Planning a benefit event can be a tough task and requires a lot of organization.
Planning a benefit event to raise money for others can be a very satisfying job to complete. Although your intentions in planning a benefit event may be selfless, you will require substantial organizational skills and assistance to make sure your planning goes smoothly.
Instructions
1. Determine the type of benefit event you want to organize. There are a lot of options you can choose from, such as concerts, bake sales and art auctions, to name a few. Depending on what type of event you finalize, you can then further determine the types of press activity, sponsors and volunteers you need.
2. Determine the number of volunteers you require. If you are planning a small event such as an art auction, a small number of volunteers is enough. If you go for a large-scale concert, however, you will require volunteers for backstage management, sound and lights, stage design and security.
3. Make a list of possible venues. You need to have several options for venues on your list and contact the management of every venue. Most venue owners will give you permission to hold your event there for free if you make a good case on how your event will be beneficial to the community and them. However, you should also be prepared to pay a fee if the venue you really want doesn't agree to donate the space.
4. Plan ahead. Keep in mind that planning a benefit event successfully requires a few months to approach sponsors and finalize costs before you can bring in volunteers to start working. Have realistic long-term goals and stick to them.
5. Finalize sponsors. If you keep this till the last moment, your costs will keep building up and make them difficult to cover. You don't want all the funds raised from the event being spent on pending payments of planning the event.
6. Delegate authority. When you have the volunteers you require (gathered from friends and family, for example), delegate different jobs to groups of volunteers. You can then hold weekly meetings to monitor progress and make any changes in planning that are necessary.
7. Make an advance press release. Approach your local newspapers for ad space for your event. Also contact a local radio station and ask if they can cover your event live. Make sure you finalize this a few months before your event as it will help spread the word effectively. There are online organizations, too, that can help you write and distribute an advance press release.
8. Prepare attractive promotional materials such as posters, fliers, road-streamers and billboards. Display the logo/name of your sponsors and donors on this material. Make a simple website for promotion too and use social networking tools to spread word about the event.
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