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- Goals/purpose: What are the results you wish to achieve because of an event? Who will your audience be? Audiences can include local schools, churches, corporations or business, community groups, etc. What other issues will you need to deal with? What about fund raising or education?
- Talk to your local NMDP donor center or recruitment group: Explain what you’re thinking in term of the goal or purpose. You must with an NMDP center or group to have any event or drive. The center or group will help direct you in determining what type of event is most appropriate and helpful to the overall program. The NMDP donor center or recruitment group must be involved, at some level, in the event planning and stages.
- Develop your planning group members: Identify and meet with the people responsible for fund raising, publicity and other tasks.
- Set a date and time for event(s)
- Make event timeline/budget: When will certain items need to be done? Will money be needed? Make sure all planning group chairs are clear at this time on exactly what they’re expected to do and when. You might need to add more detail to the timeline you follow.
- Reserve location: Whether it’s the hottest spot in town or your cafeteria, having the location secured at this time will prevent future headaches. Ask about appropriate parking and maps or directions for your promotions. If your site is to be outside, reserve another inside location in case of bad weather on event day. Also, ask about facility guidelines regarding testing and blood samples. Some locations require special approvals.
- Schedule speaker (if event includes one: Depending on the popularity of a speaker, he or she might need to be scheduled six months to one year ahead of time. Also, schedule a back-up speaker, just in case the primary speaker cancels at the last minute.
- Planning group: Meet with the chair(s) for each subgroup regularly. Communication and updates between the planners is very important for a smooth event.
- Create promotional or publicity list: Start making your list and developing the addresses or rechecking an existing list. Tracking this information can take some time, so plan ahead. This step includes identifying the areas you will submit information to (TV and radio stations, newspapers, newsletters).
- Develop/order promotional materials: Your donor center or recruitment group has access to many pre-printed NMDP filers, posters and promotional materials. Please work with center staff to get the items. Consider how you will add event information to your materials. Remember to include parking information and maps or directions. Also, include the back-up site and how you will communicate to people if the location changes on event day.
- Submit information to community/newsletter calendars and add information to your donor center or recruit group’s Web site: Deadlines vary for submission to calendars. This is a great way to publicize your event. Begin writing the information for the Web site to be posted approximately three to four weeks prior to event.
- Schedule volunteers: Fr any size event, you will need extra hands. Determine your needs for greeters, set up and take down, etc. The need will vary according to the event.
- Walk through site and map out the event: It’s a good idea to physically see a site and visualize how best to layout the event. Confirm that the site is appropriate for drive- privacy, enough room, etc. Check out the audio-visual equipment, acoustics, access to power outlets for the media and room lighting. If anything doesn’t meet your needs, request the needed items now. Even if you’ve seen the site before, ask yourself if this event differs in any way from past events. If it does, revisit the site.
- Remind the donor center or recruitment group staff to send event information to the NMDP’s phone bank supervisor, especially if the event is open to the public.
- Draft news releases/alerts/newsletter article: Include information on the who, what, where, when, why and how for your event. Write so the most important and key messages are at the beginning of the story.
- Arrange for photographer and videographer: Depending on your budget, you may want to hire or arrange for someone to take photos or shoot video. A photographer or videographer can range from a staff person in your local center to an outside vendor. To ensure you get what you need, develop a list of potential shots you want to see in the final product. Ask if they want a site visit to determine lighting needs, logistical problems, etc. •
- Decide what to volunteer “attire” will be for the drive: If it is decided to wear special attire, such as T-shirts, make sure volunteer are informed. Place orders for T-shirts will in advance, and be clear on how these will be funded (group sponsored, volunteer pays, etc.)
- Establish official agreement with the NMDP: This include setting up an account to help manage funds raised for drives and submitting a signed “Recruitment Cooperation Agreement” and “Financial Agreement Form” (if appropriate).
- Drive forms/information: Work with your donor center or recruitment group to order enough drive forms and other materials from the NMDP Coordinating Center.
- Planning groups: Meet to finalize all details, track progress of subgroups and determine if anything else needs to be handled.
- Distribute media releases/alerts/newsletter articles: This information should go out any sooner than one month prior to the event.
- Distribute promotional materials: Hang up fliers, posters, send out e-mails, etc.
- Develop handouts/name tags for event (if necessary): This could include an event program, booklet, etc. Do you have enough name tags? How will you attach them to guests – pins, name-tag holders?
- Follow up:
- Media: Did your media contacts receive your information? Do they have any questions?
- Did you forward the requests from the site visit on to the site managers?
- Staff: Remind them of the schedule and any event logistics.
- Are all arrangements for volunteer attire set?
- Double-check all materials: Are all programs copied? Are all signs made for the event? Are all decorations ready?
- Planning group: Meet with group and center staff to follow up on details, any changes to plans, etc.
- Final head count for materials/etc: Do you have enough of anything – handouts, materials, food?
- Media follow-up: Are the media contacts still planning on attending? Do they need any more information?
- Site visit: Double check the site. Check audio/visual equipment, lighting, parking, outlets for the media, etc.
- Planning group: Last time to meet with the center staff and group before the event. Make sure all details are taken of and everyone’s ready to go!
- Setup: Make sure your event is setup (tables, signs, staff, etc.) at least two hours ahead of time. Assign someone to be in charge of this task.
- Media contact/coordinator: Have one person designated to call reports to remind them of the event and any event updates. This person greets the reporters and handles all their requests. In the case of major event changes, this person would fax another media advisory with the changed information.
- Audio/visual check and photographer greeter: One person should ensure all systems are ready. Have that person meet and direct the photographer/videographer to the correct places in the room.
- Event greeter: Have one person at the door to welcome attendees, direct traffic, answer questions, etc. If using name tags for your event, have one person help guess find name tags and sign in.
- Sale-registration/information review table: Have someone staff this table. The potential volunteer donor reads “Are You at Risk For HIV” (the AIDS virus) or Hepatitis?” and give “The Missing Piece” brochure. Information needed from the potential donor at this table includes: “Donor Registration and Consent for HLA Typing” and “Donor Information and Health Screening Form.”
- Health screener: Handles reviewing the volunteer’s forms, answering questions and witnessing the signing of the consent form.
- Recognition/contribution: Someone personally thanks the volunteer donor, presents a thank you letter or identification card and, when appropriate, asks for financial donations.
- Refreshment stand: An optional stand where volunteer donors receive a light refreshment after the sample collection or after being deferred.
- Take down: Someone should also be in charge of cleaning up the event area and returning any borrowed or rented items.
- Evaluate event: Meet with the planning groups to discuss the event. What went smoothly? What would you do differently next time? (Even if you don’t hold another event, this feedback might help the donor center or recruitment group.)
- Send out thank yous: Appropriate for all volunteers, staff, donors and patients who participated in the event.
- Follow-up letters (if needed): Did anyone express interest in the program? Pass this information along to the donor center or recruitment group coordinators so they don’t loose an opportunity to reach out to someone who is interested in the program or to recruit new volunteers to help!
- Follow-up stories – Web sites, newsletters, media: Remember post-event promotion is useful. Your successful activities are worth hearing about! Contact the NMDP’s Marketing and Communications Department and your local donor center or recruitment group’s publications department to submit newsworthy stories.
- Complete and return the NMDP Recruitment Drive Sponsor Evaluation Form.
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