Brews and Barks: A Day of Drinks and Dogs for Chicago Canine Rescue 

1) Brief description of the project 

For our project we collaborated with The SoFo Tap in Andersonville to raise money for the Chicago Canine Rescue. Our event was held on Saturday November 4th from 12-3pm which coincided with SoFo Taps weekly Doggy Days event. SoFo agreed to donate $1 for every drink purchased during the event and we ended up raising $264. To advertise for the event, we shared an informative flyer on the team’s social media and invited friends and family. We brought in about 30 people in addition to the usual Saturday crowd. If people were not able to attend the event, we shared the Chicago Canine Rescue’s donation link along with their Amazon Wishlist. 

 

2) Brief description of the charity  

The Chicago Canine Rescue is a Chicago based organization that rescues dogs and tries to find them a forever home. They are located near Forest Glen Illinois and offer a variety of resources such as training, low-cost pet care, a pet food pantry, and resources for individuals needing to surrender their dogs. In addition to accepting monetary and physical donations you sign up to take dogs on walks, so they get exercise and a much-needed break from the shelter. You can also join their foster program where you will take a dog home to provide it with a safe environment, training, and love until the shelter can find them a forever home. They also have a section on their page called Dog Park in the Sky where for $100 you can upload a note and photo of your deceased dog to forever honor their memory.  

 

3) Factual analysis of success in terms of project objectives 

The main objective of this project was to help raise money for the Chicago Canine Rescue. Our principal strategy was to invite friends and family to our fundraising event at the SoFo Tap and be able to raise anywhere from $100-$160. We predicted to have around 50-80 guests attending our event, including their regular customers. Furthermore, our team estimated to raise $100 worst case and $200 best case from outside donations. During our event, we were able to raise $264, which successfully surpassed our goal of raising an estimated amount of $100-$160. Additionally, as a group, we were able to gather around 30 guests, not including their regular customers. In addition to successfully reaching our goal for our fundraising event, we were also able to raise roughly $1,164 from outside donations.  

 

4) Two or three lessons learned about managing projects 

One lesson we learned about managing projects is that regular and transparent communication is essential to the project. It is important to continually check in with your team and external stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same page throughout the project. Another lesson learned about managing projects is to be flexible with change during the project. What you planned initially during the start of the project will change throughout its process. Be prepared to respond to shifting circumstances.  

 

5) Advice for future teams doing similar projects 

For future teams who are completing a similar project, it is important to ensure your group is in consistent and transparent communication throughout the entire project. This is to ensure that everyone in your group is on the same page and understands each of their roles and responsibilities. It is also important that each team member can be flexible with each other’s schedules and contributes to each portion of the project they are responsible for as well.  

 

6) Photos related to the project