Behind most successful fundraisers lie a string of things done right. For instance, on February 12, 2006, the Arizona Character Education Foundation sponsored the Character Challenge 6K Run/Walk and One Mile Walk, which highlighted the importance of character education in Arizona. “Most first-year events only have 300-500 participants,” says associate deputy superintendent Tammy Linn. But the Character Challenge had 860, and raised $20,000 to provide CC! Character Development Seminars to Arizona schools and nonprofits starting in the fall!

“The key is corporate sponsorships,” says Tammy. In a large-scale event like the Character Challenge, enrollment fees tend to pay for the awards, brochures, insurance, sanitation and police assistance. Many of these costs can be hard to foresee and quickly eat up an unsponsored budget. How can you anticipate them? “Look at it as a business," Tammy says.

The foundation then created a spreadsheet to show potential sponsors how much exposure they would receive based on their contributions. Bashas’ grocery chain and APS were among the many corporate sponsors.

The Character Challenge also garnered much media coverage, thanks to the sponsorship of local newspapers and television stations. The event received over $100,000 in free advertising from KTVK, the Scottsdale Tribune, and the East Valley Tribune.

Besides media and sponsorships, the following items are important to consider when planning a large fundraising event:

• Contacts -- Who do you know? Draft a clear proposal of your event and look first to the contacts you already have.
• Volunteers -- Solicit the help of high school students and members of community organizations such as the YMCA. Provide specific job descriptions for the volunteers and set up committees to handle matters like prizes, corporate relations and food.
• Marketing -- Who is your audience? The Arizona Character Education Foundation marketed the Character Challenge to both competitive and amateur walkers/runners.
• Agreements -- Get them in writing! “We had a band cancel three weeks in advance,” Tammy says. Make sure your vendors give you detailed accounts of how they will contribute to the event.
• Date and time -- Think of your audience. Will your activity be convenient for them? This event took place on a Sunday, which is out of the norm, but it occurred early enough that attendees could still go to church or tend to other obligations.

“I get goosebumps thinking of the kids,” says Tammy. A touching sight was a little boy pulling a wagon with the Six Pillars on the side. The Foundation is already gearing up for next year's event, which will take place on the first Sunday in March.