3. This event plan was created as a launching platform for the Canyon Creek Women’s
Crisis Center to more effectively plan and execute a silent auction fundraiser. Although the event
held on November 14, 2014 featured handmade quilts, the organization is not bound by this as a
focus. This event plan can be manipulated and changed as the leaders of the organization and
fundraising committee deem appropriate.
This event plan contains important planning documents, including: an event timeline,
budget, target audience and marketing plan, event set-up and close-out, post-event procedures,
and more. All of the following information in this event plan is based on the event held at
Artisans Art Gallery on November 14, 2014.
This event is intended to do two things: 1) to raise funds to support the CCWCC in their
fiscal operations and 2) to raise awareness in the community to the services offered by CCWCC.
Not only will the funds raised help provide the necessities women need when they come to the
Center, but also for others in the community who need hope, guidance, and resources to help
support those in the healing process. Most importantly, this fundraiser can provide the
opportunity for the organization to increase, change, or add to their resources that will further the
CCWCC in accomplishing their mission. This event also gives the CCWCC an opportunity to
build partnerships with other non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses in the Cedar City
community.
4. Located in Cedar City, UT, the Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center has provided
shelter, aftercare, and outreach services since 1996. The center includes an 18-bed facility and
operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is the sole emergency center available to women
and communities of three Southern Utah counties.
The mission of the Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center (CCWCC) is to provide and maintain a
safe haven for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. We provide 24 hours crisis
intervention, emergency shelter, after care, and outreach services to assist survivors in escaping
abuse, breaking the cycle of violence, and supporting them through their healing journey. We
also collaborate with the community with an effort to end domestic violence and provide
preventative education throughout the surrounding area of Iron, Beaver and Garfield Counties.
Services provided by the CCWCC include:
● Emergency Shelter: provides a safe place for women and children. Families can stay
up to 90 days. Staff is present at all times to provide personal items and support to
individuals.
● Crisis Line: staff is available 24/7 to answer calls, assist in finding a safe play to stay,
and support for women, children, and even men experiencing domestic violence.
● Mobile Crisis Response Team: a new program that began in August 2012, including
the 24 hour crisis hot-line, provides on scene crisis intervention and follow-up
support. They help with protective orders, child protective orders and stalking
injunctions. The Response Team also helps make referrals to appropriate community
agencies.
● Transitional Housing: grant funding made it possible for the CCWCC to help five
families transition from the shelter to their own home and provide financial assistance
up to one year, as well as supportive services.
● Weekly Support Groups: offers group support for women who are survivors of
domestic violence.
Domestic violence, rape, and sexual abuse are societal issues affecting women that are
often overshadowed. The CCWCC’s services and programming help to strengthen and support
women and families experiencing domestic violence. Not only are all the members of this group
women, each has experienced these issues either personally or through connections to other
known women in abusive relationships. The CCWCC provides us with the strength to stand on
our own or help others to be free of these burdens.
The resources available at the Center do more than provide safety for both mind and
body, but encourage strength to break the cycles of domestic violence. Shelters, like the one
provided by the CCWCC, are an incredible asset available for women, allowing each to break
5. the cycle and prepare for a new life. Additionally, many women are afraid to take this first step
or don’t know how to recognize and remove themselves from their situation. The goal for this
event will not only entail funds raised for the CCWCC, but will also bring awareness to those
within this community that need this information and support.
Women and families enduring abusive relationships often struggle to find their voice.
The CCWCC can be that voice for them. It’s in our nature to hide that which makes us feel
weak. Abuse is an entrapment that many of us go through; verbally, mentally, emotionally and
sometimes physically. We will only break these entangled restraints if we choose to come out of
hiding. When we make this decision, places of hope like the CCWCC will be there to help us
back on our feet. This assistance raises awareness to other women who may feel hesitant about
speaking out. They are a perpetuating voice; echoing, inspiring compassion and courage.
6. Project Name: “Uncover the Truth with Covers”
Event Location / Sponsor: Artisans Art Gallery
Project Mission Statement: The Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center aims to raise funds that
will provide for the community and generate awareness by hosting a silent auction featuring
hand-made quilts during October: Domestic Violence Awareness month. Through this event, the
fundraising group is determined to provide the community with the understanding of the mission
and resources available at Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center.
Fundraising goal: $500.
The objective is to hold a quality event that will generate $500 in funds through a silent
auction featuring hand-made quilts and donations. During the event, we intend to unite the
community and develop awareness for the resources and mission of the Canyon Creek Women’s
Crisis Center.
MONETARY - The monetary goal for this fundraiser is $500. Securing at least 12 quilt
donations from community members will aid this goal. In addition, there will be a bidding fee of
$5 for each bidder. Starting bids must be price for at least 25% to 40% of the quilt’s value.
ORGANIZATION AWARENESS - Representatives from CCWCC will be present at the
event to discuss and inspire attendees on the impact and resources of their organization. In the
future, a former client who has positively benefited from this service would make an excellent
addition to the program. Board members, CCWCC partners, friends of the Artisan’s Art Gallery
will be invited to participate in this event. To emphasize the importance of this issue, placards
will be posted in the venue, full of inspiring messages and relevant statistic regarding the power
and effect of domestic violence. Finally, the “Healing Tree,” is a place for discussion and to
honor loved ones who have been affected and have survived their battle.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - This fundraising event will be held at Artisan’s Art
Gallery and will be partnered with SUU Master of Fine Arts and Master of Public
Administration students. Other community sponsorships and partnerships will be formed, thus
fostering community development and engagement in CCWCC’s mission. Team members will
reach out to the community to participate in the event or form sponsorships.
7. Assemble Fundraising and Event
Committee
11 months prior Review and revise event plan as
needed; distribute
Assign Group Members
Committee Assignments
11 months prior Event Plan, Marketing, Quilt
Gathering, Sponsorships, Event
Mechanics
Determine
Event Venue and Event Date
10 months prior Artisans Art Gallery may be a
good venue sponsor
Begin Quilt Gathering
Issue “Call for Quilters”
Set deadline for quilt donations
10 months prior Call local quilt guilds, quilters,
and send out the “Call”
Begin Sponsorship Search: food,
décor, funding, etc.
8 months prior
Secure Sponsorships 6 months prior Follow up with all sponsorships
Secure Quilt Donations 5 months prior __# of committed quilts by set
deadline
Drafts of marketing material 5 months prior Posters, invites, website,
facebook, press releases, articles,
etc.
Publish marketing material 3 months prior
Secure Event Coordinator and
Organization Representative
3 months prior Find someone who will share
their story
Event Agenda, pre, during and
post
2 months prior Assign and plan the event from
opening to closing
Send Invites and repost fliers as
needed
1 month prior
Post Quilts to social media and
website
3 weeks prior
Begin Event Mechanics 2 weeks prior Event programs, name tags, quilt
tags, organizational awareness to
domestic violence
Event Rehearsal and Agenda 1 week prior
Event October 20th
8.
9.
10. Marketing: Responsibilities include creating the branding image for the event, creating fliers for
print and online, and getting word out to the press through newspapers and radio advertising.
Finance: Responsibilities include running transactions through the CCWCC’s PayPal and
Square accounts during the event, counting money, and operational controls.
Sponsorships: Responsibilities include securing a sponsored location for the event and creating
visibility for other sponsors to participate before and during the event.
Quilts: Responsibilities include obtaining donated quilts for the silent auction and obtaining
details for each donation (quilt dimensions, value, etc.).
Event: Responsibilities include setting up for the event, including decorations and customer
flow, and cleaning up after the event is over.
Supplies: Responsibilities include obtaining supplies for the event’s healing tree, food for the
attendees, and other miscellaneous supplies needed to run the event.
Silent Auction: Responsibilities include preparation, set up, and monitoring during the event.
This position also includes close out of auction and packaging quilts for delivery.
11. Our main target audiences for this fundraising event are females from age 18 and older in
the community of Cedar City, Utah. This demographic is the most likely to be drawn to support
the quilt auction because quilting is an art that is culturally infused in this area of the country and
is most exclusively a woman’s domain. Quilts are used for recording family history and marking
life milestones like birth, birthdays, anniversaries and marriages. Quilting is a way for women to
bond socially and share their creativity. They may gather at the local fabric store to share new
patterns and explore the availability of materials and techniques, meet in one another’s home or
meet with religious women’s groups to construct and finish quilts for humanitarian purposes.
A quilt represents the value of warmth, love and family to women. It is a way that women
express their compassion and humanity to people they care about and love. This caring and
compassion can easily be translated to serve women in the community who are in need of care
and love. A quilt auction for a women’s domestic violence crisis center joins these values to a
cause that will help women who are in crisis feel the love and warmth of support from fellow
sisters in the community. We are confident that the combination of these elements will create
another venue for women to gather and appreciate the art that is integral to the culture and appeal
to the giving nature that this craft embodies.
Our main audience will most likely be willing to give because of their personal
experience and empathy for the cause. For females, the realities of domestic violence are very
real. Many of our encounters with domestic violence are personal, meaning that we have been
affected or know someone else who has. Many members of the community will most likely be
passionate about the cause even without a personal connection because the issue is widely
considered a cause to be fought for. Thus, our main target audience would give either out of
empathy because of personal experiences or tenderness and understanding because a unified
support for the cause.
This event is strategically place at the beginning of the holiday buying season so we
expect that the shoppers, which are usually women, will be looking for opportunities to do
holiday shopping for family and friends. The holiday season offers a number of benefits that
will help us reach our audience. Many of the holiday shoppers in our community are females
between the ages of 30 and 70 years old. Gifts, like a quilt, are special mementos for any loved
one. Whether by buying a quilt or donating time and money, the holiday shoppers can make an
enormous impact on this fundraiser.
With winter, shoppers flood the stores in search for a unique and sincere gift that will
overjoy their loved ones; a one of a kind gift that would surely warm the heart and body during
the cold winter months. Because of this reason, holiday shoppers might be inclined to purchase
the quilts during the fundraiser in hopes that it would be the prime gift for a loved one to enjoy.
12. As holiday shoppers search for the perfect gift for their loved ones, a handmade quilt would be
an ideal present.
Current trends indicate that charity donations and participation in goodwill events and
activities increase during the holiday season. This seasonal sense of giving is why many
organizations ask for assistance in raising funds, foods, and support for their causes. People are
inclined to give during this time because the holiday spirit pleads for many to give to those less
fortunate. The spread of goodwill is a major asset in our fundraiser. As we pull on the
heartstrings of our main audience, many will feel the need to give because the holiday season
draws near. Also, many will hope that their donations, participation, and purchases will
positively impact and influence the CCWCC.
Art lovers of all ages may be drawn to our fundraiser for two reasons: quilt making is
considered an art and a craft; and the quilts will be displayed in an art gallery. With the location
of this fundraising event, it is possible to see members of the art community, both male and
female 20 years and older, come to support this cause. Artisans Art Gallery has a large group of
community members that support the events hosted at this venue; this will be of value to the
fundraiser.
Artisans art Gallery is a community hub, with many events taking place there regularly.
A general curiosity of what is being offered through this event and the opportunity to enjoy it as
an artist, a supporter of the arts, and the general community at large are all factors that will bring
this group to the fundraiser. Advertisement of the event healing tree as a main highlight of the
event will bring this group, and the other audience groups, out to enjoy unique social
commentary regarding the art of quilts and anonymous healing stories will bring together.
Through participation in the evening, local gallery goers and art lovers will feel inspired
by the Healing Tree activity and event as a whole. It is very likely that some of this audience
group have been affected in some way by domestic violence. This group will become aware of
the cause and appreciate the quilts around them, resulting in donating to the evening in various
ways.
13. The slogan and event message for this fundraiser is “Uncovering the Truth with Covers,”
of which is present on all of our promotion materials. Marketing materials will be sent to the
target audiences through various channels that have been identified as most relevant and
effective for this fundraiser.
Print:
The official fundraising event poster will be posted and distributed to the following locations:
● SUU Campus and the Women’s Center
● Cedar City Community at large, in high-traffic areas
Press Releases:
An event press release with detailed information targeting potential event attendees will be
distributed through the following channels:
● SUU Papers: Toilet Times, University Journal
● Cedar City Papers via Michael French’s media list
Online:
Information included in the event press release will be used to target online audiences through
the following channels:
● Facebook event on CCWCC’s page
● Email blast using CCWCC’s current email list
● Cedar City Arts Council Newsletter
● Festival City USA Events Calendar
● Postings to the ‘What’s Happening in Cedar City’ Facebook Page
Sponsors and Donors:
By asking sponsors, donors, and participants’ to send the event press release and poster to the
individual’s personal and professional networks, awareness will reach additional audiences
through the following:
● Artisans Art Gallery e-blast list (includes 900+ e-mails)
● Quilt and Silent Auction Donors
● CCWCC Board of Directors
14. Event Location: Artisans Art Gallery
Event Date: Friday, November 14, 2014
Event Time: 6:00-9:00 pm
3:00pm Call Time
4:00pm Event Set-Up Complete
4:00pm - 5:00pm Early Dinner Break
5:30pm Refreshments Table Set-Up Complete
6:00pm Doors Open
8:30pm Last Call for Silent Auction Bidding
8:45pm Winners Announced and Sales Closed
9:00pm Event Closing
9:00pm Event Clean-Up
Semi-casual attire, all individuals helping with the event will be wearing the color purple and
will have a name tag. The event set-up will focus on the silent auction area, registration table,
CCWCC info table, a refreshments table, music, and an interactive healing tree. Individuals will
lead set-up and clean-up for one area of the event, and will also fulfill other duties as assigned
and needed.
Set-Up and Clean-Up Project
Event Overview
Bidder Registration
Quilts for Auction
Set-Up w/ CCWCC
Food/Refreshments
Pay-Pal/Registration
Healing Tree
Auction Announcer
Greeter/CCWCC Table
Silent Auction Items
Hostess
Refreshments Table
Registration Table
Healing Tree
15. Table cloths
2 extra tables
Easels, supplies for healing tree (pens, ribbon, paper, push pins, picture of a tree)
Paper products
Spreadsheet for bidder contact info
Bidder cards
Cash drawer/receipt book
Computers for pay-pal/registration
CCWCC display table
Donation jars (use ceramics at Artisans)
Name tags for the individuals holding the event
Music
Event programs
Silent auction sheets
Clipboards
Food: water bottles, desserts, fruits and veggie trays, cheese and crackers, paper products
16. It is free admission to enter Artisans Art Gallery to participate in the Healing Tree and
browse the Silent Auction items. If someone wants to bid they pay a $5 bidding fee at the door
for a “ticket” or number to be used for bidding on the silent auction items.
Bidding fees will be sold at the front door and processed with CCWCC’s Square
(financial system). One responsible individual will be in charge of running the Square,
processing bidding fees, and closing out with participants at the end of the auction. The person
will lead the rest of the group in the post-event closeout and financial analysis of the silent
auction.
There are no donation levels, however, donation jars will be strategically placed next to
concessions, by the Healing Tree, and by the table with CCWCC representatives.
Starting bids for the quilts and other auction items will range from $25-$50; winners of
these items do not have to be present to win. If they are present, collect payment with credit/debit
card, check or cash at the venue. If they are not present when the winner is announced, cash or
check are the only ways available to accept payment after the event.
17. Donations
Bidding Fee $100.00
Quilt 1 Revenue $15.00
Quilt 2 Revenue $25.00
Quilt 3 Revenue $90.00
Quilt 5 Revenue $50.00
Quilt 6 Revenue $30.00
Quilt 7 Revenue $45.00
Quilt 8 Revenue $45.00
Quilt 9 Revenue $40.00
Quilt 10 Revenue $45.00
Quilt 11 Revenue $45.00
Quilt 12 Revenue $50.00
Quilt 13 Revenue $50.00
Other Donations $633.25
Total Donations $1,263.25
In-Kind Donations
Quilt 1-Estimate Value $30.00
Quilt 2-Esimate Value $75.00
Quilt 3-Estimate Value $200.00
Quilt 5-Estimate Value $60.00
Quilt 6-Estimate Value $50.00
Quilt 7-Estimate Value $35.00
Quilt 8-Estimate Value $35.00
Quilt 9-Estimate Value $45.00
Quilt 10-Estimate Value $70.00
Quilt 11-Esimate Value $35.00
Quilt 12-Estimate Value $45.00
Quilt 13-Esimate Value $75.00
Venue Rental $300.00
Steve's Time $100.00
Volunteer Time $35.00
Total In-Kind $1,190.00
19. Since Silent Auction bidders do not need to be present to win, the highest bidders that are
not present at the end of the auction, they will be contacted the following day and given
instructions on how to pay and pick up their quilts at Artisans Art Gallery. Bidders who are
present at auction closeout will be processed and their payment will be recorded. Money will be
counted and entered into the spreadsheet that records general donations, the value and final bid
price of the quilts, event revenues, and event expenses. Upon the receipt of the final payment for
the quilts, the money will be gathered and given to CCWCC with reports that detail revenues,
expenses, registered bidders, and the value of donations to the Silent Auction.
Upon completion of the event, reports will be organized to highlight the following details:
● Event budget
● Event expenses and revenue breakdown
● Event sponsorships: in-kind donations, monetary donations
● Silent Auction spreadsheet detailing the value and final bid price of all donated quilts
● Silent Auction bidder registration spreadsheet
During the event, bidder information is collected from all individuals that participated in
the Silent Auction. This information will be given to the organization. In the week following the
event, thank-you letters will be sent from CCWCC to all registered bidders and to those who
won quilts in the Silent Auction. Silent Auction winning bidders will also be sent a detailed
receipt from CCWCC indicating the value of their donation for tax purposes.
Artists who donated quilts to the event will receive a detailed receipt from CCWCC,
indicating the value of their donation. They will also receive thank-you letters for their generous
support of the event. During the event, donations in the form of checks that were received during
and before the event will also be sent thank-you letters for their support.
Major sponsors of this event will receive CCWCC information, an event program, a
receipt from CCWCC for tax purposes, and a detailed thank-you letter from the individuals
conducting the auction. Artisans Art Gallery, the venue sponsor, will also receive the same
information and documentation, but will also receive an in-kind donation receipt for the use of
the Gallery during the event.
The creation of a short, 5-question survey will be sent out to all event participants,
donors, and sponsors. When the survey is sent out, individuals will include links to the CCWCC
website and Facebook page, encouraging all to continue to engage with the organization. The
survey will include questions that address the following:
● Pre-event marketing success or failure.
20. ● Suggestions for expansion of the Silent Auction.
● The event location.
● The success or failure of event operations.
All answers to the survey questions will be added to the evaluation report.
The individuals involved in the event will meet the week following the event (time and
location TBD) to discuss all aspects of the event in a post-mortem. Critical evaluation of the
planning, set-up, financial reports, and the event itself, from start to finish, will be conducted.
Success and failures in these areas will be identified; failures will be evaluated in a way that will
allow for growth and future success of this event, if CCWCC decides to make it an annual
fundraiser.
At the conclusion of the post-mortem, an evaluation report will be written and added to
the general event plan. Upon completion of the evaluation report, individuals will put together a
final evaluation packet including the financial and event reports, event survey results,
suggestions for improvement and sustainability in the future. This information will be passed
along to leadership of CCWCC.
21. Overall we rated our event as well planned and executed. Choosing the Artisan Art Gallery as a
venue was the perfect place for fundraising to benefit a domestic violence shelter because of its low key
ambience. In thinking about a future event, we suggested it might bring in more attraction and bidding if
the Artisans could do a Quilt Exhibit one week prior to the event to prime the bidding and create interest.
We estimated about forty people attended the event. Most of the attendees arrived before the
event officially started. This prompted a suggestion that next time the event should start earlier to avoid
conflicts with other activities in town. It was suggested the event start at 5:00 and conclude at 8:00pm.
Our decision to allow people to come and go, and not be present to win made the event more
social and easier to attend. For this kind of event, we felt it would be counterproductive to create a
schedule that required people to stay.
The target audience were older individuals familiar with the bidding processes and fundraisers,
and did not balk at the $5 registration fee to bid. If the projected audience was targeted toward students,
reconsideration of the bidding fee would be needed.
Timing of the event in mid-November may have hampered its success. We suggest that the event
would have work better if it occurred during October, which would coincide with domestic violence
awareness month and coincide to the many efforts of the CCWCC.
We received positive comments on our professional look we all dressed in business casual and
some aspect of purple-- the color for domestic violence. Business casual helped to fit into the
environment of the art gallery.
Our marketing materials were well done and coordinated and complimented our event. They
looked classy and portrayed a good image of the organization.
Weaknesses of the event, that were found, were the focus placed on our goals of awareness and
fundraising. The awareness aspect of the event was weak. A couple of the patrons were unwilling when
asked to participate in the Healing Tree. We discovered that the audience perceived the event more of a
social occasion and that it seemed inappropriate to be fully charged with domestic violence
information. It was decided that this fundraiser is better suited to focus on fundraising as an adjunct to the
awareness activities that Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis center (CCWCC) hosts.
The CCWCC information table did not receive a lot of attention from the attendees. We discussed
ways to improve the dissemination of information. One way is to distribute the material throughout the
auction space and particularly at each quilt display. This information should be somewhat hopeful and
brief. We also discussed the idea of a small “care” bag of information that the attendees could take when
they leave and look at a later time.
We did not have a formal call to action, though this was part of our plan, the venue and the atmosphere
22. were not conducive for a group call to action. Noticing this, each person made successful efforts to
engage in conversation with the attendees that turned into personalized call to action that were beneficial.
The Artisan’s Gallery was a wonderful place for the event but it is attractive to a more elitist
audience and we were striving for a more diverse turnout. This particular venue may not be attractive to
the large student population of Cedar City, because of this. The venue would have to match the target
audience(s).
We received feedback that our quilts were nice but the individuals that donated the homemade
quilts were unknown to the bidders. Feedback we received from attendees showed that individuals wanted
to have a personal connection to the quilt-makers to discern how much to bid. Another possibility to
branch out and expand the audience, would include other handmade items along with quilts.
With the venue, of Artisans Art Gallery, we noticed that individuals clustered around the front
entrance of the room where the gallery’s artwork was displayed. With this, we had to make an effort to
direct people to the back work room where the quilts were displayed in the Artisans workroom. From the
main gallery to the workroom, it was observed to entail a different ambience.
Our host, Steve Yeats, the Artisans owner was gracious and helpful with his time, resources and
advice. This contributed greatly to the success of the event in running smoothly. We feel that in the future
the host should receive a cut of the proceeds to defray their own expenses.
