Save The Date: Spectrum Conference On May 10
Photo by Sean Dreilinger
The Community Service Public Relations Council’s annual Spectrum Conference will be on Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at the Holiday Inn Southwest-Viking Conference Center (Watson Rd. and Lindbergh Blvd. in Sunset Hills, Mo.) The theme for this year’s conference is, “Bright Futures.”
Spectrum is the only one-day conference in the St. Louis metropolitan area that’s designed exclusively for nonprofit organizations. Spectrum offers four program tracks and explore topics of special interest for,
- executive directors and board members,
- marketing and communications professionals and volunteers,
- development staff,
- newcomers to the nonprofit world,
- and those who are in a new role at a nonprofit and need to gain skills in various areas.
Conference attendees can follow one track throughout the day or attend other sessions.
Conference registration isn’t open yet, but if you would like to be added to the invitation list, please send an e-mail to info@csprc.org or call (314) 416-2237.
Dan Buck To Speak At Tuesday’s Community Service Public Relations Council Luncheon
Dan Buck
The board of the Community Service Public Relations Council didn’t know it at the time when he was confirmed to speak, but Dan Buck will be making one of his last public appearances as the executive director of St. Patrick’s Center during Tuesday’s monthly luncheon. Buck will become the executive director of the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Foundation on Nov. 8.
Board members should be your nonprofit organization’s best advocates and communicators. However, that’s not always the case. Buck will speak on ways to orient and utilize board members to be effective communicators for your nonprofit organization.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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
Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel
7730 Bonhomme Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63105
Complimentary parking is available in the hotel garage.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE
Buck is one of the most visible executive directors in the St. Louis nonprofit community. He also may be the most humble and honest in that group. In an Oct. 1 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Buck was quoted as saying St. Patrick’s Center, “need(s) an operations guy, and that’s not my strong suit.”
Few executive directors would admit that. Fewer would have the humility to step aside when they realize their organizations need someone with skills, talents or abilities they don’t possess. However, the St. Patrick’s Center team doubled their operating budget in the last eight years under Buck’s leadership.
Buck is proof that a communicator with passion, leadership and vision can succeed when moving from media or public relations into the role of an executive director of chief executive officer.
Join Me For 2-Hour Course On Developing Your NPO’s Communications Plan
Many people who find themselves responsible for their nonprofit organization’s communications fall into one of two categories.
One, their organization doesn’t have a viable communications plan and they’ve been delegated that responsibility.
Or, two, their organization has a communications plan and they have no training or experience in communications.
If you fall into one of these categories, or if you would like to learn how to develop an effective communications plan for your nonprofit organization, you’re welcome to join me for a two-hour non-credit course at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program.
Developing an Effective Communication Plan for Your Nonprofit Organization
Wednesday, October 20, 3-5 p.m.
J.C. Penney Conference Center
University of Missouri-St. Louis
$30
Click Here To Register Online
Download A Printable Flyer (PDF)
Course Description: Nonprofit organizations are faced with an increasing demand for their services and a more challenging fundraising environment. Perhaps more than ever before, success or failure is determined by how successfully NPOs commuicate their mission and services. Whether you’re an executive director, board or staff member, plan to join us as we help you develop an integrated communication plan and strategy for your organization. We’ll look at ways to measure success and help you define and develop marketing and communication channels.
We’ll look at integrating traditional communications channels as well as social media into a plans for orgainzations of all sizes. We’ll also review some fundamental elements that must be in place for any communications plan to succeed in a nonprofit organization.
My goal is that every person who attends this course will leave with at least one or two strategies–if not an entire plan–that will help their organization achieve a mission-based goal.
See you then!
Ideas Shared, Strategies Developed At First NSC Communications Circle
Debby Edelman, Public Relations Director of Riverbend Head Start, Janelle Floerke, Operations Manager of The Clarkson Eyecare Foundation, L. Carol Scott, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network, and Carmen Garcia, Communications Manager at the Nonprofit Services Consortium, (from left) attended NSC's first Communications Peer Circle
The first Communications Peer Circle on Thursday, March 3, 2010, at the Nonprofit Service Consortium was great experience. Participants reviewed how an organization can develop a communications plan in tandem with building a committee of volunteers to execute the plan.
The most beneficial part of the two-hour session was the exchange of ideas. If one goes into this type of conference or seminar with an attitude that they can come away with something of value for themselves or their organization, they usually will. Plus, you might contribute an idea or solution that will help an individual or organization made a tremendous improvement in fulfilling their mission.
NSC exists to strengthen the region’s nonprofit organizations and the nonprofit sector. It provides programs services and resources that inform, promote and connect nonprofits as they work to improve people’s lives. (Read more about NSC’s mission, vision and values…)
A special note of thanks to Carmen Garcia, Communications Manager at NSC, for making the Communications Peer Circle a reality. NSC started with Development Peer Circles to assist those in all areas of fundraising for charities and nonprofits. (Donna McGinnis, MBA, CFRE, leads this group and their next is scheduled for Thursday, April 1.)
Register for the next Communications Peer Circle. It will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 6, 2010, at NSC. We’re kicking around the idea of talking about social media. As soon as we have the topic refined, we’ll publicize it.
You’re welcome to leave a comment on future topics or anything else you find on the blog. The slides that guided Thursday’s discussion are below.
Accepting the Presidency of the Community Service Public Relations Council
I was elected the president of the Community Service Public Relations Council (CSPRC) in St. Louis last month. I learned the fundamentals of the position from watching some great individual leaders of the organization during the past few years–Dennis O’Brien, Bev Pfeifer-Harms, and Deb Cottin.
I’ve never been a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) or the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in St. Louis. I attend many of their luncheons as a guest and learned a great deal from presentations.
CSPRC has a special place in my heart because of its mission to assist charitable, nonprofit and community service agencies. These organizations do outstanding work and have a great story to tell. But these organizations often struggle in communicating their story, mission and vision. When you can’t tell your story effectively, you can’t raise funds, serve more clients, recruit more and better volunteers, or recognize the accomplishments of individuals or teams within the organization.
I’m honored to lead CSPRC’s board of directors. They possess an incredible amount of experience in a wide range of agencies. They’re enthusiastic about helping CSPRC’s members continue learning about best methods and practices.
You’re invited to join us on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, for our annual round-table discussions. topics will include:
- “Overcoming the Leadership Gap with the Young Non-Profit Professional’s Network (YNPN)” with Mallory Rusch, PR & Marketing Director, Center for Women in Transition
- “Effective Fundraising and Membership Campaigns for Non-Profits” with Charles Colley, Director, a5 St. Louis
- “Lead Times for Media”
- “Writing for Electronic Viewing”
- “Using Social Media Efficiently” with Debra Kokorudz, Marketing Coordinator, Missouri History Museum
- “Your Event from A-Z” with Laura Musbach-Drake, Owner, Splendor Event Services
- “How Intranets Can Help Non-Profits” with Bob Davidson, Director of PR & Marketing, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center
- “How to Market Your Skills in a Down Economy” with Laurie Gunning, Career Coach, SSP Search Solutions
Registration: 11:30 a.m. to noon
Lunch and Networking: Noon to 1:15 p.m.
Fees: Members: $25; Non-Members: $35; Students: $20
Location: Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, 7730 Bonhomme Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105
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.
Plugging The Spectrum Conference
The Community Service Public Relations Council (CSPRC) is a group of marketing and communications professionals who serve non-profit and charitable organizations in the St. Louis area. They hold an annual professional development conference, called Spectrum. It’s an outstanding professional development opportunity for a non-profit marketing/communications professional.
This year’s conference will be held on Tuesday, May 12, at the Holiday Inn-Viking Conference Center in Sunset Hills. There will be three tracks for attendees: new communications professionals, development and fundraising, and executive directors.
Visit csprc.org for more information. Registration forms will be mailed to CSPRC in late March and online registration also will be available.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m currently vice president of CSPRC. I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie and networking the organization provides. Monthly lunch programs are rejuvenating and consistently helpful for new professionals or veterans.
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