Spectrum Conference Delivers Outstanding Professional Development

If you’re within 100 miles of St. Louis and looking for an outstanding one-day professional development seminar in nonprofit marketing, fundraising and leadership, don’t miss this conference.

Course listings are available and online registration is underway for the Community Service Public Relations Council’s (CSPRC) annual Spectrum Conference.

When: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Where: Viking Conference Center, Lindbergh Blvd. & Watson Rd., Sunset Hills, Mo.

Cost: CSPRC Member: $85 ($100 if registered online or postmarked after April 20);
Non-member: $95 ($110 if registered online or postmarked after April 20); Full-time student: $70 ($85 if registered online or postmarked after April 20).

Join CSPRC now and save on both SPECTRUM and your membership for the balance of 2009!Special SPECTRUM membership: Now through December – $45 (Regular membership: January–December – $85)

The Spectrum Conference will have 16 breakout sessions that fall into four tracks: Executive Director/Board, Development, Marketing/Communications and, what I call, “newbies.”

Here’s a sampling of the sessions:

• “Seven Deadly Sins” of Nonprofit Organizations
• Marketing to Donors in a Tight Economy
• Talking a Good Game: How Understanding Sports Can Help You Succeed
• Pitches That Work: The View from the Media Side
• IN YOUR FACE(book)! Easy, Efficient Uses of MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and More

There will be two keynotes:

• Aiming for Truth: The Pitfalls of “Objectivity” by Charles L. Klotzer, Founder, St. Louis Journalism Review
• On Target to Your Dreams: Seven Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE, by Dale Furtwengler, President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

CSPRC is a nonprofit organization composed of members from public and private community service organizations concerned with improving and maintaining the highest standards of public relations, communications, media relations and fundraising.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m currently vice president of CSPRC. I hope I’m the organization’s biggest cheerleader. CSPRC is an outstanding community asset that strengthens many levels of the nonprofit sector in our community. CSPRC is to marketing and communications what AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) is to development and fundraising. Marketing and communications can and should be influencing and enhancing all aspects of a nonprofit organization.

As I look back on the Spectrum Conferences I’ve attended, I left with great ideas and new concepts. Take a day to stimulate your creativity and innovation.

Spectrum is an outstanding opportunity to build relationships and network with other nonprofit marketing and communications professionals. One thing that can kill one’s spirit and motivation in nonprofit work is isolation. Take a day to attend this conference and connect with other professionals. You might find a solution or, even better, help someone else solve a problem or challenge.

Barb MacRobie and Janet Vigen, co-chairmen of the Spectrum Conference, have assembled a great lineup of presentors. The course listing is probably the most diverse you will find at any conference of its kind. Here’s a sampling of the presentors:

• Donna McGinnis, departmental coordinator; Non-Profit Management Program,
  Washington University in St. Louis
• Christy E. Gray, executive director; Whitaker Foundation Christy E. Gray, executive director; Whitaker Foundation
• Allison Collinger, principal; AHC Consulting LLC
• Yvonne S. Sparks, senior manager, community development; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

I’ll try to highlight more sessions in future posts.

Most Challenging Job of the Week…

I briefly step outside the realm of nonprofit to share the following. I subscribe to indeed.com and receive a e-mail with openings in marketing and public relations. This job was at the top of today’s feed:

Title: DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Location: MO – St. Louis
Job Type: Interactive Media/OnlineDivision: St. Louis Post Dispatch
Status: Regular
Description: This position is responsible for identifying, implementing and managing online initiatives that will drive top line revenue and audience growth.

Is there a tougher job than this one? Even pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson had more control of his situation than the person who will get this job.