Several years ago Sue Grey, the Executive Director of the Champaign Branch of the United Way and I sat down to write a guide for local groups wanting to send up service projects. We both have had good and bad experiences working with local groups who had high enthusiasm but low organizational motivation. The following is the road map we developed which I think has held the test of time. This particular version is spotlighting my fraternity however the principals are the same for any organization,
Phi Kappa
Psi Fraternity
“The Great
Joy of Serving Others…”
Suggestions for planning
and executing a successful service project.
The motto of
the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity is, "The Great Joy of Serving Others."
These are not empty words, but something that we all strive for and value. Of
course, performing a service project with a group of your closest friends
should at least be fun; but the knowledge that you made a difference -- that
you changed someone else's life for the better in even a small way is one of
the most rewarding and uplifting feelings one could ever hope to experience.
With
this in mind, chapters across the country work to put together philanthropy
projects in order to give back to their communities. This mission is critically important as
agencies and community organizations are constantly grappling with reduced
donations and varying governmental allocations from year to year.
Whether
we are raising money through fund raisers like walk-a-thons, spaghetti suppers
and raffles, or we are rolling up our sleeves to pitch in building houses,
raking leaves or picking up trash, the community service we ask our members to
participate in needs to be well thought out, well prepared and ultimately a
good experience for all involved. For
many of your members the event you plan may be their first time serving others
and, if handled poorly, it may be their last!
Our hope is
that these suggestions will provide you with a road map to maximize the
potential for a positive experience of executing a service project; or any
event for that matter. It’s your job as
the event planner to make sure everyone walks away with a positive experience;
the agency you are serving, the community and the members who participate. Here are some tips to help your next community
service event run more smoothly.
Line Up a Planning
Committee:
Identify a lead person: This person will be
coordinating the event and will need to be willing to take the lead and make
sure things get done. They will manage resources, ideas and information to make
the project work for their group and campus.
Create a team: The team should also
consist of people willing to take a lead role in making this project happen.
They will need to be able to work together and take on different roles and jobs
to make sure that all the different parts of the project come together.
Determine team roles: Each member of the team should be
willing to take on a certain objective such as coordinating transportation,
coordinating lunch, etc. They should make it their personal objective to get
that task completed for the day of service. They could find other people to
help them as well.
Select a charity or
agency:
This may be the most
critical step in the process!
The
national fraternity has recently entered into a partnering agreement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA). Accordingly, it is strongly
recommended that each chapter connect with their local BGCA organization and
determine the best ways that the chapter resources will interface with the
local BGCA needs; and that at least one of its annual service events be in
partnership with BGCA. Helpful
guidelines are available from the National Staff. But don’t let “The Great Joy of Serving
Others” stop there, consider multiple service events or projects.
Choosing
the person or agency you serve will determine the level of success you
achieve. If you casually choose a
beneficiary, you will casually support it.
If you carefully select a charity you will carefully plan and execute
your event. The more you personally
invest in this choice, the more you will receive, your members will receive and
the more you will eventually give back.
Do
your homework – you may ask, “Where do you start?”
1.
Read
the Internet or local newspaper and look for agencies in need. There are stories every day about groups
getting the news about budget cuts.
2.
Talk
to your volunteer coordinator at your school.
They receive emails and updates about needs in the community.
3.
Call
your local United Way
4.
Find
your local service club and volunteer your service. Rotary
International, Lions Club and Kiwanis all have chapters in your
community and they all have service projects they support.
5.
Call
your local park district. They can turn
you on to youth programs, park improvements or other projects in need.
6.
Call
your local church. Churches work
directly with families and agencies in need and can tie you into projects
already in development.
7.
Stop
by the YMCA. YMCA’s serve 1000’s of
youth and families.
8.
Call
your local school district office.
School districts need mentors, teaching assistants, coaches, referees
and supervisors. They also have their
own projects that need manpower and money.
More on making it personal:
Choosing
the charity or agency you support can be an easy. Everyone knows there is a need for money with
the American Cancer Society or Muscular Dystrophy. You can stage your event, raise the money and
cut the check and be done with it; or, you can make the service be truly meaningful for you and for your members.
No
matter whom you choose to serve, one of your roles as the group leader is to
facilitate introducing your members to a lifetime of serving others. By this time in your life, you likely have
already experienced that when you are able to connect personally to an issue it
becomes a much more meaningful venture.
For example, go and watch a professional baseball game and you will
enjoy the experience; go out to dinner with Derek Jeter after the game and you
will probably never forget that day!
Your job is to create “Derek Jeter moments” in your service projects.
So,
how do you do that? Simply put, connect
with someone in need and bring them to your chapter. If you plan to support Coaches vs. Cancer, invite the coach to come meet the chapter in
advance of the event. Let him or her
tell you why they are involved. Better
yet, find a cancer survivor through your local American Cancer Society agency and have them talk about how
research has saved their life. Every
organization has a personal story.
Muscular Dystrophy
Association
has families with children getting local help.
If you are doing a Habitat for
Humanity build, meet the family and let them share how your work will
change their lives forever. The key is,
ask the organization “how can I make this event more personal for my
members?” They will point you in the
right direction and once you go down that path, staging the event will be
easier and participation will be greater.
Your members will not only know what they are working for, but also WHO
they are working for. And they will be
more willing to do it next year and the year after as well if you make it
personal.
Selecting a
Project/Event/Theme:
The
national fraternity has recently entered into a partnering agreement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA). Accordingly, it is strongly
recommended that each chapter connect with their local BGCA organization and
determine the best ways that the chapter resources will interface with the
local BGCA needs. Helpful guidelines are
available from the National Staff.
Determine
whether there are any existing or “legacy” events of either the organization or
your chapter that can be utilized for the current purpose. For instance, if your chapter has an annual
fundraising event – like a Phi Psi 500, or a mud volleyball tournament – make
your selected organization the beneficiary of that event.
If
your selected organization has its own legacy event, determine how your chapter
can best participate considering its size and ability. If their community event
conflicts with your school calendar or other activities, consider having your
own fundraising event with the proceeds going to the organization.
There
are an infinite number of organizations that would welcome your dedicated
involvement and an infinite number of ways to be involved. Choose something your chapter enjoys:
·
Running/walking
-- Start a 5 K race or a walk-a-thon.
·
Basketball
-- How about a 3-on-3 tourney or free throw contest?
·
Music
-- A Battle
·
Eating
-- Spaghetti supper, pancake breakfast, fish fry or just a simple hamburger
barbeque.
·
Something
unique -- A rock, paper, scissor contest.
The
key is, if its fun for you, you will be more willing to put in the time it
takes to organize it properly
Service Event Planning:
Planning
your own event may prove to be the most challenging part of the whole project,
because it will need to be a very deliberate process to make the most of the
experience.
Create a notebook: Create notebook that can be passed on from
project leader to project leader with contact info and a history of what’s been
done and attempted; of what has worked and what didn’t work!
This will save hours of time and planning
energy if members know what has happened in the past. If you plan to do the same thing again, or
work with the same organization or project again, take the necessary time
afterwards to outline any “lessons learned.” Include the agency staff if
you can. Their perspective is important.
The best way to get a good start on the next
event is to really resolve any issues from the last one. You don’t want
to make the same mistake twice.
Defining the project: You will need to define the goals of the
project, as well as the nature of what the group will be doing to achieve these
goals.
Over-Deliver
on your commitment:
Local agencies, especially in college towns,
get frustrated when groups lay out a plan to help and then don’t deliver on
their promises. When you are in the
planning process don’t promise that 50 guys will show up, just because you have
50 members who may show up. If you expect that 10 will be there, plan for
10 and then plan extra jobs in the event more show up. Ultimately you should expect to
“over-deliver” so the agency will be excited to work with you again, and eager
to take the call of next year’s philanthropy chair.
On the other end, if you are planning to bring
10 and 100 show up, you haven’t done your job either. While the strong showing “looks good,” it
will end up creating frustration for both you and the group you are
helping. If you have planned “extra
jobs” you can handle extra people. And
you will be over-delivering!!
Recruit volunteers: If you are really ambitious you could turn this
task into a campus-wide event.
Arrange for resources: If the project requires resources,
gather them in advance to make sure that everyone will be able to participate.
Resourcing:
Your job is to make sure everyone gets the
opportunity to serve who wants to serve.
One of the worst things you can do is plan an event, have 100 people
show up willing to serve and then have half of them stand around waiting for
something to do. People who volunteer
are there because they want to work!
If participants aren’t asked to do anything,
they will assume they aren’t needed and then go home, maybe never to return
again for community service. It’s your
job to make sure they have a great experience serving others.
Whether you are raking leaves, building a house
or picking up trash, make sure you have a job for everyone. If you plan on having 100 volunteers, plan
125 jobs! In planning the job make sure
you have all the equipment you need.
Paint brushes, paint, drop clothes, rollers, roller pans… make a list
and check it three times. Have someone
else look at the list and double check it in case you have overlooked
something.
Don’t assume the organization has the supplies
you will be working with. Many don’t
have the resources to provide basic supplies.
Plan to bring everything you need and make it part of your overall
contribution!
This is where the committee system truly helps
you deliver great results.
Things to
consider:
1.
Plan
transportation:
a.
How
many people will be involved?
b.
Will
you all be driving or using public transportation?
c.
Will
you be able to get college vans?
d.
Will
you need to get a bus?
e.
Be
sure to have enough transportation for all those volunteering. Do you have maps to the event site? Have you arranged special parking?
2.
Do
you need food or water?
Strongly consider making arrangements for food
and drinks -- EVERYONE LOVES FOOD! If it’s a day-long event, try to plan a
lunch in the middle of it. Get together and pack lunches the day before or
order some food to be delivered for lunch. Either way this is a great time to
reflect and discuss a little about the project and what you are doing.
3.
Do
you have all of the equipment you need?
4.
Consider
whether designing a cool t-shirt for the participants would add to the event –
this also creates separate sponsorship fundraising opportunities.
5.
Do
you have emergency plans in case of bad weather or in case someone is
hurt?
6.
Will
there be someone from the organization there to help or greet the members?
7.
Assign
a photographer to memorialize the event and you participation.
Execution
of your Plan: Communication
is the key in the execution of any plan.
Orientation FIRST! You definitely want to have an orientation
before the event -- to give some background information about the Common
Commitment, the social issue you will be dealing with, and our history and
mission as it relates to “The Great Joy of Serving Others”.
Outline your plans, expectations, safety, and
other important info so everyone has a general idea of what to expect. Consider doing this in the days leading up to
the event!
Anything you can do to head off the questions
members may have when they first arrive will be beneficial. The very beginning
of any project can be crazy! 20 people all wanting to ask a question at the
same time will sidetrack the event and get you off to a slow start. Even
taking 5 minutes to tell everyone as a group “this is what we are doing, how we
are doing it, and why we are doing it” will make it start and run
smoothly.
Orientation is often times overlooked but can
lead to great success!
Perform a
post-event evaluation:
Evaluate the success of your event and the resources you used with ALL the
participants, including the organization.
·
Connect
the event to the larger national fraternity philanthropy initiatives -- discuss
the big picture, and make the group realize they are part of something much
bigger.
·
Include
contacts for resources – within the organization and the community.
·
Include
“lessons learned” – what things went well, and why; and what things did not
work out, or how they might be improved.
Tell the
world about it: Finally don’t forget to
tell the world about your service. Not
about your personal involvement, but about your chapter’s commitment to the community!
·
E-mail
your local newspaper news or feature editor or your local television station
news director and let them know where you plan to serve, who you plan to serve
and when you plan to serve! Give them
your contact information and an outline of your event.
·
Assign
to take photos so you can post pictures on your chapter website, Facebook page
or alumni newsletter. While you’re at
it, send photos and a short story to the national office for inclusion in the
Shield.
·
Further
helpful guidelines for successful Public Relations are available from the
National Staff.
Your members will love to see their efforts
recognized and be more willing serve again if they are noticed!
Summary: Each of us will be asked to serve in our
communities throughout our lives.
Creating positive models for service can provide the framework for all
of your members to serve their communities throughout their lives. Remember to carefully choose organizations to
serve, to make it a personal experience, to select events you and your members
enjoy doing and, finally, to prepare and execute a plan which will make the
opportunity to serve a pleasant and rewarding one.
__________________________
Model Planning Timeline
for Service Events:
60
days before the event (suggested minimum)
·
Line
Up Committee
·
Choose
Leader(s)
·
Choose
Members
·
Talk
to staff about getting help with resources
·
Set
out roles for each individual team member (transportation, food, etc.)
45
days before the event (suggested minimum)
·
Verify
feasibility of proposed event.
·
Ensure
the size of the group is not a problem.
30
days before the event (suggested minimum)
·
Event
Plan is outlined in writing in notebook
·
Transportation
Plan in place.
·
Supplies
/ resources identified.
·
T-shirts
are made / ordered.
·
Meals
are planned / arranged.
15
days before the event (suggested minimum)
·
Confirm
day of event management details.
·
Confirm
orientation of the event site
·
Plan
refection session for after the event
Execute
Event.
Within
3 days of the event (suggested maximum)
·
Refection
session for after the event
