Tips for Success
Whether your event is large or small, these 10 tips will help ensure success.
- Choose a Good Planning Committee. Enlist enthusiastic people whose dedication and skills will make your event a success. Involve enough volunteers to share the workload.
- Establish Measurable Goals. Set realistic goals that you can measure and attain. By tracking progress, you will generate stronger event participation and community goodwill.
- Brainstorm! Get everybody thinking, dreaming and discussing ideas. Now is the time to let imaginations soar. The more they participate now, the more committed they'll be later.
- Choose the Right Event. Determine what type of event (e.g., walk-a-thon, book sale, fashion show) best uses the unique pool of talent, skills and interests of your particular group.
- Identify Your Target Audience. Whom do you want to participate in the event? Does it include public participation or is it geared to members of a specific organization? Determine the best means for reaching and engaging your audience.
- Schedule Your Event. To yield maximum participation, carefully choose the date and time for your event. Unless your event is holiday-related, steer away from major holidays to ensure best response. Most of all, give yourself plenty of time to organize and promote your event.
- Plan Your Budget. By identifying and planning for expenses and income sources in advance, you can keep costs down and maximize donations.
- Promote and Publicize Your Event. Publicize early! Get the word out every way you can. TV, radio, newspaper and magazines often provide free public service time and ad space. But don't forget fliers, posters, community bulletin boards, e-mails and good old word-of-mouth. Please remember to provide for at least three to five days for Somerset Health Care Foundation to review all uses of our name and logo in advance.
- Collect the Funds. Gather most donations ahead of time or during the event. Otherwise, all funds should be in-hand within 30 days of the event.
- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Recognize and acknowledge everyone who participates! Let them know how much they raised and heap on the praise. This can lead to the event becoming an annual undertaking, which generates donations to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset for years to come.
