Party Tips

Here are just a few helpful suggestions from our seasoned party hosts:

• Invite people NOW
• Invite more people than you expect. In fact, invite 3 to 4 times as many people as you expect!
• Invite people who do not yet know of High Country News – neighbors, gym buddies, co-workers, community groups, etc. One of the bigger goals of this initiative is to spread the word about High Country News. Simply put, there are too few people exposed to its content, and now is the time to get the word out!
• Decide how you want to invite guests – post or e-mail? Both?
• Encourage e-mail invitation recipients to forward their invite on to other potentially interested parties (see e-mail invite template)
• Follow up your invitations with a phone call or personal conversation a few days after the mailings have been received! Be prepared to talk to a lot of answering machines.
• If you talk to a person (not an answering machine), you can ask if they have names of any other people that you should include on your invitation list.
• Carry extra invitations with you, in case you run into someone you’d like to invite that wasn’t originally on your list.
• Get the word out: use our Media Kit. It has press release, logos, flyers, and other information for local TV, community calendars, radio stations, and newspapers – so YOU can let people know about YOUR fabulous FUNdraising party!
• Have your “elevator pitch” (an answer to why you are hosting this FUNdraising party in about 30 seconds) ready! Check out our elevator pitch examples.
• For an open or public party, your party will be registered on our Web site so that people who are interested in attending can contact you for an invite.
• Consider recruiting friends or family for help. 
• Get food or other materials donated.  Often, local companies that know High Country News or who are generally passionate about the West, are often willing to pitch in.