Sharing Entries For Awards-Part Four, The Fundraising Video
We continue sharing the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America’s entries in the National President’s Marketing Awards, a marketing and communications contest held by the National Council of the BSA.
The Friends of Scouting campaign video is submitted in the Finance Support Material category. (Friends of Scouting is the council’s annual fundraising campaign.) If we are recognized with an award, it goes to Marc Tenholder, a Development Director at the council, and Chuck Voss, a veteran Scouter in Cape Girardeau, Mo., who works in the creative services department at KFVS.
Objectives
The Friends of Scouting campaign video is produced to accomplish a number of objectives:
• Explain how Scouting influences the lives of thousands of young people throughout our council
• Show families of Cub Scouts that more fun and adventure await them if they remain in the program
• Explain how the council is funded
• Show Scouts and volunteers enjoying the program and talking about its value and outcomes
• Ask prospective donors to make a Friends of Scouting contribution
The video is primarily created for use during Friends of Scouting presentations at banquets and other unit gatherings where families will be asked to contribute. The video is posted on the council’s YouTube site so it can be accessed from other websites and e-mail solicitations.
The video was produced in 2011 for use during the 2012 campaign.
Planning
We received positive feedback from the previous year’s video that featured youth members in all levels of the program. We wanted to improve this year’s video by including more ethnic diversity, featuring all council camps and properties, and showing all levels of the Scouting program.
Council staff members used FlipCameras to record interviews and activities taking place at our council camps during the fall. The raw video was cataloged. A script was developed and a rough outline was produced. A member of the council’s marketing committee, who also is a video producer at a television station in the council, reviewed the video, the script and the outline. He performed the editing, sound mixing, and recruited the professional announcer from his television station to perform the voice over.
More than 150 DVDs were produced and distributed to volunteers throughout the council’s 15 geographic districts. The video also was played during the council’s Friends of Scouting kickoff dinner and Executive Board meeting.
Impact
This campaign raises approximately $750,000 each year. To date in 2012, the campaign raised $324,450, which is tracking approximately 5 percent ahead of 2011.
Lessons Learned
Scheduling the editing and production of the video needs particular attention during an election year as our producer communicated to us that his workload will be quite heavy between July and November. We also plan to get more video of Cub Scout day camps and Boy Scout summer camps to better showcase the wide variety of programs and activities made available by Friends of Scouting donations.
We also received some negative feedback on the professional announcer reading the script. Instead of the more polished approach, some believe the script should be read by an articulate older Boy Scout or Venturer.
Sharing Entries For Awards-Part Three, The Annual Report
Many years ago, my good friend Jeff Herman gave me a cassette–yes, that’s how many years ago it was–by Marketing Mike and the Suits. The most memorable song was The Annual Report.
WARNING: The lyrics to the song contain adult language.
But since most readers are adults and have some knowledge of the work and effort that’s required to write, edit, print and distribute an annual report, I can say I always recall this song during the first quarter of each new year as I prepare the report on the previous 12 months.
So as we continue sharing the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America’s entries in the National President’s Marketing Awards, a marketing and communications contest held by the National Council of the BSA, here’s our entry for the 2010 Annual Report.
Objectives
The 2010 Annual Report focused on celebrating the outstanding successes that occurred during the 100th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts of America. The 100th anniversary celebration was a key driver for many council objectives.
The highlight of the council’s 100th anniversary celebration was ScoutQuest 100, a council-wide encampment that was attended by more than 20,000 Scouts, parents and leaders in Forest Park. It was second only to the National Jamboree in attendance for a single-council centennial event. A tremendous amount of time and resources were devoted to this event. Part of the strategy of the event was to show adult volunteer leaders from all levels of our programs that they could deliver a wide variety of fun and exciting programs with a little effort and planning. The Annual Report attempted to remind readers that the games and activities were fun, but they also had a purpose.
The Annual Report also focuses on informing, motivating and thanking adult volunteer from all levels of the program. It also reports on the accomplishment of many strategic objectives and how they align with the council’s goals and strategic plan. The publication provides a showcase for important programs and activities.
Planning
At the conclusion of ScoutQuest 100, a team of photographers had gathered thousands of high-resolution digital photographs of the event. The vice chairman of the council’s marketing committee thought the quality of the photography was so excellent that it could carry a storyline of all the strategic messages we wished to communicate in our annual reports.
The photography team and the vice chairman spent hours reviewing the library of images to select the photos. In addition to showing the various levels of the programs and the diversity of our membership, they also wanted to show the wide variety of activities that took place during the event. Text was also developed that highlighted strategic plan achievements.
The council invested in a high-speed color copying system in 2010. By printing the publication in-house, we hoped to save time and expenses.
Impact
The council’s Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner is our largest gathering of Executive Board members and top volunteer leaders. The Annual Report and the recapping of Scouting’s 100th anniversary was a critical element of the program for this event. It provided a succinct review of ScoutQuest 100.
One Executive Board member was so impressed with the cover photograph that he ordered a framed print for his office. This affirmed our concept that large photography and short, tightly-written stories can best communicate Scouting’s outcomes and strengthen the BSA brand.
Lessons Learned
The council’s marketing committee is looking at ways to reuse or repackage the content from future Annual Reports for distribution in digital channels. For instance, if a profile is being written on a Scout or a volunteer, record the interview on video to supplement the text story. We’re looking to make the printed report more interactive through the following:
• Make sure the PDF can be easily read on smartphones.
• Add QR codes that point toward other interesting content, such as media releases on specific subjects or videos
• Develop direct URLs so readers can go directly to website content.
• We also are developing direct URLs so readers can go directly to website content. For instance, http://camping.stlbsa.org will bring the visitor to a landing page on the website that has information on all council camping programs.
Sharing Entries For Awards-Part One, The Website
Many marketing and communications professionals find themselves spending too much time filling out nomination forms for various awards during the first few weeks of each year. During the last two weeks, I submitted nine entries for the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, in the National President’s Marketing Awards, a marketing and communications contest held by the National Council of the BSA.
A few years ago, a colleague moved to the Sam Houston Area Council and was responsible for submitting the awards. He asked me to share a few of my submissions, since we won several awards during the previous years.
The Sam Houston Area Council won an award in every category that year.
So, as the Scout Oath states, “…to help other people at all times…” I’d like to share my entries here during the next few days. (Plus, I’ll remember where to look for the 2011 information when filling out the forms for 2012). Plus, the steps of stating objectives, reviewing planning, assessing impact and reflecting on lessons learned is a valuable process when looking back on initiatives and planning future projects.
Here’s our submission for the council’s website.
Objectives
A member of the council’s marketing committee stated at the start of 2011, “No matter what evolves in social media and other digital channels, an organization’s website must be the core or foundation that all other communications are built on or flow back toward.”
With that as a vision, the council began a collaborative process where volunteers and staff members would work together to create and maintain content on the website. The website is the primary repository for all information on council programs and activities. All other communication channels—printed newsletters, electronic newsletters and social media—provide links to website pages where additional information can be found and where conversions or transactions can take place.
The website was launched in 2010 on the Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 platform. The software allows for multiple authors to create or edit text and images. The content is submitted for an approval process before pages are posted on the site.
Planning
The Marketing and Communications Department publishes a monthly Communications Memo to all staff and Communications Chairmen in each of the council’s 15 districts. The memo contains a checklist of programs, events and other information that districts should have on websites.
The memo also contains a listing of council programs, training courses and events with hyperlinks to the website where the information can be found. This helps staff and district volunteers eliminate duplication of effort in creating or updating content.
A “stoplight” chart was developed to track how district information was being created, updated or deleted. (Red boxes indicated there was no information on the site about a particular event; yellow boxes indicated there was some information, but it was incomplete; green boxes indicated the information was complete and accurate.) The chart was distributed to all staff managers so they could help districts improve content on websites.
The council’s geographic territory covers the eastern half of Missouri and 10 counties in southern Illinois. This prohibited face-to-face training on the website for volunteers. Monthly webinars were conducted to train volunteers to be website authors. Additional webinars were scheduled for advanced training.
Impact
Analytics showed the website is meeting the demand for information and other content from visitors. It also showed that visitors are able to quickly and efficiently find information they are seeking. They also are spending additional time looking at related pages and information.
Here are the 2011 analytics with 2010 data in parentheses (The last six months of 2010 analytics were analyzed as the new site was launched in June). The analytics show positive trends in the number of visitors, page views and time spent on the site.
Visits: 247,463 (120,094)
Unique Visits: 116,692 (56,117)
Page Views: 1,056,559 (582,013)
Pages per visit: 4.27 (4.85)
Average time on site: 00:03:21 (00:3:49)
Perhaps the most convincing analytic is the site’s bounce rate. (The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who visited a single page or executed a single-click task.) Most website analysts believe that a bounce rate under 60 percent is acceptable and anything under 40 percent is outstanding. The council’s website was 35 percent in 2011, up from 32 percent during the final six months of 2010. (We attribute this to visitors taking more time to experience the new site.)
Lessons Learned
Staff leadership continues to play an important role in marketing and communications. District executives may be able to delegate more of their communications responsibilities on the website to volunteers. But they must select motivated and competent volunteers to assist them. Then, they must continually collaborate and communicate in order to publish accurate and updated content.
Website analytics reports are being distributed on a quarterly basis to district communications chairmen. We hope this will affirm good efforts and motivate volunteers and staff to promote the website as the council’s primary source for all program information.
A Special Speech
I share my work on this blog to help others in nonprofit marketing and communications. A speech I spent a great deal of time on is below.
My son, Jonathan, asked me to present his Eagle Scout rank to him during a Court of Honor on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012. It’s more than 1,800 words. But you only get one chance to do something like this for your son. Enjoy.
It’s a tremendous honor to present the rank of Eagle Scout to any young man. The feeling is indescribable when your son asks you to present the award to him. And when I learned I would be joining Mark Branaman as he presents the rank to his son, Dean… let’s just say this will be a day that will be long remembered by our families, friends and the Scouts, parents and leaders of Troop 778.
You’ve seen how their moms were their first Scout leaders. Mark and I became assistant Scoutmasters when Jonathan followed Dean into this troop. Mark and I bunked together during the troop’s 50-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail two years ago. He is a loyal and steadfast leader. Michelle and I are blessed to have Mark and Stacey as true friends.
I’ve thought a lot about the Appalachian Trail hike while preparing for this day. An Eagle Court of Honor is a mountain-top experience. Up on the mountain, you enjoy the view and see how far you’ve traveled. But today also is like the final day of a long hiking trek. You take your pack off for the last time. It feels good to get the weight off your shoulders and hips. You eat regular food instead of trail food.
But you find yourself looking back and reliving countless memories and experiences. Some were fun, others were hard. You learned new lessons and relived previous lessons.
Every young man who earns the rank of Eagle Scout completes a unique journey. It can never be duplicated. When Jonathan and Dean are awarded their medals today, each will remember the experience in their own unique way. I challenge both of you in the coming days to take a few quiet moments and reflect on your Scouting journey. Hold the medal in your hands. Close your eyes and recall the lessons you learned.
Here are the words that came to me during my meditation. Persistence, Courage, Character, and Humility. Where did those come from?
Jonathan stands on the shoulders of great grandparents on both sides of our families who came to this country from Germany and Ireland before World War I and during World War II. They came through Ellis Island with a mere suitcase packed with their life’s belongings. The qualities you possess were passed to you from previous generations. Now, you have a responsibility to continue this legacy. Your great grandparents left a legacyof spirited determination. A hundred years from today, your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren may look back on a second-generation Eagle Scout who worked to make his community, country and world a better place.
Persistence. Few people know this, but Jonathan was born with hypotonia or a lack of muscle tone. When he was less than a year old, neurologists told us he may never kick a soccer ball or carry a backpack. But Jonathan was persistent. He responded so well to therapy that by the time he started kindergarten, his muscle strength and coordination was equal to other boys his age. In athletics, he never gave up. I looked back on some team photos of his soccer teams that I coached. We never had a winning season. Some years, we only scored one or two goals. But Jonathan and at least five other young men on those teams earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
Jonathan again displayed determination on his high school cross country team. His coaches wondered if he would be able to complete the three-mile race his first year. He never won a race, but his character, leadership and persistence convinced his coaches to name him team captain during two seasons.
Character. Mrs. Starnes became furious one day when she returned to elementary school classroom and smelled something sweet. One of her fifth graders had disrupted her desk. Visibly upset, she reminded the students about the rule that no one was to touch or take anything on her desk. And yet, someone had taken the lid off her tube of lip gloss and left it on the edge of her desk. Who would take her lip gloss and use it?
The room was silent. Finally, Jonathan stood up. He looked around at his classmates and then at his teacher. “Mrs. Starnes, I’m sorry, it was me. I ran out of glue stick and I used the tube on your desk to paste my pictures on my poster.” As he held up his project, all of the art work came sliding off.
I share that story as an example of courage, conviction and character.
A few years later, our family decided we would help our neighbors who were battling flood waters by sand bagging in Old Town Fenton. It was Good Friday, the last day of spring break, and Jonathan wanted to sleep late. But his mother prodded him out of bed and we were the first volunteers to sign in at 8 a.m. We were filling sand bags outside of Joe Clarke’s Restaurant and Bar when a reporter and camera crew from NBC Nightly News came by. They started interviewing Michelle. She told the story of how she was unable to help with sand bags during the great flood of 1993 because she was pregnant and on bed rest. But the child she had was here today, filling sand bags. I’m thinking to myself, Wow! What a great story! This is going to make the national news.
Then the cameraman pivoted his tripodand the reporter pointed her microphone toward Jonathan. She asked the question, “So, what is it like to be a child born during the great flood of ’93 and to be helping sand bag now as a young man?” He turned to her and said, “Well, I’m just glad to be doing all I can to save the liquor store.”
Jonathan was at his influential best during the year he was chaplain aid for the troop. He enjoyed leading nondenominational services. But he failed to prepare a service and forgot his Bible on one campout. As Scouts and leaders formed a large circle of chairs in the cabin, Jonathan noticed a pile of unclaimed clothing thrown in a corner. In a few minutes, he was leading a devotional with pair of long johns, a stocking cap, t-shirt, one sock and one glove in the middle of the circle. His lesson of how many small things come together to make a whole left the leaders scratching their heads and wondering how a 13-year-old could think of using lost-and-found items to pull together a lesson in minutes that would gently challenge their faith or open their eyes.
There’s no more challenging job in Scouting than to serve as Senior Patrol Leader of this troop during a week of summer camp. During Jonathan’s year, he insisted that no leaders coach, contribute or in any way influence the youth leaders. We had close to 18 Scouts who were attending summer camp for the first time. There were many challenges, obstacles and problems for all the patrols and youth leaders.
On the last night of camp, Jonathan came to me in tears. After a long talk with his Scoutmaster, he had the humility to admit that he had made a significant strategic mistake. Instead of openly and publicly shunning the assistant Scoutmasters and parents, he realized that he should have used their knowledge, experience and insights to coach the youth leaders. It still would have been a Scout-run troop. But a week of Scouting—the program known as the game with a purpose—could have been played better and more meaningful lessons could have been learned if coaches were allowed to coach and the team captain encouraged the players to listen. But it was a lesson that he will never forget and a lesson that too few young people get the opportunity to experience and learn.
Jonathan and Dean worked together, side-by-side, throughout their youth. Two years ago, Dean was the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader when Jonathan was Senior Patrol Leader. But in reality, they were co-leaders. Dean helped Jonathan in areas of weakness and Jonathan assisted Dean where he needed help. Each complimented the other. They were never judgmental, jealous or envious of the other. It has been a very special relationship. Jonathan, if you don’t know it already, you are very blessed to have a friend like Dean Branaman. And chances are, your appreciation of that true friendship will be more valued as the years go by.
Today is a benchmark in your life. Today, you stand at a pinnacle at the end of your youth. Some memories will fade, but you will always remember something about this day.
The final memory I will leave you with is from our high adventure trek to the Florida Sea Base. We finished our SCUBA certification in a flooded lead mine in Bonne Terre, Missouri, so we would have more time for diving in Florida. One safety technique you must complete 30 feet under water is to help someone who runs out of air. You must help the person without airby giving them your air supply. Then, you must be able to reach behind your air tank, find your secondary air source, and successfully restore your air supply.
This is the ultimate act of unselfishness and goes against basic human instinct. You give away your ability to breathe so someone else can breathe. Jonathan had no trouble completing this requirement in the cold water of an underground cavern or in the warm waters in the diving tank in Florida. But my prayer is that he remembers the underlying value and message of this exercise—always putting others first.
Jonathan and Dean have not yet experienced the hardest part of being an Eagle Scout. The most challenging part is living up to the expectations that come with being an Eagle Scout. The award is presented to you, not for what you have done, but what you are expected to do.
There will be times ahead when you will meet failure and disappointment. There will be times ahead when you experience grief and discouragement. These are inevitable parts of life. You will not live a full life without handling these obstacles.
During those times, it will be easy to quit or feel sorry for yourself. Don’t give in to this temptation. Instead, I pray you gain strength by looking back on your Trail to Eagle. Then, go out and find someone who needs your help. Give unselfishly of your time, talents or treasure. You earned the medal you will wear today. But it is at that time that you will fully appreciate what it means to be an Eagle Scout.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
May your holiday season be filled with joy and peace. On this first day of 2012, a few thoughts came to mind that might warrant a quick read.
- First, the absence of any posts during the last half of 2011 was largely due to family obligations. My mother, 85, was diagnosed with dimentia in September and hospitalized later that month with a dangerously low sodium level. She made a successful recovery and is now in an assisted living facility. As her Power of Attorney, this required a tremendous amount of time and energy to evaluate her legal and financial standing.
- The marketing and communications efforts of the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America were successful in 2011. There were many changes after a new executive director started in March. Several changes were made in the executive leadership that required new and expanded responsibilities.
- My oldest son, Jonathan, was accepted to the University of Missouri-Columbia and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His first choice is the University of Minnesota, but we’re still awaiting word from the Golden Gophers. His Eagle Scout Court of Honor is next Saturday, Jan. 7. There’s a tremendous amount of planning and preparation required for college and the Court of Honor.
During the next few days, the intention is to write a few posts on some issues and lessons learned in marketing and communications during the last few months. They include new skills and abilities that nonprofit communicators must possess to be successful with today’s media. Another area is the strength and credibility that a business can gain from their philanthropic work.
May you be blessed with peace, joy and prosperity in 2012.
Catching Up After A Busy Three Months
The second quarter of the year seems to be the busiest and time for blogging disappears. So here’s some marketing and communications news, notes and lessons from the last few months.
Term Limit Ends Six-Year Stint With Community Service Public Relations Council (CSPRC): The June lunch meeting marked the end of a great experience with this organization. The organization made drastic improvements in its programs and conferences during the past decade. It was an honor and a pleasure to serve on the board with so many talented, dedicated and passionate marketing and communications professionals who are devoting their talents assist organizations in making our community a better place.
Teaching A Three-Hour Course At the Nonprofit Fundraising Institute: The University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program holds an annual fundraising institute in June. It was a privilege to teach the course, “All Donations Begin With Communications.” There were approximately 25 in attendance and they represented a variety of nonprofit and charitable organizations. Many participants shared wonderful stories of how they were first motivated to make a charitable gift. The common thread was that each one of them were influenced by a story about the organization’s work. We started out with an interesting perspective with the blog post from Dan Pallotta, “Don’t Sell Your Soul, Market It,” on Harvard Business Review. Some results from the annual Cygnus Donor Survey, “Where Philanthropy is Headed in 2011″ were reviewed.
Work Highlights: Even though President Barak Obama was in Joplin, Mo., on the day before Memorial Day, the Boy Scouts’ annual Memorial Day Good Turn at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery received good media coverage, including a front-page photograph in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Greater St. Louis Area Council’s Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner was another success. Twenty four adult volunteers received the Silver Beaver Award, the highest recognition a Boy Scout council can bestow. (View a PDF of the awards booklet.) The 2010 Annual Report was presented and approved. Colt Wahl, a 12-year-old Boy Scout received a Heroism Award for assisting his father after he fell 20 feet from a tree during a hunting trip. (Read a story in the St. Louis Review.)
Awards: Finally, the council received two National President’s Marketing Awards during the Boy Scouts of America’s Annual Meeting in May in San Diego. The council won the competition for best website and best 100th anniversary material for the marketing and communications plan for ScoutQuest 100, a council-wide encampment for 20,000 Scouts, parents and leaders in Forest Park. Both awards recognize the hard work, effort and dedication of many staff members and volunteers to provide outstanding marketing and communications for all the council’s stakeholders.
Top 10 Reasons To Be Thankful Bill Ward Was Your Print Journalism Professor
The e-mail startled me about a year or so ago. Bill Ward, the professor of journalism (print) at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, sent an e-mail to me through Facebook.- Discipline: Meet the deadline and never lower your own expectations.
- Thoroughness: Get all of the facts and then get more
- Become an extrovert: Always be curious about others and their stories.
- Remember your reader: The best writers don’t write for themselves; they’re always working to serve the reader.
- Be meticulous: The slightest sign of sloppiness communicates a lack of professionalism.
- Take a good photograph: There’s no better experience than looking at a striking image while reading good writing.
- Persistence: Never give up. Writing is rewriting.
- Courage: Ask tough questions and pursue the facts.
- Develop a thick skin: Don’t take it personally when an editor is rewriting or reorganizing your text. Every story or article could be improved in some way.
- Confidence: Work hard enough to show others you’ve done your best.
Thanks, Professor Ward, for caring enough to be a demanding teacher.
Communicating To Build Momentum During An Executive Transition
An executive director transition, as with any organizational change, can be stressful for staff, volunteers, board members, donors and members or clients of a nonprofit organization. When a retirement, resignation or other departure happens, it can create an environment of uncertainty. There often are questions surrounding the departure that can’t be addressed due to personnel issues. This can create more anxiety and distractions.
During the last six months, three of the largest nonprofits in St. Louis named had departures of executive directors–the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and St. Patrick’s Center. The combined annual budgets of the three organizations is more than $40 million and they have tens of thousands of donors and clients or members.
Communications and marketing professionals play an important and pivotal role for the new executive director during this period. Social media and web 2.0 functions can help communicators do a better job at helping the new director make a good first impression and provide a channel to communicate vision and priorities.
How important are first impressions?
Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, recently defended the importance of chief executive officers getting off to a good start. He was challenged by Kevin Kelly in a post, The CEO Revolving Door, on the blog, CEO Insight on the Bloomberg Business Week website.
Kevin Kelly
“Business readers have snapped up 500,000 copies of a book called The First 90 Days, by Dr. Michael Watkins, who has served as a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School,” Kelly wrote. “And since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s days, voters have thrilled to hear politicians describe all they will achieve in their ‘first 100 days.’ It makes for entertaining reading or political theater. But as for substance, it’s as thin as spun sugar.”
Watkins responded on a post, Improving Leadership Transitions Is Not Short-Termism, on on Harvard Business Review’s, The Conversation, blog. Leaders always will be judged during a transition. They must be quick to learn and absorb information while creating a positive and productive atmosphere.
Michael Watkins
“It’s that transitions are times when momentum builds or it doesn’t, when opinions about new leaders begin to crystallize,” Watkins wrote. “It’s a time when feedback loops — virtuous cycles or vicious ones — get established. Significant missteps feed downward spirals that can be hard to arrest. So it’s far better for new leaders to get off to a good start by building personal credibility and political capital, rather than dig themselves into holes and have to clamber back out.”
This period of transition for an executive director of a nonprofit is a critical time for communications and public relations professionals. In some cases, quickly establishing the presence of a new executive director helps move the organization rapidly forward. Introductions are made. Visions are communicated. Styles are expressed.
An example of a poor first impression took place almost a decade ago. The executive director held a staff meeting on his first day on the job. A staff member asked how the new director wanted to be addressed. Would he prefer to be called by his first name? Mister?
“I don’t care what you call me,” he told the entire staff. ”Just don’t call me dumb a – -.”
Two things were clear after that first meeting. One, the executive director was previously called by that description. Two, the executive director’s previous performance probably warranted that description.
A communications plan to introduce the executive director during their first days on the job is essential. However, executive directors must be willing, aware and humble enough to see how important an effective communications plan can be during their first days.
Moments after the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, selected Ronald S. Green to be only the 10th executive director in the organization’s 100-year history, he recorded an introductory video. It was posted on the council’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. It can be viewed below.
During a breakfast meeting last week, Ron mentioned that he’s reading The First 90 Days.
How Planning, Collaboration Yielded A 430-Percent Return On Investment
Join us for the March Community Service Public Relations Council luncheon and a presentation on how planning and collaboration led to a 430-percent ROI (return on investment.)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
11:30 a.m. to noon: registration and networking
Noon to 1:15 p.m.: lunch and program
Meeting Fees: members: $25; non-members: $35; students: $20
Meeting Location: Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, 7730 Bonhomme Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105
(Complimentary parking is available in the hotel garage. Make reservations no later than noon on Friday, March 4th. Walk-ins may not be able to be accommodated. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance; no-shows will be billed.)
Photo by photobunny
The Regional Arts Council dared to ask arts organizations to share one of their most important assets–their mailing lists. They also requested transaction information and developed a strategic and collective marketing tool. The Database of the Arts (DART) allows St. Louis cultural organizations to:
- Collaborate on marketing by sharing information about culture customers
- Target mailings to the best possible prospects
- Grow St. Louis audiences rather than compete for the same patrons
- Increases sales of season subscriptions, individual performance tickets and institutional memberships using the “six dirty little secrets” of the for-profit catalog world.
In the first year of using the shared database, there was a 430-percent return on investment.
Arts and cultural institutions suffered the greatest losses of all non-profit organizations during the last two or more years. However, DART is proving to be critical key in developing constituencies and increasing the return on marketing investments.
John Elliott of the Elliott Marketing Group (EMG), the lead architect in designing the DART program with the Regional Arts Council, will share what you need to know about creating productive partnerships and stretching resources. He will share the keys to developing an innovative direct marketing program using database tools like DART and show how non-profit organizations can succeed when they collaborate.
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