COMS 640 Event Planning & Donor Relations

The objective of this course is to teach effective small group communication and problem-solving. This course requires the student to study group communication processes and to practice small group decision-making as a team. The student will be taught theory and will learn how to participate in small groups in an application of that theory.

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After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete one Discussion: Introduction Video in this course. During the first week, the student will record a short video introducing himself/herself to the class. The student should post this in the initial thread. The length of the video is up to the student (but typically 2-4 minutes). Then, the student will post a written response of 200 words to 2 other classmates’ video introductions.

The student is required to create an event concept development draft. A good event concept summarizes why an event is happening, who the event is for, what will happen at the event, as well as when and where the event will take place. For this assignment, the student will focus mainly on the why, the who, and the what of an event. The event concept draft helps an event manager organize and plan out his/her proposed event. A specific outline for this project is provided within the assignment instructions in Canvas.

The student must select two event venues, use a site checklist template to verify if selected venues will be a sufficient option for a fundraising event organized by his/her selected non-profit organization, and provide detailed summary of what they conclude from his/her analysis. An event venue site visit checklist template will be provided for the student to complete this assignment. Specific instructions for this project are provided within the assignment instructions in Canvas. 

The student will create a promotional content for a fictitious event, which directly relates to the final assignment. The organization will also remain the same. The document is to contain the following items:

A save-the-date card that is colorful, has graphics, and names the organization, date, time, and location of the upcoming event. It should also include contact information. This card should be the size of a standard postcard.

An invitation flyer that is colorful, has graphics, and names the organization, date, time, and location of the upcoming event. It should also include contact information. This flyer should be 8 ½ by 11 inches and have more information than the save-the-date postcard.

There should be two modified block one-page letters, one that invites the donor to the event and a second letter that thanks the donor for his or her generous contribution. The letters should have three paragraphs, each of which contains at least five sentences. The first should either invite the donor to the event or thank the donor for attending and contributing (depending on whether the letter is an invitation or a thank-you note), a second paragraph that discusses the organization, and a third paragraph that either re-invites the person to the event or thanks the person again. The third paragraph of both letters must include contact information, should the donor desire to contact the individual who wrote the letter. The letters must be from a titled individual in the organization (such as John Smith, president), rather than just be signed as being from the organization. 

There should be one reminder email that is approximately one paragraph (at least five sentences) in length that is emailed the day of the event to remind donors of the event.

There should be one page that articulates how the student plans to use social media to promote his or her event. What platforms does he/she plan to use? What strategies (times, taglines, hashtags, best practices, etc. ) will the student implement to attract attention to this event. This portion of the assignment will require at least 3 sources to justify their approach. That said, please feel free to pull from more than just 3 sources.

The overall length of this assignment should be at least six pages. Ultimately, the submitted content should look professional and be ready to send out to donors.

The student may present these promotional tactics in either a single document or several. All required content for this assignment is due prior to the Promotional Packet Assignment due date. Further details regarding this assignment are provided within the assignment instructions in Canvas. 

The student will compose this assignment in two parts. First, the student will create an Event Pitch Outline which summarizes why he/she believes his/her chosen non-profit organization should host a fundraising event. Each outline will consist of approximately 4-7 pages, depending on the number of sub-points the student provides to support his/her arguments. A minimum of eight sources is required for the outline.

The student will then summarize their outline and present it in an aesthetically pleasing Pitch Deck. Instructions for each of these sections of the final assignment will now be presented in detail. Each pitch deck should have approximately 17 slides. A specific outline for this project is provided within the assignment instructions in Canvas.