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Event Promotion: Free vs. Fee Based - North America Southeast Area Communication Council

Table of Contents

  • Community Events
    • Free Events
    • Fee-based and Fundraising Events
    • When Service is Associated With a Fee-based Event
  • Church Events
    • Free Events
    • Fee-based and Fundraising Events
      • BYU Athletic Events: Fee-based and Related Free Events
  • Social Media Guidelines
    • Purpose of Local Church Social Media
    • Selling and Politics
    • Job Listings
    • Fundraisers
    • Marketing for Church-owned Subsidiaries
    • Setting the Example
    • JustServe

Community Events

Members of the Church may be interested in information about community events that provide opportunities to engage in an interfaith or community environment.

Free Events

When a community event aligns with priesthood priorities and is free of charge, communication councils, with approval from the Area Seventy (if CC-wide) or stake presidency, may share event information with members within their boundaries.

  • Promotion can be done via bulletin board posters, social media posts, inclusion in a unit bulletin, newsletter, or quorum/class announcement.
  • Community events should not be announced during sacrament meetings.

Fee-based and Fundraising Events

When a community event, interfaith event, performance, presentation, private event, etc.) or performance/presentation by Latter-day Saint members requires the purchase of a ticket, Church channels should not be used as a source of promotion. This includes fundraisers. See General Handbook 20.6.5

  • Channels that cannot be used include signage or flyers in church buildings, announcements in Church meetings, classes, or quorums, via bulletins or newsletters, social media posts on unit-sponsored social properties, or emails to members through Leader and Clerk Resources.

When Service is Associated With a Fee-based Event

If the fee-based event contains a free-service or community outreach opportunity, with permission from the stake president, information may be shared as shown in the following examples:

  • Stake communication director to bishops or ward councils: "For your awareness, you might consider sharing the following event (name and description) with your members as it contains an opportunity to engage in the community (i.e., service element or interfaith outreach opportunity, etc.)"
  • Organization leader to their class/quorum: "We have an opportunity to donate food for a community-wide food drive to be held in conjunction with an upcoming interfaith community concert. Here's how you can contribute (provide details). If you wish to learn more about the concert, which requires a purchased ticket, see (member contact) for more information."

Church Events

Free Events:

Communication councils, utilizing Church channels, are well positioned to help advertise priesthood leader-approved events and activities available for member participation and where members are not charged a fee to attend.

  • Funding for Activities - General Handbook 20.2.6 and 20.6
  • Building uses that are Not Allowed - General Handbook 35.5.2

Fee-based and Fundraising Events:

The following approved expectations may be promoted using various Church channels:

  • Annual Young Women, Aaronic Priesthood or Primary day camp (or similar activities) - General Handbook 20.6.2
  • For Strength of Youth conferences - General Handbook 20.6.3
  • Annual fundraising event - General Handbook 20.6.5
  • Area Presidency approved performing arts events offered by the Church Education System's (CES) institutions such as Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University - Idaho, etc.
  • CES summer performing arts camps, sports camps, etc.

Social Media Guidelines

Purpose of Local Church Social Media

When carefully used, the internet can help members coordinate the work of the Church, strengthen each other's faith, and minister to people's needs. It can also help with missionary work as people connect with friends and family and share Church content. (Use of Online Resources in Church Callings)

Selling and Politics

Some of the language removed from the original Use of Online Resources in Church Callings section of Handbook 2 included a section on moderation. This section specifically called out two types of posts that should be deleted:

  • Posts of a partisan political nature
  • Posts for business interests

Elder James B. Martino, former North America Southeast Area president, stated, "I completely agree that our pages are definitely NOT for selling things or political endorsements. There are plenty of other venues for that. If it is not included in our instructions, then I believe it should be."

JustServe

The mission of JustServe is to promote volunteerism, link organizations with volunteers and serve the needy.

Relationships between specialists and organization employees become a crucial factor in growing JustServe in a community. JustServe Specialists work closely with organizations to help their administrator post projects and, where available, share information on stake or JustServe social media properties.

  • Social media is an excellent tool for highlighting projects, volunteers, and the good work organizations are doing for the community.
  • Social posts should reflect the charter and mission of JustServe by following the guidelines as found in the JustServe Community Service Guidebook.
    • JustServe projects should not have a political or advocacy focus, be for-profit oriented, or directly involve volunteers in soliciting or handling money or participating in other prohibited activities (see justserve.org/about).

As outlined in this NASE training document, created in collaboration with the JustServe.org global leadership: