Thank you for signing up to host a party to benefit Habitat for Humanity. We are so grateful for people like you who are concerned about giving back to families in need living in our communities. We want your party to be a successful event, as well as fun for you and your guests. To help with that, we have designed a House Party Toolkit for you as an easy way to invite guests and raise money for this great cause. This year, because we know how busy your schedule is, to make hosting a party easier you can schedule a party for either October 3 or October 4.

The premise for the House Party is that instead of holding one party at one location, you  can sign up to hold a party at your individual home, work place, place of worship, wherever you meet with your friends, on either October 3 or 4, collecting donations from guests while enjoying yourself with family and friends. All proceeds will go to help Habitat build homes in Southeastern Michigan.

Thank you very much for participating and giving a hand up, not a hand out, to families in need of safe, affordable housing in our communities!

We have special tote bags for you that include the toolkit you will need to host a fun and successful event. A team member from The World’s Biggest Party event will contact you for pick-up arrangements.

TOTE BAG CONTENTS

In your tote bag you will find a:

1. Lawn Sign

2. Donation Box

3. Guest sign-in sheet

4. Donation Collection Instructions and Pre-Addressed Return Envelope

5. Host Survey

6. Habitat DVD to show to guests

Following are some instructions and suggestions that hopefully will make your get-together easy and fun. Please visit this section often for assistance with party themes, newsletters, and information to keep you up to date on what is happening across Southeastern Michigan with this event. And don’t forget, your party can be as simple as a poker night, a bbq or a Catch Phrase night, or a more formal event like a wine-tasting or dinner party - you choose whatever kind of affair you wish to have to raise donations for Habitat and then celebrate with your guests.

Tote bag - The tote bag is our thank-you gift to you for your graciousness in holding a benefit party. We hope you use it to carry your groceries in or library books or anything at all. Please enjoy it!

Lawn Sign - The yard sign is for you to use on your front lawn on the day of your House Party, or at the end of the street to help your guests identify how to find your home. Or you can put it up early to help advertise the event so that more people might sign up to be hosts for this great cause. Because Habitat is a non-profit, we would be grateful if after the event you dropped off the sign to the location you picked it up from so it can be used again next year for The World’s Biggest House Party 2010! That would be much appreciated in keeping our costs down. Thank you.

Donation Box with House Party Sticker and Guest Sign-In Sheet — In your tote bag is a Donation Collection Box that is assembled with a special sticker on it that identifies the box as the place for your guests to put their donations, either in the form of a check or cash. At your House Party please put the guest sign-in sheet next to the box so that people can register with their contact information. Getting their full information is very important to help Habitat enhance its database of donors. Be sure to have plenty of pens nearby for guests to write checks and complete the sign-in sheet.  If your guests request receipts for their donations, please note that on the sign-in sheet, making sure their address is correct, so that Habitat can send them a donation receipt for their taxes.

Donation Collection Instructions — During the party, we suggest you designate someone to be responsible for monitoring the collection box throughout the night, keeping track of it.  At the end of your House Party, please total the amount collected. Be sure to tell your guests to make their checks payable to Habitat for Humanity. If cash is collected, please take it to your bank and exchange it for a money order or certified check made payable to Habitat for Humanity. Then put it, along with your guests’ checks, together with the sign-in sheet and Collection Form into the pre-addressed envelope, (please include the completed host survey form), put postage on the envelope and pop it in the mail.  If any of your guests wish to make a credit card donation, it would be helpful if you could have the www.worldsbiggesthouseparty.org site on your computer screen at your party so that they can go to the Donate tab to make their donation. Have them write the amount donated by credit card on a piece of paper and put it in the Donation Box so that when you count the checks, cash and credit card donations everything will be included in your Biggest Party total.

There is a Collection Form enclosed to complete to accompany the checks, registration sheet and host survey. Please note that all donations should be put in the mail within three days of your House Party to allow us to quickly calculate the results. We will email you as soon as the final numbers are in so that you know the total raised by gracious people like yourself.

Host Survey– A survey asking you a few questions about your experience with the World’s Biggest House Party is enclosed in your tote. We would appreciate it if after your party you please complete and mail it back to Habitat along with your collection form and guest sign-in sheet in the pre-addressed envelope that is also in your tote. We hope that you have a great experience with this fundraising event and your input will help us to make it an even greater event for years to come.

DVD — There is a short DVD enclosed in your tote that we would like you to show your guests. It is a brief description of who Habitat is, what it does, who the recipients are, with a thank you in a voice-over format from Habitat and you to all of your guests. People like to know where their money is going and this is an entertaining and informative brief DVD to help you with that. It would be a good idea for you to view it before hand so that you know what it’s all about.

ITEMS FOR HOSTS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN TOTE

Save-The-Date Cards - Download the electronic files below which can then be printed out on Ink Jet Template 4×6 postcards, Avery #8386; or Laser Template 4×6 postcards, Avery #5389. Then just address them, put on postage, and mail them out to ensure that your guests reserve October 3 or October 4 (whichever date you choose) on their calendars to attend your party. We recommend you send these out at least six weeks prior to your party date to get the most guests possible to attend.
Ink Jet Front & Ink Jet Back
Laser Front & Laser Back

Evites - This year we’ve provided you with a House Party special invite to send to your guests after the save-the-date cards, approximately 3 weeks prior to your party. Just log onto evite.com and customize your evite with our background artwork and our main image artwork by following the directions below:

1. Save the artwork to your desktop

2. Go to www.evite.com

3. Click the “invitations” tab

4. Under “design categories,” select “General - Design Your Own”

5. Select “upload your own background image,” and then click the “choose file” button

6. Navigate to where you saved the background.gif file and select the file

7. Click the “select” button at the bottom of the page

8. Select “Upload Your Own Main Image” and click the “choose file” button

9. Navigate to where you saved main-image.jpg file and select the file

10. You’re now ready to complete your Evite invitation or save your draft for later

Host Tips and Newsletters - Under Host Tips, you will find entertaining ideas about themes, food, entertainment, etc. from Chef Sherry Hall of A Taste of Life.  The newsletters will keep you up to date on what is happening with the House Party overall so that you can be part of this great cause. We would love to receive your party ideas and updates on what you are doing as well. Please email edemink@gmail.com with these and we will include them in our newsletters for all our great hosts to read.

Habitat for Humanity Logoed Items - If you would like to wear a Habitat logoed shirt, tool belt or construction helmet at your party, or would like to set out a Habitat logoed item as props, raffle items, or cute little gifts for your guests to promote Habitat and its mission, just go to Your Habitat Store Online to place an order.

Facebook - This year we are catching up with the new technology and have a Facebook page for you to go to and send to all of your friends to get everyone fired up about the event and to book parties all across Southeastern Michigan. You can just click on the Facebook link on any of the main pages of our website where there are instructions on how to send the fan page out to your friends and family. Please do this so that we can get the most exposure for this great event and cause to help Habitat raise money to give a hand up to those in need in our communities.

Twitter — This year we also have “Twitter” for people to use as well. A link for Twitter can be found on all of the main pages at our website alongside the Facebook link. Use it well and help build the buzz about The World’s Biggest House Party.