Campaign Operations

Hey Shine Nation!!! 

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far and near and having some fun even though I’m sure it’s busy busy. By now you should have a good idea on how your campaign is shaping up and how you are going to be implementing all your plans to make it a success. I’m here to say a few pointers on how to operate your campaign over the summer in preparation for the coming school year.  HIt the break for all the details!

Campaign Logistics

The Shinerama bible (the resource manual) states that all the responsibilities should be divided into two categories; “before Shine Day” and “for Shine Day” itself…so I’ll break this up into two sections as well. “Before Shine Day” is happening right now - so you should get a move on in regards to everything you are planning to occur on Shine Day. Here’s how it works:


Step 1: Figure out where you want your shine sites to be (think high traffic such as grocery stores, liquor   stores, department stores) and then get permission.


Step 2: Figure out how you are going to get your volunteers to the shine sites (buses, cars)


Step 3: Figure out any extraneous permits you will need to legally and safely raise funds (city permits, insurance certificates).

Step 4: Arrange how you are going to have effective communication on Shine Day (cell phones, walkie-talkies)


Step 5: Organize all your supplies and make sure all volunteers have what the need.
For organizing Shine Day itself you will need to have a headquarters (or two!) and a safe place to count the money raised. You will also need a way to check in with your shine site leaders periodically through the day in case you need to. Having someone in charge of media relations is a definite plus and a team in charge of distributing food/drink to your volunteers is necessary. Make sure you have extra supplies available in case they are needed (they probably will be!). VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you double-check the phone number you are providing to the media or volunteers. Could pose a problem if they have the wrong number & calling the local pizza location & not you all day. Plan ahead to avoid any risky situations!

A Campus Guide to Safe Shining: 

Whether your campaign is microscopic or Tyrannosaurus-Rex-huge safety for everyone involved in Shine Day is paramount. You want to make sure your shiners are having a great time but in a way that are still able to celebrate at the end of the day rather than in a hospital. Make sure you enforce common sense even though it may seem obvious (i.e. do not run into a street EVER; do not obstruct traffic; respect public property, unless you have permission to do something creative with it). The resource manual also has 12 hazards that definitely warrant a read through. With respect to safety, contrary to the popular saying, any bad press is not good press!

Event Liability and Insurance: 

Always keep this little tidbit in the back of your mind: you cannot sign any contract or agreement on behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. For any document, such as a city permit, that requires signing authority, send it to the office and they will be more than happy to help you out. Take a read through on pages 50-51 to have an idea on what you are ALLOWED to do and what you are NOT ALLOWED to do. Make a list of all things that your campaign may be liable for and plan out accordingly how you are going to act. Getting in touch with your school/student union with respect to risk management policy may also be a good idea. Also as a courtesy, send a reminder to all the places who have agreed to be Shine sites. And while you are sending out emails anyway – contact your local law enforcement with the times & areas the Shiners will be at so they are aware in case calls come in.




So that’s campaign operations in a nutshell. I recommend taking a peek at Section 4 of your resource manual for a much more in depth look at everything highlighted above. Any questions, big or small are always welcome by your Campaign Advisor, Regional Director or our friends at the Cystic Fibrosis Canada office. I hope everyone has a super summer, you all deserve it and I look forward to hearing about all your successes over the next few months. That MORE than $1 million dollar goal is nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof!


 Thomas Watson
Campaign Advisor 2011