Apartments 
Residential complexes across India celebrate #DaanUtsav in a variety of interesting ways. It helps them bond together as a community, thus enhancing trust and the sense of safety and well being, while also strengthening their gratitude muscles and contributing money, material or time to a cause.
The video below shows how you too can celebrate #DaanUtsav in your apartment, society, RWA or ALM.
For any queries or more ideas on how to organise an event in an apartment, get in touch!
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Why should apartments and societies celebrate #DaanUtsav?
Celebrating #DaanUtsav in an apartment, society, RWA (Resident Welfare Association) or ALM (Advanced Locality Management) creates an interesting opportunity for residents to get to know each other well by working together on an event. This deepens relationships between residents, strengthens bonds, and builds a safer community for everyone. #DaanUtsav can also become a platform for every apartment, society, RWA, or ALM to show gratitude to the people who make their lives comfortable, safe and happy: maids, drivers, liftmen, security guards, etc. It can also be an opportunity for a community to get together and show that they care.
What kind of events work in apartments and housing societies?
Click here for a list of ideas for residential areas to celebrate #DaanUtsav.
How does one get more residents to help in organizing the event?
Most residential areas have a few “influential” and “popular” members—people that everyone looks up to, and who are often the glue binding people together. Tapping into them and sharing your ideas is a great way to find fellow champions. You can also talk to your immediate neighbours or your friends. Some large societies or associations have a “youth wing” or club and involving them could also be useful. If there’s a professional manager, s/he can also be roped in, especially to help with follow-up, logistics, and coordination. In some large societies, RWAs and ALMs, there are WhatsApp groups of members as well as other online communication platforms that can be used to reach out and recruit volunteers.
Who can one approach for permissions to do this in their society/apartment?
It is best to approach the office bearers of the society or association, such as the President, Chairperson, Secretary, or Treasurer for the necessary permissions.
How can one pitch the concept of DaanUtsav to the residents/members?
Before approaching the office bearers, it is always good to have a small group of fellow volunteers in place and a clear idea of the kind of event(s) you plan to organize. Once you have this, seek a meeting with the office bearers as a group. It is easier to get permissions and approvals if there is significant support from a diverse group of members.
What are some of the objections/questions raised?
Societies & RWAs will typically have concerns around the following:
- Will the event will cause inconvenience to residents? For example, will loud music be played, or a lot of cleaning up be required after the event? Be prepared with answers: ‘We will ensure all the activity will happen in the clubhouse’/ ‘We are arranging boxes into which people will put the material being collected and it will be picked up each evening’, etc.
- Will there be door-to-door collection? Some RWAs have rules against outsiders doing the same, in light of security concerns, and so, having NGO representatives collect items may not be possible. It’s good to have residents collect items, where possible, or organize the collection in a common area.
- Do we (society/RWA) have to pay for any of the events, or forego any charges (such as clubhouse rentals)? That depends on the event, but it’s good to be clear about your expectations of them.
How do you address them?
Being prepared for the questions and objections helps address them. The easiest way to address any concerns is to demonstrate interest from a majority of residents to participate in your event. If most people want to take part, it is likely to be automatically supported by the office bearers. You can demonstrate this through a signature campaign, or WhatsApp messages or emails from members supporting the event idea.
How can one get participation of residents in their event?
- The easiest thing is to first form a group of residents. They can be your neighbours, your friends, or other people you know well in your apartment. When there is a small enthusiastic group, each person can start reaching out to their contacts and friends in the community/apartments. This can be driven by WhatsApp groups.
- Getting young people to take initiative and drive the event also works well.
- Posters in designated common areas such as the lobby, or on online forums such as CommonFloor or Adda, calling for volunteers to ideate and drive the event will help get more volunteers.
How can one follow up with participants and keep them updated?
It’s pretty much like any other project. Once a plan is ready, the tasks must be divided among core team members, with reasonable deadlines. Once the tasks are divided, it might be a matter of communication: WhatsApp, calls, messages, or simply knocking on people’s doors,
Also, creating a mode of communication for the core members (WhatsApp might work best) with regular updates like “Hey, today A got the local store to donate a crockery set. What’s cooking at your end?” will inspire other members too.
How much time does it take to plan an event?
Depends.
Something as simple as a Raffle or Tambola can be organized within a week.
All you need to do is identify a few people who are able to donate items that can be used as gifts. Most of us have extra items lying around at home: a spare crockery set somebody gifted us, a watch, or a new pair of woollens. WhatsApp details of the event, and all is set.
For more complex events, more planning is required. Say you want to organize a dinner for all the maids and other help across all apartments. You will need to fix a date, communicate it to everybody, make sure everybody is free, give yourself enough time to collect money from all the houses, and get permissions from the society, etc. Events like these might take as much as a month or two months to put together.
Any other tips have for people planning events in apartments, societies, RWAs or ALMs?
These little events are fabulous opportunities to bring people together and create a real community, in an increasingly isolated world. So, try and involve as many residents as possible.
Another point to remember is to try to ensure that everyone is on board, especially people who are known to raise objections. Speaking with some of these habitual naysayers early on in the process, and if possible, including them in the core team will do wonders.
Here is a YouTube playlist which you can use to get more ideas and examples for organising your #DaanUtsav activity.
Click on
icon to browse the playlist.
Say Thanks
Employees send gratitude cards or recorded messages to frontline workers.
Tambola boli
A virtual online tambola week where members pay to participate and buy tickets. The winner gets to choose a charity to donate to and the organisation matches the funds from tickets. This model can also be emulated for games such as virtual poker, rummy, bridge or other card games where everyone “buys in” and nominates a charity, money goes to the winners’ nominated charities.
E-garage sale
Get together with your friends and family, and set up a digital garage sale on Instagram, Facebook or any other online platform. The money raised can go to a charity of your choice.
Whats App?
Apartments spread awareness about the festival and ideas to celebrate on their Whats App / Facebook groups. These groups can also be used to raise funds for a cause.
Give and chill
Apartments contribute to buy OTT platform memberships (Netflix, Prime, Zee5, Voot, Hotstar, etc) for their house help and building staff.
Soulful Stories
Record a story in your native language and share it with children and the elderly.
Go green
Apartments use #DaanUtsav as a platform to launch environment friendly initiatives like Garbage segregation & composting, energy audits & conservation, water harvesting structures and water conservation methods
Organ(ic)-ally
Apartments encourage all members to sign up for organ donation and also organise an awareness drive about the benefits of doing so
E-wish Trees
Apartments can donate funds or in kind to charities or causes by setting up digital wish trees and sharing it among members
7 Days 7 Givings
Pick 7 different acts of giving, one for each day of the #DaanUtsav week and get residents to contribute. The 7 acts could simply be 7 different items to be given (books on 1 day, clothes on another, etc.) or 7 types of activities (money, material, time, blood, skills, etc.)
Change Festival
In large apartments, a TEDx/ Litfest type format featuring social enterprises, ticket donations to charity
On the Streets (Aa Gaye Raste Pe)
Apartment residents set up a “street food festival” and sell food made in their homes. All proceeds from the sale of food are given to charity.
Neighbour Hood (Ados-Pados)
Residents host an evening for a neighbour in their society, in which they do a small show about themselves and serve dinner. The visitors pay for the experience. The arrangement is reversed within the week. All money raised goes to charity.
Do Rights By Them
Residents organise a camp for all domestic help and support them in getting various govt documentation (PAN, Aadhar, caste or birth or residency certificates, etc.) and benefit from Govt schemes.
Did You Know? (Jaano Ya Na Jaano)
A quiz for residents where questions are about the personal lives of the support staff of the apartment- the security guards’ families and places of origin, the gardener’s childhood dreams, the sweeper’s height, weight, etc. Residents pay to participate, proceeds used to give gifts to the staff and some residents provide excess gifts from their homes as prizes for the winners.
Environmental Action
Apartments use #DaanUtsav as a platform to launch environment friendly initiatives like Garbage segregation & composting, energy audits & conservation, water harvesting structures and water conservation methods.
Fistful of joy
Encourage members to donate a fistful of grain/ sugar which is collected and given to an NGO.
Clean up drive
Organise an event to clean up public spaces like beaches, lakes, bus stands, stations, parks, govt hospitals, etc.
Gandhi for Gram
Identify a village nearby and get members to visit and volunteer there for a day, to promote greater understanding of the challenges of rural life in modern times.
DaanDe March
Organise a march/walk involving your students/employees/members and also other organisations near your institution, raising awareness about causes and inviting the public to contribute in cash and kind.
Tree plantation
Carry out tree plantation campaigns in nearby school/college campuses and grounds, parks, office campuses or in nearby plantation areas identified by environmental NGOs. Plantation can also be done in nearby rural areas.
Beautification Drive
Organise an event to beautify public spaces like compound walls, bus stands, stations, parks and gardens, govt schools & hospitals, shelter homes, etc.
Plog Run
Get participants to go on a run and collect all the plastic they encounter on the run, from the streets. The collected plastic is given to a recycler.
Collection Drive
A drive to collect and donate new or old books, toys, bags, stationery, uniform, newspapers, shoes, clothes and other stuff and donate them to NGOs.
Run/Walk for a cause
A walk/ run for a cause, where participants donate and fundraise to support the chosen cause.
Seva Mela- NGO stalls
In a school, college, corporate, club or large apartment complex, NGOs put up stalls showcasing their cause and selling their products.
Seva Mela- Fun for a Cause
In a school, college, corporate, club or large apartment complex, NGOs put up stalls with food and games, and all proceeds go to charity.
Jail & Bail
Leaders (CXOs, Principals, Directors, Trustees, Office bearers) are “jailed for doing good” and others have to “bail them out” by donating to a charity of their choice.
Charity Raffle / Housie
A raffle, housie or “tambola” where members donate items as prizes (spare new phones, crockery, travel accessories, bags, watches, etc.), and everyone buys tickets with the proceeds going to charity.
Card Carrying Membership
Poker, rummy, bridge or other card games where everyone “buys in” and nominates a charity, money goes to the winners’ nominated charities.
Visits to NGOs
Visits to nearby shelter, old age home, orphanage, special needs org, etc.
Who’s The MasterChef? (MasterChef Kaun?)
In schools, offices, clubs, apartments, a Masterchef contest, where each participant creates, others “buy” food coupons, proceeds go to charity. The winner’s charity gets a special prize. Can focus on men cooking to change stereotypes.
Date Auction
In colleges, offices, clubs, gyms, a lunch or safe dinner date with the popular members is auctioned and proceeds go to the charity of their choice.
Blood donation camps
In association with nearby blood banks and hospitals or groups like Lions that conduct such camps.
Kara-OK Action (Kuch Achha Karao-ke)
Sing for a cause on karaoke, the audience buys tickets to listen, proceeds go to charity.
Food drive
Preparing, collecting and distributing food to those in need on the streets or at shelter and care homes, or even to auto drivers at a stand, etc.
Seva Sandwich
Individuals in a group contribute various ingredients of a sandwich, get together and make sandwiches and distribute them to those in need.
Kindness Fridge
Set up a “kindness fridge” in a public place like an apartment, school, college, hospital and create groups of people who will ensure the fridge is stocked.
Thank’Em
Thank class 4 staff of school, college, corp, club, apt, etc. – serve them, have fun WITH them, treat them as equals.
Record Audio Books
Everyone records an audio book for the blind.
Change Festival
In colleges, clubs, theatres, large corporates, large apartments, a TEDx/ Litfest type format featuring social enterprises, ticket donations to charity.
Bake Sale/ Art Sale
People exhibit their talents in baking/ other arts and sell their products, proceeds go to charity.
Adopt an Institution
Help a govt school, bus shelter, night shelter, newspaper stand, park get a complete makeover and take care of it through the year.
The Tiny Flea Garage Sale
Flea market within school, college, corp, apartment, club etc. where members bring items and others buy them, all proceeds go to charity.
Cycle/ Bike/Car Rally for a cause
A rally for a cause, where participants donate and fundraise to support the chosen cause.
7 Days 7 Givings
Pick 7 different acts of giving, one for each day of the #DaanUtsav week and get students/ residents/employees/members to contribute. The 7 acts could simply be 7 different items to be given (books on 1 day, clothes on another, etc.) or 7 types of activities (money, material, time, blood, skills, etc.).
Street Store
Organise a collection drive for items in good condition, clean, mend and pack the donated items nicely and set up a “store” on a street nearby. Offer “coupons” to potential beneficiaries which they can use to “buy” the items that THEY choose from the street store, instead of being handed over something that someone else chose for them.
Wish Tree
Set up a “Wish Tree” and allow members to fulfill wishes sourced from a local nonprofit that you wish to support.
#DaanUtsav Booths
Pop-up #DaanUtsav booths in public spaces provide opportunities to donate for a particular NGO/cause.
Khari Kamai- Earn & Give
Children in the area “earn” through everyday chores like washing cars and bikes, running errands, etc. and donate their earnings to a charity)
Beautification drive
Pick a public wall, a bus shelter or a couple of benches in the nearby park and paint them together.
Collection drive
Collect toys, books, stationery, clothes and other items and donate them to nearby nonprofits
Cleanup drive
Clean up a nearby beach, lake, street or park along with friends and family
Say Thanks
Along with friends and family, make and send gratitude cards or recorded thank you messages to frontline workers.
Charity Raffle
A raffle, housie or “tambola” where your friends and family members donate items as prizes (spare new phones, crockery, travel accessories, bags, watches, etc.), and everyone buys tickets with the proceeds going to charity.
Blood donation camps
In association with nearby blood banks and hospitals or groups like Lions that conduct such camps.
Food drive
Preparing, collecting and distributing food to those in need on the streets or at shelter and care homes, or even to auto drivers at a stand, etc.
Kindness Fridge
Set up a “kindness fridge” in a public place like an apartment, school, college, hospital and create groups of people who will ensure the fridge is stocked.
Thank’Em
Thank class 4 staff of school, college, corp, club, apt, etc. – serve them, have fun WITH them, treat them as equals.
Card Carrying Membership
Virtual poker, rummy, bridge or other card games where everyone “buys in” and nominates a charity, money goes to the winners’ nominated charities.
Game, Set, Go!
Organise offline game-o-thons among friends and family. Participants pay a minimal fee for each round and the final sum goes to the winner’s charity.
Change Festival
In colleges, clubs, theatres, large corporates, large apartments, a TEDx/ Litfest type format featuring social enterprises, ticket donations to charity.