NNP chapters 1 & 2

The first chapter in NNP describes that networked nonprofits are easy for outsiders to get in and insiders to get out… this made me think of the Susan G Coleman breast cancer foundation. If you want to help or donate or have an event (because they are everywhere) it seems fairly simple. But the more I read, networked nonprofits are completely different. They aren’t worried about losing control of a piece or program because people still here the message and get involved and want to help. Safe Harbor could widely benefit with the social media trend, the book describes them as a new way of life, not a trend or fad. That is why I think the REP project is so important. People are turning to the internet now more than ever, and if Safe Harbor doesn’t have an easy to navigate site for someone young, they may give up. That being said, there also needs to be a face-to-face connection there for both kids looking for answers to adults looking for solutions.   http://measuredoutcomes.net/blog/best_practices-resources/top-7-reasons-why-nonprofits-fail-and-how-to-avoid-them-2/   is a great website about understanding what is needed to keep a nonprofit afloat, but it lacks one important thing. Social media! Yes it mentions a website, but nothing about Facebook or Twitter.

I also found it interesting that my age group is called Millennials, which are people born between 1978 and 1992 and we could be the demise of nonprofits. For reasons of social media being so accessible they will jump from organization to organization as they see fit. I completely understand, I worked with the Red Shoe Society for two reasons, one, because I know friends and family the RMH has helped, and two because of the networking capabilities (I know, I am horrible but if you met my boss at the time you would understand). Once the purpose was served I went on to Paws for a Cause because I have rescues and the fact that I worked with Petsmart. It is an example of how my generation will move from organization to organization depending on their passions for specific causes. I guess you could also call our class free agents when it comes to Safe Harbor, I think that once the tasks are complete, and there will not be too many people who continue to help with fundraiser or organize events once the class is complete. I love the fact that Safe Harbor has embraced the fact that we are here to help for a short period of time, which also goes to show that they are learning to adapt to the Millennial generation.

Chapter 9 and 10

Chapter 9 focuses on selecting an appropriate spokesperson, either a celebrity or someone within. Though with celebrities, with one slip you could have a major fiasco on your hands. Take Tiger Woods for example. As soon as details about his “sexcapades” came into the public eye, all of his endorsements dropped like a ton of bricks! And what about Michael Phelps, his marijuana accusation made Kellogg yank the cereal promotions off the shelves.    There is also trouble with having the CEO of your nonprofit being the elected spokesperson, but as long as you cover all your bases, it should be much easier to handle than a Michael Vick eruption. The chapter then delves into on and off the record, and to sum up what it means: never speak off the record unless you want your words to magically appear in print. I found a funny and interesting blog that talks about the issue: http://blog.braudcommunications.com/?p=43 Also, looking good in front of the media is always a plus, and that includes getting your message across. It may sounds obvious, but repeating your message, sticking to a guideline of what to say, speaking in complete sentences, be genuine and memorable, and remembering to say your organizations full name all play a huge part in successful media coverage. Also, know who you are up against, if you are invited to speak in front of the public, just expect that an opponent will be present. Putting a face to the problem always helps raise awareness to the issue… and example I have used before is the Humane Society commercials:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Xh-tZrzwk whether you are a dog lover or not, these commercials put a face to a larger problem. (And if this doesn’t pull on your heartstrings there is something deeply wrong with you). Safe Harbor does an excellent job of inspirational true stories from victims of domestic violence, and their success.

Chapter 10 talks about partnerships, working with other companies and nonprofits to boost your organizations message and work. The section on Media Working Group gave me an aha moment when it talked about serving food and making meetings worthwhile. Every campus event I have seen via email has always had the promise of pizza or some sort of refreshments offered before or shortly after a presentation. I guess it works! Getting a little off topic, but a strong point the chapter made was to keep the communications strong. Hold communication meeting with everyone in your organization, from the intern to the CEO.  If everyone understands the communication plan, there is less likely to be a problem when combining forces.

Chapters 5 and 7

The changes in chapter 5 talks about are already outdated, which reinforces the point they were trying to get across. For example, the digital switch has already happened, and it’s hard to find a place that doesn’t offer free Wi-Fi. It also mentions bloggers are becoming more reputable news sources, calling themselves “citizen-journalists”. While I still get my news from a daily news paper and the evening news on channel 4 (it’s the only channel I get because I still have rabbit ears on my TV) most other college students get their news from a variety of ways some of the older generations haven’t thought of: blogs, Twitter, Facebook, internet, and even Comedy Central. The Daily Show with John Stewart is rated higher than Fox News

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/01/entertainment/main603270.shtml

This is all good news as far as nonprofits are concerned because of their limited funds to spend on advertisements. With Twitter, Facebook and blogs they can get the word out about an even for next to nothing and it would be more successful. More people are going online to read about something than a newspaper or magazine. Blogging seems to be the way of the future as far as news reporting and understanding because it is so accessible.

Chapter 7 deals with taking the time to build a strong, reliable relationship with a reporter. It can take several months or even years to gain their support. It’s all about the phrase “what’s in it for me?” http://www.brainwoo.com/posts/ralph/building-relationship-reporter-takes-years-destroying-it-seconds

The website above gives some really good examples of how to build that fragile relationship and how it can be destroyed. The book also gives some of the same information: be respectful of deadlines, don’t waste their time, and respecting their preferred way to communicate (i.e. Twitter, emails, etc.) Also, knowing what kind of email to send is a skill to master for anyone. It should be short and to the point and free of attachments.

Get to know the reporter, what interests them, and keep them in the loop whether it’s convenient for you or not. Now, something else to watch out for is not letting that reporter back you into a corner with the “Gotcha” stories. Another website that talks about avoiding the on-the-fly interviews makes some really good points: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/avoid-victim-gotcha-journalism/  and the book goes along with having 3 points and stick to them. Never offer up information that you don’t want to see in print. And as always watch out for the hecklers http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/audience/handle-a-heckler/   You should also remember to thank the reporters for coming to any event you have, but not for good press, just for their interest.

Chapters 3 and 4

The beginning chapter starts out with questions to ask on how to ultimately reach your target audience, and how to identify who they are. My father ran his own advertising firm for many years and always told me to “Fish where the fish swim”. I always thought it was corny, but it makes sense. You have to  figure out who you want to reach, what message do you want to get across, do you want them to take action or just stress the importance and what is the best way to get the message to your audience?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to brainstorm about the audience with regards to age, race, marital status, etc. Once you have the target audience breakdown then you can conduct research. The first is media trend analysis: story placement, tone, bylines, spokespeople (who is quoted), and messages (research past coverage). Once there is a sufficient sample you should look for patterns. The second is public opinion polls, which is more quantitative information. For this you need to gather information for message development, measure awareness, quantify support level, and again identify your target audience. Focus groups are conducted after a survey, and this is more qualitative research. This is where 12 to 20 people discuss what they thought in a group while in-depth interviews are for 1 or 2 people at a time to deal with more sensitive issues. I would imagine that Safe Harbor would go more towards an IDI than anything else. Though in statistics class we were taught to stay away from online research, it can prove tobe quite helpful because it encourages honest dialogue.  The ultimate part of all this research is understanding your audience; if you understand them, you are better prepared to reach them.

To develop the message you must understand the values that people hold closest. The book gives a list of 11 values, both primary and secondary, that people surveyed have. Responsibility for one’s self and one’s family hold the highest on the primary side. Before any message is sent it is important to know what core values your target audience has, and if any of those values collide and if any value trumps another in a particular situation.  People also have different levels of thinking, while most people you will reach are in level one, to maybe reach out to scientist or experts in their field you would need to appeal to the level three type of thinker.  

I also love the storytelling section. If the problem is too overwhelming for someone to solve their eyes “glaze over.” This is true, when I first saw the humane society commercial I was overwhelmed by statistics. Now they show the poor animals and talk about “for a few dollars a day, you can rescue a helpless animal” as in one. That doesn’t seem as overwhelming and I feel more likely to help. They do the same with the Children’s Hospital commercials; pennies a day.  That doesn’t seem too far out of reach. It is also true that most people’s beliefs and values come from their families. The media is the last and outer lining of the circles of communication effectiveness… but it’s not hopeless to change someone’s mind. The words used in a message dictate how people will perceive it. If it is in stride with the language your target audience understands and aligns with their values them your message will be a success.

http://expertscolumn.com/content/successful-marketing-message-how-create-it

Project thoughts

So I love the idea of helping with the new REP website for Safe Harbor. Though I am not electronically (or social media in general) skilled, I know that the rest of the class is and that is what Julie expressed that she needed help with. I also liked the idea of talking to news stations and local radio stations to boost awareness along with planning something on Clemson’s campus to educate women in the likely to be effected age group (16-24).

Also, I do want to talk with the athletic departments about a purple out, as my blog suggested. I’m sure with everyone’s contacts along with mine we can achieve some sort of cooperation with one or some of the teams on campus and let larger crowds know about Safe Harbor, both how to donate and where to get help.   

Strategic Communication Plan

Comm 456
I liked how in the second chapter the topic of how issues move up the media "food chain" was brought up. It's surprising how much is involved just to get information for your organization mentioned on a local news channel, and how something like a natural disaster, can catapult an issue all the way to the front page of a national paper. In the nonprofit industry, one develops a communications strategy by out lining its tag line and mission statement, as well as adding measurable goals. There are several questions one must answer before launching a communications plan. Does the public support or oppose the goals of an organization? Is there even public understanding, and if so at what level? There are six key elements listed on pg 17 that are needed to begin a communication strategy plan from understanding your target audience and how to reach it, to a written work plan to maintain or achieve certain goals.
http://safeharborsc.org/
I think Safe Harbor does a wonderful job at reaching out to women who are subjected to domestic violence, and I would love to help them reach more college students. Since students are between 18-24 that is exactly their target audience. Their tag line "A Safe Home, When Home Isn't Safe" reads to the women that so badly need to understand what Safe Harbor is trying to do. The Twitter messages I receive also appeal to the emotional side of people, as well as giving positive and uplifting stories.
When meeting with Julie Meredith, she was knowledgeable with Safe Harbors goals, vision and background, and though she was the only member of the staff we met, it was clear that these things were communicated to the other members constantly. The website is good, and it is very well set up to get information and to reroute if necessary. I would love to help with the new REP website so that a younger generation might be able to have questions answered and get help if needed.
I liked a website that showed what dating abuse was:
http://www.loveisrespect.org/

Safe Harbor thoughts and ideas

My first reaction while visiting Safe Harbor was slightly overwhelming. As much as I wanted to understand, I couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. These women have made a very brave step and here we were, with notepads in hand learning to the best of our ability of what they had to have experienced to be there. It was obvious from the moment we met Julie how much compassion she had for these women. She made it very clear that her biggest concern was awareness and education. She told us about the Meghan Project, now renamed REP, or Relationship Education Project. She stressed the hurtle of changing the name of a project, and I think that was one of her worries. She also mentioned the new website, and asked if we had any thoughts of things to put on there before it is launched.

I had a few ideas for projects, mostly for awareness only. My first idea I brought up in the meeting with Julie. If we could get in touch with someone in the athletic department, maybe we could have a purple out in October at a football game. Now that I have had time to think it over, even if we couldn’t get the football team I have the number for the coach of the lady tigers and the number for Mr. Bob Mahony, who could put me in touch with the game day operator, John Secada. I think we would need the whole class spreading the word and using social media like Facebook and Twitter to let everyone know about the event.

Another idea I had is along the lines of what some other girls had said about educating students at Clemson, especially freshman and sophomores since they may be new to dating without parental guidance.  Though I don’t think singling sororities is a fair idea. A lot of girls who are not in sororities need this valuable information too; plus girls not in a sorority may not have that tight knit group of friends that would notice abuse. That is why it may be a good idea to contact the Tiger news paper, along with someone who can send out a mass email alerting students, both male and female, to this event. Then we would have to find space to hold this event, could the Hendrix Center hold, could we use the Strom Thurmond building? I believe if we all pulled together we could get this ready for the end of October.
Good call Neil, maybe have an announcement during half time about October being domestic violence month and maybe futting the website up on the screen.