Hosting Meet and Greet events are a great way to get your adoptable animals seen by the public, while giving your volunteers the opportunity to pass out information, meet potential volunteers, and make friends with future donors. Many groups feel overwhelmed when they try to think of all the items needed at a Meet and Greet type event. Here are a few items to help you create a checklist for your group that will keep you more organized, more unified looking, and ultimately ease your mind about keeping everything together.

There may be some variables between your event locations that you’ll have to consider, but in general terms, keeping things the same throughout a larger organization will certainly help organize your group and help “brand” your group at the same time. You want your tables to appear similar each time you host them so you present a unified look to the community. This form of branding will help people to readily identify your group from one event to another.

Some groups keep a Rubbermaid container (or 2) with all the stuff inside for their events. On the inside cover, they have taped a sheet protector where they can add in a list detailing the contents of the kit. This will allow them to change the paper as needed, including more items, or marking off items with a dry erase marker that they are out of and need to replace for the kit.

Ideas for the kit:

• Seasonal tablecloth, or tablecloth specific to your group. This could be a larger sheet with colored pawprints stamped on it, your logo ironed onto the front of it with t-shirt transfer material, or be super creative and make it look like a dog with a stuffed head and tail as a few groups have done in the past.
• Sticky name tags with your group’s logo on them to easily identify volunteers from the regular shoppers and bystanders. You can easily create name tags on your computer that will have your logo and a blank area for a volunteer to write their own name.
• Adopt Me vests or bandanas for the pets. Along with nametags for volunteers, identifying which animals are available for adoption makes things much easier at events.
• Donation can. This could be a clear fish bowl, acrylic box, umbrella, or a le Bistro food bowl where treats are at the bottom and money goes in the top! Include a sign on your donation jar, and seed the pot with a few $1 bills and a $5 that you can keep on hand as part of the kit.
• Membership info, sign-up sheet for newsletter or e-letter.
• Volunteer application and brochure, other volunteer info (job descriptions).
• Business cards, brochures, wish list of needed items. These are the standard items that won’t change. You can also create special business cards with a blank spot where your volunteers can write their own contact info or the name of a fostered animal the family is interested in.
• Scrapbook or tri-fold board showing successful adoptions, before and after photos, etc. You may also want to include a scrapbook of animals who are not able to attend your event, with a bio of the animal, photos, and contact info for the foster family.
• Adoption applications, screening worksheets, home visit checklist sample, whatever else you need for adoptions or to start the process.
• Info on upcoming events and fundraisers. Bring specific brochures for these items, flyers, sign-up registrations or sponsorships. This info will need to be updated frequently since it will be outdated after the event.
• Ongoing fundraising info. Create a flyer or brochure with info on ongoing fundraisers, such as memorials, ink cartridges, food donation program.
• A copy of your group’s insurance that shows proof you are covered for liability at off-site events.
• Table and folding chairs (Not in the kit, just bring them)
• Tent (not in the kit, but put a reminder on the sheet or outside the box to bring it!)

If you’re bringing pets to the event, which you usually will, you’ll need to have an extra leash or two, paper towels and cleaning fluid for ‘accidents’ that might happen, trash bags for cleanup at the event (your food containers, papers), Walmart bags or other smaller bags for ‘accident’ cleanup or potty breaks while walking, water bowls, water jugs. Each animal in attendance should have some sort of business card or bio sheet to help other volunteers give info about that pet if the foster parent is not immediately available.