Hold a leadership team meeting to discuss the event.
Discussion Questions
When would be the best time to host this event?
Choose a date that doesn’t conflict with other major campus events (football games, campus ministry retreats, etc) and a time that is easy for lots of people to come to.
It’s up to you to decide how long you want to host the shop—e.g. 1 day, 2 days, or even a whole week. Choose whatever makes the most sense for your chapter!
Where should you host this event?
What are your options? Where do people gather that will give you enough space?
What school policies and procedures do you need to follow to secure a location?
What potential roadblocks do you see? What can you be doing now to mitigate those issues?
Do you need school approval to hang flyers on campus? What steps do you need to take to get this approval?
What social media platforms does your chapter/group have, and who is managing these accounts? Do you still have access to them? If not, how can you gain access?
If you plan to host this event outside, what will you do if it rains? Is there an alternate space you can reserve now or a tent you can ask to borrow from another organization?
What ministries, clubs, or social movements can you partner with?
What will be your plan to connect with these groups?
Idea: When connecting with a potential partner, offer them a specific way they can get involved or help with the event (i.e. having them collect racks or clothes hangers, hand out flyers the week before the event, keep a box at their meetings for donations to go in, etc). Simplifying their part makes it easier to get a YES!
How will you be collecting clothes?
Will you be placing boxes in dorm buildings for donations? What approval will you need to do this?
Will you have scheduled pick-up days where you drive to pick up people’s collected clothes?
Finalize date and location.
Submit all promo materials—i.e. flyers, social media posts, etc—to venue’s approval process (if necessary for your location).
Reach out to potential partner organizations, friends, community groups, etc.
Begin gathering clothes.
If the flyers and promo materials for collecting clothes have not been approved yet, make sure to spread news of the event by word of mouth and social media. Intentionally connect with churches and other organizations through email or by setting up meetings to pitch the campaign.
Come up with a plan on where you will store the clothes as you gather them.
1 Month
Confirm location space is reserved.
Make sure promotional materials are posted and/or being distributed.
Gather “day-of event” materials.
Tables to place clothes folded and/or racks with hangers.
Stickers or tags for prices.
Printed IJM Client Stories to display at your event and hand out to buyers.
Check in with event partners.
Examples:Send an email reminder of the event and their role, see if they need any of the promo materials, etc.
Recruit volunteers to work the event.
Designate who will be running the point of sale. Make sure they review how to do this in
Suggestion: If the event will be over a long period of time or span several days, create a schedule for people to know clearly when they are expected to be working this position.
Determine giving technology.
Do you need a tablet or computer for the point of sale?
Continue gathering clothes.
Make sure to periodically pick up clothes collected at any of the designated drop-off locations.
1 Week
Promote, promote, promote!
Make sure to be posting on social media.
Speak at community partners &/or organizations (i.e. ministries gatherings, chapter meetings for fraternities/sororities, local churches, small groups, etc.), and invite them to join you at Threads.
Sort, tag, and price clothes.
Suggestion: This process often takes longer than expected. Consider hosting a “Pizza and Pricing” party to get the job done in a fast and fun way.
Check in with volunteer team on any delegated responsibilities.
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