Maintaining Focus
Usually, a completely grassroots fundraising effort comes about to serve a local and immediate need. Therefore, the time factor is short and the focus remains fairly consistent. However, it is up to at least one person in the group to keep the members focused on why they are getting together, particularly if you will meet several times at private homes and are prone to going off on tangents.
Hub events are a great choice for grassroots fundraisers. They typically have several methods of raising money. For example, plan a picnic and hold an auction, sell desserts, or play games to bring in funds. Through these various activities, each person contributes a little here and a little there as she enjoys the entire event.
At meetings, allow for socializing and plan for refreshments of some type. Have each person pitch in or volunteer to bring refreshments to the next meeting. Set aside an hour and a half to two hours to talk business, and appoint someone as the leader to enforce this rule and keep the discussion on topic. You may want to assign this task to a different person for each meeting or to one person whom everyone feels comfortable with as the leader. This leader needs to be flexible and take the role as more of a guide to keep the project on track. No leader should make unilateral decisions.
