The information outlined below is a “Quick Start Guide” to planning your project for the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Day of Service. In this guide you will find suggested tips on what is involved in organizing your event: from how to get started and project ideas, to how to promote your event and much more. For additional information on specific topics, navigate to the topic headings to learn what is involved in each of these steps, as detailed in the PLANET Day of Service planning guide.

Please keep in mind that these are only suggestions, and your project can be any shape or size.

Introduction
Do you already conduct or participate in a green service project in your local community? Maybe you are interested in getting involved but aren’t sure how to get started. PLANET’s Day of Service is a program designed to unite the green industry nationwide for a day dedicated to giving back, April 22, 2010. Projects can be large or small in scale, and by participating, you will:

• Help raise awareness about the lawn care and landscape profession.
• Demonstrate to your community that you care about and are a good steward of the environment.

Projects that can focus on lawn, landscape, lighting, tree care, or interior plantscape and that benefit the chosen venue. Members and state associations will register their service projects with PLANET and unite across the country for one day of giving back to their local communities.

If you already have a service project in place or you conduct projects throughout the year, you could simply reschedule one of them to happen on April 22, and register the event with PLANET.

This toolkit is designed to give you ideas for projects, help you plan and run a successful event, connect with partners, and promote your project to the media and the public.

Why Participate?
Hosting a service event for your company or state association will provide you with the added momentum of a nationwide event and will allow you to show the community how you are a steward of the environment.

Your peers will consider you as a leader in the industry, and the community will look to you as a good citizen when they see you and your company giving back!

Project Ideas
Service projects come in many different shapes and sizes and vary in the amount of time they require. There are some projects that may only involve a few people sprucing up a small park for only a couple of hours, while there are others that involve a large number of people doing something on the citywide scale. Some projects are sponsored by single organizations, while others may involve wide-ranging partnerships of suppliers, contractors, and state associations. Whatever the project, each is connected to our industry and unites around a common goal. Sample projects may include cleaning/enhancing a local landmark, planting trees in parks or neighborhoods, preserving a hiking trail, or illuminating a point of interest in a public viewing area.

Getting Started
A one-day service project can be a rewarding and transforming experience, but in order to make that happen a lot has to do with the way in which the day is planned. Your job is to make this day a positive experience for everyone. The following tips will help you achieve that goal:

• Determine the size/scope of your project.
  
• Set Goals. Think about what your project will involve (manpower, equipment, permission from the city, state, or federal government, etc…)
• Be Flexible (contingency plan for bad weather, medical emergencies, etc.)
• Register Your Project
• Order T-Shirts

Working With Staff and Volunteers
The success of your project will depend heavily on the involvement of your participants, whether they be staff and/or volunteers, and how you manage them. It is important to recruit your participants early and to remember to treat them well.

Organizing the Day
Now the fun begins! You have already planned your event and recruited your participants; it’s now time to focus on the details that will make sure your day runs flawlessly. The following tips will help in planning your day:

• Provide a Schedule
• Pay Attention to Logistics
• Make Checklists
• Prepare for the Unexpected
• Think Safety
• Document Your Project

Sample Forms
PLANET has created some sample templates that may be beneficial to you throughout the planning of your project: Sample Schedule, Sample Evaluation Form, and Sample Photo Release Form.

How to Promote Your Event
It is our goal to get media coverage of the PLANET Day of Service so the public is made aware of our members’ commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities by caring for and improving the green spaces where they live, work, and play.

After Your Event
Once your event has ended, there is still work to be done. The following tips will help to ensure your future events are even more successful:

• Thank the Participants
• Hold a debriefing session
• Spread the word
• Post pictures on the Day of Service web site
• Contact PLANET

Project Checklist

• Set Goals
• Choose appropriate site or venue
• Recruit staff, volunteers, and team leaders
• Create a media list and contact the media
• Secure supplies
• Assign duties to participants and team leaders
• Confirm the need for speakers, media, transportation, and security for the event
• Evaluate the project and participant experience
• Clean up the site or venue
• Celebrate your success
• Conduct follow-up activities and thank participants

If you have further questions, contact PLANET at (800) 395-2522, or send an e-mail to Heather Finney

Download the complete Planning Guide 9.6MB Adobe PDF