Charity Game Vent

Well, last night we set up for another Vegas Party for our charity. While most of the labor is volunteer, it's still a ton of work to haul out 50 various gaming tables, set everything up, check dealers in, start the bank..set up the bar, etc., the whole magilla.

About 8:00 PM, not one player had walked in the door. I attributed to the snow storm we had earlier in the day. But still, not one player? By 9:00, still dead. UGH!

We have a database of about 5,000 people who have attended our events over the years. About a month prior, we mail a postcard promoting the event and typically, about 200-300 people show up. We repeat the mail drop about 1 week in advance. If they bring the postcard with them, we giver them $5 in chips. It's an absolute no brainer.

I then asked the the business manager of our charity if/when the mail went out. He responded, that "direct mail doesn't work any more". And, without telling anybody, no mail went out. So, we set up for an event and had ZERO advertising!

I then said to all the volunteers that they were free to go home. UGH!

Yikes, sorry to hear that. The "business manager" should be fired for such a dumb move.

What was the advertising then?

Riva:

Wow, that really sucks.

You would think that the charity would understand that they get no $$ if nobody shows up.

Hopefully the Business Manager will be suitably dealt with by the organization.

SFB

Quote: Beardgoat

What was the advertising then?

Virtually nothing. Some stuffer on a local pizza joint's box and a road sign. The postcards have worked for us for decades however, I have urged our group to start capturing emails.

I think postage and card for a non-profit is about .35 So, the mail drop would have cost us about $1,750. We make that much in the FIRST HOUR on the craps table!

Yeah, email signups seem like a no brainer.

Edit. Even simple stuff like twitter or Facebook would help too.

Heck, one thing I've learned about mailing lists.... ALWAYS seed your list that way you know if and when someone mailed something out.

If five names on the mailing list are your address, but none show up... you know to yelp about it promptly. If the cards all get there the night before the event you can look the business manager in the eye and say "BS, Jack... ".

However, you should have checked in advance. No matter what happens in normal years, there is always some charity that just hired a new business manager who thinks he knows more than you know.

So sorry, someone was sleeping on the job. That person should be dumped from the business or you could be real nice & put them in a position sweeping floors & handling all of the mailers when they come in. Lol....

Glad I wasn't the superior, that person would have been out on their ear immediately.

Quote: FleaStiff

Heck, one thing I've learned about mailing lists.... ALWAYS seed your list that way you know if and when someone mailed something out.

If five names on the mailing list are your address, but none show up... you know to yelp about it promptly. If the cards all get there the night before the event you can look the business manager in the eye and say "BS, Jack... ".

However, you should have checked in advance. No matter what happens in normal years, there is always some charity that just hired a new business manager.

The mail ops have always been in the hands of another person. So, when I was informed in November that we were going to have an event February 1, I was told by the event chair that mail would be dropped just like it always has been. Somehow that got derailed.


However. I have to agree with the business manager that "direct mail doesn't work", particularly when you don't mail whatsoever!

Riva:

One of the reasons the events are successful, is because of the direct mail pieces. Folks follow a successful event around. But if they do not know that it is there?

And other methods are available, like Twitter and Facebook. But you expand from that, after Direct mail.

So, what happened today? What do you expect to happen tomorrow with this charity?

SFB

Quote: SFB

Riva:

One of the reasons the events are successful, is because of the direct mail pieces. Folks follow a successful event around. But if they do not know that it is there?

And other methods are available, like Twitter and Facebook. But you expand from that, after Direct mail.

So, what happened today? What do you expect to happen tomorrow with this charity?

SFB

Many time with charities, there is very little accountability, unlike a real-world job. Some take the attitude that if they don't work hard, don't do a good job or, screw up, they think: "Heck, I'm a volunteer." Had I known that the postcards had not gone out, I would have strenuously objected, even to the point of recommending that the event be cancelled. I did not find out about the cancelled mail drop until the middle of the evening.

This charity will have more events. Nobody was really hurt by what happened, other than all the effort to set up the room and the volunteers doing absolutely nothing for 4 hours.

On the bright side, the was a full keg of LaBatts and about 50 large pizzas for all to enjoy!

Quote: Riva

If they bring the postcard with them, we giver them $5 in chips. It's an absolute no brainer.

Was your business manager aware of how many people brought the postcards with them to the prior event?

THAT'S the proof that they do work.

How do you fire someone who volunteered?

You say, "You're not even good enough at your job to be worth NOT paying!"

seinfeld clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU6m5UqLx9M