Establishing a charity walk planning team is a critical step to a successful event

You were quickly directed to the parking area. The site was completely set up when you arrived. The areas of registration and fundraising went smooth. All of the volunteers were calm and knew exactly what to do. The walk was fun and safe.

Planning and conducting a successful charity walk is not easy. If it appears that way, it is a good sign that a significant amount of time and energy was contributed by many people to make it appear that way. Many activities need to occur. There is no magic wand that can be waved to make it easy. Some of the activities include obtaining sponsors, providing tools for team/individual fundraising, receiving required permissions and permits, selecting and preparing the site, and a variety of additional tasks.

Because of the number and interdependency of activities that need to be planned and performed, it is important to establish a planning team. Each planning team member will be responsible for the planning and coordination of a particular area of needed activities. It doesn’t mean that person will do all of the effort in his or her assigned area. Other planning team members and volunteers should be recruited to provide additional support. The Chairs will oversee the efforts. It is common for one person to be the chair of multiple areas for smaller charity walks. If this occurs, be careful the person has adequate support to keep from being overwhelmed.

The organization of the planning team is different for each charity walk. There is no “one size fits all” template. The organization needs to be tailored to the purpose of the walk, the size of the walk, the needs of the walk, and the skills available. However, there are some basic chair positions that have proven to be valuable. Some of these are:

• Walk Chair
• Walk Co-Chair
• Sponsorship Chair
• Publicity Chair
• Logistics Chair
• Finance Chair
• Technology Chair
• Team Development Chair
• Mission Delivery Chair
• Advocacy Chair

Establishing an effective planning team well in advance of the charity walk event is a critical step towards holding a successful walk event.

Do charity walks you are involved in have the same or different planning team positions? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Future blog posts will describe the role of each of these chair positions, how to recruit capable people to fulfill these roles, and effective ways for the planning team to coordinate.

Thanks,

p.s. Do you need a comprehensive guide that shows how to organize a charity walk? Get your copy of The Walkathon Guide at http://www.TheWalkathonGuide.com.

Photo credit: Julia Freeman-Woolpert

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Organizing the Charity Walk Planning Team

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Some of my favorite charity walk t-shirts

A long-term staple of charity walks is the t-shirt. Not just any t-shirt. This is a shirt that has a graphic advertisement on the front promoting the charity walk and many smaller ads (usually logos) on the back promoting the charity walk sponsors.

As walkers wear these t-shirts during the charity walk event and in their community after the walk, the shirt becomes a mobile billboard for promoting the cause, nonprofit organization, and sponsors. For many charity walk events, this shirt is sold as a big reason for potential sponsors to provide support to the event.

Imagine an army of people gladly wearing these t-shirts at the walk and around town throughout the year. It sounds great, right? Even fellow blooger, Lee Gaverick, recently wrote about the benefits of using walkathon t-shirts in her blog post And Now, A Word about Walkathon Sponsors. So why would I suggest that the use of the charity walk t-shirt needs to be reexamined?

Problems with Charity Walk T-Shirts

I am starting to see a trend at the charity walks I attend. It is not a good trend when it comes to the use of charity walk t-shirts. Although the issues I raise are based on anecdotal evidence, it is enough that I believe the topic needs discussing.

Here are some of the problems regarding charity walk t-shirts that I have observed at charity walks:

Walkers are not wearing the t-shirts at the charity walk event

At recent charity walks I attended, less people appeared to be wearing the charity walk t-shirt during the walk. Some of them are doing this because they are wearing custom t-shirts representing their fundraising team.

This is exciting because it shows teamwork and team pride in supporting the cause.What was surprising and disturbing was how many people (who weren’t wearing a team shirt) received the charity walk t-shirt and didn’t wear it during the walk.

Maybe wearing the charity walk t-shirt is no longer considered “cool” or maybe it is not convenient to change or pull it over whatever shirt is already being worn. Regardless, this defeats one of the main reasons for proving t-shirts for the charity walk event.

Walkers are not wearing the t-shirts after the charity walk event

Several years ago, I used to see people wearing charity walk/run t-shirts out in public from time to time.  I almost never see someone wearing one of these t-shirts now. This is disappointing.

There is no sponsor promotion occurring as long as the t-shirt is folded in the bottom of a dresser drawer or being used as a cleaning rag.

T-shirts are not effective advertising for sponsors

It is hard for me to believe that anyone has done business with a sponsor because they saw the logo on the back of a charity walk t-shirt. I don’t believe I have. Have you?

I have thrown my business to companies because they supported a charity walk. However, I learned about that company and their charity walk support through other ways.

What Can You Do About the Charity Walk T-Shirt?

If your walkers are wearing the charity walk t-shirts, keep doing what you are doing. Depending on the location and demographics of your walkers, the traditional charity walk t-shirts may be just what is needed. However, if you are observing some of the issues I identified above, consider making a change:

Redesign charity walk t-shirts to eliminate the billboard on the back

There are many methods you can use to benefit sponsors. Use your imagination to come up with more effective ways to promote sponsors of your charity walk event than they are getting through a printed logo on shirts. Check out these blog posts to give your imagination a kick start:

• Use Incentives to Hook Sponsors
• Unique Sponsor Incentives

With the sponsor ads removed, the t-shirt should now sport a design that people would be proud to wear at the walk and at many other times.

Offer other fundraising incentives

Is the main reason you are offering t-shirts to encourage fundraising? What other inexpensive items would your walkers value that you could use as an incentive for raising more funds for the cause? If you want it to continue to be a piece of clothing consider something like a baseball cap that identifies your charity walk or nonprofit organization on the front (or back).

Implementing a creative way to recognize the walkers who raise a certain amount of funds may be even more effective than offering prizes.

Sell t-shirts to walkers

One way to help eliminate t-shirts going unused is to provide them to only those who want them. One way to do this, and raise some additional funds at the same time, is to sell them. You can have the walkers order the shirts online and/or have the shirts available at the charity walk ready for the participants to purchase. If you do make them available to buy at the event, limit the supply so you are confident they will sell or design the shirt so it can be sold at other times.

What do you think of my ideas regarding charity walk t-shirts? Have you seen the trends I have experienced or do you believe the charity walk t-shirt is here to stay for the long run? Please let me know in a comment below.

Thanks,

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Charity Walk T-Shirts: Are They Needed Anymore?

Technorati Tags: Charity Event, charity events, charity walk, charity walks, Custom T Shirts, Fundraising, Nonprofit Organization, T Shirt, Team Pride, Teamwork, Walkers

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2. Charity Walks – Unique Sponsor Incentives
3. A Twist on Charity Walks to Increase Participation

All of the methods identified can be used to raise funds and promote charity walks. Consider how your volunteers can support your charity walk events in some or all of these ways.

Are you aware of other methods that volunteers have used the web to support a cause or nonprofit organization? Please leave me a comment below.

Thanks,

Cheering From The Sidelines: How volunteers can support nonprofits online and how nonprofits can help

View more presentations from Roger Carr.

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Cheering From The Sidelines

Technorati Tags: charity walks, nonprofit 2.0, Nonprofit Organizations, np20, nptech, unconference, Volunteers, Washington Dc

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Charity walks also come in multiple flavors to meet different needs and to include people with different interests and abilities. I have divided charity walks into five different types:

Awareness Walks

An awareness walk is a charity walk that is held for the primary purpose of rising awareness for a cause, not for raising funds.

A good example of this flavor of charity walk was the Walk for Healthcare. Dr. Ogan Gure walked from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC to raise people’s awareness of the problems in the healthcare system. He also used it as an opportunity to collect stories from people who have been personally affected and share those stories with the world.

Walkathons

A walkathon is the flavor of charity walk that is the most common. Individuals and teams meet together and walk for a set distance or time. Funds are raised for a cause through sponsorships, donations raised by the personal fundraising efforts of the walkers, and/or registration fees.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is a good example of a walkathon. This walkathon is a signature fundraising event for the organization. Although fundraising is a primary purpose of the event, there are many additional benefits that come from holding the event as well.

Hybrid Walks

A hybrid walk is basically when a walkathon is combined with other events. Several charity run events are adding a charity walk component to increase participation. But runs are not the only events that are being combined with walks. There are events that include biking, dancing, duck racing, and many other creative combinations.

A good example of this flavor of charity walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk. This event started out solely as a charity run event and has expanded to include walkers as a prominent part of the event.

Virtual Walks

A virtual walk is an extension of another type of charity walk. Some people will not be able to directly participate in a charity walk because it is located too far from the walkers home or the potential participant is not able to physically walk at the event. Virtual walks allow people to participate by participating in their own community or in another way they can physically participate. Walks can be supported by methods including “walking” laps around a pool and walking on treadmills.

A great example of this flavor of charity walk is Food For The Poor’s Walk for Hunger event. They are only able to manage a single charity walk in their local area. However, they recognize that many people outside of their area will want to participate as well. So they are encouraging anyone to sign up and walk in their own community for the cause.

Virtual World Walks

If you have never joined a virtual world, this flavor of charity walk may not make much sense to you. However, every year there are many people sitting at their computers controlling a computer generated avatar that participates in a virtual world charity walk and raises funding for a cause.

An example of a virtual world walk is the National Down Syndrome Society’s Second Life Buddy Walk. Although this walk was held in a virtual world, it still included things like sponsors, auctions and live entertainment. Imagine, it wasn’t that many years ago that this was considered science fiction. Now we are holding charity events using this technology!

Are you aware of other types of charity walks I haven’t captured in these five categories? I would love to know what they are. Do you have a favorite type of charity walk that you enjoy participating in? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks,

Photo credit: Becco Eliacik

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Charity Walks Come In 5 Flavors

Technorati Tags: American Cancer Society, arthritis foundation, Charity Event, charity events, charity walks, Duck Racing, Fundraising Event, Healthcare System, Relay For Life, Walkers

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The terms charity walk, sponsored walk, and walkathon are typically used to describe the same kind of events. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a walkathon as:

“A walk covering a considerable distance organized especially to raise money for a cause.”

This definition is consistent with most of the other dictionaries I looked the term up in.

It is fun to watch how others are making their walks unique. It is great to read about how some have found creative ways to include those who could not otherwise participate. However, the creativity and purpose of some charity walks being implemented today are starting to push the envelope of the traditional definition for charity walks.

I propose a different definition for the term charity walk…

“A walk organized for the purpose of benefiting a cause.”

This definition doesn’t require the primary purpose of the walk to be fundraising. This opens the umbrella to include walks that have a different primary purpose, like raising awareness for a cause. The definition doesn’t refer to distance. This allows events like virtual walks to be included as well.

What do you think of this expanded definition for charity walks? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Thanks,

p.s. In my next blog post I will describe the 5 types of charity walks.

Sources:

Photo credit: Daniel Cubillas

walkathon. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved June 12, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walkathon

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

What is a Charity Walk?

Technorati Tags: charity walk, charity walks, Fundraising, Raise Money, Sponsored Walk, Walkathon

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Should nonprofits hold charity walks and other special events?

I have recently read several blog posts and newsletters from fundraising consultants who encourage nonprofits to run away from charity walks when they should be embracing special events.

Many of these consultants are friends of mine. I have a significant amount of respect for them and their abilities. So why am I concerned with this particular advice?

Get Rid of Charity Walks

There is some basis for these fundraising consultants to recommend that nonprofits stay away from special events, including charity walks. Planning, organizing and executing a successful charity walk takes a significant amount of time and effort from staff and volunteers. There are other much more efficient methods to raise money to support an important cause. There is also some level of risk being accepted when holding a special event.

Horror stories of failed attempts at raising funds have been used to reinforce the risks being taken when embarking on special events. Some of these stories were first-hand experiences of the fundraising consultant.

If the only need of the nonprofit organization is to raise money, the advice being given is right on target. Finding ways to be more effective and efficient at rising funds is why the fundraising consultant was hired, right?

The Flaw

Most nonprofit organizations don’t have a purpose and mission to raise money. Typically, an organization needs to do things like institute programs and lead advocacy efforts to fulfill their purpose. The funds raised are just one of the important tools needed to allow the organization to make a positive difference. There are other important tools that the organization needs in addition to money.

When decisions about special events are made from the limited perspective of fundraising alone, it can cause problems in the organization. I was intrigued by the blog post Fundraisers and Program Professionals: Can’t Everyone Just Get Along?. It discusses the friction that can occur between program professionals and fundraisers when each are not working together from a “corporate” perspective.

Consider Charity Walks for All They Can Provide

Charity walks can be powerful. There are many benefits this type of special event can provide to the nonprofit organization. Some of these benefits include:

• Raising money
• Recruiting and developing volunteers
• Raising awareness for the cause and the organization
• Identifying and engaging company partnerships in the community
• Supporting advocacy efforts

These are all positive things from the program professional perspective. But unless the fundraisers and program professionals start viewing their efforts from an organization perspective, there will be unhealthy conflict and the nonprofit will not be as effective as it could be.

Before eliminating charity walks, the total return on investment needs to be considered and compared to the overall needs of the organization. Only then can an informed decision be made. Who knows, maybe a bonus benefit will be the program professionals and fundraisers will start getting along.

By the way, most of the special event horror stories I read had little or no volunteer involvement. In my opinion, this is not advised and would put the event at significant risk. If you are considering a charity walk in the future, take advantage of others who have successfully put on these charity events. Get your personal  copy of The Walkathon Guide at http://www.TheWalkathonGuide.com.

Thanks,

Photo credit: Thiago Felipe Festa

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Eliminate Charity Walks From Fundraising?

Technorati Tags: Advocacy Efforts, charity fundraising, charity walk, charity walks, Fundraising, Fundraising Consultant, Fundraising Consultants, Nonprofit Organization, Nonprofit Organizations, Volunteers

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Is there really awareness overload due to too many charity walk/run events?

I decided to examine the online community calendar of my local newspaper in Fredericksburg, Virginia. For today, the events listed include:

• 17 music events
• 4 art exhibits
• 3 theater events
• 2 book signings

Is it likely that people will complain about the promotion of too many music events? Art exhibits? I doubt it.

It is recognized that people have different tastes in types of music and art so multiple events on a given day are expected. So why isn’t it recognized that people have different passions regarding causes? Why isn’t it recognized that these charity events help provide nonprofit organizations with money, volunteers, public awareness, advocacy and partnerships with community businesses that are needed to make a difference?

What isn’t discussed is how many people are participating in these events. What isn’t discussed is how successful they are.

If there was true awareness overload, participation would dwindle, donations would evaporate, and sponsors would disappear. But that isn’t the case for most of these events. These events require hard work by many nonprofit staff and volunteers. They would be canceled if there wasn’t a good return on investment.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Thanks,

Photo credit: ramzi hashisho

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Is There Charity Awareness Overload?

Technorati Tags: Advocacy, charity events, charity walks, Community Calendar, Fredericksburg Virginia, Music Events, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Staff, Partnerships, Passions, Public Awareness, Return On Investment, Volunteers

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Walking for the cancer cause is a great way to have fun and do good.

Most people in the UK know at least one person whose life has been seriously affected by cancer, and as a result, many people are very keen to do something – anything – to help improve the lives of people living with cancer.

At first you may think that the battle against cancer is only fought in hospitals and laboratories, where scientists conduct research in an effort to develop new cures; but in fact, every single one of us can help by raising money for cancer charities, which helps support those affected by cancer and funds new research into new treatments.

Over the years, more and more extravagant ways of raising money through sponsorship have been dreamed up; cycling through the Sahara desert on a monocycle, running the London marathon – in a diving suit; jumping out of a plane – naked. The imagination and determination of fundraisers is the only limit to the world of wacky charity trips.

However, one of the most popular ways to raise money is still the tried-and-tested charity walk. The beauty of this form of fundraising is that everyone can join in, from toddlers to teenagers and OAPs, and it can be done anywhere, from capital cities to rural regions.

Walking events, such as Walk Wonders which raises funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, also have the bonus of bringing together a group a people for a communal cause. In addition, unlike more extravagant fundraising activities, there’s no expensive set up costs involved. There are a selection of organised walks that take place across the UK all year round, which range from short family fun walks, to much longer hikes and even multi-day adventures.

Most ask for no minimum amount of funds to be raised – every little helps. But, if you find that there is no organised cancer charity walk or other fundraising event in your area, why not hold your own? Many cancer charities offer assistance to those looking to set up their own event, and offer support and exposure through their organisations.

People take part in cancer charity walks for different reasons. Some are former sufferers who have recovered and want to give something back; some have a friend or family member who are currently undergoing treatment or want to honour a loved one who has passed away, and many just want to do something positive for those less fortunate than themselves.

Whatever your reason for wanting to take part, walking to raise funds for cancer is a meaningful way for people to contribute to a great cause, enjoy a healthy activity and participate in a collective family outing.

About the Author

Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.

(ArticlesBase SC #332189)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Step by Step: Walking for the Cancer Cause

Photo credit: Karina Faiani

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Step by Step: Walking for the Cancer Cause

Technorati Tags: Cancer Cause, Cancer Charities, Cancer Charity, Cancer Charity Walk, Fundraising, Fundraising Activities, Fundraising Event, London Marathon, Macmillan Cancer Support, Raising Money, Running Marathon, Sponsored Walks, Walk For Cancer, Ways To Raise Money

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I was attending the Richmond Arthritis Walk in Richmond, Virginia.  It was my first time participating in this event so I didn’t know what to expect.  I did know the event was taking place rain or shine.

When I arrived, I was directed to park my car on the second level of the parking deck. The staff and volunteers were already moving tables out of the rain to the first level of the parking deck. That was the location most of the morning activities took place.

I was surprised by how many people arrived with their raincoats and umbrellas to take part in the charity walk.  The rainy weather wasn’t going to stop them from supporting a cause that was important to them. Fortunately, most of the rain subsided during the walk portion of the event. But on that morning, the participants were already prepared to walk in the rain.

We can’t control the weather.  The Richmond Arthritis Walk could have been a disaster because of the rain.  Instead, it was a tremendous success despite the bad weather. The success didn’t happen by accident. Here are some tips that should be considered for all charity walks, because this could happen at any outdoor event:

• Decide very early in the planning process whether you are going to hold the charity walk event “rain or shine” or have an alternate date scheduled in case of bad weather.
• Communicate your intentions to all participants so they are not wondering on the day of the event whether or not to attend.
• If you decide to hold your event if it rains, make sure the needed details are covered in all of your planning and preparation right up to the date of the charity walk.
• Maintain safety as a #1 priority throughout the event.

None of us want bad weather on the day of our charity walks.  However, when it does happen you’ll be glad that you prepared for it ahead of time.

Thanks,

p.s. You can view some of the photos I took at the Richmond Arthritis Walk at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogercarr/sets/72157623803852501/.

Photo credit: John Evans

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

Charity Walks: Rain or Shine

Technorati Tags: Arthritis, arthritis walk, Bad Weather, Charity Event, charity walk, charity walks, Rain Or Shine, Rainy Weather, Richmond, Richmond Virginia, Umbrellas, virginia, Volunteers

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The use of software can help make many aspects of planning and conducting a charity walk easier and more effective.

A member of the Charity Walks Network asked for other member experiences using registration software for charity walks. It turned out to be a hot topic. Several members chimed in with information. Several representatives of the software developers shared in the conversation. You can read and participate in the discussion at http://charitywalks.ning.com/forum/topics/registration-software.

Software can be helpful for better organizing, promoting and fundraising for your charity walk. There are many software packages to choose from. Some are general purpose that can be adapted to your needs and others are written specifically to support pledge-based events, such as charity walks. Some support a specialized purpose and others provide an integrated capability. Some are online while others are hosted on your own computers.

The following table contains the names of software mentioned or referenced in the discussion on the Charity Walks Network:

To evaluate the needs and potential products to support charity walks, I have used criteria described in the book by Ken Laudon and Jane Laudon called Management Information Systems. They define three factors that must be understood when considering information systems. They are organization, management, and technology.

Organization

The definition of organization is much larger than is reflected on an organizational chart. Laudon and Laudon define the key elements of an organization as “its people, structure, business processes, politics, and culture.” All of these need to be considered when implementing an information system. This will help avoid a potential resistance to change as the new software is introduced and it will also help ensure hidden costs for things like training are addressed when choosing the software solution.

Management

Strategic and tactical decision making are both required for the management of charity walk events. There are several strategic decisions that can be made which will have a significant impact on the amount of funding and participation that is received in the future. There is also the need to plan and monitor the progress on a day-to-day basis. If the software needs to support these areas, make sure it monitors and reports on the appropriate information that is needed at all levels of the organization.

Technology

Technology is much more than just the hardware and software of the information system. It also includes items such as the methods of communication and collaboration, and the types of devices that will access the information. For example, are there plans to use mobile technology for communication or fundraising? Privacy and security are also a part of the considerations under the technology category.

Selecting the appropriate software to support charity walks is not an easy task. However, understanding your needs before making a selection is critical to making an appropriate choice.

Be sure to sign up for your free membership at the Charity Walks Network (http://www.CharityWalks.ning.com). Ask a question about selecting software or any other charity walk topic you need help with. There is a growing community there interested in helping you succeed.

Thanks,

Photo credit: Ariel da Silva Parreira

Post from: Charity Walks Blog

How to Choose the Charity Walk Software to Use

Technorati Tags: Blackbaud, charity walks, Convio, DoJiggy, Facebook, Global Cloud, Management Information Systems, Registration Software, Six Degrees

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