Get to together with friends and family and support Mass General. Whether you host a walk, benefit or golf tournament, you can have fun and help the hospital.
Mass General is grateful to the dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to build support for the hospital. By finding new ways to engage the community and help raise funds, you support programs that provide the highest quality care to patients, advance care through biomedical and clinical research, educate future leaders in the healthcare professions and improve the health of the diverse communities we serve.
Get Started Planning Your Event
Steps to Organizing a Successful Event
- Details: Decide what type of event you will host. Then start thinking about a theme, location, food and beverages, prizes and programming.
- The green light: Review the Massachusetts General Hospital Third Party Events booklet. Complete the Event Proposal Form and return it for approval to the Development Office at least six weeks prior to the tentative date of your event.
- Form a committee: Gather enthusiastic family, friends and colleagues to start planning. They can provide the support you will need to organize and run your event.
- Prepare a budget: Establish a fund-raising goal and identify potential sources of income and expenses.
- Plan a timeline: Develop a timeline to know when important tasks are due and who is responsible. This will help keep your event on schedule.
- Spread the word: Send invitations and e-mails to everyone you know and ask them to help by telling their circle of friends. Give yourself plenty of time for invitations and publicity.
- Have fun!: Hold your event and have a great time and raise awareness about the Mass General and the worthy cause for which you are raising money.
- Don’t forget: Collect funds for the event you hosted and send one check, made payable to the Massachusetts General Hospital, to the Development Office within 60 days of your event.
- Hooray!: Congratulate yourself and your committee for planning a successful event. Acknowledge and thank your donors, participants, sponsors and in-kind donors.
- Follow-up: Organize a follow-up meeting with your committee to discuss and evaluate your event…and start the planning for next year.
- Can the Mass General Development Office provide me with letters and receipts for my supporters?
Yes, there are several letters that the Development Office can provide. However, please note that we are unable to provide tax receipts for any gifts or contributions that are not received or made payable directly to Mass General. Documents that we can provide are as follows: - Authorization letters to be used to validate the authenticity of the event and its organizers.
- Thank-you letters to donors for raffle and auction items donated directly to the third-party volunteer organizers.
- Acknowledgement letters and tax receipts for contributions made payable directly to Massachusetts General Hospital, and delivered to the Development Office.
- Can I use the Mass General name and logo to promote my event?
Of course! Prior to use, please be sure to submit for approval all materials on which you would like the Mass General name and logo to appear. Also, the Development Office must approve all invitation copy, advertisements and printed materials related to the event before printing and distribution. - Can Mass General help spread the word about my event?
As soon as we approve your event, we are happy to help promote it on our web site and throughout appropriate Mass general publications. - Can Mass General provide me with a list of supporters?
We cannot provide mailing lists of donors, physicians, staff or vendors, as it is our policy to keep records confidential. The Development Office would be happy to review your list of potential sponsors before you solicit them for contributions, sponsorships or in-kind gifts. - Can Mass General solicit corporate sponsorship for my event?
We cannot solicit corporate sponsors for your event, however, the Development Office would be happy to review your list of potential corporate sponsors before you solicit them for contributions, sponsorships or in-kind gifts. - Who will help run my event?
The Mass General events staff will be able to provide guidance. However, due to staff and time constraints, we are unable to manage your event for you. We recommend that you form a committee of friends, family and others who are excited about your cause. They will play an important role in providing support during your event and throughout your planning. - Can I have a raffle at my event?
Raffles and auctions are a great way to raise money. Massachusetts has strict regulations governing raffles and gaming events carried out for charitable purposes. If you would like to learn how to obtain more information about the rules governing raffles and “games of chance” in Massachusetts, please refer to the financial information section. - Can I use the Mass General tax-exempt number to buy supplies related to my event?
Mass General cannot provide our tax-exempt number to event organizers to make purchases related to their event. However, if a business makes a donation to the event and would like the tax-exempt number for tax purposes or to verify the tax status of Mass General, we will provide the tax identification number to that business upon request. - Who will pay my event expenses?
The event organizer is responsible for covering all expenses for their event and will not be reimbursed. Your event costs should be deducted from the funds raised prior to sending the donation to Mass General. - Can I designate part of the proceeds from my event to another organization?
Yes, please be sure to inform the Development Office of this in your Event Proposal Form. If there is more than one beneficiary, please clearly state the percentage of the proceeds that will benefit Mass General on all advertising, promotional and print materials. - What should I do with the money from my event after I have collected it?
Within 60 days following the event, please deliver all net proceeds, made payable to Massachusetts General Hospital: - Special Events
Development Office
Massachusetts General Hospital
165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114 - Whom can I contact if I have more questions?
The Development Office is available to offer advice and expertise while you plan your event. If you have further questions or need assistance, please e-mail us, call us at 617-726-7837 or write to us at: - Special Events
Development Office
Massachusetts General Hospital
165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114 - Tax Information
Events must comply with all federal, state and local laws governing charitable fund raising, gift reporting and special events. Massachusetts has strict regulations governing raffles and gaming events carried out for charitable purposes. Event organizers may obtain more information on the rules governing the conduct of raffles and other “games of chance” in Massachusetts by visiting the Attorney General’s web site or contacting the Department of the Attorney General, Division of Public Charities, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, or by calling 617-727-2200. - Liability Information
Massachusetts General Hospital is not financially or otherwise liable for the promotion and/or staging of fund-raising events by any third-party organization/individual. The sponsoring organization/individual may not incur any financial or other obligations on behalf of Mass General.Third-party fund-raising organizations/individuals must provide insurance certificates as required by local, state and federal laws. Mass General cannot be held responsible in any way for casualties and/or situations that occur at your fund-raising event or promotion. - Finanical Accounting
Mass General is unable to open or manage bank accounts for third-party events. Instead, the hospital’s Development Office encourages event organizers to protect their proceeds through careful financial management — especially if event supporters’ individual checks are not mailed directly to Mass General. The Development Office recognizes that event organizers need funds to run their events and pay expenses. For these purposes, you may prefer to keep funds on hand, either in your own personal account or in separate account earmarked for the event. In your pre-planning process, make sure to develop a budget, taking into consideration the type of event you are having and the many components related to the event. Mass General cannot pay expenses in anticipation of funds raised from a third-party event. As you develop your event, also keep in mind that: - The cost of the funds raised must be reasonable
- Expenses should not exceed 30 percent of income
- It’s important to budget wisely in order to cover any items not being donated
- Steps for Managing Finances
- Prepare a budget
- Record all expenses
- Get all estimates in writing, and keep receipts
- Pay all expenses by check (avoid paying with cash). After all expenses have been paid and accounted for, make one check (for the amount of your remaining funds) payable to Massachusetts General Hospital and mail it to:
- Special Events
Development Office
Masachusets General Hospital
165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114 - Dinners and Galas
- Cards for a Cure
Cards for a Cure was an evening to support the ESSCO-MGH Breast Cancer Research Fund. The event was held at The Pine Brook Country Club in Weston, Massachusetts, where Susan Wornick, of WCVB-TV news station, served as the celebrity emcee. The event featured roulette, blackjack and craps tables, a live auction, and a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception. - Road races and Walks
- 12,402 Steps to Cure Sarcoma Walk
The 12,402 Steps to Cure Sarcoma Walk is an event sponsored by the Jennifer Hunter Yates Sarcoma Foundation. Funds raised from the walk support the Mass General Cancer Center’s programs in sarcoma research, as well as the Sarcoma Education Network and initiatives providing assistance for sarcoma patients and their families. The event takes place at the Hudson High School Football Field in Hudson,Massachusetts,where participants take part in a 6.1-mile walk. The day also features family-friendly activities, such as face painting, balloon art and an animal adventure show. - Golf Tournaments
- The Patty Fund Golf Tournament
The Golf Tournament supporting the Patty Fund is held to raise funds to support brain tumor research at Mass General. The summer golf outing is held at Shaker Hills Golf Club in Harvard, Massachusetts. Patrons show their support by playing a round of golf or sponsoring a hole on the course.
If you have any questions about managing the finances for your event, please e-mail us or give us a call at 617-726-2200
Events put on to benefit Mass General run the gamut from small dinners to walks and runs to large scale golf tournaments. Here are three sample events and some succesful ways they have been executed:
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