Event Q & A
February 13, 2006
By Judy Allen, author of the professional best-selling Event
Planning series.
The question:
I work for a company that is looking into setting up
and running a philanthropic team-building event. I was wondering if
you had any ideas for fundraising events that would be team-building
and philanthropic?
Judy's Response:
As a company, you need to determine your objectives and
decide how you will be handling your event. First, you must decide
what philanthropic cause will be the best fit for you as a company
and your corporate image. Do you want to be known for supporting the
environment, education, sports, or the arts, be a champion of
something tied to children in need, support research or a specific
cause? Once you choose the type of philanthropic cause you wish to
underwrite, it will help you to design a team-building event that is
the perfect fit for your company and the cause you are supporting,
and one that will help you meet all your event objectives tied to
both team-building and helping the nonprofit sector.
It is important to identify everything - and be very honest - that
you hope to achieve from this venture (e.g. are you looking simply to
tie a company team-building event into something that gives back, or
are you also looking at the event as a means to link your company
name to a specific cause, promote your brand to potential new
customers in addition to helping others, etc.) What you and your
colleagues will be undertaking - both personally and professionally -
is an investment of time, money and energy, and you will need to be
able to enlist everyone's full support.
You also have to decide if you will be handling the event on your own
or doing it in partnership with a nonprofit organization. If you are
working in partnership with a nonprofit organization, they may need
to play a major part in the event decision-making process as well.
Both you and the nonprofit have company images, rules and
regulations, legal issues, terms and conditions to meet and uphold.
For example, it may or may not be a requirement that their board of
directors is actively involved with your committee members and that
all promotional material featuring their organization's name or logo
is approved by them before you can use it.
There are many types of corporate team-building activities that you
can undertake. One company that wanted to do something for children
in need did a team-building event where they turned the backyard of a
safe house for children into a wonderful playground haven. The looks
on the children's faces when their new backyard was unveiled brought
tears to everyone involved in the project. Teams were not
competitive, but all had to work together with regards to timing and
logistics. One team was in charge of providing food all day long;
another team put up protective fencing; one poured concrete and put
in a basketball court; while others worked on setting up the swing
sets etc. The following year, this same company decided to make a
summer camp for underprivileged children handicapped-accessible. It
meant widening pathways so that wheelchairs could be accommodated,
revamping washrooms, putting in ramps, etc. They also enlisted the
support of local suppliers to help them with expert guidance and
direction. In each case, they first checked with the nonprofit
organization to see what type of team-building activity would most
benefit them. Some organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, may
already have corporate team-building options in place.
Another company wanted to undertake a team-building project that
everyone in their offices across the country could partake in. Each
region pulled together to put on their own fundraising golf
tournament on the same day to support the local branch of the
nonprofit organization they had selected to support. It was an
overwhelming success and the bonus was that the employees got to
spend quality time with potential new customers, while also raising
money for a good cause and working together as a team.
Another example is of a company that had an abundance of outstanding
musical talent and decided that, as a team-building event to raise
money, they would work together and stage a live concert. Their
effort was so successful it has become an annual event and each year
they choose a different charity to support.
***********
To submit a question for a future column, or to comment on
a previous one,
please contact help@charityvillage.com. No
identifying information will appear in
this column.
For paid professional event planning consulting - event design, site
selection critique, venue and supplier contract review,
budget analysis,
strategic planning, event logistical and timing
requirements, and on-site
orchestration - contact Judy directly at Judy
Allen Productions.
Disclaimer: Advice and
recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as
a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any
warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for
accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in
whole or in part within this article.
