Event Planning

Here are suggestions on how to plan an event effectively:

• Think big, start small.



• Avoid over-promising and under-delivering. When developing a new partnership, be careful not to think too broadly. Both the club and the school should be realistic about expectations and start with small, feasible projects that will not overcommit alumni.



• Understand your partner school's and principal's goals and plan accordingly. Ask the APS Project Manager for a copy or summary of the school's Needs Assessment Form.



• Set clear goals for your partnership with the school principal and school APS point person. Examples include:
  
  
  • Organize a Beautification Day over the summer
  
  
  
  • Recruit 10 new alumni volunteers
  
  
  
  • Participate in 5 school events in next school year
  
  
  
• For a larger program, such as tutoring, make sure to set realistic and clear goals, such as these:
  
  
  • Meet with principal staff
  
  
  
  • Establish mutual need for the program
  
  
  
  • If the plan is too large for alumni club, communicate this to the school and suggest alternatives
  
  
  
  • Make sure timing and schedule are well-defined
  
  
  
  • Assign an alumni point person to the particular program
  
  
  
  • Communicate regularly with the school point person
  
  
  
• Decide on back-up plans in case of a rain delay, cancellation or other last-minute problem.



• Plan activities and dates far in advance. In particular, make sure to give the general alumni membership a lot of advance notice of ongoing or one-time activities, such as tutoring once a month or a career fair next May. Specificity increases the likelihood that more people will attend.



• Use your alumni resources (e.g. an alum who is on the board of a museum), interests, and skills to develop activities for your partner school.



• Ensure events are flexible in case an unexpected number of students or volunteers show up on the day of the event (either too many or too few).



• Focus the scope of a particular partnership event, so you can give specific directions to volunteers and provide an achievable goal. Avoid giving volunteers unclear roles or too many responsibilities by being as specific as possible when developing projects and assigning tasks.

More resources on Effective Planning:

Time Management | Event Planning | Using School Resources | Communication