Now that you have a cause and a foundation selected, it is time to brainstorm what you want to do to raise awareness and funds for your cause!
Reality Check
It’s easy to get carried away at the beginning with big ideas, but it is important to stay grounded. If you have chosen a cause you a truly passionate about and personally connected to, it is understandable that you would have some ideas that might be out of reach. This is when you need to have a reality check, you need to realize what your limits are. You can think about through through different lenses: financial, time, and resources. If you don’t have the financial means to hold an event, or the time the event requires to plan, or the necessary resour
ces (i.e. musicians for a benefit concert, items for an auction, a venue to hold the event, etc.) you shouldn’t pursue that specific idea. Once you realize what you are actually capable of, you can move forward with your idea!
Harness Your Talents & Skills
Now that you realize your limits, think of all the things you naturally are skilled at, which you can use to your advantage. For example, if you are an amazing cook, host a large bake sale or cookout. On the other hand, if you struggle with organization and time management, make sure to surround yourself with people whose skills are in that area. Personally, I knew my strengths were in music and performing, which is why I decided to do a benefit concert. I knew I would feel most comfortable leading an event surrounding music. Also, music was always something my aunt supported, so I knew it would be a nice tribute to her.
An image of my siblings and I performing at the 2016 concert.
It is important to understand where your talents lie and be able to harness them. If you are struggling to think of where you are most skilled, make a list of your favorite school subject, proudest accomplishments, hobbies, and extracurricular activities, and categorize them. If you find that you have a love for English and strong passion for reading and writing, maybe do a poetry slam or a book fair. If you are an athlete or love the outdoors, maybe plan a run or a cycling event. The more you think about your own connections and strengths, the easier it will be to come up with a type of event that you will not only be excited to plan, but also will be successful.
Use Your Resources
Similarly to knowing what talents and skills you have, it is equally important to be aware of your resources. Resources could be your city, school, friends, or family. For instance, if your city has an amazing park you could use for an event or your school has a huge carnival every year that you could use to raise money for your cause, you should make sure to use all the resources possible. Using your resources essentially makes the planning process a lot easier and more time effective. Instead of using your time scouring and searching for options, just look at what is around you.
In order to do this, first think of what you need. Once you have done that, think of what you have. If what you need and what you have overlaps, then you have found it in a shorter amount of time and you already have a connection to it. Connections are also important because that can typically mean better chance of response and perhaps a likelihood that you can save money in the long run.
For example, when I was thinking of what type of event to do, I knew a benefit concert would work, because not only am I a musician, but also most of my friends are musicians. I also knew I had music teachers at school that could give me advice and help throughout the process. In addition, Houston is great city for the arts and is filled with talented young artists who would be interested in performing, people who support the arts who would attend the concert, and filled with plenty of concert venues.
A picture of many of the musicians singing in the final number at the 2016 concert.
By using my resources, I didn’t have to look far for what I needed, which made the whole planning process much simpler. It is important to acknowledge and use your resources so you can decide what event will work best and have an easier time planning the event. Planning a large charity event is a huge task on its own, so using your talents and resources is key to ensuring you don’t get overwhelmed and that you are not putting too much on your plate.
Know Your Audience
A picture of the audience at the 2016 Find Your Sunshine Benefit Concert.
When figuring out what type of event you to do, it is crucial you keep in mind not only what you want it to be, but also who will be there. An audience teens and families will be very different from a an audience of children or an audience of adults. You can plan an amazing event and iron out all of the logistics, but if you don’t have an audience to attend, then you can’t raise awareness or funds for your cause. Your audience determines how and where you advertise. For example, if your demographic is mostly teens, it is crucial to market on social media.
When I was planning my event, I knew my audience would be mostly teens and families. Since I knew this, I knew what kind of musicians my audience would enjoy, what kind of venue they would like, and other details that I otherwise wouldn’t be sure of. I also knew that my school would be supportive, so I decided to present about it at school, which helped to bring even more people in. Similarly to knowing your resources, it is important to know your communities. Like my school community, I also knew my Jewish community would be interested in the event. I am a member of a Jewish youth group called BBYO, so I made sure to advertise the event to my chapter as well as the other chapters in the area. This helped to boost attendance and spread the word throughout the Jewish community.
An image of two of my friends from my BBYO Chapter.
The people in your life are also extremely valuable resources that will make up the majority of your audience. It is important not to only reach out to your different communities, but also to make sure the event is somewhat tailored to those demographics, so that it is enjoyable and encourages other similar people to attend.
Begin Researching Venues
Now that you have realized what your resources are and what your audience is, the next step is to research venues. For almost every type of event you need one crucial thing: a great venue. There are many things to keep in mind when looking for venues: location, size, price, and purpose. Although it is not the “make it or break it”, the venue is a big determining factor in attendance, the event going smoothly, and the overall success of the event.
Firstly, I would research venues that pair well with your event. This is may seem like common knowledge, but sometimes people forget the best venues for an event don’t have be crazy elaborate places. If you want to hold a carnival, think about your local park. If you want to have a book fair, maybe think about contacting your local library or book stores.
However, there is always room to think outside of the box. Sometimes, the best venue for an event may not even be slightly related to the kind of event you are having. Don’t be afraid to think creatively and be open to working with the space you are given. For instance, the most recent Find Your Sunshine Benefit Concert was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, one of Houston’s larger convention centers. Even though it is definitely not a typical concert venue, the space was amazing and ended up being perfect for the event!
It is also important to not get caught up in the “big name” venues. Some of the more obscure, smaller venues, might actually be exactly what you need, and may not cost you as much. This was the case for me with the Last Concert Cafe. When I first started planning the 2015 concert, I contacted all the popular concert venues I knew. However, this resulted in disappointment, when all the venues were far out of budget. In the midst of desperately scouring the interest for venues, I stumbled upon a venue called the “Last Concert Cafe.” It is a Tex-Mex restaurant downtown that often features performers in backyard of the restaurant. I had known people that performed there, and it looked like a perfect place for a little casual concert. I visited, and I immediately fell in love with ambiance and feeling of it. They also were touched by the cause and offered a price I couldn’t refuse. From this, I learned to never stop exploring your options, even if it isn’t your first choice.
Be Ok With Change
I think one of the most important things to keep in mind while in the planning process, especially in the early stages of brainstorming, is to be ok if plans shift or change. I know it may be frustrating if things fall through or you first or second or even third choices don’t work out, but it is important to learn and grow from each experience. In the early steps, try not to get your heart set on one idea. It is easy to get attached to your main idea and not want to compromise, but it is crucial to be flexible and ready to encounter any issue that comes your way.
As always, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me at find.your.sunshine.concert@gmail.com and send them my way!