February 2008 Cheat Sheet: Effective charity events at your show By Linda C. Chandler
Charity events are a mainstay of many annual meetings and exhibitions. For some, it’s a chance to raise funds for an industry foundation. For others, it’s a way to create meaningful networking opportunities for attendees away from the stress of doing business. And for still others, it’s a way to generate positive public relations for the industry the show serves. The types of events also vary widely — high-priced exclusive dinners, golf tournaments and 5K runs, group projects on the show floor or in the host community. Here are some tips for choosing the right type of charity event for your show, and to help you get the most out of the effort.
Making a good match ■ Choose a charity that meshes with your organization or show’s demographics, mission or theme. Resist “pet” projects of organizational leaders unless they relate well to the whole organization. ■ Consider your potential participants. If most of your population is female, breast cancer could be a good cause, but if your show is about books, then a project with children’s libraries or providing books to shelters might be even better. ■ Food, clothing and book drives can work well for local or regional shows, but they’re not suited for national events since participants won’t want to haul donations with them or take time to purchase things on site. ■ Discover the needs of the local community. Ask the CVB to help you evaluate where your group can make the most impact (and get press coverage) by assisting with needs in the destination. (Recent natural disasters or a high-profile local initiative may give you the opportunity to pitch in.) ■ Survey attendees and exhibitors to get their input. ■ Consider ongoing partnerships. Many charities have local chapters in larger cities, so you can work with the same nonprofit in different locales and over time build a relationship. ■ Also consider a theme, such as always having projects that benefit children, the environment, historic preservation, safety, etc. ■ Some organizations stage events to benefit their own foundations or scholarship funds or to support student member participation.
What will giving cost you? • Staff time to brand the events, create messaging and reminders, find sponsors and communicate with charities and volunteers • Special areas of trade show floor for onsite participation • Transportation from convention center to and from volunteering venues if off site • Food and beverages for volunteers • Promotional products, such as buttons, caps or T-shirts
Giving after the fact ■ Many organizations contribute leftover foods to local food banks or coordinate donations of unopened samples or goodies from exhibitors to local charities or shelters. ■ Give themed decorations such as sports balls, plastic toys, balloons and banners to recreation centers, scout troops or teen clubs. ■ Local charities may welcome leftover plastic bags; schools might take promotional pens, pencils, note pads and other items exhibitors might otherwise trash. Encourage such recycling.
Creating success ■ Publicize the charitable event in all your promotional vehicles—print, Web, e-mails blasts. ■ Provide a sign-up form in advance registration materials. ■ Create teams or competitions to encourage participation. Assign volunteers to teams or encourage registrants to create their own teams. ■ Create a special pavilion on the show floor to promote and showcase the charitable project. Good signage is key. ■ Offer recognition incentives, such as buttons or T-shirts. ■ Announce results in show dailies, on signage or in sessions to offer “bragging rights” for teams and participants. ■ Enlist sponsors to help fund the T-shirts and necessary supplies and to promote the activity. ■ Be sure to send press releases about the event in advance, (check with your desired media outlets for appropriate time tables) so press may be on site to take photos. Send press releases and photos afterward to show the end result. ■ Supply everything needed to make the project a success. Look for sponsors and donors to equip the volunteers— bottled water and snacks for workers, paint and ladders or landscaping tools, whatever is needed. ■ For off-site projects, be sure sufficient transportation is arranged and on time. ■ Designate at least one staff person or leader to coordinate volunteers and be on site with each project.
Financial rules of thumb from www.charitynavigator.org • Ideally, 10 percent or less of a charity’s budget should be spent on fund raising. • Administrative costs should be 15 percent or less of the budget. • That leaves 75 percent or more of the charity’s income to be used for actual programs and direct services.
Evaluating potential charitable partners ■ Review annual reports. Many times they’re available online at the charity’s Web site. ■ Request copies of IRS Form 990, which all 501(c) (3) charities must file annually. ■ Check the Better Business Bureau and state attorney general’s office to see if there are complaints. ■ Inquire about the charity’s reputation with the local Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. ■ Contact the local United Way. If the organization isn’t a part of United Way, it may have been at one time. ■ Phone the executive director or board president and ask about the goals of the organization, length of time it’s been in existence and what sort of progress is being made toward its goals. ■ Ask to see where your funds or volunteer efforts will be used. Tour any sites in which you may have people volunteering. ■ Call other organizations that have worked with the charity and check references.
What NOT to do ■ Don’t schedule off-site charity events during show hours. ■ Don’t limit participation to either attendees or exhibitors. Let them mix. ■ Don’t forget to check with legal counsel about liability waivers and be sure each participant signs off in advance.
Linda C. Chandler is a freelance writer and editor based in Tyler, TX. She has written for association and convention publications for 19 years and is an active member of Tyler CVB’s tourism committee. Contact her at linda.chandler@earthlink.net.
• Suzann J. Oliver, Challenge Management Inc., (972) 755-2560, www.challenge-management.com • Deidre Ross, MHA, CMP, American Library Association, (800) 545-2433, www.ala.org • Patti Stracher, National Stationery Show, GLM, LLC, (800) 292-4560, www.nationalstationeryshow.com More on EXPOweb.com
Case Study: Libraries — and librarians — build communities The 2006 American Library Association annual conference and trade show was the first big convention hosted in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The ALA, in keeping with its mission, developed a project close to its philosophy that “libraries build communities.” Some 100 volunteer librarians refurbished the children’s resource center in a public library housed in the historic Carnegie building. Librarians removed all the books, moved out furniture and painted. Professionals installed new carpeting in the space. One ALA exhibitor took the lead on the project and donated new library furnishings and design work. Other exhibitors helped with shelving, carpeting, a mural and other supplies. Volunteers returned to restock the shelves and put up decorations.
More than 1,000 attendees and exhibitors participated in other New Orleans projects, including reading to kids, cleaning up moldy books in college and high school libraries and working on a Habitat for Humanity project. Deidre Ross, ALA Director of Conference Services, suggests “Do something that touches your people, that relates to them in a context that mirrors your organization. Know what your people can do, eliminating a learning curve and increasing the potential for success.”
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