As soon as midnight hits on Halloween, there are many that will crank up Rockin Around the Christmas Tree and placing Santa Clause and Christmas Angels in a dozen places throughout the house. For my family it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. We had 2 sets of decorations, early Christmas which had to be set up before Mom’s neighborhood coffee. Then there were the rest that went up with the tree. We would move the early Christmas decorations to the playroom so we could start decorating after Thanksgiving.
During the 90’s, my Mom read an article in Southern Living Magazine about taking pictures of decorations and taping them to the outside of clear storage boxes. The idea was to provide guidance for future decorating and let you know what was in the boxes. The pictures did make my Mom feel more comfortable empowering the rest of us to decorate, but my father would never spring for the clear storage boxes when there were so many perfectly good appliance boxes.
The point is that when it comes to decorating your home for the big holidays, it is a great metaphor for planning a campaign or major fundraising event. Both activities can be a little stressful, but deliver a great deal of joy. They also can be organized into boxes that can be pulled out annually.
Knowing the timeline.
Whether it’s midnight on October 31st or 4 months prior to the start of an event or campaign, being clear on when to start is important. Knowing it and communicating it are both important. I remember Mom making sure “we were around” to help bring down the boxes weeks before the designated date, even though we knew when it was. Even though I knew when it was, I could use the reminding. Since I was a college student and often distracted. Like me, people get distracted by their own lives and responsibilities. There needs to be a director, a leader, or an organizer to remind everyone. My Mom was that for many others and myself. Even though it seemed like nagging, the gentle reminders insured I was not too distracted to show up and help Mom and Dad. Be patient and understanding with those fundraising staff or volunteer fundraisers that seem to be saying “don’t forget” or “all hands on deck”. It is important to them that everyone they need is present, no matter how simple the task.
Have clear task.
If it was taking down the boxes, or the pre-cleaning of the house, decorating or the storing of the boxes, every task was clear and has value. My parents had things that needed to be done, and there was often a checklist on the refrigerator. There were things that needed to be done, and things I knew only my mother could do, and tasks that were best suited for me. Because all the tasks were known, I could complete one and move to the next. Making sure that every task is recorded and everyone is aware of them means that your event or campaign can be conducted smoothly.
Stay focused on what is important.
I reference Cindy Lou Who in the Grinch Movie starring Jim Carrey. It is not about winning the lighting contest or the number of gifts you give, but the people you surround yourself with. As much as my Mom did the Holidays up right, it was always about the people she brought together. The neighbors, her family, her bridge club, our friends. That was the most important, the people. As we do campaigns and events, we need to focus on the mission. The people and communities we serve is why we do what we do, why we ask people to support the organizations we work for. It is not about the napkin colors or the invitations, but the impact that is made.
Evaluate and purge.
As you put away the decorations, take time to see which decoration have surpassed their time. Remove the broken ones (like the light strings that only half work). And if you took advantage of the post holiday sales, know what you are going to replace. Do the same with your events. Evaluate event and get rid of the broken parts, and remove the aspects that have outlived their usefulness (like silent auctions). As you go through the year and pick up new ideas, decide what parts of your campaigns and event you will replace.
I have always discussed the metaphor of putting campaigns and events in a box. The reason why is because things in a box are typically well organized. Events and campaigns should be well organized. If they have a solid timeline, clear task, good execution, and follow-up then these can be put away and pulled out and done just as well as before.