Good day and thank you for joining me in my first slide cast. Today we will be talking about going above and beyond with large scale programming. But before we do that let me just tell you about myself. We have all had training presentations from HDs, CDs, ACDs, AHDs, ect. Who were all Ras many years ago. However, I am an RA now, so let me tell you why I am…
Qualified to talk about large scale programing.I have planned 3 large scale programs, one of them was a trip to Skyzone where I brought over 50 people…
This was an original program that required planning months in advanced and resulted in one of the best programs of the year.Now that looks like funSo back to what I am here to talk about
In order to understand how to plan a large scale program, you first need to understand what makes a large scale, a large scale. It usually involves one or more of the following
A large budget. For my skyzone program I had a budget of around $800, however other programs that I have helped plan have had budgets up to 5 thousand dollars. We will get to how to fund these events later.
You could also expect a large attendance. What makes a large attendance, well that depends on the type of event and location.
You may be pushing the limits of the location you want to go to. The attendance you expect may at the limits of the facility you will be using.
And finally how long is the program going to last? You could also have programs that last for 4 or more hours, or over the course of several days.
Now that you are able to recognize the traits of a large scale event, lets get into the actual planning. Now this is going to vary depending on what your program entails, however the main points of planning will be here.
One of the most common mistakes is not starting the planning process early enough. I started in November for a program that happened in March, and even then I still felt rushed at the end. Allow yourself some buffer time. Unexpected issues may arise-be it school work, communication hickups or budgeting issues.
There are many types of events you could have. Outdoor, indoor, off campus, and other more common types are what you want to consider. Each event type will present its own issues such as if you are planning an outdoor event- will there be a rain location, rain date, ect. Indoor events limit the attendance to that of the facility you are in- Lounges can only hold so many people and there are limited larger spaces on campus.
The next two factors go hand in hand. Consider how many people you need at your program to justify the cost. How many people do you expect will show up on that day. Will large numbers of people strain the infrastructure around you. For example, bringing 500 people to south campus for SoCo may require additional busses on the schedule.
Once you have a number in mind for attendance, how will you reach that number. Consider where your advertisements will go. Are you going to limit advertising to just one hall, one quad, one campus, or maybe everyone. This depends on how much interest you want to develop. To many people can cause a poor experience due to limited supplies available. So make sure to consider where the advertising is going.
Lastly, once you have a target number in mind, it is time to develop a budget. (You could also develop a budget then figure out the attendance, but I find this method easiest and most effective) Mark things that are attendance specific such as food, transportation, admission, ect. And things that are not such as space reservation.Consider what would be appropriate amounts for each funding source to cover. I will get to where you can get funding later. I find it helpful to work in percentages, this makes scaling to larger or smaller populations easier and can be visualize simply by a pie chart.
Some other things you may need to work on are transportation and how you will pay each vender. This usually requires calling to see if they take speed orders or a procurement card. Your HD should be able to help you figure this out.
Simply put, your RA budget is not going to be enough to pay for these kinds of events. You are going to have to look elsewhere. Luckily there is a great deal of places to go for mula for your program…
Area grants are a good start. Although sometimes your program may not fit into one of the event types for the grant. Consider modifying your program slightly to fit into a section or pick the one that best fits your program. The area may still give you the grant (or part of it) if your program is a good idea.
Wellness grants are another good idea. They can provide up to 300 dollars in funding. However your program must have a wellness aspect in one of the 6 areas (occupational, social, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional.) Also the deadline is 1 month in advanced of the program.http://www.student-health.buffalo.edu/13grantdescriptionp.pdf
The Residence Hall Association and its Hall Councils have a great deal of money to spend (63 thousand $) and you can request funding from them. Requesting money from hall council is usually the easiest thing to do. Let the advisor know, usually the AHD, that you want to ask the hall council for funding, you may have to present at the next hall council meeting, or meet with the president, or do something else. This varies largely by Council and same for funds available.A second option is the Parapro grant from RHA. RHA awards up to 2 $100 grants each month so put it in early, and hope for the best. More information can be found on the RHA website.Finally the most difficult option is to go to senate and request funding there. Set up a date with the president and explain that you would like to request funding. Usually you will be able to present at the next meeting or the week after. This requires additional planning, however they can provide you with a lot of money.
When you are requesting money from RHA senate, there are a few thing you should do.Go prepared, make sure you have run through the presentation a few times. Make sure nothing is left to question.
Even with a rock solid presentation, there could still be some questions. Put yourself in their shoes and try to answer them in your presentation. If you cant fit it into your presentation, keep in mind the answer so that when they do ask, you will be able to appropriately respond.
One of the most common questions is where the money is going. Usually the answer of to your program is not enough, you want to have a specific line in the budget, for example “The 216 dollars requested will be used to provide transportation for the program”Another common question is what would happen if you didn’t get the money requested. This depends on the program, but an example of a good response would be “If the funding is not approved, we would be force to raise the cost to the residents to X dollars.” or “we would have to eliminate X packages of hot dogs from our food budget”
Finally, although not required, a pie chart of the budget is strongly recommended. This helps show the Senate the proportion of funding they are providing, and how it effects the program. Visuals are key here.
There are many other less common sources of funding. You may be able to find businesses willing to donate time, food, ect. Or even donate prizes for your program. It never hurts to ask, but be sure to consult with your HD first.
Another key aspect of your program will be how you get there. There are many options with their own pros and cons.
You could rent a bus. This is the most convenient however also the most expensive. However for large programs it may be a necessity.
Campus Living has vans that prostaff can drive. You can transport up to twelve in each of the 3 vans, however you also need a prostaff member to drive that day. If you are above the capacity of the vans you may need to supplement with additional methods. This is a free option!
Lastly, people can drive themselves and carpool. This is the most difficult logistically. Organizing who is riding in what car, and making sure everyone gets there can be difficult. However this is another free method and only relies on students having cars.
