Written specifically for nonprofit organizations of all shapes and sizes, this handbook provides an outline on event-planning within the larger framework of achieving organizational goals. It introduces strategies that are the building blocks for a successful special event (or any fund raising program), including raising money, marketing and public relations, building and expanding the nonprofit donor base, building and motivating the volunteer pool, training and motivating your board to solicit funds, educating the public about your organization and its mission, and getting an endorsement from a prominent community leader. The Master Event Timetable, which can be abridged or modified as required, leads an organization step-by-step through the process. It includes real-life insights, planning tips, common misconceptions, pitfalls to avoid, warning flags and other pointers; it follows a case study throughout the entire workbook to show how to plan and execute a special event; and it includes sample worksheets, checklists, and tables - in print and on an IBM-compatible disk.