Planning a Theme Dinner

• Create an Event: Analyze the community or market place to determine the audience and price structure suitable for your event.  Do not underestimate your event.  Participants are looking for great food and service, quality entertainment and a cause they can get behind.
  
• Evaluate Your Resources: Determining the strength of your volunteer committee is important.  Committed volunteers are essential to any fundraising program.  Inventory your resources.  Who is available to volunteer?  How much time will they have available?  Even the best plans cannot succeed without strong committee support.
  
• Develop a Timeline and Budget: Pay close attention to details.  Pre-event planning including a walk-through of the host venue and anticipation of all details, small or large, will help create an excellent event.  Determine the amount of profit that you feel can be realistically attained and create a budget from there.
  
• Advertising: Just as big sporting events do, you can sell advertising at your event.  Sell space on your walls, doors, and tables.  Program Books can be enormously profitable.
  
• Logistics of the Event: Work closely with the management of the chosen venue, they have valuable experience.  They will also know the ideal place for all the pieces of the event.  Registration for the event is the first impression people will have about Families of SMA.  Registration should be hassle-free and quick for attendees.  Make sure to acknowledge and promote all sponsors.
  

To receive a complete copy of Planning a Theme Dinner please call the national office at 800-886-1762 or send an email request to fundraising@fsma.org.