[Nfb-fundraising] planning a bowl-a-thon

[Everett Gavel]

Daphne Wrote:
My chapter is interested in hosting a bowl-a-thon 
towards the end of Meet the Blind Month. I am vaguely 
familiar with the process of organizing this sort of 
event, but I would like to speak with someone more 
knowledgeable to ensure we go about the process 
correctly.  Any advice or pointers to planning a 
successful event are welcome.



Hello Daphne, and All,

Ask and Ye Shall Receive.   ;-)

Below is a general 6-month timeline for putting on an 
event, including a link to a printable PDF version.  It 
can help you with your upcoming event.  But before you 
get down to that, directly below I've shared some tips 
on what we've done here in the Greater Akron area of 
Northeast Ohio, with our Greater Summit County chapter 
of the NFB Bowl-A-Thons. We're now on, well, I forget 
at the moment, but it's our 7th or 8th one, I'm pretty 
sure.  ;-)


Strive On!
Everett
www.everettgavel.com



* Ask the Bowling Alley Management What They Think the 
Best Dates Would Be to Hold Your Event

One alley manager we worked with gave input on how he 
felt the best time would be about a month after most 
winter leagues ended.  That meant late April or early 
May.  Because by then the regular, league bowlers would 
be itching to bowl again, and would not be burnt-out on 
bowling, as many seem to be near the end of the season. 
Also, the alley management knows what they already have 
planned, and can tell you what other events will be 
happening at their facility and sometimes throughout 
the community, when it comes to bowling.  Our contact 
at the alley we were working with informed us early on 
of other bowl-a-thons happening around the time we were 
hoping to have ours, like one for cancer, nearby, on 
the same date we were thinking of one year.  So we were 
able to change the date to not coincide with other, 
similar events in our community.  We also worked it out 
so that the regulars, the league bowlers, had a few 
weeks off before our event and so were more likely to 
want to bowl by the time our event took place.


* Get Others Involved

Though we have yet to fully implement this portion of 
our long-term goal for our annual bowl-a-thon, we plan 
on working with the numerous Lion's Clubs around the 
region.  We will do our best to have a bit of a 
lighthearted competition among Lion's Club chapters. 
Like who can bring the most people, which team bowls 
the best, bowls the worst, raises the most money with 
their pledge sheets we hand out ahead of time, etc.  We 
plan on having plaques made up for the various 
categories of winners, per chapter.  Most bowlers or 
volunteers in a chapter, most funds raised by a 
chapter, best chapter score, worst score, etc.

We plan on doing this with the schools, too. To get the 
kids involved.  And each organization we get involved, 
we will be splitting the funds raised, 50/50.  So each 
Lion's Club chapter, or each school that gets children, 
families, and/or teachers to bowl and raise funds, gets 
half of what they raise. So a school can pass out a 
flyer, sign-up sheet, and pledge sheet to each student 
to take home to their families, for instance.

It'd be a sort of co-sponsored fundraiser, since each 
school would be keeping half the funds raised.  And our 
NFB chapter would be getting multiple participants and 
fundraisers involved and even though we're only making 
half the funds raised, that's far more people raising 
funds overall.  And it's helping other not-for-profits 
in our community, too.  Schools, Lion's Clubs, etc.

We have, in the past, done this on a smaller level, 
with other regional NFB chapters.  We've invited fellow 
NFB members from other chapters nearby, and whatever 
funds they raise, their chapter gets to keep half the 
money raised.  Works towards an "overall good," you 
know?   ;-)


* Try to Have Rails, Bumpers, and Ramps Available

Most bowling alleys have gutter-bumpers on at least a 
section of their lanes if not all the lanes. These are 
the things used for kids parties, etc., where they 
fill-up or cover the gutters so the ball cannot enter 
into the gutter for at least the first three quarters 
of the alley you're bowling on.  It helps more people 
hit more pins that way, and the kids (and sometimes 
adults) have more fun, usually.  The gutter-bumpers are 
quite common among alleys and can usually be requested. 
In our bowl-a-thons, we usually request that a few 
lanes have them and a few don't.  So that way if 
someone prefers it or prefers not to use them, both 
have their choice.

The ramps are for people in wheelchairs, or those who 
cannot lift or hold for very long, a bowling ball. 
They may not have the arm strength or the mobility, you 
know?  A person can sit the ball in the ramp, and move 
the ramp to aim where the ball goes when it rolls off 
it.  They then push the ball forward and it rolls down 
the ramp and then down onto the lane towards the pins. 
No need to hold a 10 or 12-pound ball very long, that 
way.  Most alleys seem to have ramps nowadays.  At 
least, that's been my experience.

Rails on the other hand, they are more scarce it seems 
to me.  And yet they are the thing that benefits a 
blind bowler most directly, I think.  A bowling rail is 
a freestanding rail that's anywhere from about 6 feet 
long to twelve feet long, and about 3 feet high.  It is 
set on one side of the lane or the other, for 
left-or-right-handed bowlers.  For instance, I'm a 
lefty, so the rail would have to be on the right side 
in whatever lane I bowled on, for me to use it. 
Basically, all it is, is a rail to hold onto lightly, 
to guide the blind bowler straight for a few steps as 
they make their approach and let go of the ball down 
the alley.

I've seen homemade rails using PVC pipe and/or aluminum 
piping.  I believe the American Blind Bowlers 
Association (ABBA) also sells rails, though they are 
rather pricey.  Last I checked I think they were over 
$200 for one rail.  If interested, you can find out 
more by contacting the ABBA.  Others might sell such 
rails, but over the last decade, despite there being 
more than a couple of "blind bowling" organizations, 
the ABBA seems to be the only one selling such rails 
right now (at least, they're the only ones people keep 
referring others to).  The rails they have, I believe, 
are weighed down by placing a bowling ball on the 
form-fitting base at each end of the rails.


* Think About Other Offerings to Have During Your 
Bowl-A-Thon

We've tried a few things over the years, to keep it 
lively during the event.  What we've stuck with so far 
is holding a 50/50 raffle with a minimum of a $100 
jackpot.  We sell these tickets all over the place, 
prior to the event, and the winner does not need to be 
present to win.  We also have an Emcee who talks over 
the loudspeaker at intervals throughout the event, 
which usually lasts about 4 hours.  We give "up to 3 
games and shoes" for the entry fee to our fundraiser. 
People can simply donate though, if they don't want to 
or cannot bowl.  We've even had supporters who helped 
raise funds with the pledge sheets, but had no plans to 
bowl.

We also have door prizes that are given away and 
announced by the Emcee at intervals throughout the 
event.  The bowler hears their name or number and when 
able, comes up to the prize table to choose what they 
want from the table full of door prizes.  We do that 
until all of the prizes are gone, and usually every 
participant goes away with at least one prize.

We work it out with the alley so that we sell tickets 
for the alley's lunch counter, too.  We get a discount 
on the food and drinks, and for example, sell $5 
tickets for a hotdog or burger, a snack, and a drink. 
The ticket might sell for $5, but the cost for the same 
food normally might be $7.00.  So the person with a 
ticket would save $2.00, see?  And usually the alley 
would give us a discount so that we might only pay 
$3.50 per ticket sold.  So we'd make a little on each 
sale that way, too.

The alleys usually let us set up a table near the main 
entrance as well.  To sign-up (or try to) anyone who 
walks through the doors.  Even if they just came in off 
the street, and knew nothing about our fundraiser, the 
alley lets us ask them if they want to bowl with us and 
save a few bucks off the regular price of bowling for 
what it'd cost for 3 games and shoes.

Next year we're going to try working with a radio 
station as well.  To get them to host the event with 
us, and have a radio personality present during our 
event, and to broadcast from there like they often do 
throughout the community week after week.  Those are 
our chapters two big annual events.  We have our 
bowl-a-thon in the spring, and our walk-a-thon around 
White Cane Safety Day, which coincides with Meet the 
Blind Month in October.

So there are some tips and ideas.  Now, below is that 
timeline I mentioned.  It can help you stay on-track 
and be more productive with your event.  Let us know 
how it went, after it's in the bag.  Let us know if 
you, uh, "strike out."   ;-)



Timeline for Special Events

This is the html version of the file 
http://www.arts.state.tx.us/toolkit/fundraising/templates/timeline.pdf

To link to or bookmark this page, use the following 
url: 
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:BEgJawoS1NwJ:www.arts.state.tx.us/toolkit/fundraising/templates/timeline.pdf+fundraising+event+timeline&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

-------------------------------------------------- 


Special Events Timeline

12 months before event:

. Appoint Event Chair(s)
. Determine the purpose of your event. (Fundraiser or 
donor development)
. Establish a theme for the event
. Establish the BUDGET: expenses and revenue
. Your event can be priced to attract fewer people at a 
higher price, or more people at a lower price. 
Sometimes exposing the organization to a broader group 
of people is more important than reminding your loyal 
patrons how wonderful you are. Be sure to consider 
these costs:
Venue & service
Labor
Publishing costs
Special equipment
Entertainment
Decorations
Acknowledgment
. Event chairs determine and appoint Key Committee 
Chairs:
. Corporate Relations/Sponsorships Chair (immediately)
. Volunteer Coordinator Chair (no later than 9 months 
before event)
. Media & Public Relations Chair (no later than 7 
months before event)
. Event Chair(s) - Appointing specific committee chairs 
helps distribute the work. However, event chairs guide 
the overall purpose and vision of the event and cannot 
avoid working
closely with each chair.
o Schedule timeline:
. Create a timeline highlighting the important aspects 
of the event
. Determine absolute deadlines and plan accordingly to 
achieve them.
(Example: If reservations must be received by Nov. 24, 
the invitationmust be mailed 4 to 6 weeks earlier. 
Furthermore, the invitation needs to be to the printer 
2 weeks before that, and design time can take up to 3 
weeks. So far, this is 9 to 10 weeks out from date of 
event)
o Determine guest list. (This will influence price per 
person costs.)
. Be sure your guest list comprises appropriate people 
that will realize the \ purpose of your event. 
(Example: the more ritzy the event, the more affluent 
the guests.)
. Start spreadsheet tracking: formal names, addresses, 
and phone numbers. This is the
start of your guest list.
. Use names from the organization's general patron list
o Determine Where and When
. Establish location, time & date (this is vital to the 
planning)
. Book venue: make deposits and sign contracts if 
necessary
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 2
9 months before event
. Initial Committee me etings begin
o Appoint last Committee Chairs
. Logistics Committee Chair
. Invitation Committee Chair
. Decorations Committee Chair
. Auction Committee Chair
. Menu Committee Chair
. Entertainment/Program Committee Chair
Individual committees begin to plan the details of each 
area and adhere to budget
constraints determined by Event Chair(s)
. Logistics Committee
Determine flow and timing of event
Determine volunteers needed
Brainstorm ideas for new and unique experiences
. Invitation Committee
Determine style (in-house? paper choice? professional 
print job?)
Choose design Identify printer
Choose and order paper. Be sure paper to be used will 
allow for the desired
effect.
Determine whether you will mail invitations first class 
or bulk
. Decorations Committee
Begin to determine theme
Start cost evaluations
. Auction Committee
Identify financial goal
Determine milestones for success (Set realistic goals 
and evaluate them regularly.)
Get lists of past merchant donors
Divide list among committee
Design a solicitation mailing for auction donations
If goal is large:
Include: Letter, Brochure, Return envelope
Determine postage needs
Be sure to use a clean address list
If goal is modest:
Identify desired items and donors
Divide solicitations among committee members based on 
their personal
relationships
Start asking
. Menu Committee
Start brainstorming on menu ideas.
Work with caterer on costs
Some caterers may invite you to taste a sample of the 
menu options to help with your decisions
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 3
. Entertainment/Program Committee
Determine amount of time available for entertainment 
before or during the
event.
Determine use of band
o Identify band
o Check availability
o Book ASAP (Some bands require a deposit)
Speaker/Auctioneer/Master of Ceremonies
o Identify personality
o Check availability
o Book ASAP
o Start drafting script
Event chair finalizes all deadlines in each committee 
and recruits volunteers for their
committee.
. Corporate Relations/Sponsorships Chair
o Begin sponsorship solicitations
. Mail packets and meet potential sponsors in person
. Get high powered, influential people involved in the 
ask
. Follow-up bi-weekly until you get an answer
. If corporations are uninterested in sponsoring the 
event at-large, ask them to
commit to purchase a table at the event or several 
tickets
7 to 6 months before the event
. Event Chair(s)
o Begin monthly meetings for all Committee Chairs (Keep 
this a standing date to insure
attendance.)
o Each committee reports progress and expresses needs
o Reconcile Budget
. Go over budget with the Committee Chairs keeping 
close tabs on what each
Committee spends
. Corporate Relations/Sponsorships Chair
o Continue with sponsorship solicitations and 
table/ticket sales
o Start to collect sponsor logos for use in P.R. and 
signage
o Ask sponsors to participate in volunteering for event
. Media & Public Relations Chair
o Write press releases
. Continue to hold monthly committee meetings
. Include Date, Time, Location, name of organization 
holding event, volunteer
groups involved, purpose of event, celebrities 
involved, contact information,
sponsors
. Working with the Auction Committee Chair actively 
solicit large auction
donations
o Items such as cars, trips, art, etc. usually require 
formal requests
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 4
5 months before the event
. Event Chair(s)
o Start early ticket sales with board members and high 
end donors- use their names on the
invitation later (be sure to get their permission)
. Send letter with benefits of early purchase if 
necessary
. If you plan to list on invitation, be sure to list a 
deadline for printing purposes
o Continue to hold monthly committee meetings
. Go over budget with the Committee Chairs keeping 
close tabs on what each
Committee spends
. Media & Public Relation Chair
o Fax press releases to all newspapers, radio stations 
& T.V. stations
. Corporate Relations/Sponsorships Chair
o Mail second invoices to corporate sponsors (if 
necessary)
. Invitation Committee Chair
Plan invite to drop in the mail 4-S weeks before the 
event
o Begin working with invitation design
. Choose and order paper (be sure paper to be used will 
allow for the desired effect)
. If you are using bulk mail be wary of busy mailing 
times: Christmas, Mother's Day,
Valentine's Day; this could slow down your mailing
. Including a return envelope will make the RSVP 
process easier for guests, but will
increase expense of invitation.
. Mailing envelope should have a "return service 
requested" statement. This will be
more expensive, but all erroneous addresses will be 
returned to organization for
correction.
. Don't forget to use your organization's logo if 
possible
4 months before event
. Event Chair(s)
o Begin cleaning up mailing list for invitations
o Visit event venue
o Continue holding monthly committee meetings
o Go over budget with the Committee Chairs keeping 
close tabs on what each
Committee spends
. Corporate Relations/Sponsorship Chair
o Report your progress to sponsors
. Decoration Committ e e Chair
o Order necessary decorations
o Finalize decoration details with Event Chair
. Order necessary party favors
. Auction Committee Chair
o Start collecting donated auction items
o Keep an excel spread sheet going with all collected 
items and information
o Make sure to keep all props to return to the donors
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 5
3 months before event
. Event Chair(s)
o Start bi-weekly Committee meetings
o Go over budget with the Committee Chairs keeping 
close tabs on what each
Committee spends
. Media & Public Re lation Chair
o Fax second round of press releases
o Report progress to sponsors
. Include any new/ early ticket or table buyers
. Logistics Committee Chair
o Get volunteers committed for the day of the event
o Clarify any parking issues that might be attached to 
using the venue
. Invitation Committ e e Chair
o Finalize invitation designs- last chance for early 
sponsor opportunities and tickets
purchases!
. Send to printer within two weeks
. Allow one week for proofing and approval by committee 
and organization
. Start early label printing if necessary
. Auction Committee Chair
o Continue to collect the auction items
. Determine biding procedure for larger items:
Live - be sure to book an auctioneer
Sealed - start promoting items to guests
o Send out booklet of items collected before the event
Silent - Generate bid sheets and determine minimum bids 
on all items
. Menu Committee Chair
o Begin to focus on menu options
. Work closely with caterer
. Don't forget to consider special dietary needs of 
guests
. Make menu match the season
. Set up time for tasting of the menu if necessary
. Entertainment/Program Committee Chair
o Final considerations
. Sound systems
. Transporting heavy objects
. Get all information to the invitation committee for 
publication
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 6
2 months before the event
. Event Chair(s)
o Continue with bi-weekly committee meetings
o Go over budget with the Committee Chairs keeping 
close tabs on what each
Committee spends
. Invitation Committee Chair
o Get invitation volunteers together to assemble
o Check on available postage first class bulk o Mail 
invitations
. Entertainment/Program Committee
o Confirm entertainment
1 month to 2 weeks before the event
. Event Chair
o Begin collecting reservations
o Seat guests according to their priority. This can be 
determined by donation level,
profile in the community, etc.
o Final arrangements made and approved for decorations
o Reconcile budget
o Volunteer coordinator should meet with each committee 
chair to determine needs
o Reconcile Budget
. Corporate Relations/ Sponsorship Chair
o Start to design signs for sponsors
. Be sure to use the most updated logo
o Report progress to sponsors
. Media & Public Relations Chair
o Send another round of press releases
. Be sure to get local society reporters to cover the 
event (you may need to comp
their tickets)
. Decorations Committee Chair
o Order flowers
o Make sure decorations have been finalized
. Auction Committee Chair
o Continue to collect auction items
o Print all necessary bid sheets for the auction
o Mail mini-auction booklet to confirmed guests to 
promote items (if budget allows)
. Menu Committee Chair
o Confirm menus with the caters
. Be sure all rentals have been requested
. Make sure all beverages are set including 
non-alcoholic beverages
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 7
The week of the event
. Event Chair
o Fill empty seats with potential donors/sponsors, 
dedicated committee members or
staff from the organization
o Finalize the seating chart
o Call each committee chair to check status
. Logistics Committee Chair
o Confirm volunteers - tell them where to be and when
. Decoration Committ e e Chair
o Coordinate final plan to deliver decorations
. Auction Committee Chair
o Account for all auction items and bid sheets
. Menu Committee Chair
o Confirm catering
. Entertainment/program Committ e e Chair
o Confirm entertainment
o Confirm arrival times
. Emcee
. Entertainment
. Volunteers
Day before the event
. Event Chair
o Print out guest list in alphabetical order for the 
check-in volunteers
o Generate checks for entertainment and caterer if 
required
. Media & Public Relations Chair
o Deliver signage to event site (any other items that 
can be delivered early should arrive in
the late afternoon)
. Entertainment/Program Committee Chair
o Be sure all necessary sound equipment is delivered 
early on the day of the event in case
of problems
Day of the event
. All Event & Committee Chairs
o Arrive for set up
o Work in shifts
o Be sure all aspects are in place before leaving to 
get ready
o Return to the event (dressed for the evening) 45 
minutes before guests arrive
. Logistics Committee Chair
o Have volunteer coordinator lead his/her troops
o Keep timeline close at hand all evening to check the 
status
. Decoration Committee Chair
o Check the quality of the decorations
. Menu Committee Chair
o Walk through event one final time with the caterer
. Entertainment/Program Committee Chair
o Have feature entertainment and speakers in place 20 
minutes before you need them
Fundraising and Development
TCA Tool-kit 8
Post-event follow up
Take time to evaluate your event especially if you plan 
to repeat it! Don't forget one of the most
important aspects of your event: saying "Thank you" to 
everyone that participated in the event.
. Event Chair
o Reconcile budget
. Collect any outstanding money or pledges
. Mail or deliver all expenses from event
o Send thank you notes to all committee members
o Send a report to all sponsors with a thank you
. Consider having a follow-up thank you party for 
everyone who participated
o Send follow-up communications to all special guests 
encouraging them to continue to
support the organization
o Collect all articles and press clippings
o Meet with individual committees 2 to 5 days after the 
event for evaluation
. Discuss all successes and challenges of event
. Offer suggestions to remedy problems
. Offer explanations as to why certain things did and 
did not work
. Evaluate whether the event served its purpose
. Decide whether you would do the event again
o Save all notes and compile a notebook for reference 
to future chairs
. Include all budget to actual information
. Include receipts
. Include planning notes from each committee chair
. Include all press releases
. Include sample letters sent to sponsors
. Include sample invitations
. Include guest lists
>From Ballet Austin Tool-kit