Event Organizer s Handbook
Thank you for your interest in organizing an event to raise funds for Jesse s Journey! Events organized and run by volunteers and/or families are often known as third party events and are so important to Jesse s Journey s success. It is through the support of our friends in communities across Canada and around the world that Jesse s Journey is able to fund ground-breaking research into treatments and a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. There are different types of fundraising events that volunteers often run. We encourage new kinds of events and are interested in hearing your ideas! Here are some examples of common fundraising events: Walk or run Bake sale Golf tournament Silent auction Dress-down day at work or school When running an event for Jesse s Journey, we are happy to provide you with a number of resources: Feedback on your event plan Access to the Jesse s Journey name and logo our name and logo must be used within approved guidelines Online event registration and donation processing - Through the peer-to-peer fundraising platform called Friends Asking Friends, we are happy to set up a web portal for your participants to register for your event and collect pledges. All donors who give through this platform will automatically receive an official tax receipt. Offline donation processing - Another effective method of fundraising is collecting pledges offline. We are happy to provide pledge envelopes for your participants to use to collect donations. These envelopes can be returned to our office after the event is over, and we will process all donations, deposit, and issue tax receipts. Poster template for you to use to advertise your event. Wristbands that can be sold at your event as an additional way to raise funds. The wristbands are often sold for $2 each or simply for any donation. Names and contact information for some of our preferred vendors for services such as: - Graphic design - Printing - T-shirts/hats/memorabilia design and production At Jesse s Journey, we host a walk each year in May called the Walk to Defeat Duchenne. The tips you will find in this handbook are based on our experiences and what works best for us. However, each event is different there is lots of room for creativity! This handbook contains tips on recruiting volunteers for your committees, committee organization and structure, recruiting participants, securing sponsorship, getting the word out about your event, and more! If you have any questions or would like to move forward with planning your event, please contact us at info@jessesjourney.com or 519-645-8855. Thank you for your support!
To help make the planning of your event as smooth as possible, here is a checklist to help get you started. Make sure you have: A unique and creative event idea or concept Planning an event is easier when you keep the end goal in mind. A supportive team Having a group of people around to help with planning your event will make a big difference. Whether it s family, friends, neighbours or coworkers, a core group of people who understand your goal, are as passionate about success as you are, and can help brainstorm and mobilize your community will help your event succeed. An event plan or critical path Document the key action items that need to be completed, the date they need to be completed and by whom, so you can stay organized and on track. A budget There are almost always costs associated with running a fundraising event. Whether it s venue, Event Checklist Chair or Co-Chairs food, t-shirts, printing posters, etc. costs should be taken into account. Acquire several quotes to make sure you re getting the best prices, and find out if prospective vendors would provide anything as a gift in kind. Sometimes companies will give you free or discounted merchandise in exchange for having their logo on display as a sponsor. A sample budget is below. A marketing plan 3 Once you have all the details of your event confirmed, begin to create your marketing plan. By putting together a comprehensive plan about how you ll get the word out, you can increase your chances of success. If you personally know enough people who would sign up simply through word of mouth, that s great! If not, there are lots of free or low-cost marketing options such as online event calendars and social media channels. It can also be helpful to have a local celebrity get on board as they usually have lots of influence and can help spread the word. The primary responsibility of your committee chair is to effectively delegate the tasks associated with your event, and to lead productive meetings of your committee. The chair will also be called upon to help with solving problems or discussing concerns brought forward by committee members and other volunteers. When determining who should take on the role of chair or co-chairs, look for people who are: Excellent leaders; they are able to see the big picture and help the rest of the volunteers understand that picture. They understand the event in its entirety and know how to work towards a goal. Organized; they understand the timelines associated with this event and are prepared to help the committee meet them. They can organize a schedule of meetings ahead of time (dates, times, location) and can circulate an agenda one week in advance of the meetings. Excellent facilitators; they can motivate your committee and can put together a great meeting. They can encourage discussion among volunteers and help find solutions when there is a disagreement. Available; your chair will be your committee s go to person. They will need to be accessible to all volunteers when issues arise or when a decision needs to be made. Volunteers who feel supported and appreciated will go above and beyond every time, and will come back year after year.
Determining the venue and route of your event is a key component in planning a successful event. We recommend forming a venue/route planning subcommittee. The primary responsibility of the route planning sub-committee is to determine the location of your event and to research all options and costs. When determining who should make up your venue/ route planning sub-committee, look for people who are: Aware of the needs of all your attendees and participants; careful consideration will be necessary for any special accessibility requirements Familiar with the different halls, parks/sports fields, etc. in your community. Familiar with Permits and licenses Logistics Sponsorship Securing cash sponsorship, as well as gifts in kind (donations of products instead of cash) is very important to offset costs and ensure as much return as possible is netted from your event. We recommend recruiting a sponsorship subcommittee. The primary responsibility of the sponsorship sub-committee will be to approach businesses to request sponsorship in return for sponsor benefits made available during your event. When determining who should make up your sponsorship sub-committee, look for people who are: Well connected in your community; it can be very helpful to have volunteers approach people who they know personally in a company. Outgoing and comfortable asking for a donation; look for people who are passionate about Jesse s Journey and your event. These volunteers will need to feel comfortable asking for a contribution either of cash or products. Gifts in kind can also be very beneficial and can decrease expenses. For example: Approach a local grocery store and ask them to donate the snacks, juice, plates, napkins, condiments, etc. for your event, or a gift card so that you can purchase the items you need. Approach a meat vendor and ask them to donate hamburgers and hotdogs. Approach a soft drink company and ask them to donate the pop and water. Approach a printing/graphics company and ask them to print posters, t-shirts and banners
Pledges The main source of revenue for walk, run or bike events will be from pledges collected by participants. This is how your participants can feel that they have made a real difference the money they collect will help fund promising research into treatments and a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. One way for participants to collect pledges is to have donors fill in their information on a paper pledge form and give either cash or a cheque. Participants will then bring the donor information and the donations with them on the day of the event. Pledge forms are available by contacting our office. Tax receipts will be generated by the Jesse s Journey office staff once all cash, cheques and donor information have been received by us. Receipts are automatically generated for donations of $20.00 or more. However, if a donor gives less and states they wish to receive a tax receipt, we will gladly produce one for them. Tax receipts can only be generated if the donor s full name and full address is complete and legible on the pledge form. Another option is for participants to ask donors to pledge them online. Jesse s Journey s website is set up to accept secure donations and can help you set up your own personal fundraising page. Please contact the Jesse s Journey office to find out how participants can take advantage of online pledging. Many people find this to be a convenient option, and donors can feel confident that it is a safe way to donate. Using this option, tax receipts are issued automatically within minutes of the donation and are sent to the donor s email inbox using the information they provided. This saves time as well as money spent on postage when mailing the receipt. Media, Promotions and Government Relations A great way to get the word out about your event is through your local media. Because media outlets are inundated with story requests, find out if anyone on your committee has connections with local journalists or news directors. If there are no personal connections, create a press release with the details of your event and send it to all media in your community. If there is a family at the center of your event, ask them if they would consider speaking with the media and sharing their story. Highlighting an individual or the family who prompted the event will help to bring a personal element to your story; however not everyone is comfortable with their story being in the press, so the family s decision must be respected. Key messages - Key messages are often developed in groups of three to break your story into easy-toremember components. They should be incorporated into every point of interaction with media in your media advisory, emails, news release, and any interviews you participate in. Action items: Prepare written key messages for all media interactions Review key messages prior to speaking with media Always look for opportunities to bridge your response back to your key messages Press release Start with a compelling (yet genuine) headline and try to make your release as press-ready as possible. The better it s written, the more likely it will be chosen. Make it easy for them to publish your story! Keep your content concise and include all details. Action items: Review the proposed release and feel free to make changes Drop the release into the body of an email and send to all media in your community A second news release can be sent to the same media list following the finish of the event to highlight the event successes (i.e. amount raised, photos from the event, participation along the way, etc.)...continued
Media advisory Sending an email notifying local media about what time you ll be stopping and where. The notification should take the form of a media advisory answering the questions: who, what, when, where and why. For example: To: XXX, editor of the XXX Subject: MEDIA ADVISORY subject matter Action items: Contact local media two days prior to scheduled arrival to notify them of your stop in their city/town and propose scheduling an interview Answer the questions: who, what, when, where and why in your email Attach the news release to your email (or paste the contents in below your personalized note). If you have a backgrounder or factsheet you can attach it to the email Follow-up with media by phone or email one day prior to the stop/ media opportunity - Best to follow-up directly with the contact or speak to the news/ assignment desk - Only leave voicemails if you are unable to speak with someone directly - Send a follow-up email as well to confirm their participation - Reminder emails should be sent to media you ve spoken to who have shared interest, but not committed to attending/writing about your event Media outreach Try to send a quick reminder to media the day that you are arriving in their area to re-invite them to the stop. The following day, resend them your press release with a photo taken at the event in their town/city. Advertise your event! Spread the word through social media, newspapers and media stations to increase attendance and support of your event. Ensure that, prior to advertising, your materials and messages are consistent with and approved by Jesse s Journey for distribution. Please reach out to us directly with event details so we can assist by posting on our event page. Jesse s Journey has created a YouTube video which we encourage you to link to and any other promotion back to the Jesse s Journey website: www.jessesjourney.com. Social Media Leverage your social media channels and create an online presence to build a larger audience. Action items: Prepare social media posts on a content calendar in advance for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts Schedule social media posts in advance at regular intervals throughout the week Best time to tweet is 12:00PM, 5:00PM, 6:00PM to gain the highest click-through rates Best time to post on Facebook is between 1:00 PM 3:00 PM Best time to post to Instagram is between 3:00-4:00PM Draft and share thank you posts to post to elected officials and media outlets for showing their support - Be sure to tag them for better chance of RTs, favorites and likes Make sure to post photos throughout the event to be shared on all three social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) - Can preschedule social posts using Tweet Deck or Hootsuite Elected Officials It is important to invite elected officials to not only help raise awareness, but their presence will help attract media attention. This also provides an opportunity for elected officials to hear your message and will help you to start building relationships with government influencers at all levels.
Action items: Create contact list for MPs, MPPs and Mayors and invite them to join you at your event Send event invitation by email to constituency offices of Mayors, MPs and MPPs MPs and MPPs constituency offices and Mayors offices will need to receive your invitation as soon as possible to ensure enough notice Share the press release with elected officials when you send the invitation email Volunteer Recruitment In addition to the volunteers participating on your planning committee, you will need to recruit volunteers for the day of the event. Volunteers play an integral role in the success of an event, and there are many ways to engage them. Volunteers can be stationed at various places to guide participants to the right location and help with parking for larger events. Two or three people should be stationed at your registration area. These people will welcome guests and check off the names as they arrive. They will also ask the participants to sign their waiver (if applicable). Three to five volunteers should be stationed at any food serving area. You will need gloves for anyone handling food. Check with your local health unit for restrictions on serving food. You may wish to have volunteers stationed along a walk/run route. If you choose to have a water/rest station on the path, it is a good idea to have one or two volunteers at that location to help participants if they need assistance, and also to cheer them on. It may also be a good idea to have volunteers throughout the route to cheer the participants on and keep them energized, especially as they near the end of the event. Volunteers should be gathered at the finish line to cheer on the participants as they finish. If you have any recognition pieces to give your participants at the finish, volunteers can assist with this as well. All volunteers should be easily identified, with matching shirts, hats, wristbands or anything else that helps to have them stand out from event attendees. Remember to always thank your volunteers often!
Timeline Below is a suggested timeline for the planning of your event. Ideally, your committee will be formed and planning shall begin six months before your event. Six Months to Go Confirm the date and location of the event determine any fees and permits required for your venue Create a list of prospective business and school participants Create a list of prospective sponsors, and finalize your sponsorship opportunities Begin recruiting participants Begin drafting an event budget (see sample below) Five Months to Go Continue recruiting participants and volunteers Finalize list of businesses to determine the contact person/people Begin soliciting cash and gift in kind sponsorship Four Months to Go Continue recruiting participants Continue soliciting sponsorship Mail letters to businesses requesting their participation Begin planning your celebrations hold a brainstorming session and begin to plan how you would like the day to go Finalize logistical details including washrooms and water station(s) Three Months to Go Continue recruiting participants Make follow up calls to businesses Finalize sponsorship requests, request sponsors' logos for marketing materials Confirm all fees and/or permits have been submitted Being identifying volunteer tasks and create a volunteer prospect list ie. emcee, photographer, ect. Two Months to Go Continue recruiting participants Ensure all registered participants have received the information they need, i.e. pledge forms, maps, etc. Begin contacting volunteers for the day of the event Begin creating a list of media contacts and websites where you plan on posting information about your event If you require any signage for your event, begin discussions with graphics/printing companies One Month to Go Finalize list of participants Finalize plans for celebrations Finalize any signage needed Send out media release and begin posting information on social media & websites Finalize list of volunteers and send them information on time to arrive and what their role will be Ensure that you have everything you need for the day of the event: - Food and drinks (lots of water) - First aid items - Calculators, pens, scissors, scotch tape, - Bins to store pledge forms, waivers and cash - Chairs for volunteers Event Day Breathe, this is it! the big day when your event will be a success and you will be helping Jesse s Journey support cutting-edge Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research around the globe. Make sure you: 1) Have fun! 2) Take pictures of your event to share with your attendees and with Jesse s Journey. Within the Month Following the Event Count cash and cheques collected and ensure all pledge forms and waivers have been collected
Send a thank you letter to all participants, volunteers and sponsors Hold a wrap-up meeting of your committee to discuss your successes and any areas in need of improvement for your next event Summarize your learnings and any recommendations Contact our office and share your event news and photos with us. Staff will meet with you to review event highlights and the tally for cash and cheques Sample Budget - Revenue/Expenses Revenue Registrations Total 22 @ $250 = $5,500 $5,500 28 @ $275 = $7,700 $7,700 15 @ $300 = $4,500 $4,500 Lead sponsor sponsorship $1,500 Pledges/donations $1,300 Total Revenue $20,500 Expenses Venue - Conservation Area booking & fees $1250 Swag bag - backpacks $800 Dunk tank/b-ball rentals $380 Media - Radio spots $525 Food/drinks misc. $200 Signage & ads - $75 x 10 - no set up $750 Misc. - delivery charges $50 Clean Up Fees $100 Prizing for Top teams $250 Total Expense $4,305 NET REVENUE $16,195 Remember we re here to help! Jesse s Journey 750-195 Dufferin Ave., London, ON N6A 1K7 Phone: 519-645-8855 Email: info@jessesjourney.com @defeatduchenne @jesses_journey jesses_journey
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