Purpose
Source, invite, negotiate with and coordinate sponsors for the event. In return for financial support, sponsors are provided with recognition, and the opportunity to advertise their business.

Time Commitment

Front loaded earlier in the lifecycle of the run so that we have certainty of funds to cover the operating costs of the event. The optimal timeframe is late summer early fall. Requires time when potential sponsors are available – likely M-F, 8-5 pm

Details

• Finalize sponsor categories, sponsorship amounts, and other sponsorship details.

• Create a sponsorship letter that can be taken to potential sponsors and a sponsorship contract to be used to finalize sponsor commitment.

• Contact potential sponsors to invite participation and answer questions. Follow up to obtain commitments and collect sponsorship funds.

• Obtain digitized logos from sponsors to be used in advertising and on shirts as well as any items that they want included in the goodie bags for participants.

• Serve as the primary point of contact with sponsors for the life of the event.

Best Practice

Needs individuals that are comfortable with approaching individuals to make requests.

Individuals with sales experience is helpful. In-person contact, and approach has seen better success.

It is also helpful to find an intermediary that already knows and has a relationship with the key decision maker and can help with the introduction (e.g. we know someone who works at the business already that can make an introduction or even participate in the pitch)

Purpose
Source donations, monetary or in-kind, from business and community members for items that are needed to operate the event or support participants (e.g.raffle).

Time Commitment
Beginning to middle of the life cycle of the event (summer/fall).

This is necessary so that needs are understood, and gaps can be identified early enough to back fill and purchase items that were not sourced through donations. It is also helpful to contact businesses earlier in the year as many have a budget for supporting events like this and some are on a first come, first served basis, so if you wait until later in the year, they may have less capacity to donate.

Details

• Coordinate with other sub-committees, especially Race Day, to identify specific items that are needed for the event.

• Identify potential businesses that might be a source of monetary or in-kind donations to help defray the cost.

• Create a donor letter that can be taken to potential donors to introduce the event and assist in soliciting a donation.

• Contact potentials donors and invite them to support the event and answer questions.

• Follow up as necessary to obtain donations and coordinate picking them up at the appropriate time.

Best Practice
Donations are usually smaller and require coordination on the committee’s part to collect and manage them. Examples of in-kind donations are water bottles, race day food, decoration supplies.

Businesses that have donated to past events have included: Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, Home Depot.

For greater success, it will be necessary to have appropriate tax forms to share so that we can demonstrate to the donors that their donation will be tax deductible.

Any items that are critical for the success of the event need to be picked up or dropped off at least a day in advance of the race so that if it is not dropped off there is time to still acquire it prior to the event.

Purpose
Manage participant registration for the event.

Time Commitment
Registration process needs to be researched and a specific site/method selected as soon as possible so that it can be set up as soon as the website is completed.

Once the registration site is set up, the time commitment drops as it is mainly monitoring and troubleshooting. Finally, there will be time necessary right before at the event managing late/same day registration.

Details

• Identify, research, and recommend a method for managing participant registration for the event, including collection of all participant information as well as race entry fees.

• Negotiate with any vendors, contract with them for services, and manage relationship.

• Report regularly on the status of registration numbers to the larger committee.

• Staff registration booth at packet pick up locations and on the day of the event to allow for last minute/same day registrations.

Best Practice
The registration site should go live as soon as possible after the event website is active. Possible registrations sites include www.raceentry.com or www.active.com. We have used race entry before and had a good experience with them.

At that time, they would collect all of the participant fees and periodically pay them out to us.

We are hoping that this is still possible as we believe that it will allow us to pay out the participant fees, net of any cost of the registration site, directly to the event beneficiary in order avoid temporarily holding funds that need to be paid out at the end of the event and may have tax implications.

Purpose
Plan, coordinate and execute all details necessary to run the event, excluding any after event activities

Time Commitment
Initial planning at the beginning of the planning cycle so that other sub-committees know what they need to get to make the race day successful.

At the same time, securing the facility reservation must happen as soon as possible. The greatest time commitment will be in the week before the event and the day of the event.

Details
Plan each aspect of the race day, including but not limited to:

• event location

• race insurance

• race path/track

• race timer

• start/finish balloon arch

• water stations

• medical staff

• post-race food/snacks

• PA system

• DJ/MC

• Music/Announcements

• Vendor/sponsor/partner booths (tables, chairs, pop up tents?)

• misc. setup equipment(ladder, extension cords)

• golf carts?

• clean up of the race course and all race related items.

• Coordinate preparation of goodie bags and participant race packets

• Plan and execute race packet pickup in the days leading up to the race and the day of the event.

Best Practice
A detailed minute by minute race day schedule is important.

Purpose
Manage relationships with community partners who are also supporting or benefiting from the event.

Time Commitment
Front loaded at the beginning of the planning cycle of the so that we can create these relationships as they impact planning as well as capacity/assistance for the sub-committees.

Details

This sub-committee will identify three types of community partners – primary beneficiary, secondary beneficiaries, and sponsoring partners and make recommendations to the committee regarding them.

• Develop documentation regarding the event in the form of an introduction letter for each type of community partner.

• At the direction of the larger committee, approach each type of community partner that was approved to invite/negotiate participation in the event.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for each partner.

Purpose
Research, suggest and coordinate any after event activities

Time Commitment
Initial research can take place anytime through the summer.

Greatest time commitment will be immediately proceeding and at/after the event when the activities will take place.

Details
Brainstorm and recommend activities for after the event that will promote community engagement and allow the primary and secondary beneficiaries an opportunity to highlight their programs and how they support or prevent abuse.

After approval by the larger committee, plan, organize and execute the after event activities, including clean up for any after activity events.