E-book Final (2)

8/4/2019 E-book Final (2)

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How to Run a Successful Charity Event

Tips, checklists and advice on how to run a great event fora worthwhile charity cause.

An e-book brough t to you by The Smith Family, unlocking opportunities for disadvantaged children in Australia

Copyright 2009


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Contents Introduction 2

Chapter 1: Defining a Charity and Charity Event 3

Chapter 2: The Idea What makes for a good Charity Event 8

Chapter 3: Putting together your Event Committee 13

Chapter 4: Developing and Executing a Successful Plan 18

Chapter 5: Successful Fundraiser Tips 24

Chapter 6: Marketing, Media, PR and Communications Generating Hype 30

Chapter 7: Logistics Planning - Maki ng sure you Account for Everything 42

Chapter 8: Managing Volunteers for your Charity Event 43

Chapter 9: The Big Day Ensuring your Charity Event Runs Smoothly 48

Chapter 10: Following Up After the Event 54

Epilogue: Wrapping it up The Top Ten Tips you should take away 58

Appendix A: Receiving Donations Setting up an Online Donor Portal 60

Appendix B: Budget Template 62


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Chapter 1 Defining a charity and charity event


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Chapter 1 Defining a charity and a charity event

What is a charity?

Before organising a charity event, it's important to familiarise yourself with the rules and legislation that govern charitiesand non-profit organisations as different tax concessions and legislations apply to charities and non-profi t organisations.For example, charity donations of over $2 are usually tax deductible.

According to the Australian Tax Office (ATO), a charity is defined as:

An entity that is also a trust fund or an institution. An entity can include a corporation, unincorporated association,trust or partnership. A branch, account, division or anything that is part of an entity, is not treated as a charity.

Furthermore, a charity must:

Exist for the public benefit or the relief of poverty. These can include aged care community services, animal welfaregroups, unemployment support organisations and children's charities. Of course, not all entiti es that providecharitable services to the public are recognised as charities (for example, hospitals or public libraries).

Be non-profit. An entity is not a charity if it is operating for the indirect or direct profit of its members, owners or anyother person. Non-profit organisations are prevented from providing profits, gains or dividends to members or aparticular person.

Be charitable in its purpose, within the legal sense of the term. Under legislation, the sole purpose of the entity mustbe charitable and for public benefit.

On the other hand, an entity would not be a charity if its main purposes were:

Sporting, recreational or social

Political, lobbying or promotional

Illegal

Governmental


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For commercial gains and profits such as businesses

While charities can carry out business-like events, such as organising fundraisers and operating retail stores, theseactivities must advance charitable purposes. For example, The Smith Family, a registered Income Tax Exempt Charity,sells quality donated goods at its retail stores to generate funds for the purpose of providing educational assistance fordisadvantaged children in Australia.

Did you know?

According to the ATO, there are approximately 700,000 non-profit organisations currently operating in Australia.

Around 190,000 are registered with the ATO and the rest are either non-taxable or their turnover is below theminimum threshold.

GiveWell reports that Australian charities generate approximately 19 per cent of their revenue through fundraisinginitiatives.

What is a charity event?

A charity event is an event that raises funds and increases awareness for a particular cause that is supported by a charityorganisation. Causes range from poverty relief, environmental awareness, health or medical issues, gender inequalit y ordisadvantage issues in Australia or overseas.

They can be small and local (like a bake sale or a trivia night) or they can attract tens of thousands of participants suchas the City2Surf or The Smith Familys Around the Bay in a Day.

Popular types of charity events include:

- Fun runs or marathons like the City2Surf

- Movie, bowling or trivia nights

- Dinner parties, auctions or gala balls

- Sausage sizzles or cake stalls

- Bike rides, kayak adventures, hiking or mountain climbing trips


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The type of event you choose to organise will depend on your organisations objectives, goals and resources. Well

discuss brainstorming event ideas in the next chapter.

What can successful charity events achieve?

With the current economic climate, charity research group, GiveWell found that in the 2009 financial year, almost two-thirds of charities experienced significant increases in the demand for their services and are struggling to cope. In fact, areport by the Australian Council of Social Services found that in 2008, nearly 280,000 people (or 1 in 12) who neededurgent assistance, were turned away by community services because they couldnt meet the increase in demand.

Given these statistics, it is increasingly important for charities to develop new ways to fundraise, market and raiseawareness for the services they provide. This is why charity events can be so effective.

Charity events can help an organisation:

Raise much needed funds for services.

Foster a sense of community (For example, on National Tree Day, families, businesses and schools are encouraged

to plant trees in their local community).

Strengthen their organisation with team buil ding exercises such as company cha rity bike rides.

Bring attention to specific issues like health issues or social inequality.

Raise the profile of a charity.

They can also be a lot of fun to organise and attend if your plan for it appropriately. A charity event that is planned,marketed and executed properly can effectively communicate an organisations values and promote its services, whileproviding a fun and interesting way to engage the wider community about the issue at hand.

Case Study: The Smith Familys Around the Bay in a Day

For the past 17 years, The Smith Family has partnered with the Melbourne Cycling Festival to host the charity event,Around the Bay in a Day Australias largest single day bike ride, and one of the most popular cycling events in theworld. This charity bike ride around Port Phillip Bay is one of Melbourne's most anticipated events of the year.


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In 2009, the event raised over $700,000 for the organisation up from $400,000 in 2008. Theyll be once again aiming

for the $1 million mark next year which could provide 3000 disadvantaged children in Australia with educational andlearning assistance through its Learning for Life program.

Around the Bay in a Day demonstrates that with the right planning, partnerships, marketing and logistical organisation, asimple idea can turn into a large scale annual charity event that:

Effectively engages the wider community and encourages active participation in a community cause

Raises vital funds to support disadvantaged children and families in Australia

Draws attention and increases awareness of the issue at hand. At present, 680,000 Australian children do not haveaccess to the same educational, health and life opportunities that their peers do

Helps gather support for the future. Events raise the profile of the charity and builds a database of potential donors

In the next chapter, we will explore how to come up with a good charity event idea, tips and mistakes to avoid.

Resources:

http://aroundthebayfundraising.com.au/http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/34267.htm&page=2&H2http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/34263.htm&page=2&H2http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/59564.htmhttp://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/COR_0015516_CP0809.pdf - pp. 61http://www.bv.com.au/great-rides/20005/http://www.childfund.org.au/act/eventhttp://www.fia.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Research&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5460http://www.fia.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/EventFlyers/Fundraising_Toolkit_New_South_Wales_2009.pdfhttp://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/site/page.cfm?u=334


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Chapter 2 The Idea: what makes a good charity event?


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Chapter 2 - The Idea: what makes a good charity event?

Before you start

A successful event is all about planning and getting the process right f rom the get go. This starts with the idea. As wedemonstrated in the fi rst chapter, there is a whole range of charity event opti ons, but depending on your organisationsresources and goals, some types of events will work better than others. For example, if y oure looking to raiseawareness for a relatively unknown disease, a cake stall or fun fair may be less successful in getting your messageacross, even though it could be very popular. Meanwhile, if youre looking primarily to raise funds quickly, a charity event

like a benefit gala or a fun run may require more organisation and planning time than putting together a sausage sizzle or

just collecting donations with volunteers.

Brainstorming Ideas

If this is a new charity event, brainstorming is a great way to come up with a successful event plan. Many organisers willtell you that establishing a framework is one of the most essential steps before any kind of planning begins. With clearboundaries to work within, relevant and irrelevant charity event ideas are easier to differentiate during brainstormingsessions.

To help with your brainstorming session, consider these helpful suggestions:

Talk and bounce ideas off a range of people who work in various industries.

Attend both charity and non-charity events to see what others are doing. Use these experiences to get ideas on whatworks and what wouldnt work for your organisation.

Write down all ideas, regardless of how far-fetched the idea may seem at the time as it could turn out to be highly origina

and most successful.

Organise two different brainstorming sessions, one that purely focuses on coming up with the ideas, and another thataddresses why certain ideas will or wont work. Even if ideas seem completely outrageous, by blocking out scepticismand negativity in the first session, you a re encouraging creativity.

Consider your resources. You can incorporate your existing networks and contacts (i.e. corporate connections, celebritynames, brand associati ons) to put together an event that really stands out.

Once youve come up with a great idea, youll want to do a larger scope of the feasib ility and logistics. The clearer youare about what you want, the easier it will be to set up a committee and get down to the nitty gritty.


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Helpful Hint: Dont get too bogged down with logistics at this stage! On your own, the amount of work

that needs to be done can seem overly daunting and scare you away from putting together a charity event altogether.Remember, youll be working with a team of committed and dedicated people who will add valuable resources and skillsto your pool so youll have plenty of help with everything youll need. Well discuss how to find the right people to help youorganise your charity event in the next chapter.

Planning a knock out charity event, eight crucial questions to ask

Is my event relevant to the cause?

The more relevant a charity event is to an organisations values and causes, the better. It is important for the event toreflect the charitys purpose and to communicate a message that the community, corporate partners and supporters canconnect with.

For example, The Smith Family recently hosted a discussion panel at the Melbourne Writers Festival that allowed 300disadvantaged children to hear from prominent Australian authors. Not only did this hopefully inspire the children, TheSmith Family also highlighted the importance of developing fundamental literacy skills to the wider community.

How will I market the event and is the timing right?

Timing is everything and certain events gain greater community and media attention at particular times of the year.Putting on a charity event at the right time will also naturally help with marketing. For example, The Smith Familys annualWinter Appeal raises awareness and funds to help disadvantaged children weather the harsh season.

Will my event raise awareness for the cause?

A good charity event should bring attention to the cause as well as the charity organisation before, during and after theevent has occurred. Not all charity events will get featured in the media, and while you may not have finances foradvertising, dont underestimate the power of word-of-mouth or social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, to helpspread the word.

How will I plan for and organise the event?

One of the most obvious traits of a successful charity event is how well it is organised. This includes logistics, marketing,adhering to budget constraints and how smoothly the charity event runs on the day. Leaving things to the last minute issimply unprofessional and diminishes the effectiveness of the charity event itself. You want people talking about the event

and the charity organisation for the right reasons. Consider the amount of time youll need to plan for the event and giveyourself some extra leeway for unforeseen hiccups.


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What are my goals and are they clearly defined?

Whether you want to raise $500 or $500,000, a good charity event should have clear objectives. If you set definitive andmeasurable goals, even if you dont meet them, youll be able to reassess your expectations and improve on them foryour next event.

What budget will I set and how do I plan to stick to it?

Set a real istic budget based on your resources and expectations. If your primary objective is to raise funds, you dontwant to blow out your costs in such a way that you have nothing left ove r for the cause. Keep costs down and bestrategic about spending.

Does my event stand out?

A fun, quirky or unique charity event is a memorable one and you can do this without blowing your budget. A bit ofcreativity can grab the attention of the community, sponsors and the media as well as help raise the profile of yourorganisation.

How am I engaging the community?

From a fun-filled charity bike ride to a gallery exhibition or a gala night, a successful charity event should engage thewider community, existing partners and supporters and offer something unique that leaves a long-lasting impact afterthe event.

Charity event ideas: 5 simple mistakes to avoid

1. Not distinguishing y our event from other charity events

2. Not considering the return on investment of running a charity event

3. Being too unrealistic

4. Jumping the gun and not planning strategically

5. Doing a charity event for the sake it, instead of establishing relevant, long term goals


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Case Study: Stand Up for The Smith Family Comedy Charity Event

In a sell-out show in Melbournes Anthenaeum, well-known comedians inc luding Jimeon, Wil Anderson, Judith Lucy andPeter Helliar, were invited to donate their talent to Stand Up for The Smith Family.

The comedy charity event raised more than $21,000 for disadvantaged children in the Learning for Life sponsorshipprogram, and in return, the performers received a framed picture of themselves drawn by the students they helped.

There are several reasons why The Smith Familys comedy charity event was a successful event idea:

Increased awareness of the charity by associating it with high profile personalities.

Engaged and informed the community of The Smith Familys valuable work.

Profi table enough, after costs, to contribute funds to The Smith Familys Learning for Life program.

Memorable for the audience and participants who received a personal token of appreciation.

Resources:

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/funding/funding_article.jsp?articleId=1726http://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/site/page.cfm?u=146


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Chapter 3 Putting together your event committee


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Chapter 3 Putting together your event committee

What is a charity event organising committee? (Theres no I in Team)

An organising committee is a dedicated team that makes sure the charity event is well-planned, achieves its proposed

goals and runs smoothly on the day.

Generally, the team is made up of volunteers and/or staff members of a charity organisation. But depending on yourbudget, you may also wish to hire a professional event organiser, or a group of people to work solely on the charity

event.

Unless you prefer to run a charity event yourself (for example, if its a low-key event like a movie night), having anorganising committee is ideal because:

Committee members can share their expertise and strengths. Having a strong, experienced and diverse team addsvaluable assets and resources to your project.

Each member will be dedicated to one aspect of the event (i.e. marketing, logistics or administration) which significantlyincreases productivity. It allows everyone to focus on specific tasks and work more efficiently while the workload and

responsibility of running a charity event can be distributed evenly.

There will be greater accountability. By delegating responsibility, you can pinpoint areas that may need more support andyoull be able to nip bad habits in the bud before they can affect the entire project.

Running a charity event requires commitment, enthusiasm and finding the right people for the job. Volunteers cancertainly help out during the day or with the organising process, but only a few key people should be appointed ashead committee members. Having fewer people helps speed up the decision-making process, which will becomeincreasingly more necessary as the event date draws closer.

Whos Who in the Committee: Key Roles and responsibilities

Chairperson. Like the CEO of a company, the chairperson will oversee the entire operations and organisation of thecharity event. They may also need to represent the event during media interviews or to the general public.

Sponsorship and Fundraising. The person in charge of charity sponsorship and fundraising will usually seek outcorporate partnerships as well as ways for the public to financially support the event (and charity). This could meangetting food, electrical goods or clothing donations for auctions and raffles; getting public endorsements from variouscompanies and high profile personalities; or generating funding for the charity event and so on.


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Marketing, PR and Communications. This person is the official spokesperson for the charity event, and will be in

charge of communicating to the media, supporters and general public as well as overseeing the look-and-feel of webdesign, brochures, delegate or participant kits, program booklets, T-shirts, pens etc. Traditional advertising may beconsidered, while onl ine platforms, such as blogs and socia l media, are also great ways t o advertise your charity event.

Logistics. A lot of behind-the-scenes work will fall into the hands of the Logistics committee head. Depending onwhat your charity event entails, this role could include: organising catering, getting council permits, devisingproduction schedules, finding security and first aid attendants, overseeing sound and lighting requirements,coordinating set-up and breakdown as well as a slew of other responsibilities.

Volunteer Management. Volunteers are extremely valuable at charity events and need to be well looked after.As such, it is important to have someone in charge of recruiting, training and assigning volunteers to the mostappropriate roles.

Project Management and Administration. From scheduling committee meetings, reception work, takingminutes, project management and general administration, thi s person is the glue that holds the rest of thecommittee together.

IT and Web Management. Not every charity event will need a web team, but for medium-to-large scale events,websites are the best ways to communicate to the public, supporters, corporate partners, potential volunteersand media. Having an IT committee head will ensure your web strategies and online communications run assmoothly as possible.

Treasury and Accounts. One of the most important roles is the Treasurer. This person keeps the books,ensures budgets are adhered to and holds every member financially accountable.

Legal Affairs. It is important to obtain professional legal advice before planning your charity event. Having alegal professional, who supports the event, on the committee means they can go over contracts for volunteers,staff, suppliers, performers or venues; advise on taxation and charity fundraising matters and address insuranceand occupational health and safety requirements.

Of course, many of these roles can be combined or separated depending on your event requirements and

the experience of your members. Once you have devised relevant committee member roles, it is much easier tochoose the best people for your charity event organising committee. It also means that each committee memberwill know exactly what his or her responsibilities are.

How to choose the best people for the jobs

Selecting the right committee member is similar to hiring someone in a company. If youre hosting a large-scale charityevent, like a citywide marathon or festival, it is even more important to ensure that every committee member is the right


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person for the job. As the pressure mounts, you need to be able to rely on your organising committee to see th ings

through.

These key committee members should:

Have relevant skills, strengths and experience.

Be familiar with their responsibilities and feel comfortable with whats required of them.

Support and be interested in the charity organisations values, mission and message.

Be committed and have enough time in their schedules to work on the charity event.

Have excellent time management and interpersonal ski lls.

Roles within an organising committee will differ according to the charity event. For example, some charity eventsrequire a highly skilled web coordinator, while others wont even need a website. So before selecting any committeemembers, you should decide on the skills and experience youll require for each role.

Five Tips for Recruiting a Top Notch Charity Event Organising Committee

1. Be picky, but not too picky. While it is important to choose the best people for various committee roles, dont betoo selecti ve about it. While experience is necessary, passion and commitment for your charity cause are the mostimportant qualities.

2. Communicate frequently.Keep your charity event organising team in the loop by meeting up, emailing or callingregularly. This builds teamwork, professionalism as well as morale.

3. Be clear with expectations and responsibilities. From the start, it is professional to be direct with yourcommittee members regarding expectations and their responsibiliti es. That way, there are no hidden surprises for

either party.

4. Show your appreciation. One of the most important things is to show your team members how much theircontribution and time means to the charity, especially if theyre a volunteer. Organise outings like lunch, or give themsmall gifts as tokens of your appreciation.


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5. Have fun. Organising a charity event can be hard work, so it helps to keep things light-hearted to diffuse tension orpent-up stress! After all, youre doing a good thing for the community by putting together the event, so make sureyou enjoy the process.

Helpful Hint:If your committee members are a little g reen on experience but great on enthusiasm, try andarrange for a more knowledgeable advisory panel or mentor that they can turn to for advice. While your teammembers should for the most part be able to work independently, it might build their confidence knowing they cancall on someone with more experience, especially for more confusing aspects of the process (i.e. legal aspects,speaking wi th council, media etc). A mentor or advisory panel will give ideas on how to proceed based on theirexperience without needing to get their hands dirty or commit a large amount of precious time.

Resources:

http://www.unisa.edu.au/mdu/events/howto.asphttp://www.events.nsw.gov.au/event-starter-guie/before-you-begin-organising-ask-yourself

http://www.events.nsw.gov.au/event-starter-guide/3-navigation-checklist


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Chapter 4 Developing and executing a successful event plan


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Chapter 4 Developing and executing a successful event plan

Good planning is absolutely pivotal if you want to run a successful charity event. Not only is it important to plan for howyou want things to run, you also need to anticipate and be ready to solve any potential setbacks that arise throughoutthe process.

For a good event, youll need a clear overall strategy plus specific plans for individual areas such as marketing,fundraising, budgeting and volunteer management.

Areas to Cover in your Planning

When youre developing your overall event plan, youll want to define clear objectives and tasks for each of the individualareas mentioned above. A simple approach will be to set up a task list or Gantt Chart for each committee member. Forsome smaller committees, depending on the complexity of the event and the resources available, you might have variouscommittee members taking on a number of roles you should still have a clear and separate plan for each different areaof responsibility.

You will want to specify targets and deadlines where applicable. Be sure you integrate your task lists across the differentareas this can be done with a bigger master plan.

Of course, depending on the type of chari ty event youre organis ing, the areas of planning will differ. Not everyone willwant a PR/Communications department or an IT/Web team and depending on the amount of work, the specific tasks canbe combined into one area of responsibility, for example you may just want one person managing PR and Marketing.Cross over will be more readily identified when you start to write down the specific tasks involved. Well cover some ofthese specific areas in more detai l in the later chapters but here are some suggestions you can consider when planningfor each area of responsibility:

Marketing

Print materials including invitations, posters, fliers, signage

Paid advertisements and distribution (i.e. TV ads/radio campaigns/direct mail/email)

Managing community portals (i.e. social media, networking)

PR/Communications (combined or working closely with Marketing)

Press Releases/Community Service Announcements


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Booking Celebrities/high profile VIPs (in conjunction with Fundraising)

Following up with attendees/guests/VIPs

Managing guests list and follow up

Fundraising

Soliciting and receiving donations

Approaching and securing potential business sponsors

Writing grant proposals

Managing donor follow up

IT/Web

Developing, managing and updating website/donor portal

Looking after technical requirements (i.e. computers, email, newsletter distribution)

Treasury/Budget

Managing received donations

Managing accounts

Overseeing overall budgets and costs, making payments etc

Volunteers

Finding volunteers and assigning them to tasks

Ensuring volunteers receive adequate training before and during the event


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Coordinating and maintaining volunteer database

Following up with volunteers

Logistics

Organising a venue/location

Organising catering/alcohol/staff

Coordinating rentals, including equipment, furnishings, decorations etc

Finding appropriate insurance, licenses and overseeing H&S and other legal matters

Developing contingency plans for transport, bad weathe r etc

Helpful Hint: Instead of just a simple task list, using a Gantt Chart is a great way to visualise when different tasks willbe happening and where you are at any particular stage in your planning or execution process. You can use this for eachindividual management area and then integrate it into a l arger chart that incorporates all the tasks.

Five Tips for putting together a successful Master Plan

Depending on the type of event youre planning, the tasks you assign will vary. Its important that your committee is fullyacross and looking after each area and that you have set deadlines for specific tasks to be accomplished in a timelymanner.


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1. Make a plan to have a plan

Start by getting your team together and discussing your objectives and the overall aims for the charity event. Youll wantto introduce everyone, set up the framework and encourage everyone to support each other throughout the process.

2. Set goals for each area

Work together as a team to set clear and measurable goals for each area, as you would with a business plan. Youll needto specify budgets, deadlines and deliverables for each committee member and have them stick to the plan as much asthey can.

3. Communicate regularly and effectively

Make sure your entire team is across all aspects of the plan in some capacity, but ensure they dont get too distractedfrom their own focus. Set up meetings with clear agendas and make sure theyre run in an organised manner. Documentthe minutes of your meeting so you can recap and refer to them later on.

Your entire committee needs to make an effort to work with each other. If one person is on a completely separate pagefrom everyone else, your entire plan will suffer if everyone doesnt work together to get him or her up to speed.

4. Integrate your plansRemember that all of your committee members need to function and work together as a single unit. For example, theresno use launching a great marketing campaign and asking for donations if the donation portal hasnt been set up yet. Itlooks unprofessional and discredits your organisation.

5. Support each other

Ultimately, everyone will need to support one another as much as they can. Depending on the level of expertise and the

amount of available resources, committee members will require different levels of support and individuals may have tostep up and wear multiple hats to help with workload levels.

In the next chapters, well look at how to develop individual strategies for specific areas such as fundraising, marketing,

logistics and volunteer management.


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Resources:

http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/organisation/operations/projectmanhttp://www.community builders.nsw.gov.au/events_guide/plan.htmlhttp://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/webdata/resources/files/events_fact_sheet.pdf


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Chapter 5 Successful Fundraising Tips


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Chapter 5 Successful Fundraising Tips

Charities, unlike other organisations, usually put together an event with one particular goal in mind: to raise funds for aparticular cause. To throw a successful charity event, a successful fundraising plan is vitally important. You want to setfundraising goals and targets that you can use in your marketing and media campaigns and in all of y our communicationand PR materials.

First steps for Fundraising Success

When devel oping a fundrais ing plan here are some important steps to help you get started:

Develop an overall fundraising goal. How much money do you plan to raise in total for the event? Its important tohave a good general target to reach for as it helps with your marketing and generates more hype about the event. Forexample, this year the Smith Family set a $1 million target for its Around the Bay in a Day event for 2009.

Assess the donor market. What is your donor demographic and where are your donations going to come from? Thereare generally three types of individual donor markets, and corporate donations, that you can target:

1.Anonymous small donors. These are the people who click on to your website and sign up to your contribute orsponsor when they see an ad. For these types of donors, youll need a wide audience capture thats quite generic and

facilities that will support small donations. For example, an online portal is a great way to capture this donor market asare collection tins and volunteer sign ups. See Appendix A for our guide on how to set up an online donation portal.

2. Family and Network donations. These are the families, friends and co-workers who will support an individual theyknow. Things like fun runs and themed appeals work well for these donors. Have a simple way for individuals to sign upand raise money (i.e. via an online registry) and have a simple registration pack that should have all the materials theyllneed to collect funds.

3. Larger individual donations. These are larger individual donations from people who will be specifically looking tocontribute to your cause. For example, an individual can purchase a table at a charity dinner or become a recognised

supporter. These individuals will want recognition for their contribution and they should be targeted personally, such aswith a direct mail campaign.

4. Corporate donations. Corporate donations and sponsorships are always a great way to raise funds. Companies willdonate to help their business profile and align themselves with a strategic audience. Corporate donations can come in

the form of dollars or many businesses will offer contra deals where the business will supply you with their product orservice to a specific dollar amount in exchange for promotion. For example, a toy company can donate a number ofbicycles to a childrens charity or a restaurant may donate their facilities for you to host your event in exchange for amention.


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Explore different avenues to raise funds. Be creative about how you can raise funds and how your overall goal can

be split amongst various channels. For example, if youre selling tickets to an event, can you raise a bit more money witha raffle? How do you plan on collecting individual donations? What opportunities exist for direct and indirect corporatesponsorships? Keep an organised database of all your potential and converted donors.

Tip: Consider how you can market and push for more funds and maximise these different avenues. For example, can you

find companies to dollar match individual donations?

Work out the costs and returns. Dont forget that you have to account for costs as well as donations. You can throw a

spectacular gala at a five star venue, but this will detract from the amount you ultimately have to contribute to the cause.Alternatively, you might need to spend a bit more if you want to attract celebrities, media and big corporate sponsors.

Make sure you have the resources to support your plan. Whether its having a simple downloadable form or asetting up an online donation facility on your website, make sure youre implementing your fundraising plan in as simpleand straightforward a way as possible.

Developing a resources and sponsorship plan for your charity event

After you have understood the components of attracting resources for your charity event, you now need to turn thoseideas into a strategic plan.

Devise a successful resource and sponsorship plan for your charity event by following these steps:

1.Assess your current situation in terms of:

Stakeholders. Who are your target audiences, sponsors, donors, supporters and volunteers? How are they

currently supporting your charity (e.g. financially, volunteering etc)?

Competition. Who are your competitors? What are they doing to attract resources? How effective is that? And

what can your charity do differently to stand out?

Performance. Financially, how did your charity perform last year? Did you meet your objectives, why or why not?

What needs improving?

Context. How are trends, the economy and other factors affecting your charity organisation?

A great way to develop an assessment is considering SWOT (St rength, Weaknesses, Opportuniti es, Threats) to analyseand assess each section.


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2. Outline specific objectives. What are your goals in terms of f inance and resources? How much money do you want to

raise? How many supporters and donors would you like to attract after y our charity event?

3. Action Plan. How will you achieve each objective? Think about these questions:

What is the action plan for each objective? (i.e. to secure $1000 in sponsorship from a business, raise $2000 indonations, have a celebrity come along and endorse the charity event etc)

Who will be in charge of what?

Timeline start, middle and end date of each objective. What tangible results can be expected by certain dates?

How you will measure success?

What is your contingency plan if difficulties arise? This is crucial.

4. Monitoring. What tools will you use to monitor success? How often will y ou review and assess the marketing goals ofyour charity event (i.e. monthly, bi-monthly)? Do you need to revise anything?

Getting registered for charity fundraising

If you havent done so already, youll need to register your charity organisation if you wish to receive donations or fundraise,but no fees apply. If youre looking to serve alcohol at your charity event, you will need a special license from various StateDepartments.

Processes, exemptions and laws vary from state to state, so contact your nearest Office for more information. For example,some charity events (e.g. street collections, raffles) require an entirely different application form in some states.

Attracting Sponsors for your charity event

Corporate sponsors and business partnerships are vital if you want to lower costs as much as possible for your charity eventFrom printing, web hosting, catering and advertising, there is simply no limit to the type of sponsorship you can secure. Thekey is to clearly outline how the partnership will benefit both the sponsor and your charity.

Here are ten tips, adapted from the NSW Government Event Tips that will help you attract sponsors for your charity event:


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1. Appoint a committee or staff member to oversee sponsorship and fundraising. However, it is important to

remember that raising money is ultimately everybodys responsibility.

2. Devise a budget and your projected financial goals. How much money do you want to raise before, during and afterthe charity event?

3. Network at relevant industry, university and social events and observe opportunities for sponsorship.

4. Make sure the partnership is mutually beneficial in terms of values and goals. Promote the benefits of partneringwith your charity event (i.e. enhances reputation of company, generates media attention, reaches the companystarget audience, provides tax benefits etc).

5. Start as early as possible and aim high. Securing a big-name sponsor early on eases the financial stress.

6. Use the contacts that you, your charity event committee members, colleagues, family and friends are already intouch with.

7. Develop a good communication and marketing plan for materials such as print like brochures, sponsorship

proposals, a website, industry newsletters and online promotions. These materials should look consistent andprofessional with an underlying wow factor.

8. Meet up in person instead of relying on a phone call, email or a written sponsorship proposal to secure a partnership.

9. Be clear wi th why and how companies, personalities or the community can get involved. Again, this wil l require agood organising team and good planning to ensure deliverables are executed smoothly and professionally. You dontwant to promise anything that you wont be able to deliver on.

10.Conduct a risk management assessment to identify potential problems that could surface. By partnering with yourcharity event, sponsors, businesses and individuals are putting their own reputations on the line as much as you are so minimise adverse outcomes as much as possible.

After you have secured sponsorship, remember to:

Be direct and professional with what you want from the partnership. Write down the agreement so you and the sponsorare absolutely clear on whats expected.

Communicate regularly and work hard to maintain the relationship.


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Have a long term partnership strategy.

Let the sponsor know how their contribution is specifically helping your charity organisation.

Acknowledge key sponsors by including them in your marketing materials and media distributions. Be sure to thank themat the event itself or you can eve organise a specific thank you dinner for major sponsors.

Fundraising tips from the Experts: Q & A with Belinda Griffiths, Events and SponsorshipManager for The Smith Family

1. How do I attract sponsorship and resources for my charity event?You need to do your research its about understanding the industry sectors and how the company can contribute. Forexample, theres no point asking for $20,000 when a company is struggling to stay in business.

You have to know who youre targeting, what youre targeting, what you want, and what you can give the company inreturn. And then, its as easy as going in and making that approach.

A lot of companies want to support charities. But you may need to go to ten different companies in the same industry

before you can get something because they may already be supporting a charity. So rejection doesnt always meanyoure doing a bad job, you just have to keep trying.

And its also approaching sponsors on different levels: some are corporate, some are smaller businesses, and some arejust individuals who can help out. Just dont be afraid to ask the worst response you can get is No.

2.What shouldnt charity event organisers do when approaching sponsors?Avoid asking for for money if you have no idea what the company does, and no idea what their contribution is going to doand what you can give back in return. You need to do your research.

Resources:http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/funding/grant_main.jsp

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/funding/fundraising_main.jsphttp://www.ourcommunity.com.au/funding/funding_article.jsp?articleId=1694http://thirdsectormagazine.com.au/news/creating_successful_special_events/00321/http://www.fundraisingsuccessmag.com/article/the-three-stages-solicitation-34231_1.htmlhttp://www.ourcommunity.com.au/marketing/marketing_article.jsp?articleId=1510http://fundraisingresources.com.au/


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Chapter 6 - Marketing, Media, PR and Communications


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Chapter 6 Marketing, Media, PR and Communications

From producing print materials and liaising with the media, to traditional or online advertising campaigns, marketing thecharity event is all about:

a) Communicating the right message to the right people

b) Distinguishing your brand from others.

Traditionally, charity events will be marketed on TV, the radio and in print (such as through newsletters, brochures,magazine and newspaper event listings). These can all be effective depending on your targeted demographic and budgetHowever, these days, with the advent of social media technology such as Facebook and Twitter, it is now much easier(and cheaper) to market charity events to a wider range of people.

Six thing to consider before you start marketing your charity event

1. Have a long-term approach. The charity event brings your charity brand to life. It is important to have a birds-eyeview and see the benefits this event will bring to the charity in the long run. The event doesnt happen in isolation.

2. Know your target audience(s). One of the first things any professional marketer or advertiser will ask is: Who are youtargeting? It is simply more effective to produce creative marketing materia l that piques the interest of a strategic groupof people than one that tries to encapsulate every age group and demographic. This is also true when targeting sponsorsand media outlets. Be specific.

3. Know your brand. What does the charity organisation stand for and represent? You need to understand the values andthe work that you do inside-out as this will ultimately determine how you develop your website design, print materials,press releases etc. Think about the details. For example, if youre promoting an environmental cause youll want toconsider printing on recycled paper.

4. Know your message. What are you trying to communicate? This will change depending on who the audience is ( i.e. themedia, sponsors, supporters or attendees), so tailor the message accordingly.

5. Make it relevant. Whether youre pitching your message to the media or to your supporters, make the issues andmessage relevant to them. Think about whats happening in the news, research demographic trends, and use this

information as a basis for delivering your message.


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6. Use an appropriate delivery medium. Naturally, if your target audience is 18-25 y ear olds, creating online campaigns

via social media or through websites, will be one of the most effective ways to reach them. Choosing the right medium todeliver your message is just as important as the message itself.

Clearly, a strong, long-term marketing plan should be developed long before the first brochure design or blog post ismade. Strategic marketing significantly lowers costs while effectively reaching the right people.

Cost-effective marketing for your charity event

Depending on the type of event and your budget, you may wish to market your event across TV, print, radio and online

mediums. Regardless of your available expenditure, you must remember to keep all marketing campaigns consistentacross all the media outlets you choose to use. Whether its over the radio, in print, online or on TV, your charity brand

must carry the same look, feel and message no matter what.

Marketing Materials and Campaigns

Print

Printed materials such as letters, handbooks, posters, newsletters, brochures and the like can be a costly marketingexpense. But if printing is an integral part of your marketing strategy, be sure to approach printing centres or sponsors

to offset, or at least subsidise, the printing costs. Remember to offer something in return, like the inclusion of theircompany logo on all printing materials.

Another great way to lower prin ting costs is to attach a soft copy of your brochures, pamphlets, posters andnewsletters on your website. This way, supporters can download the documents and print out copies on their ownaccord, email them to friends, or simply read the information online. Many non-profit organisations, including The SmithFamily, have found that this is an extremely useful way to reduce printing costs, especially in the digital age plus it cutsdown on paper use, which helps the environment.

Postage

Charity Mail is great initiative by Australia Post which provides lower postage costs for charities. Terms and Conditionsinclude a minimum of 300 small letters per lodgement so visit Australia Post for more details.

You may also consider using Australia Posts Reply Paid service, which is a cost-effective marketing initiative that isideal if your mail-outs require responses (i.e. donation and sponsor forms, charity event sign-up forms etc). Postage isfree for respondents, and your charity will only pay for returned forms that you receive.

Design


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Design is a crucial part of your charity events marketing campaign, as it helps to communicate your message to your

target audience. Visual aspects such as layout, typography and the colour scheme used in marketing material are just asimportant as the text itself.

A great way to keep the cost of professional looking design work down is to enlist the help of volunteers. See if there aregraphic designers who would be willing to do the work pro bono, or search for promising design students looking forwork experience and to buil d their portfolio. Again, provide incentives for their involvement (i.e. exposure for theircompany, written recommendations, work experience, free ticket to charity event etc).

TV and Radio

Some non-profit organisations ask online supporters to donate money and fund television advertisement. Others,including The Smith Family, use Community Service Announcements (CSAs) which are available for free to charityorganisations and community groups.

CSAs are advertising segments set aside specifically for community or charity organisations to promote an event oractivity that is considered to be a community service. They are available for both TV and radio.

Tips for securing CSAs:

Contact your relevant radio or TV station for specifi c guidelines on CSAs. (Check that they provide CSAs in the f irstplace!)

Start early. Competition is fierce as there many other of charity organisations that also want air time to promote theirevent.

Be concise and clear. Include the basics: who, what, when, where, why, how.

If you have a TV or radio celebrity ambassador appearing in your announcement, make sure they are not under acontract that forbids them from appearing on other stations.

Event Listings

While newspapers, magazines, onlin e publications and websites may not write a full-l ength feature article on your charityevent, they may add it to their weekly or monthly event listings.

Send in a press release to relevant contacts at media organisations, local councils, publications and websites. Manymagazines, online publications and websites, will send out weekly newsletters (electronically or through direct mail) tothousands of subscribers, so this is an excellent way to reach your targeted demographic at no cost.


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Online

You can use a number of online tools, such as Pay-Per-Click advertisi ng, social media such as Facebook and Twitter, orjust using your own website to give your charity even an online presence. The key is to use any online markingstrategically within your overall marketing campaign.

With online marketing become more and more important, here are eight helpful hints charity organisations should knowbefore they jump on the Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube bandwagon:

1. The web is only a medium. The web, albeit popular and effective, wont save the day or solve all y our marketingproblems. It is only a communication toolused to spread your message, just like TV, radio and print. Like any other

media, online charity campaigns need to be strategic about their approach for it to be effective.

2. Have someone in charge. Analogous to TV, radio and print marketing, online marketing requires equal attention andeffort to be successful. So appoint someone to oversee your online charity campaign.

3. Have a plan. Never go into an online campaign without calculated planning and measurable objecti ves. Online marketingcampaigns cannot be an after-thought, or something you launch for the sake of it.

4. Target relevant groups. Whilethere are millions of online users, k eep your online charity campaign focused andconcise. Dont try t o reach everyone; zero in on relevant demographic g roups and send the right message.

5. Less is more. Dont sign up to all the latest and greatest online accounts just because everybody else is doing so.Instead, choose a handful of relevant online platforms (i.e. reaches your target audience and complements your charitybrand) and invest quality time and resources in these forums.

6. Create good content.Once you have an account across a number of good platforms, use them effecti vely. Understandwho uses those websites and create excellent content to attract the right audience. Interesting content gets noticed,watched, read, and shared online via email or other social networki ng platforms. Let others do the marketing for you byspreading and raising awareness of your charity cause.

7. Optimise your website. If you have a website, make sure search engines like Google, Yahoo! or Bing can find it this iscalled search engine optimisation. For example, include words that people would use to search for your organisation,

such as charity organisation, or help kids to create useful and informative content to publish on your site. Make sureyour meta data is optimised but above all, ask a SEO expert or assign an IT volunteer for help.

8. Monitor and engage. Just because you open a social networking account, or run a blog for your charity organisation,doesnt mean your work is done. Because the internet requires dialogue between organisations and its followers,friends, fans, readers etc. You need to constantly monitor and communicate with your supporters. With the new interne

or web 2.0, youre no longer marketing to a silent audience they want to comment, react and interact as much aspossible. So engage with them, build relationships, and youll develop a loyal following to help your cause.


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Seven common online m arketing mistakes:

Engaging in online technology without sufficient experience, consultation or plann ing.

Underestimating the importance and effectiveness of online marketing.

Not measuring campaign successes or failures.

Not knowing the why behind your online marketing campaign.

Remaining an anonymous and nameless face to charity supporters, instead of engaging in dialogue and building aninteractive community.

Underestimating the number of people watching what you do.

Failing to research and understand your online target audience

Beyond Marketing The Importance of Media

Why attract media attention for your charity event?

Using the media is one of the most effective ways attract attenti on to your charity event. Whether its local, metropolitan,national or even international news outlets, piquing the interest of the media has several advantages:

Gives free publicity for your charity event. Instead of spending lots of time and money marketing your charity event,the media can help generate publicity for you. Having your charity event mentioned on national television to millions ofviewers is obviously more effective than a mail-out to 100 people in your local neighbourhood.

Raises the profile of the charity. There are literally hundreds of Australian charities and non-profit organisations, butnot all of them familiar enough to be common household names. Grabbing the attention of the media not only brings yourcharity event into the spotlight, but also your organisation as a whole and all the hard work that you do!

Raises awareness for a cause. Whether its medical, health, educational, environmental, or social, all charities exist tosupport important causes. Gaining media attention means that genuine issues are put on the social agenda, which isimportant if your charity needs f unding or support.


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Give legitimacy credibility to the charity. Having the media report on your charity event or the work that you do,

increases the legitimacy, authority and trustworthiness of your charity organisation within the community.

Attracts new donors, sponsors and supporters. People are more inclined to donate money and offer support to acharity that has been mentioned by their favourite channel, newspaper, magazine or newsletter.

Influences public opinion and policies. Your charity plays an important part in reducing the stigma or misconceptionsthat surround an issue. Through the media, your charity can engage in public dialogue to educate, inform and evenchange public opinion and policies.

Increasing media coverage of your charity event

The best type of advertising for your charity is the media as it generates greater awareness - and its free! The mediaincludes Print (magazine and newspapers), TV, Radio and Online but not all charity events will be of interest to everyform of media, so you need to be strategic with the journalist or producer you contact.

Here are eight simple ways, compiled by the experts at Third Sector Magazine, to increase the likelihood of gettingmedia coverage for your charity event:

1. Have clear objectives. Do you want people to come along, donate money or do you wish to promote the charityorganisation and generate public conversation? Knowing this will help when you write your press release.

2. Target relevant media. All media programs and publications reach a specific market so keep things relevant bycontacting journalists and producers from relevant outlets. For example, if you want to reach an older femaledemographic, contacting morning TV shows, womens magazines like Australian Womens Week ly or ABC radio showsare good places to start. Look f or small er niche audiences as well, such as hobby publications or Pay TV shows.

3. Have a database of relevant media contacts. Keep an updated list of all media contacts for follow-up, future charityevents or for potential stories. Build and maintain a good relationship with the journalist, especially if their positionfocuses on your charitys targeted industry (ie health, environmental or education reporters).

4. Think like a journalist. Get a feel for the type of stories the outlet covers and come up with a good story angle whenpitching the charity event to the journalist or producer. What is newsworthy about your charity event? Is there ananniversary for the charity organisation or event? Are there annual Days or Weeks that you can capitalise on? (Anti-Poverty WeekorWorld Harmony Day). Its also means planning your event so it doesnt clash with other major events

happening (ie The Footy Grand Final or ANZAC Day).

5. Craft a punchy media release. Every media release should include:


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A large, boldheadline that sums up your charity event but is still interesting enough to draw the

journalist in. If the reporter doesnt get past the heading or the subject line in an email, then you have wasted your time.Remember, they are inundated with dozens of emails and press releases every day!

A clear and interesting first sentence that leaves the journalist wanting more its very similar to hownews stories are written. Remember to keep the angle newsworthy and relevantwith what is happening at the time.Providing photo or TV opportunities are also very useful.

A briefbackground into the charity event: Who, what, when, where, why, how. Keep this as relevant aspossible to the specific audience and stick with one page.

Include interesting quotes from key people (i.e. your charitys CEO, the people you are helping). Thelatest statistics and research on a relevant topic are also very newsworthy.

Your name and a direct number (office and mobile). Be sure to include the name, position and contactnumber of anyone you have quoted, as the reporter will want to interview them if theyre interested. Details should be atthe bottom of the media release.

Tip: Include the media release in the body of the email, and not as an attachment. Unless they have specif ically requested

for information, it is highly u nlikelythat the journalist will bother to open an attachment.

6. Timing is everything. Knowing when to send the press release could be the difference between getting a run in themedia or not. Newspapers have daily deadlines; monthly magazines adhere to different publishing deadlines (sometimesup to 5 months in advance); TV programs have stories scheduled months ahead of time and so on. E ven if your charityevent is of interest to a journalist, there might not be space for it on that particular radio show or magazine title. Get inearly.

7. Dont be pushy. You need to remember that the media is unpredictable. No matter how great y our charity event is,sometimes it wont get a run because other news item may have priority. Send the press release and follow-up with aphone call, but dont be too pushy if theyre simply not interested.

8. Talk in quotes. Journalists are deadline driven, so be succinct and clear when answering questions especially duringinterviews. They always need to include quotes or soundbytes in their stories, so make sure youre as articulate and asclear as possible.


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Chapter 7 Logistics Planning: Making sure you Account for Everything


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Chapter 7 Logistics Planning: Making sure you Account for Everything

Logistics is about making sure everything is ready on the day. This can be everything from making sure the venue isbooked, knowing the running order and how speakers will enter and exit the stage, ensuring there are enough chairs,catering and service, and arranging details such as public liability insurance, parking options and having a conting encyplan in case of rain.

Having a successful logistics plan will come from experience and good preparation. It will require forethought, goodorganisation and excellent communication so that everyone knows exactly what theyll be doing at any particular time.Good logistics and project management ensures that all deadlines are met and the budget properly accounted for. Make

sure someone, ideally an experienced E vents Manager, is overseeing the nitty g ritty administrative duties and canchase up on things accordingly.

Specific duties will always depend on the type of event you are running, but below is a checklist of common logistical

responsibilities:

1. Logistics Budget. For most events, many of the costs incurred in arranging the event will centre on logistics.From renting sound and lighting equipment, arranging venues, setting up staging, booking catering and so on, youllnotice that it is very easy to spend money in this area. If you have a limited budget, cons ider organising contra dealswith vendors and companies. Pl an ahead and you will avoid overspending. See our Appendix B for budgeti ng tools thatcan help you manage and plan your expenditure.

2. Documentation. What sort of permits or documentation does your charity need to run the event? For example, ifit is an outdoor festival, you will definitely need to consult your local council for permits, traffic arrangements, roadclosures, security and the like. Obtain the correct documentation before getting too ahead of yourself.

3. Legal matters. Are there any lega l issues y ou need to sort out, or avoid? For example, if you intend to broadcast musicor a film at your charity, will you run into copyright issues? Consult a legal expert for further advice.

4.Venues. Where will your charity event be held and how much will you spend on the venue? Does the venue have adequatefacilities for your charity event (i.e. projection screen, seating arrangements, room capacity etc)? Do venue owners haveinsurance? This is one of the firs t things you will need to lock in; otherwise you will set back the rest of the charity eventteam. For example, the PR and marketing team wont be able to advertise the charity event without definite venuearrangements.

5. Provisions. The Logistics department is responsible for all the provisions that will be necessary to pull off the event. Thiswill include arranging catering (for all your guests and staff), equipment hire (i.e. AV equipment, furnishings, flowers, tablecloths), signage for the event, communication tools even the name tags if theyre required! A little attention to detail cango a long way and will add a significant touch to your charity event that will distinguish it from the rest.


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6. Communication. How will you communicate with event staff, contractors and volunteers on the day (i.e. via radio orwalkie talkies)? Do you intend to use a sound system to address the crowd? How much will it cost to hire soundequipment? You may even want to consider hiring a professional event photographer to document the event, especially ifyoure looking to use these images for marketing purposes in the future.

7. Running Order: How is everything going to run on the day? This includes every minute from set up to breakdown. If youhave deliveries and pickups going to and from the venue directly, ensure you stagger them appropriately so you wonthave issues with loading. Account for contractors, volunteers, cleaners, every personnel who will be in and outthroughout the day.

8. Insurance. This may include: public liability, property, workers compensation and professional indemnity liability(part icularly if you are hiring contractors). Make sure venues and property owners, volunteers and so on are insured.Seek expert advice on the various types of insurance your charity event will need if you are not sure.

Helpful Hint: Get at least 3 quotes for anything (i.e. rentals, catering, venues etc) so you can better understand your

options. Even if a place will do it for free or on contra, youll want to make sure youre getting the best value for yourcharity event.

Managing potential risks at your charity event

With any event, minimising both physical and public risk is essential you dont want anyone getting hurt, but you

especially don t want to hurt your cause. A poorly managed event could potentially generate negative publicity that wontdo your charity any favours. One of the signs of efficient charity event planning is how well you anticipate potential risks.

To help prepare you for the day, devise a risk management plan by considering the following:

Signage Will there be adequate signage to direct traffic and manage the crowd during the charity event? Forexample, toilet, parking, fi rst aid stations, entrances and exits will all need markers and signs.

OH&S How will you prevent occupational health and safety complications? Are workers insured, properlytrained and licensed to operate certain machinery and equipment?

Weather Do you have a contingency plan in the event of adverse weather? This is particularly important when itcomes to outdoor charity events but also if you have high profile guests and celebrities attending - its best iftheyre not standing in the rain.

Equipment What will you do if equipment doesn t arri ve, is broken, or if you are experiencing technicaldifficul ties? Do you have trained experts dealing with electrical wiring, sound systems, back-up generators,catering equipment, rides and so on?


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Finance How will you deal with financial issues such as theft, overspending, and net loss? How will you safely

store money? Do you have a structure in place to securely collect donations on the day ( ie designated moneycollectors, secure donations box)? What if ticket sales are low and you need to cancel the event? Do you have acontingency plan?

Transport How will participants get to the charity event? Will there be road closures, alternative routes, orsufficient public transport for all event-goers? It is advised that you speak with your local council to see what isneeded in terms of transport arrangements, permits, traffic control and parking especially if this is an outdoorcharity event. If you are anticipating a large group of participants or spectators, you may need to contactemergency services like the state fire brigade, police and ambulance service.

Crowd management Overcrowded rooms, overheating, getting crushed in a crowd, fires and lack of exits,are all potential risks that could seriously breach health and safety laws and they can lead to injury, harm oreven death if proper precautions are not taken. Are exit signs clear and prominent? How will y ou communicate toparticipants during an emergency? Will you cap attendance to control crowd numbers?

Alcohol If your charity intends to serve alcohol at the fundraiser event, you will need to obtain a licence to doso. Other issues to think about are: alcohol-related problems, underage drinki ng, des ignated drink ing and non-drinking areas, responsible service of alcohol, safety and security of charity event participants and so on.

Site Plan This includes: structures (i.e. staging, podiums, fences and barriers, food stalls, marquees), facilities(i.e. seats, meeting points, toilets, lost property, first aid facilities, bins and fire extinguishers), pathways,

parking, exits and disability access. Will the site be easy to navigate through during an emergency? If youreexpecting media, youll need addit ional facil ities, such as a green room or a viewing platform so cameras will beable to record the stage.

Site staff/volunteers Are all site staff or volunteers easily contactable, and adequately trained for

emergencies (i.e. first aid, fire, crowd control etc)?

Lost and found How will you deal with lost property and theft? In cases of lost children, charity volunteers andstaff will need to have a Working With Children Check and police background check prior to the event.

Security Security guards are not mandatory, but if you intend to serve alcohol, col lect donations on the day,or attract a large crowd (ie for a charity fte, festival, or marathon) then it is advisable to have securitymonitoring the event. Make sure they are officially accredited and easily contactable on the day.

Incident Reports If y ouve ever needed fi rst aid at an event, y ou will have noticed that first aid staff have asystemic method of recording any injuries and accidents. In the same way, your charity organisation will need tohave a way of recording incidents (from intoxication, theft, first aid, ambulance requests and so on). Staff andvolunteers should be briefed on how to handle and report incidents, where to go, and how to follow up.


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Emergency Response Plan What will you do if there is an emergency (ie fire, serious injury and accident

etc)? It is highly recommended that the logistics team devise an emergency response plan including: decision-making during a crisis situation; communicating with event-goers, staff and volunteers; planning the evacuationprocedure; administering fi rst aid; managing the crowd, and even liaising with the media.

Complaints How will charity event organisers handle noise, traffic, or general complaints? Ideally, you wouldhave had legal consultations to prevent (as much as possible) adverse responses on the day. Consult your PRteam, and follow up on complaints swiftly and professionally to negate any bad publicity.

Resources:

http://www.events.nsw.gov.au/event-starter-guide/event-starter-guidehttp://www.marriott.com.au/Multimedia/PDF/check_time.pdf


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Chapter 8 Managing Volunteers for your Charity Event


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Chapter 8 Managing Volunteers for your Charity Event

Volunteers are an excellent resource for your charity event as they give you eage r and plentiful manpower to help you pueverything off. Volunteers come in a ll types, ranging from young school students, to busy professionals and elderlyretirees. The types of volunteers youll have for your event will depend on the ty pe of organisation you are as well as thetype of event you re planning.

Recruiting Volunteers

Volunteers are great, but as any organiser will tell you, its important to find the right volunteers for the job and tomanage them effectively. Volunteers arent exactly free theyre generally looking to gain somethingfrom the

experience, even if its just philanthropic in its nature. Someone whos volunteering to be charitable will be looking tohelp in a way that they feel is significant, so they might not be the volunteers youll assign to the task of sticking stampson envelopes.

Some ideas on how to attract the right sort of volunteer:

1.Advertise for a specific volunteering role

As you would a job role, advertise for a volunteering role with a clear description of tasks, duties and responsibilities.Many job websites, such as Seek.com include volunteering positions where you can advertise to recruit volunteers.The more specific you are about the tasks, the more likely y oull find a candidate who is qualified and wil ling toperform that role.

2. Use dif ferent networks for different types of volunteers

Consider the tasks youll need performed and target specific networks to recruit volunteers. You might want to workwith a school for example to get kids involved with your event. Reti rement communit ies are a great resource forgeneral volunteer recruitment as well. Also consider industry specific networks. For example, approach writingcommunities to help with events like the Melbournes Writers Festival.

3. Build lasting relationships

For management purposes, its sometimes easier to just draw a firm line in the sand when it comes to volunteers (i.ethey have to be available during a certain time). However, if youre looking to recruit volunteers for the long term,

developing more personal relationships with volunteers will help retain them for future events. Returning volunteerscan often take on more responsibility such as helping with training.


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Managing Volunteers

Good voluntee r management means inducting and training y our volunteers so that they can perform their tasks.

For your charity event, youll be looking at two different types of volunteers, volunteers to help wi th the preparations

before the event, such as helping with a Direct Mail campaign or soliciting donations, and depending on the type of eventyoull probably need additional volunteers and staff to help out on the day. All of these volunteers will need to be trained inthe tasks they will perform.

Training Manuals/Induction Session

If you are expecting to train a number of volunteers, it might help to compile a training manual and have a formalinduction process such as the one available for volunteers at Around the Bay in a Day. This will give your volunteers anoverview of the event, how it will be run, and give them any important information (i.e. safety/evacuation procedures) thatthey may need to know.

Setting Up Teams and Assigning Tasks

Assign volunteers to teams that wil l handle specific tasks. For example, if youre hosting an outdoor benefit you can havea team to deal specifically with collecting litter or distributing information. Staggering your teams in shifts, especially if

youre running an all day event will also help make volunteer management more streamlined and keep staff fresh.

When it comes to assigning tasks, take into consideration the abilities, as well as the attributes, of the individualvolunteers. Remember that your volunteers are the face of your charity event so youll want attendees marvelling at their

work. Its also a good idea to have t-shirts made up or establish a dress code so that volunteers are easy to spot shoulda participant require assistance.

Evaluation

If you have ongoing volunteers performing a specific role, make sure you offer them evaluati ons and review opportunities

so that they can continue to develop and improve their skills. Many individuals take on volunteer positions to further theircareers or personal interests and positive or constructive feedback will always be appreciated. Make sure you alsoremember to fill out any official paperwork and write recommendations if requested.

Resolving Conflict

As with paid staff, situations may arise where youll have to step in and make a decision to resolve conflict. Be sensitiveabout the situation; conflict often arises between volunteers and paid staff. Ultimately, dont be afraid to put your footdown. Explore other prospects, such as reassigning or retraining volunteer staff before you decide to dismiss avolunteer.


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Legal Stuff

As with paid staff, there are important protocols and requirements for managing volunteers to ensure their safety and thesafety of t he general public. According toVolunteering Austral ia, in NSW, while volunteers are not specifically referred toin the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW), they are covered under provisions relating to other persons. The

legislation also contains provisions designed to protect individuals who are non employeeswho are affected by theactivities of volunteer-involving organisation.

Be sure your volunteers are covered by your insurance policy and that you have met all required legislation in the statethat you are holding your charity event in. Asking for a relevant background history is also a good idea (especially if yourcharity event involves young children). Consider having a Risk Plan to assess potential risks that could involve volunteersand familia rise yourself with appropriate volunteer management tools such as those available at Volunteering Austral ia.

Helpful Hint:if you have volunteers working full day shifts, i ts courtesy to supply a lunch. Also consider having waterbottles available, especially if youre hosting an outdoor event.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Volunteer Management

Not setting tasks: volunteers and paid staff need specific tasks put forward to them. Not setting forth clearinstructions and deadlines invites l oafing and time wastage.

Not training: It is the volunteer managers responsibility to provide adequate training so volunteers can perform theiroles. Even if the supervisor is not familiar with the job itself, they should find arrange for a qualified person to trainstaff or learn how to do so themselves.

Too busy: a supervisor who is too busy and never around cannot be there to oversee their volunteers work.Volunteers may have questions or need something clarified before they can perform their roles, so make yourselfavailable even if its just on the phone.

Too bossy: a good manager is a leader and not a boss. It is important that you treat your paid and non-paid staffwith respect and ensure that they feel that you can offer them the guidance that they may need.

No feedback: some supervisors are afraid to criticise their volunteers work on the basis that theyre doing the work forfree. However, it is important that a supervisor offers feedback and constructive evaluation as many volunteers arelooking to develop their skills and abilities and to gain professional experience.

No input: supervisors who try and do everything themselves will become over worked and stressed out, while volunteerscould start to feel bored. A good manager offers opportunities for volunteers and workers to own a task and give inputon how things can be done effectively.


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Failing to recognise individual capabilities:when managing large numbers of volunteers, its too easy to see your

staff as a faceless mass. Volunteers are incredible resources and individual talents should be maximised. Even if yourenot supervising every volunteer personally, ask your staff for feedback on performance and ability.

Case Study: The Smith Family Annual Government House Open Day and Art

Exhibition, C anberra

Every year, the Smith Family has the privilege of opening up the doors of the Annual Government House to the public. InMarch 2008, a record crowd of 6,000 visitors were given the opportunity to sneak a peek at the Governors House whileenjoying entertainment in the surrounding grounds.

The logistics of organising this event included securing entertainment, organising local artists to exhibit their work as well asextensive coordination to secure the venue. The Smith Family also enlisted the help of its many VIEW (Voice, Interests andEducation of Women) club members to assist with the event as volunteers who helped with guiding patrons through thehouse.

The event successfully raised almost $50,000 for The Smith Family while engaging the local community and encouraginginvolvement.

Resources:

http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/people/volun teers/http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/management/view_help_sheet.do?articleid=732http://www.casanet.org/program-management/personnel/sins.htm

http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/default.asp?nav_cat_id=313&nav_top_id=57http://www.bv.com.au/file/file/volunteers/Handbook%20Volunteers.pdf


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Chapter 9 The Big Day Ensuring your Charity Event Runs Smoothly


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Chapter 9: The Big Day Ensuring your Charity Event Runs Smoothly

Its here. Youve finalised your guest list, organised everything with the venue, your signage looksspectacular, and best of all the medias been paying attention and theres plenty of hype. Youre expectinga grea t turn out and all that hard work and planning i s finally paying off.

Right before the event, spend some time going over everything once more and running everyone throughthe execution, as you would a dress rehea rsal. A mock run through will get everyone familiar with theorder of events, the location and how things could potentially run on the day.

Bump In:

For many events, you wont have access to the venue until the day, so set up - or bump in - needs to bequick and efficient. Have everything packed based on where the items will go. For example, if you have aregis tration table make sure everything such as clipboards, pens, forms, l ists and name badges for tha ttable go together. If you have regular staff manning different areas, its helpful to have them be in chargeof organising and packing their materials and making sure they get transported to the venue.

Pre Setup Checklist:

Signage: do I have all the signs I will need? You want your signs to look as professional as possible tomake a good impression (avoid scrawling with a texter where possible). Make sure signs are visiblefrom a distance and if there are any directional i ndicators, make sure they are correct.

Money Matters: will you be collec ting donations or money on the day? If so make sure you have asecure and lockable cash box to collect your funds and ensure tha t whoever is looking after it remainsresponsib le. Bring a small receipt book to write out receipts if they are requested.

Uniforms: Are your volunteers and staff wearing uniforms or T-Shirts? To avoid fitting issues on theday, hand these out to staff beforehand. Take some extras along with you in case someone forgets.

Set up Materials:do I have everything I will need to set up? Remember things like scissors, boxcutters, tape etc. Bring along some extra as there is nothing more frustra ting than losing that singleroll of sticky tape.


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Presentations: Make sure you have any props and presentation mater ials ready. Are al l power point

slides loaded and ready? Are any videos ready to go? Make sure you also have any necessaryconnectors/adapters for A/V equipment as not all venues or rental equipment will be compatible.

Running Sheet: have a clear running sheet ready that accounts for every event, including bump in,bump out, c leaners, VIP arrivals, sound testing etc. Put key contact details on these sheets and theirarea of responsibility. Make sure you have enough copies for all of your staff on the day so that theywill know exactly what is coming up. Have some extra r unning sheets for media and venue staff aswell.

The actua l time of set up can be a chaotic event as everything will need to happen a t once. Make sureyour Logistic s Manager is overseeing the process and can direct people as needed. Get as muchmanpower as you can and make sure you have some spare runners who can do small errands off site ifrequired.

Its ShowTime!

Your event begins when attendees and guests begin to arrive, even if theyre early. Try and have everything in orderabout half an hour to fifteen minutes before your advertised start time to accommodate early arrivals.

Communication

Ensure your staff can communicate effecti vely. Renting walkie ta lkies might be a good idea, especially if your staffmembers are spread out across the venue. Have a clear point of contact and have these names written on your runningsheet.

Special Guests, Media and VIPs

Once your event gets underway, youll want to make sure that you have someone attending specifically to any special

guests, VIPs, celebrities and media personnel. Assign a responsible individual to be a clear point of contact. Media will belooking to be directed towards VIPs and important guests to conduct interviews and take photos. Ensure that there is aprivate area that special guests can retire to and avoid the hustle and bustle of the main event. If you have employed theservices of a professional photographer or videographer, they need to be looked after as well.

If guests and speakers are volunteering their time, it may be a good idea to present them with gifts at the end of theevent to thank them for their participation.

Presentations and Speakers


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Regardless of the type of event, you should at some point have a formal speaking session to welcome guests and

present the charity and promote the cause. If you have more than one speaker, its a good idea to have an MC tointroduce speakers and direct the running order.

Expect the Unexpected

No matter how careful you are with your planning, something is bound to arise. Be prepared to act quickly and make fastdecis ions. Push through any hiccups as best you can. Stay positi ve and relax!

Bump Out:

Youre at the home stretch. Once your event has officially ended, its a matter of breaking down and packing up. If youcan, have staff members pack up their areas earlier so you can start moving out as soon as the event en

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