In Lesson 02, we talked about choosing the right people. Once those people are in place, it is about building a team that is effective, efficient, and empathetic.

SCOPING THE PROJECT

Many nonprofits come into this process with little prior knowledge of how much time and effort a project might take. It’s not part of their day-to-day work, so it is our role as organizers to help scope the project with them to ensure it is within reach for a 12-hour event, but also that it is ambitious enough to be impactful. Some nonprofits apply with the perfect “Goldilocks project” — it's just right. Some come in with a project that is out of reach, while others have a small project that could be completed in just an hour. Scoping the project begins during the interview stage as we determine fit, and the rest of the scoping comes during the planning meetings when makers (creatives) ask questions and paint a realistic picture of the work product. Scoping the project is important to set and meet expectations.

BUILDING TEAMS

To us, team building is absolutely the most crucial part of the process. Something that became clear over the years is the value of building amazing teams. The better an organizer does with this, the better the experience is for all. The process of building a team takes several hours, even days, but the result is worth the time invested.

We review each maker’s portfolio as well as their interests and make notations. We also review our notes from the nonprofit interviews to assess their needs as well as the aesthetic style that would best match their audience. We look for any other preferences, like makers who wish to work with each other. Additionally, we work to create balanced teams that have a variety of experienced and beginner makers who can feed off of each other. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of magic.

We would encourage you to review the resource, Pro Tips for Team Building to the left for more detail.

‍PLANNING MEETINGS

These meetings feed into the idea of creating with people, not for people. The nonprofits that apply for a make-a-thon understand the importance of visually communicating their story and want to be part of creating their identity. They may not be designers and developers but can work with them to convey the purpose and the real impact of their organization. By doing this, the makers then become part of this organization, working with them, not for them. Everyone develops a sense of pride and connectedness to one another and the cause.

The planning meetings have been an integral part of our process since the beginning. We usually hold these in a conference room, meeting space, or anywhere that is private and comfortable. Setting aside an hour for the meetings is usually enough time to discuss the project and plan. The nonprofit representative, makers, and organizers all attend the meeting to lay the groundwork for the project to be completed at the event. Because of the success of these meetings, we always require everyone to attend them in order to participate in the event.

There are many moving parts before, during, and after a planning meeting so it has been necessary to have at least one other person in the meetings to be a second pair of eyes and ears. It is also ideal to have someone who can greet new teams while they are waiting for their meeting to begin. Finally, we work to ensure that at least one Make a Mark organizer who is knowledgeable about the project type (website, branding, social, video, etc.) and the nonprofit is at the planning meeting to facilitate and provide expertise.

These meetings play both a functional role and a relational role.

FUNCTIONAL ROLE

This is the opportunity to discuss the project and its details.

We always start the meeting by letting everyone know that this is their chance to ask questions and discuss the project in detail before the event. We want to walk away making sure that everyone feels heard, respected, and resourced. While we might have a set of questions we want the answers to, we encourage the makers to take the lead on asking the questions, and we sit back to take notes, keep an eye out for any potential problems, and make sure the conversation is flowing.

This is the chance to discuss any prep work that needs to happen before the event.

What materials does the nonprofit representative need to pull together before the make-a-thon? A style guide, photos, copy, login info for a website, etc. This is the time to identify this and make sure that the nonprofit representative is prepared to gather these items and deliver them to the makers before the make-a-thon.

This allows makers the chance to dig into the execution of the project at the make-a-thon.

Following the planning meeting, makers have the knowledge and confidence to move forward with execution at the make-a-thon. They might do some additional research, but their time on the day of the event will not be spent figuring out who the organization is and what they do.

RELATIONAL ROLE

This is an opportunity to meet one another.

This is the first time the team formally meets in person. It is a time to start building a foundation of mutual respect. As organizers, we do this by showing the same respect for all parties involved. We want to make sure that the nonprofits understand that the makers have unique skills and are not just free labor for the day. We also want to make sure that the makers understand that while the nonprofits might not be tech or design-savvy, they are brilliant and insightful in what they do. We do this by, at the beginning of the meeting, letting the nonprofits know that these makers are specialists in their field and were handpicked for their skills. We also communicate that the nonprofits go through an interview process and were chosen for their impact on the community.

This is the time to start building a collaborative team.

This is really where Make a Mark is unique. There is a strong focus on community, not a transactional relationship. The reason the quality of the work is so high within 12 hours is that these makers get truly immersed in the nonprofit and become a family.

This is your chance to show your support.

Our role, as organizers, is to act as support for both sides, not just during the planning meetings, but moving forward. We make sure that they understand each other, are asking questions, are answering questions in a clear way, and know what they are responsible for moving forward. Organizers are the guiding light for logistics of the make-a-thon, but also for morale.