Event Planning Intern
Duration:
4 - 8 hours per week June – September
Compensation:
This is an unpaid training opportunity
Job Description:
Educational summer internship available in the events industry. This summer internship will provide you with an opportunity to meet other industry professionals, support event planning, and research event resources. The position is an admin position that will report to the event director.
Projects:
Admin Support & Research for Samantha Swaim Fundraising, LLC.
• Collect specs on local venues for an event site catalog
• Research for client projects
• Provide prep support for on-going classes and workshops
On-site Event Support
• Provide support at events during set up and event execution.
Support and involvement in ISES Events
• Support Samantha Swaim Fundraising, LLC’s involvement in the planning and execution of monthly ISES events through administrative and research functions
To Apply:
Email letter of interest & resume to Kelsey Pine, Event Director, at Kelsey@samanthaswaim.com.
Nonprofit organizations and the people who run them are changemakers who work hard to make the world a better place. We work along side them as guides, coaches and support to help deliver stunning events that meet and exceed goals.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Effects of Social Media
Social media is all the rage these days, and for good reason: RESULTS. If you’re not engaging your audience where they live—Facebook, Twitter, and the like—you could be missing a great opportunity to get them to your event.
A client of ours honed in on Facebook as a resource to promote their spring fundraising event. They identified where their audience spends time and talked to them the way they engage with the world. As a result of their efforts, our client saw a 65% increase in attendance from the previous year!
Not only is social media effective in this day and age, it’s FREE. And with limited resources, that can offer you huge potential in selling your event.
This is just one of the topics we’ll be covering in our NEW class offering:
January 19, 2011 (9AM-12PM)
Marketing Your Spring Event
Increase Visibility & Sell More Tickets
at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
We will cover:
• Getting creative on a tight marketing budget
• Guerilla marketing
• Social networking
• Press & Media
• Web tools
• Invites, posters, and other collateral
Space is limited, so register today!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Marketing Your Spring Event Workshop
The holidays may barely be over, but it’s time to start thinking about your spring fundraising events. Join us for a great morning class on how to effectively and creatively market your spring event. Are you maximizing the opportunity to increase awareness and visibility for your organization? Are you selling out to your event? Is everyone in town buzzing about your event? This workshop will cover the best tactics to marketing your event, and all before lunch!
January 19, 2011 (9AM-12PM)
Marketing Your Spring Event
Increase Visibility & Sell More Tickets
at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
We will cover:
• Getting creative on a tight marketing budget
• Guerilla marketing
• Social networking
• Press & Media
• Web tools
• Invites, posters, and other collateral
Space is limited, so register today
Friday, November 19, 2010
Pledge Based Events
Does the thought of doing all the work for a big event overwhelm you? Why not engage your most passionate supporters to help do some of the heaving lifting for you!
Pledge based events—a more traditional walk or any kind of ‘a-thon’ like bowling or jump roping or running laps—are fabulous ways to help bring others into the fundraising circle for your organization. Pledge based events allow you to directly connect to your constituents and supporters, and to take their enthusiasm for your organization and turn it into money. You can engage a large group to go out into the community and raise money on your behalf. One person can only do so much, but imagine mobilizing your own little fundraising army! And it’s amazing how those amounts, small and large, brought in by a broad base really add up. By signing up to be a participant in your event, people already know they will be raising money for you. No hard sell needed for them, and then they will go out and tell their personal story to engage even more people, spread the word about your good work, and raise much needed funds.
Pledge based events can be a great addition to your fundraising event roster. The sky’s the limit for what type of event you can have, and it can be a really great way to tailor something to exactly fit what your supporters most enjoy and are excited about.
If you’d like to learn more, join us at our next workshop:
December 9 (9AM-12PM)
Pledge Based Events
Raising Money with a Walk, Run, or Ride
at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Pledge based events engage others to raise funds for your cause. We will:
• Learn the tools needed to raise money with a pledge based event
• Identify your prospects
• Develop a communications plan
• And begin planning your pledge based fundraiser
Space is limited, so register today!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Auctions A to Z Workshop
We hope this finds you well as Fall unfolds!
We're offering our ever-popular Auctions A-Z class again on October 30th. This class is a great way to cover all the bases of auction planning, network with other non-profit professionals, and get your specific questions answered by consultants Samantha Swaim and Kristin Steele, owners of Samantha Swaim Fundraising LLC.
And... if you're interested in our entire Auctions Series... receive 5 classes for 20% off. Don't miss this opportunity to train your staff and volunteers in auction planning.
Here are the details:
October 30 (9AM-4PM)
Auctions A – Z
Review the Basics & Set Your Strategies
at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Register at www.samanthaswaim.com
Morning Session – Introduction to Auctions & Fundraising Events
Are you a small non-profit looking to start your first fundraising event? Are you a staff member planning a fundraising event and looking for some tools for planning? This session will break down the basics and give you the 1-2-3 of planning your next fundraising event.
Topics will include:
· Recruiting and managing a volunteer planning committee
· Basic needs and resources for your event
· Basic budgeting – when to purchase and when to use donations
· Tips for sponsorship solicitation
· Ideas for auction procurement
Afternoon Session – Advanced Auction Strategies
Are you looking for creative ways to raise more money? Do you wonder what trends are occurring in fundraising events? Are you looking for some specific insight about how you can increase your bottom line? This session will look at a couple of event case studies and identify strategies to implement in the planning of your next event that will reduce your workload and increase your profits.
Topics will include:
· Simplify your logistics to focus on your fundraising (room layout, sound quality, and guest experience)
· Creating an event program that increases your fundraising
· Get strategic about your auction (What sells? Should you do a silent/live auction? Compelling bidders)
· The Appeal (Don’t let this money making opportunity slip through the cracks!)
We hope to see you there!
Space is limited, so register at www.samanthaswaim.com today!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Auction Bootcamp
We’re always looking for effective strategies to offer our clients to help them make the most of their resources. As fall blows in, we’re excited to offer a new service we like to call Auction Boot Camp.
Auction Boot Camp is a program we have developed that takes a look at your event at two crucial times: 6 months out then again 6 weeks out. We will lead strategy sessions with you and your event committee, enabling all of you to work together and draft a work plan that is specific to your event.
6 months out we will meet with you and your committee to:
• Identify your audience
• Set your theme
• Develop your program
• Create your budget
• Write your sponsorship proposal
• Map your sponsorship prospects
• Develop your procurement plan
• And create a working timeline and task list
And then as your event approaches and the details begin to fall into place, we will gather again as a group to re-evaluate the plan, identify missing pieces, and set forth a final work plan that will cover all of the prep and logistics before your event.
6 weeks out we will meet with you and your committee to:
• Review your auction needs remaining
• Determine final procurement needs
• Set a strategy for final ticket sales
• Put together a final task list of prep items
• Identify day of event volunteer needs
Unlike the strategic planning process, this is a level of hands on engagement that will take two, eight-hour sessions and will require your committee to work together as a team to develop the plan. The resources are created by the group so that you can all work together from start to finish to create an event that reflects the personality of your organization. It’s a great way to work together in a structured environment and end up with all the plans you need to execute a great, successful event.
Auction Boot Camp is a program we have developed that takes a look at your event at two crucial times: 6 months out then again 6 weeks out. We will lead strategy sessions with you and your event committee, enabling all of you to work together and draft a work plan that is specific to your event.
6 months out we will meet with you and your committee to:
• Identify your audience
• Set your theme
• Develop your program
• Create your budget
• Write your sponsorship proposal
• Map your sponsorship prospects
• Develop your procurement plan
• And create a working timeline and task list
And then as your event approaches and the details begin to fall into place, we will gather again as a group to re-evaluate the plan, identify missing pieces, and set forth a final work plan that will cover all of the prep and logistics before your event.
6 weeks out we will meet with you and your committee to:
• Review your auction needs remaining
• Determine final procurement needs
• Set a strategy for final ticket sales
• Put together a final task list of prep items
• Identify day of event volunteer needs
Unlike the strategic planning process, this is a level of hands on engagement that will take two, eight-hour sessions and will require your committee to work together as a team to develop the plan. The resources are created by the group so that you can all work together from start to finish to create an event that reflects the personality of your organization. It’s a great way to work together in a structured environment and end up with all the plans you need to execute a great, successful event.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Building Better Events... Continued
Today we had the opportunity to present a Greater Giving Webinar about planning for your auction. We took questions from our callers and in our limited one-hour time frame, we weren't able to get to all of your questions. So Samantha wants to tackle some of those unanswered questions and help you prepare for your auction.
If you have more questions... send them our way. We want to help to make your event a big success.
Q. What are some good ways to get better and more auction items?
A. Great question. We all invest lots of time and planning in our auctions and I like the fact that you're thinking strategically. First, let me remind you that "more" is not always "more." Be sure to avoid the garage sale look or the used & second-hand items.
Focus your time and attention on what your audience is going to like. An easy way to do this is to ask your committee... what would you want to bid on?
Once you have identified your targets now you have to begin procurement. Some fun tips for procurement...
Host a Procurement Party. Get a group of committee members armed with donor forms to walk up and down your boutique shopping districts to talk to shop and cafe owners about their passions and commitments to the cause. Hold a fun competition among committee members to see which team comes back with the most auction donations.
Basket Sign Up Sheet. Create a list of fun themed baskets and pass it around to your board, your staff, and your volunteers to get folks to sign up to be responsible for each themed basket. We have a list in a previous blog post SILENT AUCTION BASKETS
Drop Off Days. Deadlines really motivate giving. If you are in a school environment, I find that drop off days are a great way to get parents to collect their donations and get them turned in.
Wine Party. Wine is always a big hit. If you have committee members with birthdays, holiday celebrations, or other festive occasions, encourage them to ask their guests to bring a bottle of wine as a donation to your auction during their next friends and family gathering.
Q. What are the trends for auctions these days?
A. Hopefully every auction is doing something unique and out of the box. But there are some sure fire items that always do well.
Hot Items:
Useable items such as hand-crafted jewelry, hand bags, or wearables.
Entertainment such as dining gift certificates, theatre tickets, or concerts.
Local travel such as a cabin on a lake or in the woods.
Alcohol: Wine, Wine, Wine
Audience Specific Items:
If you are at a school, student art is a hot commodity. But don't just auction off student art by individuals. Engage groups of students to participate in an art project together so that you have parents bidding against each other on the same piece of work.
Danger Danger:
Avoid too many items. If your audience can each walk out of the event with their item of choice at the minimum bid then you've lost the opportunity for competitive bidding. I recommend keeping your silent auction more selective and do not exceed more than 1 item for every 4 bidders.
Collector Items or Subjective Items:
Art, fine jewelry, and antiques are best kept in specialty auctions. If you have cultivated an audience of art collectors then art is your auction is great. If you don't have an audience filled with art collectors then that expensive piece of art is not going to bring you much in the way of funding.
Q. Do you have some ideas for keeping your auction event fresh?
A. YES. I encourage everyone to think out of the box and start doing things different. Some ideas for you to think about.
Engage Your Client Base:
Hold a theme contest and get people to throw their idea into the pool.
Ask your supporters to nominate your honorees.
Challenge your guests to a table host or ticket sales challenge.
Increase donations with an auction basket contest with prizes for creativity.
Themes:
Use creative themes to involve your guests with costumes, to set your decor, or event to design your program. Some fun ideas and execution that I've seen recently have been:
Mardi Gras - with a parade and mask contest
Supper Club - to showcase student performers
Dancing With the Stars - challenged big donors to show off their skills
Kids Playground - engaging donors in being a big kid
Looking for more...
If you have more questions. Send them our way by adding to the comments. We'd love to help you while helping others. Join the dialogue.
Looking for some training? Join us for our Portland workshop on September 17th called THE ART OF THE SPECIAL APPEAL. Learn how to raise more money at your event with a really well executed special appeal. REGISTRATION is now open for this and all of our auction training workshops. MORE INFO
When our Webinar is available online we will be sure to post it here for you. But if you need some hands on support, ask us about Auction Boot Camp!
Next Webinar with Greater Giving - 30day Countdown - How to plan the final details of your event. October 6th. www.greatergiving.com
If you have more questions... send them our way. We want to help to make your event a big success.
Q. What are some good ways to get better and more auction items?
A. Great question. We all invest lots of time and planning in our auctions and I like the fact that you're thinking strategically. First, let me remind you that "more" is not always "more." Be sure to avoid the garage sale look or the used & second-hand items.
Focus your time and attention on what your audience is going to like. An easy way to do this is to ask your committee... what would you want to bid on?
Once you have identified your targets now you have to begin procurement. Some fun tips for procurement...
Host a Procurement Party. Get a group of committee members armed with donor forms to walk up and down your boutique shopping districts to talk to shop and cafe owners about their passions and commitments to the cause. Hold a fun competition among committee members to see which team comes back with the most auction donations.
Basket Sign Up Sheet. Create a list of fun themed baskets and pass it around to your board, your staff, and your volunteers to get folks to sign up to be responsible for each themed basket. We have a list in a previous blog post SILENT AUCTION BASKETS
Drop Off Days. Deadlines really motivate giving. If you are in a school environment, I find that drop off days are a great way to get parents to collect their donations and get them turned in.
Wine Party. Wine is always a big hit. If you have committee members with birthdays, holiday celebrations, or other festive occasions, encourage them to ask their guests to bring a bottle of wine as a donation to your auction during their next friends and family gathering.
Q. What are the trends for auctions these days?
A. Hopefully every auction is doing something unique and out of the box. But there are some sure fire items that always do well.
Hot Items:
Useable items such as hand-crafted jewelry, hand bags, or wearables.
Entertainment such as dining gift certificates, theatre tickets, or concerts.
Local travel such as a cabin on a lake or in the woods.
Alcohol: Wine, Wine, Wine
Audience Specific Items:
If you are at a school, student art is a hot commodity. But don't just auction off student art by individuals. Engage groups of students to participate in an art project together so that you have parents bidding against each other on the same piece of work.
Danger Danger:
Avoid too many items. If your audience can each walk out of the event with their item of choice at the minimum bid then you've lost the opportunity for competitive bidding. I recommend keeping your silent auction more selective and do not exceed more than 1 item for every 4 bidders.
Collector Items or Subjective Items:
Art, fine jewelry, and antiques are best kept in specialty auctions. If you have cultivated an audience of art collectors then art is your auction is great. If you don't have an audience filled with art collectors then that expensive piece of art is not going to bring you much in the way of funding.
Q. Do you have some ideas for keeping your auction event fresh?
A. YES. I encourage everyone to think out of the box and start doing things different. Some ideas for you to think about.
Engage Your Client Base:
Hold a theme contest and get people to throw their idea into the pool.
Ask your supporters to nominate your honorees.
Challenge your guests to a table host or ticket sales challenge.
Increase donations with an auction basket contest with prizes for creativity.
Themes:
Use creative themes to involve your guests with costumes, to set your decor, or event to design your program. Some fun ideas and execution that I've seen recently have been:
Mardi Gras - with a parade and mask contest
Supper Club - to showcase student performers
Dancing With the Stars - challenged big donors to show off their skills
Kids Playground - engaging donors in being a big kid
Looking for more...
If you have more questions. Send them our way by adding to the comments. We'd love to help you while helping others. Join the dialogue.
Looking for some training? Join us for our Portland workshop on September 17th called THE ART OF THE SPECIAL APPEAL. Learn how to raise more money at your event with a really well executed special appeal. REGISTRATION is now open for this and all of our auction training workshops. MORE INFO
When our Webinar is available online we will be sure to post it here for you. But if you need some hands on support, ask us about Auction Boot Camp!
Next Webinar with Greater Giving - 30day Countdown - How to plan the final details of your event. October 6th. www.greatergiving.com
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