COMMUNITY EVENT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
RCC WEBSITE
Calendar Partners – Community-submitted Events Portal
The Community Calendar of RCC’s website provides a listing of one-time inclusive, public-facing events taking place in Reston that are sponsored or organized by RCC’s community partners and Reston-based nonprofit organizations. “Reston-based” refers to entities located within Small District 5 (largely the Reston zip codes). Organizations with registered accounts may submit events. We welcome event submissions for the community-submitted calendar.
Please visit Calendar Partners – RCC (restoncommunitycenter.com) to register for an account.
To submit an event to be posted on the RCC community calendar, your organization must meet the criteria and follow the guidelines outlined below:
- Your organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, community association, government entity, academic institution or other public-interest organization as determined by Reston Community Center to be eligible to submit an event for posting on the community calendar.
- Submissions should be for one-time special events (e.g., performances, exhibitions, lectures) open to the public and not for recurring, regular meetings.
- The event must be in Reston.
- Event submissions must include a website URL for further reference.
- The contact person will be held responsible for the accuracy of the event content.
- RCC is not responsible for inaccurate information (time changes, rain dates, etc.).
- RCC reserves the right to discontinue posting events from an organization if multiple inaccurate submissions are received.
- Events that require an RSVP, registration or ticket purchase must include clear details and appropriate links or instructions for taking action.
- Submit event info at least two weeks in advance to allow enough time for content review before posting.
- Submissions are only accepted via the event form located in the Calendar Partner online dashboard.
- Do not use ALL CAPS when submitting events.
- Exceptions to these guidelines may be made at the discretion of the RCC Community Calendar Administrator.
RCC reserves the right to:
- Reject event submissions that do not meet these criteria.
- Remove any submissions at any time, for any reason.
- Edit submissions for length, spelling, grammar, style and clarity.
- RCC reserves the right to post an alternative image.
NOTE: By posting an event submission, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Reston Community Center, its Board of Governors, staff and volunteers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these guidelines or your use of this website, including, but not limited to, your violation of any third-party right, including without limitation any intellectual property or other proprietary right.
Navigate to Calendar Partners – RCC (restoncommunitycenter.com) and click the register button.
1. Partner receives account set up confirmation message:
Thanks for creating a Calendar Partner account for the RCC Website. Your username is {username}…
After RCC staff approves your request, you will be notified by email. Once your account is approved, you will be able to sign in here Calendar Partners – RCC (restoncommunitycenter.com) with the username and password you have created.
2. Once a partner has received an “account approved message”:
Partner can now log in, review the partner dashboard and enter event information. Remember to review the event submission guidelines. Once the event has been submitted, it will be reviewed and approved by RCC.
3. After a partner has entered their event information, they will receive the following message:
Thank you for submitting {event name}. RCC staff will review your submission. Once the review process starts, your event will be visible in your dashboard under “My Events” with the status “Under Review.”
Please note that it may take some time for our team to review your event submission before it appears on your dashboard. During the review process, RCC staff may communicate with you to confirm details about the event.
If your event is approved, its status will change to “Publish” and it will be made public on the RCC website. Please check your email and dashboard regularly for any updates or requests from our team.
4. Canceling or changing event information:
If event information requires changes, the edited information must be submitted as soon as it’s available by following the same submission process (Step 2).
COMMUNITY CALENDAR FAQS
Who may post on the Community Calendar?
The Community Calendar is for Reston events organized by nonprofits and other community organizations in Small District 5 (Reston). Only users with registered accounts may submit events for posting within published guidelines.
What kind of events can be posted on the Community Calendar?
The Community Calendar is for one-time inclusive, public-facing events from an approved community partner entity. It is not for sales, meetings, for-profit companies, a series of classes or religious/religious-affliated events.
How do Calendar Partners access the Community Calendar?
To access the Community Calendar, users must create a calendar partner account, which will be approved by RCC Media staff. See the submission process section for instructions on how to create an account. The calendar template will guide users with fillable fields, including event description, contact information, location, times and other information.
Will an event be posted right away?
Events submitted for posting will be reviewed by RCC Media staff for approval before they are displayed on the Community Calendar. RCC reserves the right to edit for clarity, grammar, content and style. Events may be rejected if they don’t meet the requirements specified or contain other inappropriate content. Submitters will be notified by email if the event is rejected.
Are photos allowed to be posted with the event?
Users may add two to three photos (or the organization’s logo). Photos should be high-resolution. A pixel width of 900 is ideal. Please add alternative text so the photo is WCAG accessible. The software may reject a photo if it is not the right size.
For more information or if you have any questions, email us at RCCWebsite@fairfaxcounty.gov.
