Hi all,
This seems to be the day for updates. A few days ago I posted about a training video that you could view to get some ideas not only for using video but also for webinars, and training ;-0 - but it turned out the link didn't work.
So I contacted Drew Carberry, and he sent me a new link with instructions:
First, click here for the link, and then read below for instructions:
Step 1: On the left side of your screen, click on the “play recording” button
Step 2: Enter Name and Email if prompted
Step 3: Enter Password: vista2
Step 4: Click the “play" button/arrow on the top left-hand side of the new window that opens up.
For this recorded session, you will get audio and visual content at the same time, so please do not use the 800 number referenced on the recordin.
Note from me: by the way, you may have to download a plug-in in order to view the Webinar! Good luck and let me know what you think!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Update - Conference Date Changed!
Resources Now! National Institute
NOTICE- Dates changed to October 10-12, 2006!
You are invited to attend the Resources Now! National Institute in
Providence, Rhode Island from October 10 to 12, 2006 to learn skills and
strategies for advancing national and community service initiatives.
During the three day training, each participant selects 4 out of 16
comprehensive workshops and coaching sessions related to: Individual
Giving, Corporate Giving/Partnership, Uncovering the Resources in Your
Community and Asking Clinics. Every participant walks away with
practical materials from all workshops.
For more information, call Campaign Consultation, Inc. toll free
1.877.243.2253 x37, email Cook@CampaignConsultation.com or register
online at http://www.regonline.com/99765.
Registration deadline is now September 15, 2006
Sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS),
the Resources Now! National Institute is designed, developed, and
facilitated by Campaign Consultation, Inc. - the training and technical
assistance provider for CNCS and its Resource & Fund Development
Initiative.
Laura Cook
Project Coordinator
Campaign Consultation, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218 USA
T. 410.243.7979 X37
Toll Free 877.243.2253
Cook@CampaignConsultation.com
NOTICE- Dates changed to October 10-12, 2006!
You are invited to attend the Resources Now! National Institute in
Providence, Rhode Island from October 10 to 12, 2006 to learn skills and
strategies for advancing national and community service initiatives.
During the three day training, each participant selects 4 out of 16
comprehensive workshops and coaching sessions related to: Individual
Giving, Corporate Giving/Partnership, Uncovering the Resources in Your
Community and Asking Clinics. Every participant walks away with
practical materials from all workshops.
For more information, call Campaign Consultation, Inc. toll free
1.877.243.2253 x37, email Cook@CampaignConsultation.com or register
online at http://www.regonline.com/99765.
Registration deadline is now September 15, 2006
Sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS),
the Resources Now! National Institute is designed, developed, and
facilitated by Campaign Consultation, Inc. - the training and technical
assistance provider for CNCS and its Resource & Fund Development
Initiative.
Laura Cook
Project Coordinator
Campaign Consultation, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218 USA
T. 410.243.7979 X37
Toll Free 877.243.2253
Cook@CampaignConsultation.com
Life After VISTA - former VISTA Turned Writer (And it's not me!)
Hi all,
One thing that I really liked about the Wordpress blog was its "categories". I miss having categories to put different blog posts into, you know?
Anyway, I just read a press release about another former VISTA Volunteer turned writer, who's doing some great things, and I wanted to pass this along to you.
His name is John C. Redfern and he's an ecconomist an author who did three years in VISTA. Right now he's touring the "main streets" of the USA for his book. Here's an excerpt of the press release I read:
7 Palmyras existed at one time in Illinois including his present hometown in Macoupin County and the extinct Palmyra in Wabash County. In September, John is the guest speaker about his Palmyras USA tour at the historical society in Bedford KY.
Also, he will appear in the "Old Pioneer Days" parade this year that focuses upon Palmyra Iowa in Warren. Redfern has traveled throughout the country touring mainstreet communities from Maine to California. The historic grand tour has included 20 of the Palmyras with a future southern Palmyras tour planned. He is gathering the additional final research info for “PALMYRAS USA.”
The author describes the book as a microcosm of mainstreet America. The chapters include the toured Palmyras and the toured mainstreet communities giving a narrative history and future. The conclusion details the truths about modern development and the reform recommendations. John's web sites detail his French-American autobiography, his popular small-press publications, the mainstream media news grand tour stories, and the mainstreet U.S.A. slideshow.
Redfern has traveled throughout the country touring mainstreet communities from Maine to California. The historic grand tour has included 20 of the Palmyras with a future southern Palmyras tour planned. He is gathering the additional final research info for “PALMYRAS USA" The author describes the book as a microcosm of mainstreet America."
If you'd like to check out his Website, you can find it here:
http://mainstreetusa.bravehost.com
And to get in touch with John yourself, to congratulate him or ask him questions, you can reach him at this email addres (to save him from spam, make sure that you put in the appropriate symbols):
JCRedfernataoldotcom
Sounds like a great idea for a book - I may be showing my age, but one of the "cool" things to do when I was a teenager was to "drag" Main street...those of us with cars and driver's licenses would pick up our friends, and we'd drive back and forth along main street - honking and waving at all the people who were walking or sitting on cars. (This of course was in the days before computers and play stations and dvd movie rentals. I spent most of time outside from early morning until it was right up against my curfew.)
And thinking about Main Streets brings back other childhood memories, too. When I was a kid and visited my grandparents for the summer, we always went shopping on Fridays, when gramps got off work - first we'd go to the "5 and Dime" (an early version of Walmart) - a store that had an amazing variety of just about everything, then we'd go to the drug store ( they even had a counter where we could sit and enjoy a "cherry coke" while we sat and waited for the pharmacist to fill gram's heart medicine prescription. After that, we went to the grocery store and then a quick stop at the drive in, for a special treat of fish and chips...
John, thanks for the trip down memory lane that just reading the title of your book gave me...
One thing that I really liked about the Wordpress blog was its "categories". I miss having categories to put different blog posts into, you know?
Anyway, I just read a press release about another former VISTA Volunteer turned writer, who's doing some great things, and I wanted to pass this along to you.
His name is John C. Redfern and he's an ecconomist an author who did three years in VISTA. Right now he's touring the "main streets" of the USA for his book. Here's an excerpt of the press release I read:
7 Palmyras existed at one time in Illinois including his present hometown in Macoupin County and the extinct Palmyra in Wabash County. In September, John is the guest speaker about his Palmyras USA tour at the historical society in Bedford KY.
Also, he will appear in the "Old Pioneer Days" parade this year that focuses upon Palmyra Iowa in Warren. Redfern has traveled throughout the country touring mainstreet communities from Maine to California. The historic grand tour has included 20 of the Palmyras with a future southern Palmyras tour planned. He is gathering the additional final research info for “PALMYRAS USA.”
The author describes the book as a microcosm of mainstreet America. The chapters include the toured Palmyras and the toured mainstreet communities giving a narrative history and future. The conclusion details the truths about modern development and the reform recommendations. John's web sites detail his French-American autobiography, his popular small-press publications, the mainstream media news grand tour stories, and the mainstreet U.S.A. slideshow.
Redfern has traveled throughout the country touring mainstreet communities from Maine to California. The historic grand tour has included 20 of the Palmyras with a future southern Palmyras tour planned. He is gathering the additional final research info for “PALMYRAS USA" The author describes the book as a microcosm of mainstreet America."
If you'd like to check out his Website, you can find it here:
http://mainstreetusa.bravehost
And to get in touch with John yourself, to congratulate him or ask him questions, you can reach him at this email addres (to save him from spam, make sure that you put in the appropriate symbols):
JCRedfernataoldotcom
Sounds like a great idea for a book - I may be showing my age, but one of the "cool" things to do when I was a teenager was to "drag" Main street...those of us with cars and driver's licenses would pick up our friends, and we'd drive back and forth along main street - honking and waving at all the people who were walking or sitting on cars. (This of course was in the days before computers and play stations and dvd movie rentals. I spent most of time outside from early morning until it was right up against my curfew.)
And thinking about Main Streets brings back other childhood memories, too. When I was a kid and visited my grandparents for the summer, we always went shopping on Fridays, when gramps got off work - first we'd go to the "5 and Dime" (an early version of Walmart) - a store that had an amazing variety of just about everything, then we'd go to the drug store ( they even had a counter where we could sit and enjoy a "cherry coke" while we sat and waited for the pharmacist to fill gram's heart medicine prescription. After that, we went to the grocery store and then a quick stop at the drive in, for a special treat of fish and chips...
John, thanks for the trip down memory lane that just reading the title of your book gave me...
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Is the "Milllenial Generation" Going to Change the World?
I just read an expiring article in the Arizona Republic about younger kids - dubbed the "Millennial Generation" (remember, you heard it here first - well, okay, second!) that are willing to get their hands dirty and volunteer, to make the world a better place.
Remember my post a few days ago about "social capital" and how Americans are becoming increasingly disconnected from our friends, our family, our neighbors and society as a whole? (By the way, to those of you who took the initiative and asked to join my network on LinkedIn and Plaxo, thanks! Glad to meet you!)
Anyway, according to this article, kids are starting a new trend - they're beginning to volunteer in record numbers at younger ages than ever before.
Part of this could be because most colleges and universities now require community service hours for graduation and so volunteerism is becoming a part of our every day lives again - but I'd also like to believe it's because this generation believes that one person can make a difference, and they're willing to make an effort to do something about the problems they see.
Anyway, it's a great article, and well-worth reading whether you work with kids or not at your project site. You can find it by clicking on this link:
Remember my post a few days ago about "social capital" and how Americans are becoming increasingly disconnected from our friends, our family, our neighbors and society as a whole? (By the way, to those of you who took the initiative and asked to join my network on LinkedIn and Plaxo, thanks! Glad to meet you!)
Anyway, according to this article, kids are starting a new trend - they're beginning to volunteer in record numbers at younger ages than ever before.
Part of this could be because most colleges and universities now require community service hours for graduation and so volunteerism is becoming a part of our every day lives again - but I'd also like to believe it's because this generation believes that one person can make a difference, and they're willing to make an effort to do something about the problems they see.
Anyway, it's a great article, and well-worth reading whether you work with kids or not at your project site. You can find it by clicking on this link:
Monday, July 24, 2006
How to Write a Letter to the Editor
In my chapter on grant writing, I ask you to imagine the man who is reading all of the grants submitted to his foundation. I always imagine him sitting in a tiny, windowless room, where the only light is coming from an uncovered bulb dangling on bare wires from the ceiling. There are piles of grants on his small desk, tilting dangerously into each other, that threaten, with the slightest breeze or brush against them, to tumble to the floor - where are are more stacks of grants piled on top of each other. The garbage can is too full and it's tipped over from the weight of all the discarded grants, and...well, you get the idea.
Now I want you to imagine that you're the editor for a major newspaper...you're sitting in a tiny windowless room...
Okay. So how do you decide which letters (out of all the hundreds of letters you receive - and have to read each and every day) you're going to publish?
Actually, the answer is pretty simple, according to an editor friend of mine who left a big city paper and moved to a small town to run a newspaper there. According to Ken, you choose the ones that are short, to the point and "punchy" and that are the first to discuss the issue.
So if you want to write a letter to the editor, what are the 7 Best "Insider's Tips" you should know?
1. Write and send your letter the same day - or don't bother.
When you're reading an article that grabs your attention, try and write your reponse right then, while you're still sputtering into your coffee. Keep your letter about two paragraphs long. Don't wait and try editing or re-editing your letter - because the odds are, once you've cooled down, your "inner editor" will talk you out of sending the letter, or edit it to death. If you're in the same town as the paper, why not hand-deliver it, or have someone else do it for you? (By the way, check with the paper to see what their rules are for faxing or emailing - some editors actually prefer emailing, because they can cut and paste without having to retype your letter - but ask first!)
2. Unless your name is Zorro and you routinely wear a mask to hide your true identity, make sure you identify yourself, and if you've got specific credentials that make you especially qualified to comment on the issue, list them. (By the way, when I say credentials, I don't mean you need a Ph.D. behind your name. Being a VISTA Volunteer working on poverty issues is a great credential!) So put something like, "I am A VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) and I've been working with 40 homeless families over the last 6 months" or
"As a volunteer youth coordinator working with teen mentors..." Also, make sure that besides incuding the fact that you're a VISTA Volunteer, that you get your project's name in your letter as well. (If for some reason you can't work them into the body of the letter, include them after your signature.)
3. Make your opening sentence "pithy" (as my fourth grade English teacher used to say), to grab the attention of the editor and compel him read the rest of your letter.
4. KISS (Keep IS Short and Simple) your letter. Ken gave me some very valuable advice that I want to share with you. First of all, just because the piece that ticked you off is long, doesn't mean your response has to be. In fact, a short, two-paragraph letter shows confidence and mastery of your subject. (Plus, think about it - would you rather read a l-o-n-g, letter that wastes time pointing out every minute error - or something short and slightly sacastic that makes your point quickly? (Plus, long letter make you sound whiny and nit-picky, and no one likes a whiner!) Also, newspaper editors do their editing from the bottom up - so put your best stuff at the top!
5. When writing, try to make your point with humor, wit and (whenever possible) brilliance. To get some ideas, check out some of the political or current event blogs. When you see something that catches your eye, try to figure out why - chances are, it's because the other person proved their point with caustic humor, or dry wit.
6. Pay attention to the style and format of the paper you're sending your letter to, and try to mimic that as closely as possible. You want your letter to match the flow of what readers are used to seeing.
7. Check and recheck your spelling and grammar. And then have someone else check them too.
Here's a general template for letters (adapt it to fit the situation):
To the editor:
Your July 15 editorial article (give brief description of the article), was completely off base (or missed the point, or was one-sided - you get the idea.)
Second Paragraph: Now explain why - make sure you back up your reasons with facts or short examples.
Close with a pithy one-liner or tag line. "Every child deserves a home." "Quality health insurance shouldn't just be for the rich."
Make sure you put your name, your title and your direct telephone number - or cell phone number - at the end of your letter. If they decide to run your letter, someone will usually call you with questions, to verify your facts or discuss proposed changes.
Timely Tip: Make sure that you've got the paper's submission deadlines listed on your media contact card in your rolodex. And check a couple of previous issues, to make sure you're not rehashing the same information. And sometimes, no matter how great your letter is, it won't get published for a variety of reasons - too many comments on the same issue, not enough room, something else happened that took precedence. The main thing is, don't give up!
Now I want you to imagine that you're the editor for a major newspaper...you're sitting in a tiny windowless room...
Okay. So how do you decide which letters (out of all the hundreds of letters you receive - and have to read each and every day) you're going to publish?
Actually, the answer is pretty simple, according to an editor friend of mine who left a big city paper and moved to a small town to run a newspaper there. According to Ken, you choose the ones that are short, to the point and "punchy" and that are the first to discuss the issue.
So if you want to write a letter to the editor, what are the 7 Best "Insider's Tips" you should know?
1. Write and send your letter the same day - or don't bother.
When you're reading an article that grabs your attention, try and write your reponse right then, while you're still sputtering into your coffee. Keep your letter about two paragraphs long. Don't wait and try editing or re-editing your letter - because the odds are, once you've cooled down, your "inner editor" will talk you out of sending the letter, or edit it to death. If you're in the same town as the paper, why not hand-deliver it, or have someone else do it for you? (By the way, check with the paper to see what their rules are for faxing or emailing - some editors actually prefer emailing, because they can cut and paste without having to retype your letter - but ask first!)
2. Unless your name is Zorro and you routinely wear a mask to hide your true identity, make sure you identify yourself, and if you've got specific credentials that make you especially qualified to comment on the issue, list them. (By the way, when I say credentials, I don't mean you need a Ph.D. behind your name. Being a VISTA Volunteer working on poverty issues is a great credential!) So put something like, "I am A VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) and I've been working with 40 homeless families over the last 6 months" or
"As a volunteer youth coordinator working with teen mentors..." Also, make sure that besides incuding the fact that you're a VISTA Volunteer, that you get your project's name in your letter as well. (If for some reason you can't work them into the body of the letter, include them after your signature.)
3. Make your opening sentence "pithy" (as my fourth grade English teacher used to say), to grab the attention of the editor and compel him read the rest of your letter.
4. KISS (Keep IS Short and Simple) your letter. Ken gave me some very valuable advice that I want to share with you. First of all, just because the piece that ticked you off is long, doesn't mean your response has to be. In fact, a short, two-paragraph letter shows confidence and mastery of your subject. (Plus, think about it - would you rather read a l-o-n-g, letter that wastes time pointing out every minute error - or something short and slightly sacastic that makes your point quickly? (Plus, long letter make you sound whiny and nit-picky, and no one likes a whiner!) Also, newspaper editors do their editing from the bottom up - so put your best stuff at the top!
5. When writing, try to make your point with humor, wit and (whenever possible) brilliance. To get some ideas, check out some of the political or current event blogs. When you see something that catches your eye, try to figure out why - chances are, it's because the other person proved their point with caustic humor, or dry wit.
6. Pay attention to the style and format of the paper you're sending your letter to, and try to mimic that as closely as possible. You want your letter to match the flow of what readers are used to seeing.
7. Check and recheck your spelling and grammar. And then have someone else check them too.
Here's a general template for letters (adapt it to fit the situation):
To the editor:
Your July 15 editorial article (give brief description of the article), was completely off base (or missed the point, or was one-sided - you get the idea.)
Second Paragraph: Now explain why - make sure you back up your reasons with facts or short examples.
Close with a pithy one-liner or tag line. "Every child deserves a home." "Quality health insurance shouldn't just be for the rich."
Make sure you put your name, your title and your direct telephone number - or cell phone number - at the end of your letter. If they decide to run your letter, someone will usually call you with questions, to verify your facts or discuss proposed changes.
Timely Tip: Make sure that you've got the paper's submission deadlines listed on your media contact card in your rolodex. And check a couple of previous issues, to make sure you're not rehashing the same information. And sometimes, no matter how great your letter is, it won't get published for a variety of reasons - too many comments on the same issue, not enough room, something else happened that took precedence. The main thing is, don't give up!
Ideas for Using Video
Hi all,
In the chapter on media relations, I touch on some of the different ways you can use multi-media to get the word out about your program.
The ideas are really endless - and chances are, even if you're using multi-media in your program, you've probably only touched the tip of the iceburg...
In this post, I want to talk about using your own homemade videos. With all the tools available on the internet today, it's amazing what you can do - and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, with just a little creativity, you can come up with some really great, professonial looking stuff.
Here are just a few ideas:
1. Create a video to recruit volunteers. Think about your target market - who are you trying to reach? If you're trying to reach kids, what about using a popular song in the background, and show pictures of some of your other volunteers working on projects? (You could even get your volunteers together and create your own rap song...)
2. Create a video to showcase your community. Take a video tour of some of the neighborhoodds, pictures of kids (get parents permission first, or only shoot from the back and fuzz out faces), your local food bank or homeless shelter.
3. Create a video for training purposes. This can be anything from teaching people how to use a computer, learn a new software, fill out forms or paint a wall.
After you've created and edited your video, what do you do with it?
One of the best resources today is called "UTube" ( http://www.utube.com ) Post the video on utube, and share it with others. Put it up on your Website. Email the video to others - community members, funders, potential partners or volunteers. Send the video to your state office and post it on member's pages or blogs (Like this one for example!)
I found a video on utube that I'm going to share with you in a minute, as an example of what you can do! Watch for it!
technorati tags:VISTA, Volunteers, Americorps, Utube, multi-media, videos, recruiting
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Links You Should Know About!
Every now and then, I'm going to post some links to Websites that you should know about and use. (Okay, this is one of the things I liked about having the wordpress blog - there was a place for links and categories that this blog just doesn't have.) Oh well.
So, here is a list of some links just to get things started. If you have others that VISTAs need to know about, feel free to post them here as well!
There are others, I know, so I'll keep trying to post them for you! I've got a bunch of great links in my book as well, so stay tuned!
So, here is a list of some links just to get things started. If you have others that VISTAs need to know about, feel free to post them here as well!
There are others, I know, so I'll keep trying to post them for you! I've got a bunch of great links in my book as well, so stay tuned!
I'm having a "Whine and Cheese" Party - and you're invited!
Hi everyone,
As I write this, it's 11:00 p.m. at night - and guess what? It's hot! I've been waking up at 6 in the morning, so that I can do a little housework, because by 9:00 a.m. it's too hot to do anything except go to the beach and wallow in the Med. (It's still hot, but at least it's bearable). We come home in the afternoon, (when it's even hotter) have a cold lunch and then go take a nap (because it's too hot to do anything else!) And right now, I'm working from about 11:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. or so. (It's still hot, but at least I can feel like I'm breathing again!)
So I'm indulging myself by "whining" about it. So, yes, I'd like a little cheese with my whine - and now it's your turn! What do you want to whine about?
(Oh, and before you post to tell me that my life doesn't sound so bad - life in the French Riviera is not exactly a torture. And you're right...it's not. I'm not complaining about life in general - I'm just complaining about the heat! As for living here - what can I say? It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it!)
As I write this, it's 11:00 p.m. at night - and guess what? It's hot! I've been waking up at 6 in the morning, so that I can do a little housework, because by 9:00 a.m. it's too hot to do anything except go to the beach and wallow in the Med. (It's still hot, but at least it's bearable). We come home in the afternoon, (when it's even hotter) have a cold lunch and then go take a nap (because it's too hot to do anything else!) And right now, I'm working from about 11:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. or so. (It's still hot, but at least I can feel like I'm breathing again!)
So I'm indulging myself by "whining" about it. So, yes, I'd like a little cheese with my whine - and now it's your turn! What do you want to whine about?
(Oh, and before you post to tell me that my life doesn't sound so bad - life in the French Riviera is not exactly a torture. And you're right...it's not. I'm not complaining about life in general - I'm just complaining about the heat! As for living here - what can I say? It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it!)
Upcoming Training/Conferences in August
| Click the links to get more information about each workshop or conference! 1st Annual Mentor Center of Palm Beach County Mentoring Conference 2006 | ||
| Date(s): | August 2, 2006 - August 2, 2006 | |
| Location: | West Palm Beach, FL | |
| Third Annual Urban Service-Learning Institute: Enriching Urban Education Through Service-Learning | ||
| Date(s): | August 2, 2006 - August 3, 2006 | |
| Location: | Nashville, TN | |
| The Commission Café | ||
| Date(s): | August 8, 2006 - August 10, 2006 | |
| Location: | Omaha, NE | |
| Getting Started with Service-Learning | ||
| Date(s): | August 14, 2006 - August 15, 2006 | |
| Location: | South Portland, ME | |
| Law Enforcement Conference | ||
| Date(s): | August 14, 2006 - August 17, 2006 | |
| Location: | Phoenix, AZ | |
| Summer Service Learning Institute: Preparing Communities through Service Learning | ||
| Date(s): | August 14, 2006 - August 15, 2006 | |
| Location: | East Stroudsburg, PA | |
| Approaching Donors in an ABCD Way | ||
| Date(s): | August 16, 2006 - August 16, 2006 | |
| Location: | National | |
| AmeriCorps Program Start-Up Institute | ||
| Date(s): | August 21, 2006 - August 23, 2006 | |
| Location: | Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, TX | |
| Five-State Cross-Stream Conference | ||
| Date(s): | August 28, 2006 - August 31, 2006 | |
| Location: | Plainsboro, NJ | |
Event Calendar
Hi all -
As we all know, getting the word out about your upcoming events can be tricky - you've got a lot of balls to balance, many tasks to juggle and a bunch of people, places and things to keep track of.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing some secrets about special event management that helped me to successfully plan and manage 30 plus special events - event that brought in over $200,000 on in-kind donations, volunteer hours, donations, prizes and funding.
In the meantime, I'm also going to try and keep you updated on all the training events, conferences, workshops and teleconferences that I think you might be interested in.
If you have such a conference coming up, and you'd like to post it here, you can do that too! Or if you want me to do it, please just send me an email and I'll take care of it. You can include links to Websites for registrations or more information, or contact information if you'd like - just be careful of spam!
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