Planning & Organizing Tips

We want to make sure you and your team have fun and successful event! Here are some great tips that will help you on your way to creating an event with lasting impact for the Red Door.

Get in the know
People are more likely to donate or volunteer to help if you can clearly articulate why our cause is important and why we need their support. Explore our website, read our current and past publications, and don’t be afraid to ask questions: fundraising@reddoorshelter.ca
Brainstorm
Before making a decision, brainstorm, research and test out your fundraising idea on friends, family and colleagues. Would they be likely to attend and/or give? See Choosing an Event for starter ideas and questions to ask when brainstorming your event.
Know your target audience
Who are you trying to attract to your event? Tailoring the size of your event to the size of your potential audience helps you narrow options for suitable events and venues, and will give you a better idea of how much advance planning and promotion will be required.
Timing is everything
The timing of your event often determines how successful it will be. Check out your prospective date to see if there is anything else happening that day. Are there competing local charitable events? A big sports event, concert etc.? To give your event special relevance, schedule its theme to coincide with special holidays. For example, have a St. Valentine’s Day bake sale, Christmas craft sale, etc.
Form a planning team
Share the load. Round up a team of organizers to help you get your event off the ground. A great way to keep people motivated and committed is to involve them in the decision-making. Make a list of tasks, find out what skills people have, and try to give them tasks that they’ll enjoy. Make sure that each team member is clear about the tasks he or she is doing – write it all down and give everyone a copy.
Create a planning timeline
Agree on a realistic timetable. Start with the day of the event and then work backwards giving every task a deadline. When drafting the timetable, if you run out of days you may have to reconsider the date of your event or maybe the size of your team.
Set realistic goals
Setting a realistic fundraising goal helps motivate your team members and gives your supporters something to work towards. This often encourages them to be more generous to ensure you achieve your goal. You can use our Gifts to Empower as a way to set a tangible goal for your event – choose one or more gifts to direct the proceeds toward (eg. A Safety Plan, or 10 hours of Interpretation for a Family).
Keep expenses in check
A successful budget should aim to have expenses that are less than 30% of funds raised. Think about expenses and try to keep them in check to avoid any disappointment about the final proceeds you’re able to generate for donation. Think of ways to keep costs down and your revenue up. Get as much as you can be given to you for free or discounted – whether it’s people’s time, a venue, publicity, printing, commercial sponsorship or prizes.
Have a back-up plan
Make sure you have a contingency plan, especially if your event is dependant on unpredictable factors like the weather. Setting a rain date, or arranging an indoor venue as a backup, may take a bit of extra planning up front but it will help ensure that the results of your hard work aren’t limited by factors you can’t control.
Don’t over-commit yourself at first
Give yourself enough time and enlist adequate help to ensure all the elements of your event can be completed successfully. You might consider starting with a small event and work your way up to organizing larger events as you gain more experience.

Register your event

Once you have decided on the type of event, please register your event by filling out the Event Proposal Form. The Red Door requires that all events be registered and approved.

Once your event is approved we can provide you with additional resources, including templates, forms, promo materials, logos and listing on our events calendar.

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