Scheduling and planning community events can present some challenges for HOA and Condo Association Board Members. It can be difficult enough to get three friends together for dinner-- so convincing HOA members to show up for resident events or invest in board decisions is, obviously, a tall order for some associations. The good news is that there is an easy way to help residents plan and encourage their participation in community events. The secret? A simple community calendar!
Calendars Help Residents Make Plans and Encourage Resident Participation
Calendars allow us to plan our time more effectively. When your residents already have busy lives that require their own schedules and calendars by effectively providing a community event calendar, it's easier for them to make plans for attendance and actually participate.
Lots of communities use their calendars to promote community-wide events. Movie and sports nights, barbecues, and scheduled children's activities are all great examples of these. A calendar is also an easy spot to include simple summaries of events like these that residents may have missed. You can also use a community calendar to keep HOA members informed about board decisions. It's easy to note when important decisions will be made on a calendar-- and, just like with events, you can post a recap of those decisions with each new calendar page.
It Doesn't Matter What Kind of Calendar You Use!
We know it sounds simple, but Calendars come in many different formats. Maybe you are used to using a giant desk calendar at work but also get "calendar invites" for meetings. At home you might use a refrigerator magnet calendar or wall hanging calendar, and some of us even have multiple planners depending on the activity! But when it comes to organizing your community events, any kind of calendar is useful, whether you want to use the one in your community portal or you'd prefer to distribute a print calendar with the events, as long as you are clear in when, where and who the rest of it is up to you. The importance of a calendar lies in the organizational benefits-- not in the platform itself.
Some types of calendars are obviously more effective in certain settings.A single printed calendar might not effectively communicate information to 500+ residents, for example-- and that's okay! There are tons of options for calendars and scheduling. HOAs can use whichever one works best for their needs.
- The benefits of web-based calendars
- It's easy to see lots of details about daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly schedules and events
- Users can delete or move events easily
- Invite other people to the calendar
- Sync calendars across platforms
- Automatically send out reminders
- The benefits of paper calendars
- No learning curve
- Easy to prevent edits or changes if they're undesirable
What Should Our HOA Calendar Look Like?
The answer to this question differs depending on your community.
Large communities, for example, often benefit most from a variety of events that cater to a range of interests and needs. The more unique your mix of events is, the more likely you are to serve different segments of your resident population. HOA calendars for these communities might look pretty full. Lots of smaller communities have less demand for activities. A handful of well-timed events designed to bring the community together might be all that's on a smaller HOA's calendar.
*Currently your community may be taking extra precautions in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and we encourage you to reopen your amenities and events at a pace that is appropriate and makes sense for you and your neighborhood.*
Quick HOA Calendar Tips
There are no hard and fast rules for creating a community calendar.
With that said, we'd love to offer some pointers to help create an HOA calendar that works for you:
- Make sure the most important dates and deadlines really stand out
- Use designs and color-coding to help highlight critical info
- If the calendar is physical, ensure that it's large enough for anybody to read
- Try combining tools to help planning go more smoothly (especially in online settings)
- Make sure one person (or team) is responsible for maintaining the calendar
- Put a calendar widget on your community website so residents always have an easy place to look for it
RealManage Can Help With Your HOA's Calendar
We're HOA management experts. For several decades, we've proudly offered HOA management services with the goal of boosting our clients' productivity. We can handle the back-end, day-to-day work of running an HOA while you work to integrate and improve your community. Our commitment to community development creates community spirit and financial wellness-- two things that play central roles in successful HOAs.
Interested in learning more? Curious about running HOA events that get attendance? Reach out to us today. You'll be partnered with a representative who can assess your community's individualized needs.
Camille Moore
Mary Arnold, CMCA®, AMS®
