Walkathon Maven

The Walk for Hunger in Boston is happening this Sunday, May 5!  Always the first Sunday in May. Once upon a time, I worked at Project Bread – the Walk for Hunger.  True Bostonians pronounce it Wok Fa Hunga. Our alumni association is called the Bread Crumbs.  Project Bread was my virgin excursion into the walkathon world.  I was responsible for finding and training 2,000 walk day volunteers, some of the recruitment and much of the logistics for the main event oval and the 20-mile route.  I had never worked so hard in my young, spry life.

We worked all year round for one day.  We planted the seeds of preparation in the months then days leading up to the walk, with hopes for a beautiful bloom of smooth sailing on event day.

My time at Project Bread in the mid-90s was before online giving, internet email and mobile phones that were smaller than a brick.  We recruited 50,000 walkers who raised over $3 million each year by actually talking to team leaders in person or on the phone.   Old school.

According to the Project Bread website, money raised at this event will help fund hunger relief and prevention through over 430 emergency programs, schools, community health centers, farmers’ markets, community suppers, home care organizations, and other programs that protect the individual and strengthen our community’s food security throughout the state.

I learned a lot when I worked there. Not just the event operations stuff, but also about the issue of hunger. Hunger is not as visible an issue like cancer or AIDS or autism or diabetes.  Why?  We all know people or relatives of people that have or had cancer or AIDS or autism or diabetes. How many people do you know that are hungry?  They need you.

The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend.  Visit Boston.  Boston needs some lovin’. The tulips in the Boston Garden are in full bloom.

Take a walk with several thousand other people who care. Raise some money and think about how lucky you are to have an occasional full belly.  Walk for Hunger.

It’s been one week since the Boston Marathon tragedy.   It’s been one week – and many are already making money on the merchandising of this horror show.  Many fraudulent charitable organizations have popped up too.  If you know me, then you know how I hate, hate, hate people who profit from diseases, or tragedies.   Shame on you.

The Huffington Post had an article yesterday about the race to trademark the words Boston Strong.

The IRS has made a statement about charitable fraud.

Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick, along with other corporate leaders in Boston, have create the One Fund.

they have a logo, too

The website names all the wonderful people who are involved, yet there is no description of how they will use the donations.  Oh, and the One Fund is not yet a designated 501(c)3.  They have applied, but not been given the designation.  Too soon I suppose.

According to an article in the Non Profit Quarterly, The One Fund was setup within 7 hours of the blast and The fund has been placed under Kenneth Feinberg, the well-known attorney who managed the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund as well as compensation funds for victims of the 2010 BP Gulf Coast oil spill and the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Aurora, Colorado.

I wonder why people feel the need to start a brand new charitable organization when so many good ones already exist?  Hello!  Red Cross!  They specialize in disaster relief.  Logistics and operations are in place to handle things like this.  Why re-invent the wheel with a new charitable organization that will have administrative over-head and other related costs?  I guess the Red Cross is not sexy enough, or the logo was not acceptable.

4/24/13 edit:  The Boston Globe reports that no administrative costs will be charged to the fund.  Phew!

Speaking of logos –  just like any good severe weather or news event, there are already several logos commemorating the day.

Even the New England Revolution has a logo:

Here is a ribbon logo that has been seen around:

These are $10, and $8 is supposed to go to victims

The custom printing site CafePress even has a page designated for Boston Strong merchandise.  Mouse pads, mugs and tote bags.  I did not see anything about a portion of proceeds or profits being donated to the victims.

I made a purchase at my local CVS and the cashier asked if I wanted to donate to the Boston Marathon victims.  When asked, she could not tell me how the money would be distributed or if the CVS Foundation would be taking care of this.  Ugh.

That home-made-crap site Etsy has stuff too.

I’m annoyed and will continue to call-out all of these shameless self-promoting tragedy-profiteers.  I hope they donate money to the innocent victims. I’ll be watching.

Yesterday was the Boston Marathon, and just like every other year – our family and friends went to “our spot” at Mile 6 in Framingham to cheer on the runners.  The weather was perfect for runners – mid 40s to start and mid 50s in the afternoon.  A welcomed change from the 87 degrees last year.  A very welcomed change from the Mother Nature shit show this past winter.  There was nothing to shovel, and that made it a good day.

Yesterday was special since we were cheering on many friends, including our middle school principal and a close friend who was a charity runner for Children’s Hospital Boston.  Once our friend passed us, we loaded cars to drive to Newton to once again cheer him on.   Most of the Newton cheering posse then took the T (our public transit) to Boston so that they could cheer on our friend at the finish line.  I went back to our friends house to set up for a congratulatory cookout.

Yesterday my husband and daughter, along with many of our close friends, were at the finish line and saw our friend cross it minutes before the explosions went off.  Luckily, they had a predetermined a meeting place a few blocks away and luckily, my family and friends had started walking, and then running to the meeting place once they heard the explosions.  They eventually made it out of the city and back home safe, despite the roadblocks and emergency vehicle detours.

Once upon a time, I was a Marathon Volunteer at the finish line.  I remember the logistical operations and preparations for the event.  Everyone had credentials, which indicated the areas that you were allowed to be in.  Bomb-sniffing dogs made their rounds several times and many cameras were perched high above the crowds.  I felt that the emergency procedures shared with the volunteers were thorough and there were probably many other procedures I did not have credentials to even know about.

An old English proverb pertains to the tragic events of yesterday.  “Where there is a will, there is a way.”  Some jackass figured out a way to create madness on a beautiful day.   I am hopeful that law enforcement will find a way to bring this jackass to justice.

We will be back at “our spot” at Mile 6 next year.

Here’s a link to the Boston Marathon website.

Here’s a link to my friends fundraising page.

Peep in our Cheering Posse and his ARTwork

Our elementary school hosted their BIG spring fundraiser this past weekend.  Thankfully, we exceeded our goal and everything flowed smoothly.  We had over a dozen parents who helped coordinate this event by owning a piece of the responsibilities, like: Silent Auction; Raffle; Carnival Games; Stage Program; Concessions; Check-in and Check-out and the enormously-important CPT (Crappy Prize Table).

We had another dozen parents and students donate their time and talent to volunteer.   Here are 5 lessons I think will be helpful to others putting together a school fundraiser:

1.  Give them a reason to be there

We had our student play perform a repeat performance for the fundraiser.  This allowed for an automatic audience of kids and their parents and any relatives that could not make the first production.

2.   Have prizes for big kids and little kids

These prizes were connected so we could safely display them without worrying about them walking away.

We had carnival games for the kids and a raffle for big-kid and little-kid prizes.   We had three large prizes and a bunch of donated gift cards for raffle winners.

We asked our parents to donate (gently) used or new birthday party favors that have collected in their homes so we could display it for the kids to redeem prize tickets earned at the carnival games.

did any of these items come from your closet or basement?

3. Determine your currency

We had our guests purchase “bucks” at the front of the event so all of the money would be in one place, and not in different places around the building.  The “bucks” were used to purchase raffle tickets, carnival games and concessions.  This allowed our police detail to focus their energy on keeping an eye on the front of the house where the guests enter and where the cash is kept.

4.  One door to get in, many to get out

We charged $5 for adults and kids were free.   To make sure we collected from all of the adults, we created a bottleneck once they entered so we could make sure they had to walk next to the check-in table to enter the event.

just one door was unlocked for entrance

5.  Collect money before the event

Even though we had baseball, soccer and lacrosse games to compete with – many families were able to squeak-in an hour or so to attend the event.  To protect the income of the fundraiser, we had pre-sold some raffle tickets two weeks earlier so that peeps could participate if they could not attend.   The bulk of the money came in the day-of from the silent auction of donated goods and services from local merchants and teachers.

Quite a production!  It has been said that it “takes a village” to raise a child – well, it also takes a village to raise several thousand dollars for a school fundraiser.  Thanks to all who contributed to the success of the event!

Lots of good reads about philanthropy and non-profits this week online and on paper.  Most of my interesting morsels are found from the iPad app called Zite.  Love it. I can choose which type of things interest me and Zite pulls all the relevant articles for me to read. 

You may know (and be sick of reading) how I write a lot about how it is important to talk to a prospective walker, donor and sponsor.  Here’s an article from Boston Magazine about the art of the ‘ask’.  Notice how many baby steps and hand holding is involved before a building is named after someone. 

Did you know studies have repeatedly shown the people who can least afford to donate are the most generous? Here’s an article from the Non Profit Quarterly that shows the favorite areas of support for those who have, and have not.  The most interesting takeaway for me from this article was that of the top 50 charitable gifts from the wealthy last year, not one went to a charity that primarily serves the poor.  Hmmm.

Here’s another great article from the NPQ that shows trends in online giving.   Photos posts online had the most likes, shares and comments.  No surprise that online giving is up, but you may have seen my previous post noting that another article shows that only 7% of total gifts are made online.

That means 93% are not online gifts.  Please see the first item noted above – The Art of the Ask. 

93% of gifts were given because they were personally asked!

How do you choose your new leader?

The Catholic world is happy that they have chosen a new Pope.  I wonder what qualities and skills were needed to make the short list. I think it would be fun to see the logistics involved in the setup, lobbying, the voting and the re-voting to decide the new leader.

The historical happenings last week got me thinking about how a walkathon should go about choosing their new leader. If I were asked to help decide on a new Walk Manager, I would look for these 5 things:

1.  Do they give good phone?

A Walk Manager should be comfortable picking up the phone and cultivating a relationship with a potential sponsor, or team leader. Remember, your Walk Manager should be your #1 recruiter and lead by example.

2.  Have they ever managed volunteers and/or a staff?

Producing a successful walk requires the help of many people.  People that are volunteering their time and talent, and people who get a paycheck from you.  The Walk Manager is one leg under a large table, and they must be able to balance their role and the roles of the other people they depend on to get a job done.  Interpersonal skills are important.  A Dictatorship will not work.

3.  How do they say ‘no’?

Being the Walk Manager makes you a target for everyone trying to get a piece of your real estate on walk day. Lots of calls will come in with opportunities for sharing in the profits of items sold from a table at your event. Fantastic causes will want to bring their clipboards to get signatures for their worthy cause. You will have several hundred to several thousand people in one place at one time, and it is a guerilla marketing opportunity.  Your new Walk Manager will need to pleasantly refuse these wonderful opportunities and not be easily intimidated.

4.  When was the last time they got dirty at work?

There is no place for a Princess at a walk.  See above about leading by example.  If boxes need to be unloaded from a truck, then they should carry the first and last box.  If a 24-ft truck needs to be moved, then they should not be afraid to get behind the wheel.  I prefer a Walk Manager that is well-rounded and is not afraid to do the less glamourous things to get the job done.

5.  How do they say ‘thank you’?

If you want people to work for you, you need to keep them happy and motivated.  I need to hear about examples of how this candidate has thanked their volunteers or staff in the past.  I like to hear about creative things that do not cost allotta money.  If you have worked for me before, then you have some good stories to tell.  Ahhh, memories…

Hiring managers all have different things they look for looking for the perfect candidate.  I like having a conversation and then go with my gut to determine who I think will work out.  What do you look for?  Leave me a comment!

How do you let everyone know about new staff hires?

Best friend for an Event Manager

I just read the good news that the TSA is going to allow certain kinds of knives back on planes.  Unfortunately, the states of Michigan and Massachusetts are not playing, since it is still a felony to do so.

A few years ago, the TSA took away my Mini Leatherman.  I was a random flag at security and my bag was searched. The agent was so proud that she came upon my 2.5-inch Mini Leatherman that she created a freak show around me. A crowd of agents surrounded me and held it up in the air to make an example of me and my 2.5-inch Mini Leatherman.  I must have made their day.  Thankfully, an unimpressed gentleman behind me must have felt my pain because he walked by sarcastically exclaiming “WWWWWOW”.

You see, I am an Fundraising Events Consultant and I was traveling to do some good, charitable work.  I need my Mini Leatherman to cut duct tape, snip electrical ties (also known as concert cuffs – a story for another time), pull staples out of wood, pluck a stray eyebrow hair, open locked porta-pottie doors etc…

I realize it was only $26 but it was really petite and a perfect size to carry in my purse and pocket.  I miss it and want it back.

When I was given the choice to go back and check the leatherman in my luggage, I couldn’t, since I was carrying-on.  Then I was given the choice to leave the security line and go mail the piece back home.  WTF?  I did not notice any USPS kiosks in our Terminal.   So, I was resigned to turning over my beloved Mini Leatherman to be included in the TSA-Holiday-Party-Yankee-Swap-of-Confiscated-Items.  Mutha Fucka.   I was told that they destroy all confiscated items.  Riiiiiight.  I felt naked and vulnerable without it. It was my wooby.

I loved the Mini so much that I bought one for all my staff one year as a holiday gift.  I learned to love the versatility of the Leatherman when my Dear Boss David at the Walk for Hunger (Wok FaHunga if you live in Boston) gave me one.  It was a long time ago and I still have it.

Everyday Essential

So now, I ask the TSA peeps:  Let’s get everyone on the same page so us event folk can carry our Mini Leathermans onto planes so we can be prepared for our next adventure.  Puhleez!

One last thing.  I was pleased to read that the TSA is relaxing the rules for small bats. Not for me, but for the passengers at the Louisville Airport that got their mini Louisville Slugger bat taken away. I was shocked to see that they actually displayed a large cylinder full of these bats at the beginning of the security line.  Perhaps the Louisville Slugger store inside the Louisville airport should have had a USPS kiosk just outside.  Ugh.

cutting the budget

What happens when you have a budget sequestration that causes constipation?  Your money gets backed-up in the pipeline.

All of this nonsense I have been reading about a sequestration made me think about the possibility of having a walkathon budget cut. What happens when you are told that you still need to have a walk, and you need to do it for less money?  You have a goal to raise a certain amount of money  – money that researchers, survivors and staff are depending on.  What to do?

Ideally, most walkathons have expenses of less that 20%.  Trimming money will be hard.  Where do you cut the walkathon budget?  I would start with the three largest budget items. Budget Busters – The three P’s:

Postage, Police and Printing.  Here’s how:

Postage

Hopefully you have had a meeting with your local Postmaster, so you can make sure that you are mailing at the least expensive rate.  There is also a company called Postal Advocate that can audit your postage expenses and make sure your are being efficient.

Police

If you are having your walk on City property, you may be stuck with City Police as your only route and site security options.  You may also want to check if the County Sheriff’s department offers security detail for less money.  If your event is on park property, you may be able to have Park Rangers be your route security – for ALOT less money.  Some Park Rangers do not pack heat, and you need the heat around the Registration Tent and Banking areas.

Printing

T-shirts are a huge money-suck on an event.  My feeling is that if you are giving a shirt away for free, then it should be short sleeve white with a one-color imprint on one side.  If you are selling t-shirts, then order less and sell out early.  Cost-cutting options are to buy short sleeve instead of long sleeve.  Two color imprint instead of four.  One-side imprint only. 

Same idea with printing collateral.  Use black and blue instead of four color.  Put a screen on the black and blue in some areas to make them lighter so it looks like you have four colors.  Ask your printer about using less expensive paper.  Maybe there is a less expensive standard size that you can adjust your artwork to fit.  Your graphic designer can help.

It is frustrating to be told to do the same for less.  Budget cuts are no fun, but it is a good exercise to see where you can offer the same services for less money.  I doubt anyone would notice if any of the above suggesstions were actually used.  If they do, you can tell them that sequestration frustration made you do it, and you would rather see the money raised go toward the mission.

who knew?

universally expensive

February school vacation.  Time to get outta the snow in New England and head to warmer places.  We took the family to Universal Orlando, so our kids would have the opportunity to complain about their crappy life in a different location.

Before stepping foot in Florida, we had already shelled out some serious money to secure flights, hotel and park tickets.  So what was left to pay for?  Food and a few trinkets, I thought.  I hoped.  Not so.  Universal made it VERY easy to leave my money at their amusement park.

I counted more stores than actual rides.  I counted more places to eat than actual rides.  So smahhht!

Once you disembark from a ride, you must follow the exit signs to get out.  The exit signs lead you to the ‘gift shop’ of theme merchandise matching the ride you just exited.

Shrek show – meet the Shrek shop.  Minion Mayhem – meet the Despicable department store:

ET.  Phone your credit card company and raise your spending limit:

ET. Extra Tchotchkes.

So how does my expensive vacation relate to your walkathon?  Many of you will sell tshirts or hats or bears or bracelets to raise some extra cash at your event.  You may remember my previous post about Tchotchkes.  I always liked to make sure that my walkers had to walk by my merchandise tent to get to registration or the start line.   Now I’m not suggesting that you have the same, gigantic selection that these apres-ride stores have.  I’m suggesting that your walkers and volunteers should have another opportunity to leave more of their money with you by strategically placing your merchandise tent in their path.

Just like the amusement parks do.

Here is a photo of Fire and Gasoline during a rare moment of affection:

Guess what percent of total fundraising happens online? 5%?  10%?  20%?

How about 7%.  Yep. That’s it.

What does it mean?  To me, it means that most of the charitable contributions happen when a donation is personally solicited. Mail, phone, or in-person.  Interpersonal relationships rule when it comes to asking for money.   Once upon a time I worked on a couple of walkathons in the pre-online-giving days.  We raised over $3 million at each of those walks.  We raised the money by speaking to a person that has an interest in the issue.

During my final years of being a walk manager, online giving was introduced.  Everyone thought that the money would exponentially roll in.  Nope.  We had a small uptick, but nothing to indicate that the online giving was going to significantly replace humans speaking to other humans.  Even now, the walks I once managed have hit a financial plateau.  Online giving is not the financial savior.  I’ve written about this a bunch so I will not bore you with another speech.

I read this article that outlines the Blackbaud 2012 Charitable Giving report.  Blackbaud is the company that created the online giving program that most events use to raise money. Many of the answers are very surprising, especially the amount of money that is donated online.  I was shocked to see it is only 7% of total giving.  Single digit!

Now I’m not poo-pooing online giving.  It is a great tool to acquire new donors, just like a piece of direct mail.  I just hope that the organizations are staffed properly to cultivate the relationships with these online donors.  That way, the usual under-$100 online donations eventually progress to a major gift, a planned gift from the estate or hopefully – a building named after them.

93% of charitable giving DOES NOT happen online. Shocker!