Powerful Impact People: Barry Kazats

He embodies the term “bridges” and I am more than a little in awe as I interview this CEO and President of Bridges in Milford.  Barry Kasdan guides this nonprofit in providing a comprehensive range of outpatient mental health, addiction, community support and home-based services for children, families and adults, residing in Milford, Orange, West Haven and their surrounding communities.

Their slogan, Bridges is where the community turns for help, hope and recovery, is not just a phrase on the website for him.  His day started with caring for his own young granddaughter, and then quickly kicked into high gear. It was being available and caring for people, that drew him to field of social work and his role as CEO with Bridges in 1984. 

He came to Bridges because had done a lot of clinical work and his forte was looking at services and systems and how to grow them to benefit people.  Back in 1984 the agency was called the Milford Mental health clinic and had children services but was struggling to deal with a growing population of adults. To say that Barry is involved in many program services development projects and in taking on leadership at the state level is an understatement.

Monday he traveled to Harford for 9am meeting. Appointed by Senator Gayle Slossberg to the commission for nonprofit health and human services, he is working with this committee to take a look at the health/human services benefits that it offers the state and community.  The report will get turned over to the new governor with recommendations to serve more people and do it in a more cost effective way. Essentially becoming the “bridge” from the committee to the government, to the community.

“Early in my career, if I was dissatisfied with services I realized I had to get involved in policy, budget and legislation. So three days a week I usually start someplace out of the office like New Haven or Hartford in meetings. Given the nature of funding, I interface at those levels a lot.” 

Back at the office he meets with a number of his senior management staff. He has a total of seven senior managers and 160 staff members with a site in Orange, two sites in Milford and two in West Haven.  With a $12.5 million budget, 80% is funded by state and federal money. “At our meetings we go over budgeting, systems, new grants, issues about services that need to be addressed, all focusing on how to coordinate all the services we offer here.”  Bridging the gap from funding to implementation.

Bridges has strong local support from United Way, the city, and other local sources and they generate fees to cover the rest. Often Mr. Kasdan’s days are filled with policy type meetings for at least a dozen different departments or subdivisions of the program.  “We can’t operate them as separate entities.  How do you integrate all this together so that when a client walks through the front door it’s a seamless process for them? So they don’t get juggled around?. It’s a continuous challenge that takes a lot of my time.  I sort of transpose that type of an approach to ‘how to we do that at a state level?’” 

The state funds them to provide treatment and community support services.  By putting this structure in place, Connecticut was able to shut down state hospital years ago. “We were keeping people there, not because they needed to be there, but because we didn’t have the community services to bring them home. We started planning this and money started flowing from the state to establish the community systems.  Connecticut was in the forefront to set up a nation system.” And Barry was one of the advocates for all this. 

“Now, today, the budgets are difficult. The economy is in bad shape.  The questions policy makers are grappling with is ‘do you cut services like this and have people end up back in hospitals or do you think long term?’”

Founded in 1957 by a group of concerned citizens in Milford, Bridges now provides services to approximately 5,000 people annually at sites in Milford, Orange and West Haven. “Why we are here?  To help people we serve to lead healthy and productive lives. In fact their recovery-focused services include evaluation, counseling, and treatment, which are available to adults, children, adolescents and families “As an agency we have 5000 people a year who pass thru our doors.” Some need an assessment while others need ongoing treatment and support services. Their open caseload is usually 1500 people.

In the last 18 months they’ve had over half million in cuts and they’re waiting anxiously to see what happens with the new administration in Hartford and in how they will deal with the budget.  For all nonprofits creative fund raising ideas are important and since there is often a stigma attached to mental health issues Barry lights up as he talks about their own events like Folks on Spokes in it’s 19^th year.  “I was sitting at a board meeting years ago and we came up with a community event that would be fun and help take the stigma off the mental health services. Let’s have something where we can bring the community together for a good cause”.  This year over 500 folks participate and they raised 30 thousand. More important is the statement that the community makes for all the folks who use our services.”

For the first time in May they had a Do wop concert with Kenny Vance. While normally hosting a big annual event, they realized that the economy is in bad shape and wanted to make it fun and affordable.  “We filled the Parsons with 900 people. It speaks so loudly about the community and the support.  We raised money but more that that, it raised the spirits and the moral. Which is so important. Our board did that. We have a wonderful board and a wonderful staff. There’s not a meeting I sit down at where someone doesn’t come up with a new idea. I love to foster out of the box ideas.”

I must admit to feeling that this one column isn’t enough space to report on the many groups, services and meetings that Barry attends and advocates for, many times at the state and national levels. They received two federal grants this year. One is for a new initiative “Tobacco cessation” a statewide program, and the other concerns the integration of primary health care into behavior health care. They are one of 13 systems in the country to get these grants. “ We did some renovations and built into our sites, medical exam rooms to provide primary health care to our adult patients. Many of them never had this type of access. Our hope is to eventually meet the goals that we have for them in dealing with problems so they can be on their own and more independent.” For folks who have a challenge in meeting life’s challenges, expanding the view of what people need without so many barriers is a model that works and that is community based.

“How do I see myself? As a CEO, a supervisor, an orchestra leader, as someone who helps people to coordinate the seamless system, a change agent, a motivator, a health care reformer, a team player.”  Notice what all these titles have in common?

I think “Bridge” is a term that applies nicely as well. 

To learn more about Bridges, vist http://www.bridgesmilford.org

Powerful Impact People: Sandra Koorejian

“What do you want to see happening and what can we do together to promote your safety?” This is a question often repeated by Sandra Koorejian, Director at the Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Greater New Haven, a program of Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc.  This program helps thousands of victims of domestic violence every year, in a wide variety of ways and Sandra has been with them since 1987. Her duties range from program developer to fund raiser to grant writer. 

She acknowledges that successful grant writing is an‘art’. “The trick to successful grant writing is that you have to truly believe in your mission. You have to have a compelling story and a track record. More importantly you have to follow the directions.” 

Fund raising this year includes a Bowlathon, March 5^th. “Almost everyone enjoys bowling and the people who participate know it’s for a good cause”. Last year they raised $25,000. “In this Economy it is particularly hard doing private fund raising but our expenses continue to go up.  Do the math, you find yourself in a desperate situation”.  

Among the many services DVS offers is a 24 hour hotline that is bilingual and anonymous. “When people call the hotline they sometimes feel ashamed or blamed. And we say there is nothing you could have done where you deserve to be treated this way and we tell them that they are not alone. What can we do together to help you be safe?”  

In fiscal year 2010 DVS responded to 103 hotline calls from Milford residents.  A 300% increase over other years.  “It’s the economy. People losing their homes, jobs, it increases pressure.”  

DVS has a 15 bed emergency shelter in New Haven for families with children up to age 17 and those families can stay for up to 60 days.  Counselors work with the women to find housing, employment, and other needs. They also help the women deal with their feelings of low self-esteem, victimization and guilt “We have food, linens, transportation tokens and we can arrange for them to relocate if necessary for safety.”

They have victim advocates on the criminal and civil side.  There were 269 victims in the past year that worked with the criminal victim advocate, an 11% increase.  And the civil advocate worked with 103 Milford residents this year.   

“We also offer community education programs. Our advocates go into the high schools and senior centers to speak about healthy and unhealthy relationships. We do all this for free and everything is confidential.”  

While being a "victim" is not a place anyone would care to find themselves, Sandra’s compelling reason for the hard work she and DVS do is understandably bold and empowering.  “I feel like ultimately what we are helping people do is reach their potential. We are speaking out against the use of violence as a means to and end. It’s ultimately about power and control and when we help victims understand it in those terms they are freed from feeling that it’s their fault.”  

For more information about Sandra and Domestic Violence Services, please visit http://www.dvsgnh.org/

Powerful Impact People: Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson, Executive Director of the United Way in Milford, is celebrating his 33^rd year with this non-profit and is a champion of the word “collaborative”.   Executive Director since January of 1986, he started with The United Way in March 1978 as the campaign director. Now his duties as administrator, fundraiser and multitasker are a full-time load. “With over 200 local volunteers throughout the year working on different projects and 36 members of the board, our volunteers carry a lot of weight”. While he started out in the field of Law, Gary gravitated to this work early on by being involved in fund raising. He also had the opportunity to see the community working together, collaboratively.  He was inspired and now he inspires others. 

Today he starts out reading the paper to see the current events happening in Milford.  Last night was the annual holiday fundraiser held at SBC restaurant for United Way, where he met up with 100 attendees and helped run the raffle and silent auction while folks brought in unwrapped toys. ”People can still bring toys to the office which is located at 20 Evergreen Ave in Milford” This year the United Way has a special holiday appeal for families that have emergency needs.  “We have just seen a dramatic increase for our services this year and we collaborate with the department of human services. They do the outreach for people in need in the community. Mainly for help with bills or rent when a parent has gotten laid off.” 

After email responses he sizes up the day, prepares for an early morning campaign cabinet meeting and gets reports from all 10 divisions that are a part of the national campaign called “Live United”

“Our heaviest fund raising is fall to December with events like the annual golf tournament but we still raise money well into the New Year.  Nationally each of the 1300  United Way offices are separately incorporated, with 16 locals here in Connecticut.  The fund raising goal this year is 1 million dollars.   The United Way in Milford plays a collaborative role with 21 other agencies in town by helping with funding and networking.  Working together to make a difference locally.

“This year we were the recipients of a $125,000 federal grant over 10 years to promote programs on substance abuse like alcohol and tobacco.  So we are working with many agencies in town on this new initiative to educate the community on substance abuse.”

A Member of Milford Rotary, Thursdays means networking opportunities and a chance to associate with fellow business people who are doing good things, like Harry Garafalo, owner of Shop Rite and also a board member of UW.   “Harry is just one of the most generous people and this is the fourth year for our July, “United Way month” at Shop Rite.  We set up a display certain times during the week at Shop Rite and we passed out literature and education on what United Way does.  Harry has his staff cooking and selling hotdogs and soda and we get all the proceeds. We raised over 10 thousand this year”.

It is always the stories of the people who benefit from each non-profit that make the biggest impressions and Gary tells me of one such family in town.  Both parents were laid off and have two teens in school.  On top of that the wife had surgery recently and  was at home recovering with no income, no heat (oil) and with the electric getting ready to be turned off. “The woman called us. We have a small emergency fund and it was apparent that this person was in desperate straights. We were able to get an oil delivery for her and also help pay toward the electric so no lights were shut off.”  This woman was so grateful that she has been speaking on behalf of the United Way.  “It’s a case where we were able to help and they were able to give back, by speaking. It just touches me.”   Not uncommon, after 32 years of working with the United Way.

We all know that the cost of living is high in Connecticut and that the recession has really affected everyone but unless you are personally affected, or know someone who is in trouble you might tend to lump United Way in with all others. “We are different.  We are local, not a national bucket that money is funneled into.  The money that is raised here stays here.” 

At the end of the day Gary goes home tired to a certain extent, but he says he is also energized by working with so many other agencies that do great work and by touching lives here in Milford.    “Most days I can go home and know that we have made a difference in someone’s life and that is very rewarding work”.

Collaborative is a good word for United Way and Gary Johnson.

 For more information, visit:
www.unitedwayofmilford.org

KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEMS: TIP #4

Keep it "simple":

"Well, it's complicated."

One challenge administrators face is that their answers are often a lot more complicated than the simplistic stories that are peddled by those that would mislead and deceive. This is true for many non-profits doing important work.

We're not going to have a lot of luck persuading masses of semi-interested people to seek out and embrace complicated answers, but we can take two steps to lead to better information exchange and responses.

1. Take complicated overall answers and make them simple steps instead. Teach complexity over time, simply.

2. Teach a few people, the committed, your volunteers, your best staff, to embrace the idea of complexity. That's what a great college education does. That's what makes someone a statesman instead of a demagogue. Embracing complexity is a scarce trait and worth acquiring. But until your donors/board/employees/volunteers do, I think the first strategy is essential.

You can't sell complicated to someone who came to you to “buy” simple

Powerful Impact People: Kenneth Hopkins

You’d have to strap on your dance shoes just to keep up with Kenneth Hopkins, Milford resident and Executive Director/Co-Artistic Director of the New England Ballet Company.  He founded the company in 1989 and shares artistic director duties with Karen Goodman, “Bringing Children to the Arts and Arts to the Children.”

His day starts out on the internet with emails, social media like Facebook, updating the website and mapping out the day. 

Then he’s off to Bridgeport.  Kenneth oversees the teaching and performing that New England Ballet leads for Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD) in a program that brings dance and movement classes to children from 3 to 5 years old.  NEB received a $4000 grant from United Way for performances and a $3000 grant from the Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation for teaching. The ballet is involved in teaching dance classes to the group in weekly classes. This Monday, as part of the ABCD program, the ballet company is performing the Nutcracker Suite at the George Pipkin location in Bridgeport.  The company dancers also receive community service hours for performing.

Luckily the props and costumes are still packed up from the day before.  Sunday’s performance at the Stratford Theatre kicked off their 19^th season of the Nutcracker.  While the bulk of their performances are here in Milford at the Parsons Government Center, their Sugar Plum Party at Stratford Theatre is a major fundraiser for the company.  Kenneth was there, by 8 am supervising the floor set-up, getting the dancers blocked, doing prep work and changing into his “Mother Ginger” costume. During the two-show event he signed books entitled, “Mother Ginger’s Nutcracker Sweets” a fund-raising recipe book with photos of the dancers in their costumes and with holiday recipes from current and former dancers.

As he returned to the NEB offices Monday he focused on Nutcracker ticket sales, a fully costumed production of that great holiday classic.  In keeping with their mission of bringing children to the arts, Milford fourth graders have seen this production every year for the past 19 years. This year’s public shows are on December 18 and 19^th at Parsons Government Center in Milford.

From 4pm-9pm Kenneth oversees classes and rehearsals at the studio. Since he is the artistic vision behind the productions he oversees costuming and makeup with wardrobe master, Drew Mancuso, who is responsible for the whole look from wigs and headpieces down to the eye shadow they wear.  He also meets with the committee of board members for their collaboration with the Milford recreation department and their work on the Adaptive Nutcracker Suite to be performed on Friday, December 17. Children of all needs are integrated into the Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite that runs before their larger production of Nutcracker.  Innovative ideas like including wheel chair bound dancers into Waltz of the Flowers, is something to look forward to.

This adaptive program is an after school dance program through the Milford Recreation Department utilizing mentor dancers/teachers from New England Ballet, like Shaina Arsenault and Katie Kurata (both playing “Clara” this year).“We are thinking ahead because NEB has written a grant to Autism Speaks, so we are starting our work on this idea now with the performances and videos.  Autism Speaks is interested in funding dance groups for children with autism.”

With opportunities for his dancers through ABCD and the Milford Recreation department to mentor and perform for children who have never seen live performance while getting trained to be high level ballet dancers, the company is offering more than just dance training. “We are now teaching them how to make a difference in the community, one child at a time. To change a life through the arts.”

“One of our little boys in Bridgeport who just started the program with ABCD is participating in his first live production at five years old. He’s playing a soldier mouse and is adorable”.  When asked what benefit this had to the young boy Kenneth says, “ it teaches him motor skills, interaction in a social group through the arts and is an introduction to classical music. The whole concept is that it opens their minds to learn about other possibilities than what they see normally.”

Since funding for the arts was cut by 80% statewide the ballet saw their state funding sink from $17,500 to $3000 this year.  But they are surviving the economic crunch with creative fund raising utilizing social media, working with a great board, and partnering with a cutting-edge internet marketing company that provides access to billion dollar markets and the know-how and technology that benefits this group.  He first saw the advantages to social media/marketing at their production of Swan Lake in May.  Never having more than 300 audience members, this year the production had at least 700 excited fans.   Ken credits his internet savvy to the expertise learned from partnering with marketamerica.com.

When the work day is over for most professionals, rehearsals at the ballet don’t end until 9pm and Ken, the renaissance man who is also a professional photographer, holds photography sessions and goes over details on promotional material till 2am for the ballet.  The fund raising cookbook is all set and now it’s time for the next big idea. 

For Kenneth, there is more than just art cooking at the ballet. 

Visit the New England Ballet online at:


http://www.newenglandballet.org/

KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEMS: TIP #4


Unreasonable:

You can get my attention as a non profit if your marketing approach is unreasonably well designed, if your preparation is unreasonably over the top, if your volunteers are unreasonably attentive and generous and honest. You can earn my recommendation and donations if the experience of your fund raising is unreasonably over-the-top, out-of-the-box irresistible given the competition.

This goes for all businesses as well. It even applies to getting into a famous college.  You'll need to have unreasonably high grades, impossibly positive recommendations and yes indeed, a life that's balanced. That's totally unreasonable.

The non profit market as well as the business market now expects and demands an unreasonable effort on your part. You don't have to like it, but it’s true.

Unreasonable is the new reasonable.

Powerful Impact People: Mary Ann Wasil Nilan

(Photo: http://www.pinkpowermom.com/2010moms.aspx)

Mary Ann Wasil Nilan, the executive director of the Get in Touch Foundation in Milford, is one of those people you meet and then feel that you have known your whole life.  Her day starts at 5:30 am with 30 min of yoga and Starbucks and then she’s ready for her day. The day may not be ready for her.   First she answers hundreds of emails from schools, medical centers, Girl Scouts, homeless shelters and from many women who are interested in her program.   Her mission is “to encourage gals of all ages to “Get in Touch” with their bodies, information and each other in our crusade against breast cancer.” 

In 2004 at 39 years of age, Mary Ann was diagnosed with Stage 2 bilateral breast cancer.  I “know so many women now under 40 who have a similar story. There are 250 thousand diagnosed and 40 thousand a year die.  That number hasn’t changed. Education is so important and so is awareness of your body, so if you notice any changes in your body you are confident, strong and smart enough to get to the office.  You need to find a doctor who takes you seriously.” She’s been cancer free for six years.

After her email session she manages the social networking sites, the website, twitter, her e-newsletter, and Facebook. “Our Facebook site is very active and has been incredible. It’s unbelievable to me the level of contact through that. College and high school girls asking us how our program can be in their schools.  By looking at my own daughters I realized this is bigger than me.  This is even bigger than my daughters. It’s everyone’s daughters.” 

Still before 8am she takes her son to school, runs to the printer for a brochure, some flyers and daisy wheels, and then goes to the office. 

Last week she spoke to a group of high school girls at Bunnell High School in Stratford.  “They had the most incredible questions. The nurses there teach the program.  The girls knocked my socks off with some of the thoughtful and engaging things they asked.” Other high schools in her line up range from South Boston to Atlanta and back to Milford again with Laurelton Hall.  “No matter where I go these kids want to be healthy and make the right choices to be smart and strong”.

Mary Ann lets these young women know that, as a non-profit who works with health, there is much misinformation out there.  Just because a woman doesn’t have any breast cancer in their family they need to know that only 6% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a history and that she had no family history. 

Recently she got back from Williamsburg VA, where she was the keynote speaker for the Virginia School Nurses Association conference.  “They wanted to hear about our program as well as focusing on wellness for the students and wellness for themselves.”

One of Mary Ann’s daughters entered her in a Pink Power Mom competition where she became one of eight women in the US to win $5000 for Get in Touch.  These women were selected for their inspirational fight against breast cancer, and they were honored for their courage. Something that I am finding with all the executive directors I am following for the day is that they are quick to list other women who have inspired them.  Mary Ann sites women like Nancy Brinker of Komen for the cure as one her mentors. “We women know we don’t do it alone”.   

It’s hard to believe she ever touches down in Milford for long. In Long Beach, CA for the California Women’s Conference she won a coveted publishing contract from Balboa Press, for her book  “A Diary of Healing,” which will come out in 2011.

“At the end the day, it’s about speaking to a women from Milford or Santa Monica who might have stumbled upon our website or viewed a video and who says ‘you saved my life.  I could not wrap my head around this.’  They see our Women of Strength video or the Diary of Healing pictures and that is exactly why I put that together. When I had that middle-of-the-night-panic and thought there was no where to go, there was no voice that said to me ‘this is really hard but you have to live thru it’. One of my favorite sayings by Winston Churchill is “if you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Mary Ann’s future work is to always be a voice for education and overall health. She’s there to encourage girls to make good decisions for their whole lives.  Her goal is to be able to say that when breast cancer existed organizations involved with breast cancer did a great job. That they eliminated the cause or cured it. There are incredible people working on this.   While they do that, she is going to continue to educate girls on being comfortable with their bodies and respecting themselves. She is also going to continue to be an inspiration to women who are dealing with the realities of breast cancer. 

“This is an emotional rollercoaster.  You have to live through it.  It’s the new normal.  I want women to know that you can be a bigger version of yourself.  It is hard.  Things scare me but I am realistic and optimistic. I don’t want to live anywhere else.” 

We are glad she feels that way.

  

For more information, please visit the Get in Touch Foundation website: http://www.getintouchfoundation.org/




KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEMS: TIP #3

Unique Leadership:

The easiest form of running an NPO is to encourage or demand that people do more. Or another way to look at it is to go faster.

The most important and difficult form of management (verging on leadership) is to encourage people to do better.

Better is trickier than more or faster because people have trouble visualizing themselves doing better. It requires education and coaching and patience to create a team of people who are better.  Longer and more work for you, but in the long run, much more effective leadership for your NPO.

What ‘education’ can you set up today? Website usage? Facebook or Twitter tips? Public Speaking tips for your volunteers? Progressive marketing ideas and tips?

Powerful Impact People: Toni Dolan - Beth-El Center

Toni Dolan, executive director of the BETH-EL CENTER a Milford Non Profit that  feeds the hungry, houses the homeless, and seeks to prevent homelessness, has her day cut out for her.  Originally an interim director, she became so engaged with the shelter’s mission that she has stayed on for five years.  “You begin to build relationships within the community and through that I began to realize how vital the services are and how well respected the center is. I felt I could make a difference. The whole issue of homelessness, people not having a safe place to lay their heads at night, is a societal curse that doesn’t need to be.”

Today her morning started with a to-do-list of grant writing, administrative tasks, working on raising funds as the chair of ‘clubs and agencies’ for the United Way’s fund raising goals…and then a crisis hit.  A husband and wife with three children knocked at the door. The mother was not working and had just gotten out of hospital and had no health insurance.  It was crunch time.  Toni stopped what she was doing and got some bags of food together after the mother said “I have nothing in my cupboard to feed my family”.

The Beth El Center, supported by the United Way, is not an emergency shelter but they have all the resources to guide people to those shelters that are safer situations for families. “We are called a transition shelter.  A lot of people think of the classic, stand in line at 5pm, get taken in for the night and put out in the morning, type of shelter.”  Beth El is a program that tries to help with all issues including self-sufficiency. 

Toni and the center also work closely with other agencies in a shared capacity. Peggy Pisano, of the Milford Rape Crisis Center and her assault councilors for the families at the shelter. Peggy Kelly of the Milford Family Resource Center and her certified parent educators who work with the mothers exclusively on parenting skills and with children in a shelter.  The Visiting Nurse Association of South Central CT that access clients if needed and help to prevent emergency calls to 911.  And Karen Schur, who works with the Young Parent Program, Milford Hospital, especially for young women who might have become parents before they were ready. 

Toni devotes some time to the soup kitchen, a vital service that serves the greater community. Anyone who needs a nutritious hot lunch, five days a week can come.  There were 18 thousand meals served last year.  The shelter also offers a “no freeze’ shelter in the winter. “We don’t have a great capacity to house them, but at least we get them out of the cold from January to March in an effort to lessen the impact on the city services”.

A large portion of her day is spent fund raising.  This year they may be facing a 5% cutback in the shelter contract.  “United Way has a million dollar goal.  If we don’t get that it’s another cutback from what we can provide”.

Major challenges?  Housing. There is not enough affordable housing in Connecticut.   Compound that with the economy and top it off with the job market.  “We do have clients that are working, but they are working poor because they don’t have jobs that earn them enough.  It takes 23 dollars an hour to afford a modest two family home here. Without the educational level or skills what do you do?  You have to put together 2 or 3 jobs to make it work.” 

What she and the shelter provide is a 90-day program, working with clients one-on-one in supportive services that assist them to self-sufficiency and in not repeating the cycle. “Of late we have evolved into our goal being to end homelessness.” And while that may sound like a lofty goal, she knows that even though a small agency can’t do this alone, they can collaborate with other agencies. Working one person at a time Toni and the Beth El Center can make difference. 

Just like she said she would. 

Toni Dolan  tdolan@bethelmilford.org

860-982-3984

http://www.bethelmilford.org/

Best fund raising:  “We have three fund raisers a year.   The biggest is a Spring gala event with dinner, live auctions and a “successful story” told by one of our clients. What has been especially good in the last 2 years is determining what the cost per night is for our clients and asking people to bid on that.   50 dollars. Knowing what their 50 dollars is paying for exactly has helped tremendously. It’s that direct connection to the people you are helping.  

KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEMS-TIP #2 

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

 

We’ve all seen it.  The people who fear change speak up immediately because they think they will be hurt by the idea.  They even speak loudly and without regard for the odds or reality sometimes.

The people who benefit from a change usually don't believe it until it they see it, so they sit still.

And that's why change in an organization is difficult.

The trick is to get your board and your volunteers enrolled or enticed into the new idea. The new possibility.  A secret?  Even the very best hearted folks will want to know how this new idea benefits them.  

Powerful Impact People: A day in the life of Peggy Pisano (Milford Rape Crisis Center)

Thursday was a typically untypical day for Peggy Pisano, the executive director of the Milford Rape Crisis Center.  Having met her months earlier at a fund raising event, I knew she was a focused and caring person who has been with the center for over 30 years.  She started out as a volunteer and then became the multi-disciplinary team coordinator for the Ansonia/Milford judicial district in 2002.  This team is one of 15 in the state that deals exclusively with cases of child sexual and physical assault and serious neglect.  In 2007 she became the center’s executive director and so I wanted to find out what a day in the life of this woman with the sparkling blue eyes was like.

Peggy had moved here from another state and belonged to the Milford Newcomers Club.  A speaker came from Milford Rape Crisis, Eloise Macaluso, and Peggy realized she really wanted to help women and the community. She quickly learned that the Center not only helps women but also men and children through the multi-disciplinary team.

Her Thursday started by working on administrative tasks like the quarterly report, which narrates this non-profit’s progress over the last quarter, including their speaking engagements, outreach, cases, trends and problems. 

The Milford Rape Center was awarded a three-year grant through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to assist them in continuing their work providing services to victims of sexual assault and community education programs. Additionally, on November 1^st, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is launching an online resource for non-profits (giveGreater.org), where people can view 50 different non-profits, make donations, and read particular information on them.

In the afternoon, her duties shifted to dealing with some cases. One case was with an ongoing client who she has been counseling for a number of months; another case involved responding to a long-time client who had issues that were resurfacing. While any success, from helping sexual assault victim to more administrative tasks like helping the center get a grant, is gratifying’ it’s obvious that her heart belongs with helping sexual assault victims.

As evening approached, she prepared for the training with new volunteers.  This 3-hour training took place at Griffin Hospital and was attended by 20 new prospective volunteers. During the training, she trained them in the use of Serchie 100 rape kit, for the collection of evidence in the sexual assault cases. With her co-worker, Advocate Cindy Dugan, she helped train these volunteers in the 14 steps required, ranging from what to do when you first meet with someone in the emergency room to how to deal with police reports.  The trainings are ongoing through Oct 28^th where they will become state certified sexual assault councilors, manning hotlines and assisting in counseling.  Advocate Sheila Richards facilitated a wide variety of leaders for the trainings, including the Milford Police Department, Griffin Hospital, Shelton police officers, and Kevin Lawlor, the State’s Attorney for the Ansonia/Milford Judicial District.

When I asked Peggy who the perfect volunteer for her non-profit would be, she listed someone who is a good listener, empathetic, and who doesn’t form moral judgments about people. Being able to handle difficult situations and giving correct information are key, as well as being someone who can respond to an emergency situation, sometimes at 3am.  She emphasized that not everyone is able to handle that kind of work.

We are all certainly lucky and grateful that Peggy is.

Upcoming events:  Indoor Golf Tournament (Feb) and Walk a Mile in her Shoes (April)

Visit:  http://www.rapecrisisctr.org/

Founded in 1974, the Rape Crisis Center of Milford is a not-for-profit social service agency working to end sexual violence through victim assistance, prevention, education and public policy advocacy.   The Center provides services to the towns of Ansonia, Derby, Milford, Orange, Seymour, Shelton, and West Haven . All services are provided at no cost to the community.



MOST SUCCESSFUL FUND RAISING EVENT: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes-- visit the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes page on the Milford Rape Crisis Center webpage for more information





KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEMS: TIP #1

Are they paying attention?
 

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Find a savvy 20 year old who would like to donate a few hours to assessing your website for “user friendliness” or “wordiness”.  Remember that this is the generation who grew up online and who have attention spans that need to be stimulated with short bursts of information.

If you are willing to listen to their feedback, you may not only get more donors, but you might also get more 20 year olds volunteering for your cause.