Up to 6 months before event, soliciting should start via e-mail, snail mail, website, 800#, personal outreach etc. Get all your legal documentation in order (gaming licence, use of venue docs. etc)
8 weeks out - start putting baskets/like items together- this is ongoing. Ticket colors determined. Food resouces should be requested. Outreach to teachers, school admin. Attend teachers meeting to talk up the event, get them on board.
7 weeks out - flyers go home with ticket information, point person cited. Constant contact with ticket subcommittee. Local public publicity should be initiated.
6 weeks out - come together with subcomittees, see where they stand. Who needs what should be determined here.
5 weeks out - program should start, draft completed and as items are added, they should be named, numbered and added to database.
4 weeks out - food coordination, how much, asking for donations. Runners, 50/50 people should be identified. Callers also. All volunteers needed the day of event should know their roles by this time.
3 weeks out - Do entire asessment of sub committees. Here is where you can fix things but don't wait any longer. Tickets should be sold out or close to by now. If not, increase your publicity.
2 weeks out - stop soliciting. Naming, numbering of items, sheets, decorations and ancillary items should be nailed down here.
1 week out - everything should be done, labeled, farmed out. Program to printer.
Day of event - Give everyone a job and it will all get done. Be prepared for many last minute details to attend to.
After the event - send out thank yous to families and businesses.
MOST IMPORTANT: Have a debrief meeting with all key players. Brainstorm and ask all the questions below: What went well? What needs improvement? What information do you need to keep for next year? How would you change things next year to be more successful/profitable? Write everything down and keep it somewhere you can find it.
Hope this helps and good luck
