Make a Mark make-a-thons are unique in that makers (creatives) have just 12 hours to create a project for a nonprofit. To be efficient and effective, it is always important that there is clear and consistent communication between team members as well as us, the organizers.

BASIC COMMUNICATION

Overall, we can communicate effectively by using simple tools such as email and scheduling software.

Once we pin down a date and location for our event, we begin sharing with our community on social media and through email. This gives everyone a chance to get the date on their calendar, build interest before interviews, and keep sponsors in the loop. A personal email with information about the upcoming event goes a long way to get potential supporters on board.

The most useful tool is simple — personalized emails to each participant. With nonprofit interviews, team selections, planning meetings, and the event itself, sending clear reminders of plans and expectations allows us to keep everyone on the same page. Through this, we are also able to open ourselves up to questions and begin building a foundation of respect.

In addition to custom emails, we utilize a scheduling tool to set up future interviews and meetings. We have used Calendly to plug in the dates and times we were available for nonprofit interviews. We chose Calendly because you can ask questions in advance, add a location, and it then automatically adds a calendar event to your calendar and theirs. We also use Calendly to coordinate the complex schedules of the teams to arrange planning meetings. Team members can add their availability and we can then choose times when everyone can attend the meeting.

BEYOND BASIC

Sending maker RSVPs is a huge time saver when it comes to building teams. When accepting makers, we have them fill out an RSVP form to confirm that they are still available and also collect any other preferences or additional questions. This helps in selecting teams and knocks out any makers who are no longer available.

After our inaugural make-a-thon, we saw a need for what soon became known as "maker packets" and "nonprofit packets" — essentially detailed creative briefs with information about the organization, the project, the contact person, planning meeting details, make-a-thon details, and any other relevant pieces. The impact that this had on clarity and confidence cannot be overstated and both the nonprofits and makers appreciate the extra effort.

THE BAD NEWS

Unfortunately not every maker or nonprofit can be accepted, and we learned that it is just as crucial to send rejection emails at the same time as acceptance emails. Each person puts time and effort into applying and/or interviewing, so we want to be certain that we are respectful and answer any questions they might have about their rejection and how they could improve their chances in the future.