HI Blog subscribers:
If you have an event coming up, feel free to email me at: huffmankristin_@hotmail.com . I would love to cover your upcoming event in an "inside story" type way. For instance, the United Way has an event that involves motorcylists. I would like to interview one of the particpants before the event and do a story that covers the event from the perspective of the participant/volunteer. Thus garnering you publicity, but even more importantly, more participants and volunteers.
Feel free to email me prior to the events (preferably about a month ahead of time)
Also feel free to pass this on to other non profits.
Thanks!
Kristin
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
12th Annual Kids Count Legislative Breakfast
Kids Count in Milford
The 12th annual Kids Count of Milford’s Legislative Breakfast was held April 13th at the Milford Yacht Club. This powerful event is a chance for Milford’s non profits, especially the charities that focus on children and families, to educate and inspire our legislators at the state level to care for us even better. To let them hear from the executive directors of the non profits in our cities as well as parents of children who need the services they offer and to help them speak in a way that is informed and passionate about the need to continue funding.
Invited were Senator Gayle Slossberg, Representatives Paul Davis, Kim Rose and Richard Roy. Present were Mr. Davis and for half of the event, Mr. Roy.
Mayor Richetelli introduced Milford’s new superintendent of schools, Dr. Elizabeth Feser, who spoke about her enthusiasm for our city’s schools and the new possibilities she offers. Dr. Feser’s years of experience and passion for teaching institutions were evident in her speaking and her posture on education.
The main thrust of this event was to point out the need for continued funding for our nonprofits and to educate not only our legislators, but also the public. Barry Kasdan, CEO of Bridges, pointed out that while the public may want lowered taxes
there is no savings to be gained by cutting mental health services to families. He gave facts and figures on the cost effectiveness of community based care vs. institution care. “Of all non profits in Connecticut who have budgets of a million and over and who get government contracts and grants, 70% of those are in deficit.”
Charlie Clifford of the YMCA said that Connecticut is one of four states that spent more on incarceration than on higher education. He also gave practical advice to the legislatures and parents on how to campaign for funding important programs.
The scene stealers of the day, though, were Mrs. Susan Stelez’s third grade class from Pumpkin Delight School. Mrs. Stelez won “The Champion of Young Children’s Award” for her 30 year of teaching to over 800 students and her devotion to developing young minds. Her class performed for the breakfast crowd, which included many Executive directors from non profits in the city.
Gary Johnson, of the United Way presented the “Lifetime of Championing Children” award to Peggy Kelly, Executive Director of Kid’s Count. Their mission is “to develop, enhance and promote the education, social and emotional well being of children from birth to age five so that they enter kindergarten ready to learn”.
Representative Paul Davis, who spoke, said that his wife and son are both teachers and that while the tax payers are asking for cuts, he sees the need to educate the public about these important social programs. “Educating the public to see this as an investment in their future”, was a theme spoken over and over. When he was asked how to educate the public he said that, “making this a financial issue and realizing that if we don’t do this it will actually cost us money in the future” was the best marketing strategy.
“It is foolish to think that there are savings when we cut essential community services. In reality we simply shift costs to a more expensive level of care, which is government- based. This is wasteful if not irresponsible at this time of fiscal crisis”, says Barry Kasdan.
Mrs. Stelez’s third graders chanted “I’m glad that Milford’s my hometown” and spoke about teamwork, independence, participation, volunteers and problem solving as being part of a citizen’s responsibility. They spoke about taking care of others in a way that promotes community involvement and respect. Mrs. Stelez’s third grade: Some of the forward-thinkers of tomorrow who we hope will make a difference on today’s legislators.
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Monday, April 11, 2011
VOLUNTEER TIP #8
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
“I know it’s here somewhere!”
How many times have you said or heard that statement?
How important is “it”? Do you have someone to ask about “it”? OR are you the person with the answer?
Being a “go to” person is one of the most valuable roles a volunteer can play!
How many “go to” volunteers do you have in your organization? How can you grow more?
Food for thought!
By Anita Taylor
Thursday, March 10, 2011
MARKETING GEM #7
PROFILE THEM
If you are treating your website like an online brochure you are missing the point.
I know you want people to learn about your NPO and it’s events and mission. But people donate to causes because they feel connected in a very personal way. If you are treating them all the same when they land on your page, you are missing the opportunity to connect them to your mission.
Do you have donor profiles for each of the various types of donors you have or are you sending them all the same form letters? Each type of donor relates to different forms of media ie video, text, webinars.
What if you had a webinar series led by a group of your best recipients who wanted to talk about what a difference your NPO made in their lives? Or your best donors? Two minute blurbs that reached out the minute someone landed on your page.
Get out the flipcam and go to work! Tell the story to each different type of donor, volunteer or staff member. Treat them differently and personally and they will become your best advertisement, volunteers and donors.
Please read The New Rules Of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Powerful Impact People: Charlie Clifford
“Our pool is our main attraction!” states Charlie Clifford, Executive director of the YMCA in Milford, about the Z-shaped, enclosed-in-glass, retractable-glass-roofed pool and family oriented facility. “Families can spend time together either structured or on their own.” As the ED for the last four years and a family man himself, Charlie runs the Woodruff family YMCA branch of the Central CT coast YMCA and he understands what families need.
Balancing fund raising with community development, this busy ED sites one of his projects, a national movement called “Activate America” as the Y’s response to obesity and diabetes in the country.
His pet projects involve fund raising. “First and foremost, we are a charity! A 501c3 and the Y doesn’t turn anyone away because of their inability to pay.” Those who can’t afford to pay are benefited by the “Strong Kids Campaign”, a scholarship drive which generates funds for people who can’t afford the Y’s fees. “We gave $200,000 in scholarships last year to over 600 individuals. We raised about $110, 000. The challenge is how to fund the gap. We aren’t going to turn away the kids that need our services. “
A natural tie in the to Y’s fund raising efforts is the Sprint Triatholon (swim, run, bike) all based out of the Y. Last year they had 90 participants and they are hoping to double that this year on May 22nd.
As a father himself he understands that Milford has a lot of dual income families. “Parents are still struggling with money and kids need a safe place to go after school. The scholarships really provide a place for them to go. For our summer camp, 96% of kids were on scholarships for the entire summer”.
A great example of a collaborative effort within the community is their work with Platt Tech called “ Fit club”. “The principal was telling me that one of the fears is that the kids weren’t passing the President’s Physical Fitness test due to overweight and inactivity problems. We started raising money so they could come across the street and our staff takes them through making healthier lifestyle choices. Because they are coming over here their scores have improved quite a bit.”
Charlie’s development projects deal with how to best position the Y to deal with the physical aspects of the “ health seeker” or someone who tries to live healthy and struggles. “We design anything new, large or small, with the health seeker in mind to make this the most comfortable place they can come “.
Located at 631 Orange Ave in Milford, this branch is open from5:30am-9pm and sees about 450-600 people every day. “We have standard fitness classes like zumba, pilates, yoga, and H2O Power, a senior morning aerobics class.
Still another project aimed at families is the “Milford Collaborative”, a group of providers and parents of kids with special needs. “You are connecting the Y’s resources with what the community needs. We ebb and flow and are more of a community development YMCA. More ground up than national down.”
The Y has many child-care programs from summer care to nursery school and is the largest provider of child-care in Milford. Charlie is their most energetic an enthusiastic advocate about what this non profit is trying to accomplish for kids and for families. “All this stuff is brand new and at our gym you could have a 14 year old next to someone who is 90 years old who looks 50 years old. People of all abilities can come”, says the YMCA’S family man.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP # 7
# 7 Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Tradition – every time I hear that word I think of Fiddler on the Roof! Religion (in that instance) was easy! It was written in the “Good Book.”
Where is your organization’s Good Book? Do you have just one? How many do you need?
Defining the tradition/history of your organization is very important for ALL volunteers – new and seasoned.
After all, once they know what’s in their Good Book, they can spread the word.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEM #6
We don’t do it that way here
This is such a powerful statement and sometimes even said without real thought.
If you say this phrase to a colleague, a new hire, a volunteer or a board member you may have just squashed an initiative that could take you to the next level of fund raising, motivating volunteers or spreading the word about your NPO.
Maybe you are more comfortable with the ‘way things have been done’ in the past, but I encourage you to entertain every idea, no matter how off-the-beaten-path it is, just to encourage innovation and possibly….brilliance!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
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 Milford , Orange , West Haven
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
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
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 Connecticut
“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
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
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
Saturday, January 22, 2011
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP #6
#6 Use ‘em or Lose ‘em – Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Please do ‘just one thing’ for me!
Have you ever said that? I’m sure! But have you ever asked a volunteer to do just one job for your organization?
When I first heard this concept I thought what a great idea – if I were approached and asked to do one task, it would be SO easy!
Keep in mind that this is for people who are so involved in their lives they don’t think they can add one more thing!
Be careful of what you ask – certainly not to chair your annual fundraising event. Remember: match the volunteer to the task!
If they are born salespeople, they wouldn’t mind making cold calls to ask for ____________ (fill in the blank). If they are artistic, they could ‘decorate’ for your next event. If they are organized, they could create a system for an event to make it run more smoothly.
You get the idea – Try it, they’ll love it!
KRISTIN'S MARKETING GEM--TIP #5
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
Sunday, January 16, 2011
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 5th. “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
DVS has a 15 bed emergency shelter in New Haven
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
“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/
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP #5
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Job Descriptions are a pain!
When I worked in my ‘corporate’ life job descriptions were VERY important. Annual reviews were based on them, salary increases were calculated according to them and those dreaded 5-year plans had to include all the parts and pieces of that description.
BUT I also knew what I was ‘supposed to do’ at any given time.
Your volunteers need this type of guidance. In nonprofits lines are very blurry because of lack of time, too much to do, deadlines and, sadly, not enough people to do the tasks, making it hard to get the job done.
SO when your volunteers know what the responsibilities are, it’s much easier for them to grab a friend and ask them to do ‘just one thing’ to help them out.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Powerful Impact People: Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson, Executive Director of the United Way in Milford Gary
Today he starts out reading the paper to see the current events happening in Milford
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 Milford
“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
We all know that the cost of living is high in Connecticut
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
Collaborative is a good word for United Way and Gary Johnson.
For more information, visit:
www.unitedwayofmilford.org
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
Monday, January 3, 2011
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP #4
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Treat your newest volunteer as though they were your best house sitter!
Why? Your house sitter knows where everything is, what to do in an emergency and how to reach you when it’s important.
Do your volunteers have that information about your facility, their fellow volunteers or emergency contacts?
Sometimes in our rush to welcome our new ‘people’ we forget what they don’t know! Again, we take things for granted and this can lead to upset and disorientation.
Prepare a ‘cheat sheet’ for every new person. Look at this information with a fine tooth comb. Ask yourself some of the questions I asked. Are the answers there?
Your volunteers will thank you and stay with you for a very long time.
After all, you treated them like your best house sitter!
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Treat your newest volunteer as though they were your best house sitter!
Why? Your house sitter knows where everything is, what to do in an emergency and how to reach you when it’s important.
Do your volunteers have that information about your facility, their fellow volunteers or emergency contacts?
Sometimes in our rush to welcome our new ‘people’ we forget what they don’t know! Again, we take things for granted and this can lead to upset and disorientation.
Prepare a ‘cheat sheet’ for every new person. Look at this information with a fine tooth comb. Ask yourself some of the questions I asked. Are the answers there?
Your volunteers will thank you and stay with you for a very long time.
After all, you treated them like your best house sitter!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
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 19th 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 19th 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.
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.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP #3
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
Okay, now you found a “new” volunteer – what’s next?
You give them a job and say ‘fly with it’ – it’s really easy, you’re smart, you’ll figure it out!
How long do you think you’ll have that volunteer?
BUT if you have a training system in place – you’ll keep them, they’ll be able to move around throughout your organization and be the TOP volunteer every time!
Better to train them, give them an inside edge and then let them fly. Let them put their personalized ‘stamp’ on the position and then have them train the next one!
You have grown your organization one fabulous volunteer at a time.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Powerful Impact People: Mary Ann Wasil Nilan
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.
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?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
VOLUNTEER TIPS BY TAYLOR: TIP #2
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em –
Do You Know the Value of Your Volunteers?
How do you find NEW volunteers? The best way is to get referrals! How? Network! Most volunteers are very busy people but they want to GIVE to their community in some way. ASK!
You need to have a good ‘commercial’ in order to promote your particular cause! Why should I volunteer with you and not ABC organization down the street?
Always have one good example of how your organization helped someone – make sure it has punch! Would someone change the channel or fast forward through your commercial? OR would it grab them and touch their heart (or pocketbook)! Think Hallmark!
KNOW your need! Once you get a referral for a volunteer, do you know where you’ll USE ‘EM?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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
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.
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