COC Coordinator Manual

Please see the Andwa Web Site User Guide for web site How-To information.

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Event Management
Choosing Your Event
Setting up Events
Paid Events
Modifying Your Event
Cancelling An Event
Managing Upcoming Events
Running Your Event
Completing Your Event

Paid Events

Paid events are different and more complicated than regular old events, but they don't have to be painful. Before setting up a paid event, please make sure you're familiar with our policies and procedures.

There are a number of different methods you can use to run an event in which attendees have to pay for something. Choose the method that will work best for your specific situation, and if you have any questions, contact the volunteer coordinators and/or the treasurer for assistance.
1) Pay at the door/venue - don't set this up as a paid event, just note in the itinerary how people will be expected to pay, and how much. Set the event up on the web site:
- Do NOT check the "Participants Will Make Payment to COC Prior to Event" box
- DO enter "Member Cost" (and, if you're allowing guests, enter the same amount for "Non-Member Cost")
- In the "Itinerary", and the "Cost Includes" section, enter details about what the cost includes, and how/when people will be expected to pay.
2) People individually pre-pay the service provider (ie. if everyone has to register themselves for a diving course), rather than through the COC. Set the event up on the web site:
- Do NOT check the "Participants Will Make Payment to COC Prior to Event" box
- DO enter "Member Cost" (and, if you're allowing guests, enter the same amount for "Non-Member Cost")
- In the "Itinerary", and the "Cost Includes" section, enter details about what the cost includes, and how/when people will be expected to pay.
- We recommend, but don't require, that you set your maximum group size to "1" and register yourself, OR, set your cut-off date to a past date. Doing one of these things will "force" registrants onto the waiting list rather than the attendee list. Then, as you receive confirmation from people that they've paid the service provider, you can move them to the attendee list. This way you do not end up with a bunch of people "parking" their name on the event and then never following through on registering/paying with the service provider.
3) Attendees pay YOU directly instead of going through the club Treasurer. We recommend setting this event up the same as in #2 above.
4) Attendees pay through the club Treasurer who records all received payments on the web site. Once you've paid the expenses for the event, the Treasurer reimburses you (you must provide receipts).

NOTE that the remainder of this document covers only scenario #4 above, in which you choose to utilize the club Treasurer to collect payments.

Our Volunteer Coordinator(s), Karen and the VC Squad are required to help every volunteer with their first two paid events as well, just to ensure everything goes smoothly for you, our Treasurer, and the event registrants. Before setting up your first paid events, please contact Karen and the VC Squad for assistance.

Creating a new Paid Event:
  • When you set up your event, make sure you include everything that is necessary in the "cost" amount: Member cost should include:
    - The cost of the event
    - Taxes
    - Gratuities
    - 3% (of the total so far) or $1.50, whichever is higher, to cover PayPal and/or PC Banking fees
    If the cost is variable depending on the number of people who sign up, chose the HIGHER price, it’s easier to refund than it is to ask for additional funds.
  • Non-member cost can be higher, an additional $5 or so to encourage participants to join the club.
  • Your event registration cut-off date should be at least one day (although we recommend several days) before we need to pay the service provider. NOTE that you should NEVER pay a service provider until after the cut-off date, and only pay for the number of spots that we've received payment for. The club cannot cover spots that go empty if you overpay - YOU will be responsible for covering the difference!
  • We recommend setting your cut-off date fairly short. We only accept electronic payments now, so if people are serious about going, they should be able to get their payment in quickly. If you make your payment cut-off unnecessarily "generous", what often happens is that people park their name on the event right up until the cut-off without paying, and then you're left scrambling at the end to try to find others from the waiting list to replace them.
Prior to Event Cut-Off:
  • Our policy is that all payments should go through the Treasurer, however, if you're planning on paying the service provider yourself, you may choose to accept payments from attendees. Unless you are going to pay the service provider yourself, do NOT accept payments directly from event registrants - insist that they make payment to the Treasurer according to our approved Payment Methods. Only payments received by the Treasurer will be marked as "Received" on the web site so members who pay you directly will still get the "unpaid" reminders. You will be responsible for keeping track of who has paid you directly and the Treasurer will only reimburse you for members who paid through the club.
  • Registrants are responsible for getting their payment to the Treasurer by NOON on the cut-off date.
  • An automated email is sent to the member when the payment has been processed by the Treasurer, so the member has proof of payment.
  • Five days prior to cut-off, the web site will send out a reminder to anyone who hasn't yet paid. You can check to see who all has paid by going to the "Txns" link under "Coordinate" - "Upcoming Events".
At Event Cut-Off:
  • On the day AFTER the cut-off date, the Treasurer will ensure that all payments received have been recorded by 9:00AM. The Treasurer will record all transactions on the web site. You can see all the transactions by logging on and going to "Coordinate", "Upcoming Events" and clicking "Txns" for the event. The items at the top of the list are all transactions, including payments received and refunds given, relating to this event. The items at the bottom of the list are all the people who are still marked as UNPAID for the event. Be sure to double check that their names don't appear on the top list - it is possible that the Treasurer received and recorded a payment BEFORE the person got on the event (ie. if they pre-paid from the waiting list). If you wish, you may confirm with the Treasurer that all payments received have been recorded before changing your attendee list, but generally speaking, you are safe to assume that it's been done by 9AM. Check your "Txns" page for the event, and then remove any registrants who have not yet paid. Late-arriving payments will be refunded/discarded.
  • Confirm who is really UNPAID by checking the two lists on the Txns page. Use your "Upd List" page to remove everyone who has not paid. Use the "Remove for Non-Payment" button. This does not record anything on their account (ie. like a no-show), but it will send them an e-mail notifying them that they were removed and why. Note that sometimes errors do happen - the Treasurer may neglect to record a payment received, so try to give the removed people enough time to respond in case an error was made and they really did pay for their spot.
  • If you have at least one week between your payment cut-off and when we have to pay the service provider, you may fill unpaid spots from the waiting list. If you choose to do this, you can send a note out to your waiting list that the spots will be filled on a FIRST PAID basis, and that payment MUST be made electronically to the Treasurer (or directly to yourself if you will be paying the service provider). If you do not have sufficient time after your cut-off to fill the spots, you should NOT attempt to replace people on the list with wait-list folks. They can/will get on the list only if/when paid attendees drop out after the cut-off date.
  • Pay for the event. You may:
    1. Contact the Treasurer, Rhonda Scheurer/Samantha Mathie, for them to pay the service provider directly OR
    2. Pay the service provider and contact Rhonda Scheurer/Samantha Mathie for immediate reimbursement
Late Drop-Outs:
In the case where someone wishes to drop out of an event AFTER the cut-off date has passed, note the following:
  • They will receive a refund ONLY if a replacement is found to take their spot.
  • THEY, not YOU, are responsible for finding a replacement, however, you can facilitate if you wish by contacting the people on the waiting list.
  • The empty spot should be given to the FIRST person to submit payment to the Treasurer via electronic means (PayPal or Online Banking), regardless of their position on the waiting list.
Re-Imbursement:
  • If you are paying the service provider directly, collect any and all receipts associated with the event and submit them to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will reiburse you for amounts which you've paid out and which the club has collected for.
  • If you have over-charged for your event and some monies are to be given back to the attendees, you may advise the Treasurer of how much of a refund each attendee should receive and they will reimburse, or they may send you the money to refund the attendees directly.
Policy:

  • All payments should be made to the Treasurer, Rhonda Scheurer/Samantha Mathie. PayPal and PC Banking transactions are sent to treasurer@calgaryoutdoorclub.com. Cheques (and cash) are only accepted by the Treasurer on club events - they cannot be delivered at other times nor mailed in.
  • Registration cut-off date is set for at least one day before the club must pay for the event.
  • The morning after the cut-off date, any people who’s payment has not been received should be removed from the event. Late-arriving payments will be refunded/discarded.
  • Drop-outs prior to the cut-off date will be refunded any monies paid, but they must fill out the Refund Request form prior to the cut-off date.
  • After the cut-off date, refunds will only be given if a replacement is found to take the spot.
  • Refunds will be given for the full amount paid (ie. the club will not withhold paypal or other fees)
  • After the cut-off date, if there is a drop-out, the wait list management will be done slightly differently than for regular events. A note will be sent out to the people on the wait list - first come/first serve (ie. the first one to step forward and make payment gets the spot).
  • Paid events will have one price regardless of payment method, calculated on:
    • Price
    • GST
    • Gratuities (if applicable)
    • 3% or $1.50 (whichever is higher) PayPal Fees (the fee amount will be applied as small donation to club for payments made via a different method).
  • Payments must be made to the club treasurer - not to president, vice president or event coordinators
  • Once the final attendee list is confirmed (ie. the morning after the cut-off date), the coordinator can:
    • Contact Rhonda Scheurer/Samantha Mathie for them to pay the service provider directly OR
    • Pay the service provider and contact Rhonda Scheurer/Samantha Mathie for immediate reimbursement
For your FIRST TWO paid events, a member of the Volunteer Coordinator team will co-coordinate with you to help with managing all the details. Please e-mail volunteer@calgaryoutdoorclub.com when you are ready to set up a paid event.
 
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