great financial returns. The csts t spnsr these events are clsely tied t hw much f the fd and beverages can be dnated fr the event. As with all such majr events, peple attending may cnsider this their majr gift t the rganizatin fr the year. Thus yu may be simply getting their annual gift at an event rather than thrugh a slicitatin. This is nt necessarily bad, particularly if event csts are lw. Peple are mre The Keeley Grup 2

3 likely t dnate t a cause in a scial setting, fr example, while cmpeting fr auctin items, than they are t respnd t direct, nen-ne slicitatin. This is particularly true in the case f auctins when items are dnated by well-knwn cmmunity residents. Hliday and Special Occasin Events are held t celebrate the seasn while raising funds fr the rganizatin. Hwever, since vlunteer time is ften limited arund hlidays, preparatins fr the event shuld be scheduled as far ahead as pssible. Events range frm ding a day f gift wrapping fr dnatins, t rganizatins spnsring a cmmunity July Furth Firewrks. Merchandise Events are thse that feature the sale f prducts r services. Examples are antique shws, flea markets, bk and plant sales, arts and crafts fairs, and garage sales. Yu can create yur wn r rent a space at a shw. Organizatins that make the mst mney n these types f special events are ften thse that crdinate a large event and reap a prtin f the prfits and entry fees f all participants. Entertainment Events prbably carry the highest risk but can als prduce sme f the highest returns. Success is affected by the cst r dnatin f the "name" entertainment, hw many tickets must be sld t break even, hw much mney is needed up frnt, and whether there are back-ut clauses with facilities if yu determine an event will nt be prfitable. Weather can als be a factr if the entertainment is t be ut f drs. Prbably the safest f these types f events is a preview r a premier shwing f a play r ppular mvie, where the rganizatin reaps the prfits frm the evening's entertainment. A current fundraising trend is fr grups t partner with ne anther in spnsring events. Athletic Events such as marathns and 10K runs are increasingly ppular. Hwever, there is nw great cmpetitin fr participants because f the prliferatin f s many excellent events. Organizatins that have successfully attached themselves t marathn events that cntribute funds t nnprfit causes have reaped significant funds with minimal labr. T set up a lcal athletic event, takes cnsiderable cntacts and shuld nly be cnsidered if yu have access t the talent that will make certain the event is prfessinally managed. Large athletic clubs in yur cmmunity are a gd place t start. Mst f the mney is raised thrugh pledges and yu need a way t ensure that the pledge mney is given t the runner, walker r biker prir t the event. Risk management and insurance have becme significant issues in athletic events, further substantiating the need fr the event t be prficiently run. Nn-events. These are invitatins fr yur dnr t stay at hme and pay fr the privilege f nt attending an event that is never staged. Sme f these invitatins have been very cleverly presented, requesting that yu cntribute the csts f renting a tuxed, the new The Keeley Grup 3

4 gwn, the ticket, the purchase f raffles, the lim and any ther pssible expense yu might have incurred had there been an event. Yu can check ff which items yu wuld have purchased and write a check t the rganizatin fr that amunt. Smetimes the rganizatin plays n the fact that yu must be tired f ging t events and thus they are ding yu a favr by allwing yu t stay hme. Sme include a tea bag and suggest that yu have a nice cup f tea by the fire. It is a clever fundraising methd but be certain that the mailing ges t a brad range f peple, nt just yur members, r it may be perceived as yur annual drive. If s, yu are redirecting mney, rather than earning new mney. 4. Is the event apprpriate t the rganizatin's purpse and missin? Althugh the participants attending an event are frequently nt the rganizatin's clients, it is imprtant that the theme f the event cmpliment the services and prgrams f yur rganizatin. The mst creative events incrprate the rganizatin's missin int the event theme. 5. Is the staffing adequate? Befre cmmitting t a fundraising event, be certain that bth vlunteer and salaried staffing are adequate. Is there an effective leader, agreeable t chair the event? Often an event will have tw chairs with distinctly different jbs: a celebrity chair and an rganizing chair. The celebrity chair agrees t be assciated with the event, make sme imprtant cntacts, sign sme letters endrsing the event r encuraging peple t attend and will als attend the event. The rganizing chair crdinates the cnsiderable details assciated with prducing an event. Is there an adequate pl f vlunteers t plan and carry ut the event? As with all vlunteer psitins, each vlunteer shuld be ding a jb that brings mutual benefit t bth the vlunteer and the event. Has the amunt f staff time that will be needed fr the event been clearly established? Thse planning fr the event shuld present a realistic prpsal regarding the prjected time that staff will be supprting the event. Determine if this timing cnflicts with ther knwn busy times fr the rganizatin. As much as pssible, event chairpersns shuld arrange fr the preparatin details t be handled separately frm the daily running f the rganizatins. If the event invlves selling tickets t get peple t attend, d yu have peple (bard, vlunteers, staff) wh can be successful at this? Dn't just assume that smehw tickets distributed t bard and vlunteers will autmatically get sld. The Keeley Grup 4

5 6. Is the prjected budget aligned with yur gals? After expenses, d yu prject a prfit that will fulfill yur financial gals? Des the budget give actual csts fr all pssible majr expenses and des it reflect pprtunities fr underwriting and spnsrships that culd significantly lwer actual csts? It is helpful befre agreeing t stage an event t get sme majr underwriters n bard. This will play a rle in cnvincing yur bard t give the green light t the event. Csts fr insurance, taxes and permits shuld be researched befre the decisin is finalized nt cme as a surprise when yu are in the middle f planning. Often these line items alne determine whether an event is financially feasible. Sme rganizatins have insurance plicies, which, fr a small extra premium, cver an event, r yu can buy a rider plicy fr the event nly. Always get advice frm yur insurance agent. Des the rganizatin have the cash that will be needed up frnt t put n this event? The rganizatin may need t take the mney frm a reserve accunt, as the mney frm events generally cmes in at the very end f the effrt. This is anther pint at which majr spnsrs can be very helpful in prviding funds t underwrite yur early expenses. Or yu may alter hw yu market yur tickets. Is there an escape plan if activities and planning are nt prceeding as scheduled? In majr event planning there shuld be plans t cut yur lsses by a certain date by canceling the event if mst indicatrs pint in that directin. It is smetimes better t cancel than t carry thrugh with plans, particularly if yur lsses will be significantly larger if yu prceed. 7. Are there clear expectatins f the wrk fr the event required by paid staff and bard members? As an event is being discussed it is imprtant t be very clear abut expectatins f the staff, bard members, and any vlunteers wh will becme invlved. D nt allw pr planning t leave rles and respnsibilities unclear. In small, grassrts rganizatins there is a tendency fr everyne t pitch in and help ut; but yu must analyze the true cst f the event when this is ccurring. Nt nly may the event be csting t much, yur missin and cause may suffer as time is redirected frm client services t events. The sner yu can build a netwrk f reliable, talented vlunteers wh enjy event planning, the better yur rganizatin will be served. 8. Will the event have a planning/versight task frce r steering cmmittee, including apprpriate representatin frm the staff, bard and vlunteers? The Keeley Grup 5

6 Thse wh are cnsidering an event need t have key members f a task frce selected. This leadership team will guide and drive the event and will have a great effect n its eventual success. 9. Is there adequate time t prepare fr the event? Majr fundraising events take cnsiderable planning time. It is best t allw ne year fr planning, with the evaluatin sessin ften being the first planning sessin fr the fllwing year. Smaller events r nes in which yu simply participate may take less time, but they will invariably bring in less mney and may be time-intensive fr a shrt perid f time. Events are generally nt a gd strategy if significant mney is needed within a shrt time frame. It is imprtant t cnsider whether this event has the ptential t be repeated and expanded. Often the first year will take cnsiderably mre time and effrt than subsequent years. Thus, if yu knw that the event will nly be pssible t stage nce, it shuld have the prmise f great returns. 10. Will the benefits f this event r activity be wrth the time and effrt put in by staff and supprters f the rganizatin? Ultimately this is the bttm line fr deciding whether r nt t spnsr an event. Analyzing the rganizatin's gals fr the event, ne must ask, "Is this event the mst ecnmical and effective way t meet these gals?" We must be determined at the utset that time will be spent prductively and judiciusly. T many bards never discuss this rati and end up with a cnsiderable up-frnt investment f time that des nt bring significant return t the rganizatin. It's critical nt t verlk this issue. Hwever, the true benefits f many events cme after they are ver, when new prspects have been acquainted with yur rganizatin and are nw pssible candidates t assist yur prgram as vlunteers, dnrs r bth. i Resurce Center: Crpratin fr Natinal and Cmmunity Service The Keeley Grup 6