How to Do Initial Planning for Service Work Using Google Drive Spreadsheet

PURPOSE

This instruction set is going to lay down some of the important aspects to consider when planning service/community work through an example. It is especially helpful for a small scale church service, a club or an organization. Planning allows you to be flexible, realistic, and consistent. You will need to have a standard PC and keyboard, G mail account, and basic knowledge in math.

MATERIALS

This list incorporates the materials and information that needs to be gathered prior to starting this spreadsheet.

Ø Data and financial information for:

o Cost and approximate serving sizes of your materials

o Fundraising ideas, costs per each material, and expected profit (Fundraising portion on the Finance Sheet)

o Fundraising idea, number of volunteers, and projected profit (Fundraising Sheet)

o Amount, source, name of contact person, phone number, and email of donor (Materials Donated Sheet)

Step 1: Login to Gmail Account

Open a web browser. Type in www.gmail.com and then log in.

Step 2: Open Spreadsheet

a) Upper right hand corner click nine miniature squares stacked into a cube. This is the Apps icon

b) On the bottom of this window select ‘More’ then ‘Even more from Google’. Scroll down to the seventh category labeled ‘Home and Office’ and in the second column, second row select ‘Sheets’

Step 3: Save Document

a) Click on ‘Untitled Spreadsheet’ in upper left hand corner to rename and save the document. Rename document to preferred name ie. 'Service Planning'

Step 4: Create Multiple Sheets

a) Go to the bottom of the screen and click on the plus sign to the far left corner.

b) Click on this two times to create two additional sheets to separate the information.

c) Now label the sheets on the bottom of the screen. In order to do this click on the downward arrow in the 'Sheet #' name box, click ‘Rename…’ (third highlighted option) and label the sheets with the following headings respectively:

o Sheet 1: Finances

o Sheet 2: Fundraising

o Sheet 3: Materials Donated

Step 5: Label Categories for 'Finance' Sheet

a) On the ‘Finances’ sheet label the following, column by row:

A1-Package- refers to the ending product

A2-Materials

B2- Costs

C2- Serving Amount Per Container

D2- Amount Per Person

E2-Total Number of Individuals- projected number you expect to help

F2-Total Number of Containers

G2- Total Overall Costs

b) To customize the lettering for each row go the left hand side of the spreadsheet, click on the number for the row you would like to change to highlight the row. You will find your options on the tool bar on the top of the page. Increase ‘Font Size’- 14, Italicize, then deselect.

c) Repeat the same steps for Row 2: ‘Font Size’- 12, Bold.

Step 6: Label Row by Column for 'Finance' Sheet

a) Under ‘Materials’ list the materials that you will need. Label each row under Column A as the following:

A3- Blankets

A4- Sleeping Tents

A5- Sandwich Bread

A6- Turkey Meat

A7- Water Bottles

b) The next column, Column B, will list the costs per material. The rows will be labeled as the following:

B3- $10

B4- $6

B5- $1

B6- $3

B7- $4

c) Column C will list the serving amount per container. That is, what is the total amount of individuals the container can serve?

C3- 1

C4- 1

C5- 12

C6- 50

C7- 36

d) Column D will list the amount of each material that is going to be given on a per person basis:

D3- 1

D4- 1

D5- 4

D6- 8

D7- 4

e) Column E will list the total number of individuals expected to be helped. Default number used here will be 60 for rows E3-E7.

Step 7: Calculate Total Number of Containers

a) Column F will be the total number of containers that will need to be purchased. This number will be based on Columns E, D, C respectively. First, you will multiply the total number of individuals (Column E) by the total amount that will be given to each individual (Column D). Next, divide that total by the amount that each container provides (Column C).

1) For example, to find the total number of blankets needed to be bought first multiply the total number of individuals, 60, by the total number that each person will receive, 1. 60 x 1 is 60. Then divide 60 by how much each container provides, 1. 60/1 is 60. Now know that 60 individual blankets will need to be purchased.

Step 8: Calculate Total Cost Per Material

a) Once the values for Column F have been calculated, the 'Total Overall Costs' per material can be calculated. You can achieve this by simply using a calculator to multiply Column B by Column F. These values will be recorded in the rows of Column G.

b) Now click in the last row of the ‘Total Overall Costs’ column following our last value. Then, click the drop down menu on the sigma bar to the far right of the menu bar. For our purposes we are finding the total, so we select ‘Sum’ (first option). Click and Drag the cursor from the first value in the column to the last. Once highlighted, release mouse, and click enter.

c) Again to distinguish text, increase the 'Font Size'- 14 and Bold the total sum value (last row in Column G) in this column.

d) To differentiate the ‘Total Overall Costs’ column from the other columns you can make it a different color. First select all of the characters in the last column, starting with ‘Total Overall Costs’ all the way down to the total sum value. Click the paint can in the middle of the menu bar, and select a color.

Step 9: Create and Label Fundraising Section on 'Finance' Sheet

a) Fundraising is an important part of Finances. To accommodate this on the same sheet skip a few rows. ie. skip 3. And then label A11 ‘Fundraising’. Select the text, and change ‘Font Size’- 14, Italicize.

b) Row 12 will be labeled as:

A12- Activity

B12- Amount

C12- Costs

D12- Total Costs

Change Row 12 to ‘Font Size’- 12, Bold.

Step 10: Label and Compute Values for Total Cost

a) Begin labeling the activities planned. For example purposes you can use ‘Scratch Card’ (A13) as an example.

Going across

B13- $10

C13- 100

D13- $1000*

*The total cost is computed simply by multiplying the value in Column B (Costs) by the value in Column C (Amount).

Step 11: Label Categories for 'Fundraising' Sheet

a) Now work on the ‘Fundraising’ sheet. Go to the bottom of the spreadsheet to sheet names and click on ‘Fundraising’ to display the sheet. This sheet will account for ‘Activities’ and ‘Shipping’.

SN: It is very important to keep the shipping duration in mind to know how far in advance material orders need to be placed. Some companies don’t operate 7 days a week, or maybe a holiday falls around the date you expect to order. Keeping ideas such as these in mind helps for better planning and less stress down the line.

b) Label:

A1- Activities

c) Select the text, and change to ‘Font Size’- 14, Italicize.

d) Row 2 will be labeled:

A2-Idea

B2-Number of Volunteers

C2- Projected Profit

e) Select the text in Row 2 and change to 'Font Size'- 12, Bold.

Step 12: Track Volunteers and Projected Profit for Fundraising Activities

a) For example purposes ‘Scratch Card’ can be used again. For Number of Volunteers, B2, enter 15. The Projected Profit, C3, is $9000 for this particular fundraiser.

SN: There are many great fundraising ideas out there. My favorite online source is www.easy-fundraising-ideas.com. It provides all of the information that I have charted for this particular fundraiser, besides the number of volunteers. They also have great customer service. Check it out!

Step 13: Track Shipping on 'Fundraising' Sheet

a) Again to accommodate more information on this sheet skip three rows and enter ‘Shipping’ in A7. Change Row 8 to ‘Font Size’- 12, Bold.

A8- Idea

B8- Shipping Dates

C8- Order Placed

D8- Expected Arrival

b) For example purposes you can enter:

A9- Scratch Card

A10- 14-21 days

A11- 4/1/2014

A12- 4/22/2014*

*Spreadsheet will automatically convert any dates to the format above*

Step 14: Label Categories and Information for 'Materials Donated' Sheet

a) The last sheet will be 'Materials Donated'.

SN: This sheet does not only encourage you to get out there and search for donors, but also to track your donors. You should make sure to keep in contact and also always send thank you notes!

b) Row 1 will be labeled:

A1- Materials

B1- Amount

C1- Source

D1- Location-you have to be able to differentiate later. There are so many Giant Foods in the world. Which one did you approach?

E1- Contact Person

F1- Role: You do not want to mistake the Manager for a Cashier in your Thank You note if for any reason you mention it.

G1-Phone Number

H1-Email

1) I will change Row 1 to ‘Font Size’- 12, Bold.

a) Input the following data:

A2- Bread

B2- 6 Leaves

C2- Giant Foods

D2- 5768 Putty Drive

E2- Greg Joppy

F2- Manager

G2- 999-999-9999

H2- [e-mail]

Step 15: Future Access

After you have completed the instructions above, you will have a mini Budget and Planning Sheet for your service work.

For future access click on the Apps icon and and click Drive and find it in your files bank.