The following is a generic Event Checklist that will help you get started in identifying all of the details you’ll need to consider as well as an indication of the timelines involved with your event planning process.
Please note that since association and non-profit events can range from a small workshop through to a gala fundraising event, we were not able to drill down to the level of detail you may need to consider when planning your specific event. But, we hope this checklist gets you started with your event planning.
*start your planning as early as possible.
While you need to conduct a thorough evaluation and update your budget, there are post-event publicity, fundraising and member development opportunities that you can take advantage of with just a little pre-event planning. Here are some of the activities you might consider once the event is over:
In your thank-you notes, be sure to remind the recipients of the event’s success – and how they contributed (e.g., dollars raised, awareness - number of participants, etc.).
We hope you found this checklist helpful in getting started with event planning. Use this as a starting point to identify or assign activities to various volunteers or staff; or print this off so you can literally check-off items as they are assigned or accomplished.
If you're sick of processing event registrations and payments by hand, there's a software that can completely automate the process for you online. It's called Membership Management Software and here's what it can do:
Not only does Membership Management Software take care of all event logistics, it also makes running any sort of membership organization easier, because it automates a number of other administrative tasks around managing your contacts, website, finances, and email communication.
If you'd like to see if this kind of software is right for your organization, try Wild Apricot, the #1 Membership Management Software on the market. The best part is that Wild Apricot is free to try for 30 days. Click here to start your free trial now.
As a small non-profit, this software has made organizing and communicating with our membership SO much easier. Membership is now automatic and registering for our events is easy for our guests and much less work for us.
-DeeDee LaBaron, Oregon Employment and Training Association