Town of
Animal
Care Committee
2010
Calendar –
IX........ Partners & Stakeholders
I.
Summary
The Mission Statement of
the Animal Care Committee is:
"To promote and ensure excellence and
professionalism in animal care through continuing education, effective
networking, mutual support and the enhancement of the ability to provide
quality, cost effective services to our residents and care to the animals in
our municipality."
Given the success other
organizations have experienced with their calendars, the Committee decided at
its meeting of
The calendar will contain
photos of
The entry fee will be $10
and the calendar will be sold for $10.
For the 2010 calendar, the advertising rate will be $50, but may
increase for future editions.
Committee members will
serve on either the Marketing Team or the Production Team so that the work
effort is evenly shared and tasks are completed on schedule.
This Project Plan will be
updated as the project unfolds to serve as a record of decisions and document
the process.
II.
Project
Overview
The
Committee will produce 1,000 copies of a 2010 calendar to include:
·
a 12-month calendar;
·
pictures of
·
paid advertising from businesses (first choice to
·
veterinary tips; and
·
a memorial page to honour deceased pets.
III.
Goals/Objectives
·
The calendar will be the main 2010 fund-raising
initiative undertaken by the Committee.
·
The calendar will promote the well-being of the
Town’s animals:
spay/neuter education
veterinary tips
·
The calendar will assist the Committee in meeting
its mandate, namely:
education of residents;
the importance of animal care, of spaying and
neutering and the appropriate veterinary services;
providing for reasonable affordable veterinary
services to residents
arranging for adoptions
fund raising for all of the above items.
· The calendar will provide an opportunity to engage Town residents in the work of the Committee.
· The calendar will enable Town residents to showcase their animals to family and friends.
·
Revenues will be directed towards the Committee’s projects,
including the long-term goal of establishing a Town of
IV.
Proposal
(a) Background Research
Terri
Daniels contacted/met with representatives of other groups that have successfully
produced calendars to learn what they did and to discuss “tips for success”.
|
Group |
Key Points |
|
Uxbridge/Scugog |
·
started 5 to 6 years ago ·
charges $10 per entry, $10 per calendar and $50
for a business card size advertisement ·
received 400 entries last year ·
has a memorial page ·
usually breaks even at time of printing ·
has ordered 1,250 calendars for 2009 and will net
about $10,000 (pays $2.50 per calendar) |
|
|
·
started in 2008 ·
modeled after Uxbridge/Scugog ·
received 440 entries in 2008 ($10 per entry) and
sold 1,500 calendars |
|
Windsor
- |
·
started about 6 years ago ·
received 420 entries in 2008 and 220 in 2009
(entry fee is $15) ·
sold 2,000 calendars in 2008 |
|
City
of |
·
started 4 years ago ·
charges $10 entry fee, $50 for business card ads
and $10 per calendar ·
order 1,000 but have never sold out ·
costs $3,700 ($1,000 for graphic work) |
|
City
of |
·
started 3 years ago ·
charges $15 per entry and $10 per calendar |
(See
Appendix 1 for additional details.)
(b) Key Points and Tips From Research
·
important to use local newspapers to get the
message out – both for the submission of entries and sales/revenue reporting;
·
need an experienced graphics person;
·
ensure that every entry gets into the calendar;
·
the 12 “winners” get to be the “monthly pet” along
with a short bio;
·
based on other experiences, 50% of the entries come
in during the last few days;
·
need to proof calendars very carefully to ensure
names are spelled correctly;
·
provide a free calendar to the “winners”,
advertisers and judges;
·
the memorial page and the veterinary tips are
popular;
·
use the same size picture for all pets to avoid
issues; and
·
have acknowledgements on the back of the calendar
to recognize contributors.
(c) Work Effort
There
is a significant amount of work to do to promote the calendar and oversee its
production. Committee members will be
requested to serve on either the Marketing Team or the Production Team so that
the work effort is evenly shared and tasks are completed on schedule.
(d) Marketing Team
The
Marketing Team will be responsible for the front-end promotion of the calendar
to the business community, all advertising and the photo entry process.
(e) Production Team
The
Production Team will be responsible for the calendar production including the
selection of graphic designer and printer, design layout, proofing and final
printing.
(f) Risks
The
following table identifies the potential risks and potential corrective
actions.
|
Risk |
Actions to Reduce/Eliminate Risks |
|
Insufficient
business interest |
·
reduce reliance on this revenue stream ·
increase promotion activities |
|
Over
subscribed business interest |
·
increase space devoted to advertising ·
limit advertising to available space |
|
Too
few entries |
·
additional advertising |
|
Too
many entries |
·
expand the calendar size ·
limit entries to the available space (based on
first received) & return unsuccessful entries |
|
Sales
are slow |
·
additional advertising & marketing |
|
Calendar
demand exceeds supply |
·
explore possibility of additional print run for
2010 ·
increase production of 2011 calendar |
(g) Detailed Work Plan
The
work plans for the marketing team and the production team are set out in
Appendix 3 and Appendix 4 respectively.
V.
Budget
|
Description |
Revenue ($) |
|
|
1,300 |
|
Entry
fees (300 x $10) |
3,000 |
|
|
10,000 |
|
Total
Revenue |
14,300 |
|
|
|
|
Description |
Expenses ($) |
|
Design
Poster; Application Form; Web Site |
0* |
|
Newspaper
Advertisements (Town of |
0* |
|
Design
Layout |
0** |
|
Printing
(1,000 calendars) |
5,990 |
|
Total
Expenses |
5,990 |
|
|
|
|
Net
Revenue |
8,310 |
* costs will be
paid by the Town of
**donated by the
company
VI.
Timetable
|
Description of Work |
Team |
Start and End Dates |
|
Approval
of Calendar Name |
All |
January
21st |
|
Approval
of Letter to Business Community |
All |
January
21st |
|
Approval
of Project Plan Direction |
All |
January
21st |
|
Establish
Contest/Entry Process |
MT |
February |
|
Design
Poster; Application Form; Web Site |
MT |
February
- March |
|
Approach Business
Community |
MT |
March
- April |
|
Select
Graphic Designer |
PT |
March
- April |
|
Select
Printer |
PT |
March
- April |
|
Newspaper
Advertisements (Town of |
MT |
April
- December |
|
Receive
Entries |
MT |
May
1st - August 7th |
|
Scan
Photos; Pre-Production Work; Design & Layout Work |
PT |
May
- September |
|
Entry
Deadline |
MT |
August
7th |
|
“Pet
of the Month” Contest Judging |
All |
August
14th |
|
Final
Design & Layout |
PT |
August
17th – August 21st |
|
Proofing
of Content |
PT |
August
24th – August 28th |
|
Send
Finished Product to Printer |
PT |
September
11th |
|
Distribute
Calendars (contest winners, advertisers, pre-paid orders, stores) |
MT |
October |
|
Final
News Story |
MT |
January |
|
Thank-you
Letters to Stakeholders |
MT |
January |
MT – Marketing Team
PT – Production Team
VII.
Decision
Points
This table will
be used to document the key decision points made by the Committee.
|
Decision
Point |
Date |
|
To proceed with the
calendar |
|
|
Choice of calendar name –
“ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VIII.
Staffing
|
Marketing Team |
Terri
Daniels Denielle
Duncan Bernice
Royce Andrea
Sims |
|
Production Team |
Janet
Andrews Julia
Burke Yasuko
Naka Barbara
Newman Bob
Newman |
IX.
Partners & Stakeholders
Identified
stakeholders include:
·
Graphic Designer
·
Printer
·
Business Community
·
Town Residents
X.
Evaluation
The
Committee will judge the success of the calendar based on the following
performance measures:
·
# of business advertisements (% of 24 – 2 per page)
·
# of entries (% of 400 which appears to be the norm)
·
# of calendars sold (% of 1,000)
·
# of positive news stories
·
% increase in animal adoptions (need to coordinate
the data collection of this statistic with area shelters)
XI.
Appendix
·
Appendix 1 – Background research paper prepared by
Terri Daniels
·
Appendix 2 – Letter to the business community
·
Appendix 3 – Marketing Team work plan
·
Appendix 4 – Production team work plan
Appendix 1
Background Research Paper – Terri Daniels
Uxbridge/Scugog
·
Started – 5 or 6 years ago
·
$10 per entry
·
Almost 400 entries (note – 200 came in 2
days before deadline)
·
Has a memorial page
·
$50 per business entry (business card
size)
·
$10 per calendar
·
Usually broken even at print time
·
Ordered 1,250 calendars for 2009
·
Will net about $10,000 for 2009
Key
Points and Tips
·
Local newspapers are important to getting
the story out...before during and after (with story of how much money is
raised)
·
Graphics person
·
$10 per entry
·
Every pet entry gets on calendar
·
“Winners” get to be the monthly pet with a
short story by guardian
·
Business card advertisements - $50
·
Don’t panic about entries – 50 percent
come in during the last few days
·
Proof calendars carefully – incorrect pet
name can make some people rabid!
·
Scugog pays just less than $2.50 per
calendar (printing 1,250)
o
Swan Printing Lithograph
Tel 416-744-0322 Fax 416-744-0229
info@swanprinting.net
·
Free calendars to winners (they’ll order
more), advertisers and judges
·
Memorial page has been very successful
·
Have a veterinarian write monthly “tips”
·
Use same size photo for
·
Have acknowledgements on back
Suggested Timeline – Kathy Dudley
·
Pick deadline for contest (KD – mid
August)
·
Make up posters & entry forms
April/May
·
Put posters and entry forms in stores
& businesses
·
Get ads in local papers
·
Send letters for advertising in calendars
with sample page and deadline date
Late July/Aug
·
Follow-up stories (ads) for contest
deadline
End of August
·
Set time and place for judging
·
Pick judges
·
Scan photos
·
Get ads ready for calendar
·
Contact winners and get write-ups of pets
·
Put calendar together
·
Proof
·
Proof
·
Proof
Mid September
·
Send to printer
·
Make posters to sell
October
·
Put calendars in stores to sell
·
Keep an inventory list – how many
calendars left and sold
·
Get story into local papers to help sell
Follow-up – February/March
·
Present money to shelter (in our case it
would be the Committee)
·
Make sure it gets into the papers
·
Make posters and thank you letters to put
in stores and mail to advertisers
Calendars
– Other Municipalities
·
Animal control contracted with OSPCA
·
First year – 2008
·
440 entries - $10 each
·
Ordered and sold 1,500 in Year 1
·
Repeated for 2009 – ordered 1,500
·
Modelled after Uxbridge/Scugog
Windsor-Essex
·
Animal control contracted with
Windsor-Essex Humane Society
·
Have been doing calendars for about 6
years
·
Their “Pet Idols” calendar was the
inspiration for Kathy Dudley – Uxbridge/Scugog (name is being trademarked)
·
2008 - 420 entries (Note – entry fee not
known by person spoken with) 2,000 sold
·
2009 – 220 entries – entry fee $15 each
·
Reported that income from calendars amounted
to 7% of total income in 2007 – no income number was available but, operating
budget was said to be $600K
·
Prefer digital photos – specify certain
pixels
City of
·
$10 entry fee
·
$10 calendars
·
Also do a Christmas CD
City of
·
3rd Year
·
$15 entry fee
·
Prizes for 1st, 2nd
& 3rd
·
$10 calendars – almost sold out by Dec 12
·
Done by a committee
·
Printer - PB & Associates – Printing
Solutions
Decisions
·
Most important question – Do we do it?
·
Hard copies of photos and/or digital?
·
Graphic Designer?
·
How do we split up work?
o
By geographic area?
o
Selling business ads? Getting local businesses (ie. Vet offices,
pet stores, groomers, etc) to display posters and entries and, sell calendars
o
Sending out calendars
o
Mailing calendars (if we allow people to
pre-pay)
o
???
·
Entry fee?
·
How many?
·
Name of calendar?
Appendix 2
Advertise in
Dear Business Owner
The Town of Markham’s Animal Care Committee, an advisory Committee of Council, was formed to assist residents with pet care education, including the importance of spaying/neutering, ensuring all homeless animals are adopted, providing low cost veterinary services for those who cannot afford them, and most importantly fundraising for all of the above. We are asking you to help us, help the animals!
The volunteers of the Animal Care Committee invite you to purchase advertising space in our 2010 calendar!
The calendar will feature photos of
About the 2010
- For a $10 donation to the Committee, residents can submit a photo & details about their pet (dog, cat, bunny, etc.) for inclusion in the calendar
- Special pet stories will be profiled each month as Pet of the Month (selected by the Committee from all entries received)
- Information pages will contain pet care tips and features
- Available for purchase October 2009 onwards, through Town of
About the Advertising
- Full colour, 12 months
- 24 ad spaces available (2 per month)
- Single ad space 3.5” x 2” (standard business card size), full
colour – cost $50
We are pleased to offer this exceptional
advertising opportunity to a limited number of businesses. Being part of this great new fundraiser is
sure to boost your profile among pet-owners and animal lovers of
If you have any questions about this offer, or are interested in distributing our calendar through your business, please contact the Committee Clerk at animalcare@markham.ca.
We hope that you will be a part of this exciting new initiative; we look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your support.
Yours truly,
Valerie Burke
Chair-Animal Care Committee
Town of
905 477 7000 Extension 7747
Appendix 3
Marketing Team Work Plan
1. Establish
Contest/Entry Process
·
set out the process on how entries are to be submitted – see attached
entry form which contains the details
·
will accept both digital & printed pictures as not everyone may have
a digital camera – need to determine if the Town has a scanner we can use to
scan the printed pictures – will need to
get direction from the graphic designer on what his/her needs are before
finalizing
·
need to ensure that the process and messaging are detailed enough to
answer all the questions people may have – otherwise we’ll get lots of
calls/inquiries for clarification – will provide an email address for inquiries
·
how to get the message out – involve local media – will they run
stories?
2. Poster
·
work with Town of
·
·
determine where to put posters – suggestions include on the Town’s web
site, animal services locations, vet offices, off-leash dog parks, tack stores
in York Region – any additional suggestions from Town of Markham Communications
staff?
3. Design
Application Form
·
develop a logo for the Committee
·
see attached entry form
·
include an order form & require prepayment – cheque to be payable to the Town of
·
include option for pre-paid
calendar orders and postage
·
determine where to put entry forms – on web, animal services locations,
vet offices, tack stores in York Region – any additional suggestions from Town
of
·
Town to print entry forms on our behalf
4. Design
Information for the Town of
·
work with Town of
·
how prominent can our page be on the web – direct link from the home
page?
·
messaging should change over time – initial “plug” through to countdown,
i.e. “only one week left” – need to be diligent on messaging, especially if
entries are slow
5. Approach
Business Community
·
letter from Councillor Burke on behalf of the Committee to be given to
potential business advertisers (see Appendix 2)
·
need to determine process – Marketing
Team members will personally distribute letters to known animal services
suppliers with a broader mail-out as a back-up
·
need to determine level of follow-up, especially if sales are slow
·
develop contingency plan if we are “over-subscribed”…perhaps include
more pages in the calendar
6. Newspaper
Advertisements (Town of
·
work with Town of
7. Receive
Entries
·
develop submission process – need to “match up” the photo with the entry
details – residents are directed to write their name and phone number along
with their pet’s name on the back of the photo or on the cd
·
determine how the pictures will be filed/organized – all hardcopy photos
will need to be scanned to send to the graphic designer
8. “Pet
of the Month” Contest Judging
·
judging to occur on August 14th – all Committee members are
invited to participate
·
need to determine the process – need to ensure that all animal
categories are covered
·
notify the winners and obtain a “story” about the pet to be included in the calendar
9. Calendar
Distribution
·
Marketing Team Members to oversee the mailing of the pre-paid orders
·
send out the complimentary copies to the winners of the “Pet of the
Month” contest and advertisers
·
determine where to put the calendars for sale – include contingency
plans for “moving” the calendars around from low to high selling locations –
need to develop a tracking system
10. Final
News Story
·
work with Town of
·
where to put? web site? Town of
·
will local media run stories?
11. Thank
You Letters to Stakeholders
·
ensure that all our partners/stakeholders receive a thank you letter
from the Committee outlining the success of the project
Entry Form
|
2010
“ The
Markham Animal Care Services Committee invites you to participate in their
first annual “Markham, We Love Our Pets Calendar” Pet Photo Contest. All
photos will be included in this 12 month calendar, but only 12 winners
will be selected for the ‘Pet of the Month’. Please
fill out this entry form and submit with your photo and $10.00 entry fee:
Contact Centre Attn: Animal Care Committee 101 Town Centre Boulevard Town Centre Boulevard Hours: Mon. –
Fri. |
|
|||
|
Deadline
for entries is Name:
_____________________________________________ Name
of Pet: ________________________________________ For
“In Memoriam” Only: Year of Birth_____ Year of Passing_____ Address:
____________________________________________ City:
____________________ Postal Code:________________ Phone
Number:_______________________________________ I understand that all entries become the
property of the calendar producers, and I grant my permission for my
photograph to be published in the 2010 “ Signature:_____________________________________________________ |
Entry Fee |
$ 10.00 |
|
|
|
Calendar Orders |
|
|
||
|
I
would like to PREPAY for _____ calendars at $10.00 each and collect from The
Town of Markham. |
$
_______ |
|
||
|
Prepaid Postage Available |
|
|
||
|
I
would like my calendars mailed to my home for $13.00 per calendar which
includes S&H. ____
calendars @ $13.00 each |
$______ |
|
||
Paid
by:
_
Cash _ Cheque
|
|
|
||
|
TOTAL |
$_______ |
|
||
|
Rules and Suggestions: 1.
Photo
must be of animals only. (No people please!) 2.
We
cannot accept prints larger than 4”x 6” or Polaroid photos. (Include name, phone number & name of
pet on back of photo.) 3.
Digital
photos must be at least 4” x 6” and dpi (not to exceed 10 MB) 4.
Please
fill out a separate form for each photo submitted. 5.
Do
not fold or staple photos to the entry form. 6.
Copyright
photos can not be used without written permission from photographer. 7.
Cost
is $10.00 per photo with completed entry form, to be paid at the time of
submission. 8.
Payment
is by cash or cheque only. (cheques
made payable to The Town of |
Instructions for Entry: 1.
Print your name, phone number, and pet’s name on
the back of your photograph or directly onto your CD. 2.
If
more than one animal appears in the photo, please write their names in order
from left to right. 3.
If
more than one photo on a CD please label each file with name of animal. 4.
Fill
out the entry form on the top of this page, and sign at the bottom where
indicated. 5.
Drop
off or mail as shown. |
|||
|
Please
Note: 1.
All monies raised from this calendar will go
directly to improving the lives of 2.
Photos
may have to be cropped to fit calendar format. 3.
We
reserve the right to refuse any unsuitable photographs. 4.
Unfortunately,
we are unable to return photos. |
*Winners
will be notified by phone.* For
any questions e-mail: |
|||
Appendix 4
Production Team Work Plan
1. Select
Graphic Designer
·
determine process to select the graphic designer – need to obtain at least
three quotes in accordance with the Town’s purchasing by-law – determine what
factors are to be considered in awarding the contract – lowest price? experience
in producing similar products?
·
would be preferable if the graphic designer and the printer had an
existing business relationship
·
write a contract – investigate whether
·
get specs from designer for photos
2. Select
Printer
·
determine process to select the printer – need to obtain at least three
quotes in accordance with the Town’s purchasing by-law – determine what factors
are to be considered in awarding the contract – lowest price? experience in
producing similar products?
·
would be preferable if the printer and the graphic designer had an
existing business relationship
·
in accordance with the Town’s “green” initiatives, the printer must use
FSC paper
·
write a contract – investigate whether
3. Scan
Photos; Pre-Production Work
·
determine how we want the calendar to look – get Committee approval
·
determine process to send photos to graphic designer – who will do the
scanning?
·
determine what upfront work needs to be done in consultation with the
designer
·
determine the process to approach vets for writing “tips for a healthy
pet” – Offer a part to all? request submissions & award to one? Offer at a fee for “advertising”?
·
develop the other messaging – e.g. the benefits of shelter pet adoptions;
importance of proper animal care including spay/neuter, etc.
4. Design
& Layout Work
·
determine the layout – how many pictures per page – memorial page layout
(include the
·
liaise with the printer as necessary
·
get Committee approval for preliminary design
5. Proofing
of Content
·
determine how proofing is to occur and who is going to proof (need excellent
attention to detail skills) – mistakes will be costly! – the more eyes the
better!
6. Final
Design & Layout
·
determine process for final approval – who has the authority for final
sign off?
7. Printing
·
ensure finished product is sent to the printer by the agreed upon deadline
·
printer is to send the calendars directly to the Town of