Event Guide - Bald For Bucks

Event Guide
Getting Started
Create a Timeline
When coordinating an event it’s important to stay organized!
Creating a timeline will help you identify the various aspects of your event and
keep you on track to make sure you complete them in a timely fashion.
Your timeline should start about 2-3 months out from the date of your
event when possible.
ZW
hen creating your timeline, start at the date of your event and work
backwards
Within your timeline you should include important dates to have items
secured or tasks completed.
Make goals for having these details secure:
Z Recruit participants
Z Print materials (invitations, flyers,
posters, etc.) completed & printed
Z Donations/In-Kinds
Z Logistics
Z Music
ZSound System
Z Microphone
Z Tables, chairs, power, etc.
Z Food/Supplies
Z Volunteers – including hairstylists
Z Décor
Create a Committee
Establishing a committee is a great way to get more people involved with the
planning and execution of the event and split up the various tasks that need to
be completed.
Who to recruit:
• Active community members
• Friends•
• Relatives
• Coworkers
• Classmates
• Faculty
1
Subcommittees:
• Auctions/Basket Raffles
• Sponsorship
• Entertainment
• Guest Lists/Invitations
• Marketing
(PR/Communications, Print Materials)
• Volunteers • Post-Event
• Logistics
Getting Started
Building Your Audience
Identifying who you would like to attend your event is important when
starting your planning process.
ZD
ecide who your target audience is
Z Brainstorm advertising ideas based on your audience
ZC
reate a social media and web presence
Use the Bald for Bucks Logo
As a sanctioned Bald for Bucks Event you have the ability to use the
official Bald for Bucks logo in association with your event.
Z Use it on flyers, posters, brochures, and more
Z Give your guests a visual of where their donations are going
Z Bring more credibility to your fundraiser with the Bald for Bucks logo.
ZR
emember to submit final drafts to your Bald for Bucks coordinator for
proof and approval before you send them to print
2
Marketing
Market Your Event
Tell people how great your event is!
1st: Determine how you’re going to reach your audience
Z Who would you like to attend your event and who does your
event appeal to?
ZC
onsider your target audience’s point of view with these questions
when brainstorming how to market your event:
• “What’s in it for me?”
• “Why should I get involved or donate?”
• “How will this affect me in my life?”
How to engage your audience
Z Generation Y (Born in the mid to late 1980s and 2000s)
• Word-of-mouth through social media is key for
this demographic.
• C
onsider creating a Facebook event, using a hashtag and frequently
posting to social media sites to grab Gen Y-ers.
• Create a website that houses information about your event.
Include this link in all your social media posts.
Z Generation X (Born in the 1960s to the early 1980s)
• This generation really enjoys peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities.
They are social media savvy, but are not as dependent as their
younger peers.
• Reach this audience through their workplaces, social media and by
encouraging groups to get involved.
Z Baby Boomer Generation (Born between 1946 and 1964)
• To get in touch with Boomers, use direct mail but don’t be afraid to
get in touch with them via email and social media.
Data from Edge Research, May 2013
3
Marketing
Be Creative
Z Printed ways to advertise:
• Posters • Flyers • Save-the-dates
ZS
pread the word using your sponsors as advocates
for your event. Ask them to:
• Post flyers for your event at their business
• Make posts on their social media sites about your event
2nd: Get the word out about your event
Z Submit the event to online community event calendars. To name a few…
• Channel 4 WIVB
• Visit Buffalo Niagara website
• Channel 7 WKBW
• Buffalo.com
• Channel 9 Time Warner Cable News
• Buffalo Spree
• WBEN News radio 930AM
• Artvoice
• STAR 102.5
• Channel 2 WGRZ
• KISS 98.5
• Channel 2’s “What 2 Do”
Z Create a news advisory to alert the media
• A news advisory is like an invitation, designed to attract media to
attend an event.
• Include a description of the event, time, date, place and theme.
• Keep to one page
• Ask us for a sample to guide you in crafting your own
• Send to the local media:
Z TV News:
• Channel 2: newsdesk@wgrz.com
• Channel 4: newsroom@wivb.com
• Channel 7: news@wkbw.com
• Channel 9: buffalo@twcnews.com
Z Print:
• The Buffalo News: citydesk@buffnews.com
4
Fundraising 101
Here are a few simple and fun ways to help ramp up your fundraising
efforts while raising money for Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Pre-Event Fundraising
ZS
hare your Story: Reach out to family, friends, coworkers, neighbors
and anyone else you can think of. Explain why you are Goin’ Bald and
how they can participate and help raise funds.
ZA
sk: There are many different ways to fundraise
but the most important part is to ask. If you don’t
ever ask then you will never hear a yes. Create
a list of everyone who you want to be
a part of your event and start asking.
Z Find the “right” fit: The event that you have
planned should have a natural fit with people
in your life or companies that you know.
Be sure to put these audiences at the top of your
list.
Z Create different opportunities: People love to
support a great cause but can’t always do so in
the same way. Be sure to create different
fundraising opportunities and dollar thresholds
so that everyone can get involved.
5
Share your
story!
Fundraising 101
Personal Webpage Fundraising
ZP
ersonalize your page: Update the story section to explain why you are
Goin’ Bald. Add a before photo to show everyone the sacrifice you will be
making by shaving your head.
Z Send Emails: There are email templates that you can use to customize
and send to your friends and family to fundraise. By
sending emails from your personalized webpage you
can track who you have sent emails to.
Z Donation Tracking: The personalized website allows
you to see who has made donations to your efforts.
Event-Day Fundraising
Your event day has arrived and you have worked
tirelessly to get to this point. Don’t forget that there
is still an opportunity to raise much needed funds.
Here are a few fun ideas on ways to raise money at
your event.
ZA
dmission Fee – Charge a small fee to gain entrance
to your event.
Z Auctions & Raffles – Get your participants and guests
involved by hosting a silent auction, live auction, basket
raffle, 50/50 split or any other auction or raffle you can
think of.
Z Food & Beverages – Sell food and beverages for a
reasonable price and raise funds for your event.
Z General Donations – Give people the opportunity
to donate. Share your story and you might see more
donations at your event.
6
Day of Event
Staying Organized
Z Arrive at the appropriate time to set up for
your event.
Z Create an event supply list. Don’t forget:
Permission forms, Pantene Beautiful Lengths
forms, Ziplock baggies for hair, extension cords,
brooms, dustpans, chairs, tables, trash cans,
hairstylists and more.
Z Have an event day checklist - include when key
people should arrive and their phone numbers,
when certain activities begin and end, and
confirm everything as the event rolls on.
Z Consider requesting talking points from your Bald for Bucks coordinator.
Taking the time to say a few words about the cause and express your
thanks to attendees is important to include as part of your event.
Z Keep track of the guests who attend.
Z Keep record of donations coming and who they are from
• Names and addresses are vital if donors would like a tax deduction,
especially if they turn in cash.
Z Checks may be made payable to Bald for Bucks.
Volunteers
Z Have a list of volunteer names and contact info if they need to be reached.
Z If possible, assign tasks for each volunteer before your event. Have the list of their assignments with you on the day of your event.
Z Come together for a group huddle with your volunteers before your event
starts. Reminding them how vital they are to the success of the event, and
how their hard work will benefit cancer patients is a great way to express
your gratitude and get your volunteers excited for the day/evening.
7
Day of Event
Take Great Photos
Z Have an idea of what kinds of pictures you want before
the event. Think about the way you want your event to be
seen and how you can portray that in a picture. Make a
list of important shots you need to have by the end of the
event. Example: Take before and after pictures of your
Bald participants.
Z Capture the full story of the event - document the beginning, middle, and
end of your event. When people look at your photo album, they’ll have a
good idea of what your event was like from start to finish.
Z Get a variety of content and shots. Different people, different angles,
different perspectives…A wide array of content will make your event
appear more fun, interesting and diverse.
Z Is your event annual? Would you like it to be? Be sure to take pictures
of the layout. This will help in your planning process for next year!
Don’t
forget
the
8
camera!
Wrap-Up
Z Conduct a wrap-up meeting with your committee members.
Review how the event went and think of ways you could potentially
improve in the future.
Z T ake notes! Bring those notes to your first planning meeting next year
and reflect on them. This is a great way to develop your event into what
you want it to be!
Z E ncourage those who couldn’t attend the event but still wanted to
donate to send in their contribution.
Saying Thank You
Expressing gratitude is a vital part of the wrap-up process. It is important to
make guests and volunteers feel that their attendance was imperative to the
success of the event. Additionally, this is a great way to remind them to join you
at your event next year!
ZC
reative ways to say thanks:
• Handwritten note
Z Bald for Bucks thank you notecards are available for you!
• Social media posts
• Plaques for top fundraisers
Z Who to thank:
• Participants
• Committee members
• Sponsors
• Volunteers
• Donors
• Guests
• In-kind donors
9
Wrap-Up
Turning in Your Donation
Z Setup a check presentation
• Decide location: your organization?
• Invite key people from your event
• We encourage you to have your check presentation as close to your
event date as possible
• Benefits:
Z Learn directly where the money you raised will be going
ZP
hoto opportunities with an oversized check
Z Unable to schedule a check presentation? Here are some other options:
• Mail it in to:
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
Attn: Bald for Bucks
Elm & Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263
• Drop it off at:
The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
901 Washington Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
10
Clipping, snipping,
and shaving
our way to
cancer cures.