The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce aims to strengthen the local business community and foster well-being in Athens County, Ohio. It faces challenges with a small staff and lack of coordination with other organizations. The Chamber sees an opportunity in the large student population at Ohio University and environmentally-conscious residents. The goal is for the Chamber to be regarded as a leading business organization and promote patronage of member businesses. Key audiences are Ohio University students, faculty, and staff as well as residential Athens County community.
Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA delivered this presentation during the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014, at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.
Articles Featuring:
-Announcement of Seattle Chief of Police, Carmen Best, Editor Contribution
-Overturn I-200 - Initiative 1000 is Now Live, by Henry Yates, Tabor 100 Public Affairs Chair
-June 2018 General Meeting Photos courtesy of Flyright Photography
-Tabor 100 19th Annual Captains of Industry Gala Invitation
This document summarizes a study on women entrepreneurs in Yemen who use microfinance. It finds that women clients predominantly engage in small home-based businesses due to social restrictions. They take loans mainly to support their families and improve living standards. While clients are generally satisfied with microfinance programs and staff, loans are too small and products too limited. The report recommends that microfinance institutions increase loan sizes, diversify products, strengthen training programs, and play a greater role in empowering women through networking and information sharing.
The Children's Hospital in Denver built a grassroots advocacy network of over 4,000 volunteers to influence legislation affecting children's health. By recruiting hospital staff and families as advocates, educating them on issues, and facilitating contact with lawmakers, the network helped pass a bill requiring booster seats and has addressed issues like immunizations. The successful model has inspired other children's hospitals to develop their own advocacy efforts.
(4) 10.30 John Lippincott (Louvre II-III, 26.04)CAEI
The document summarizes 10 principles for successful fundraising in higher education from a speech given by John Lippincott, president of CASE. The principles are: 1) Make a compelling case connecting donor passions to university capabilities. 2) Take a comprehensive approach including individual, foundation, and corporate giving. 3) Be strategic and link fundraising to university mission/vision. 4) Integrate fundraising with alumni relations, communications, and marketing. 5) Engage donors through involvement and communication. 6) Commit to long-term fundraising requiring investment over time. 7) Hire professional staff and follow best practices. 8) Earn trust through honest and ethical practices. 9) Be accountable and transparent. 10) Develop a culture of asking
Concerned about the flow of young people, money, and talent away from your community? Want new ideas about how to keep those assets local? This presentation focuses on how communities in economic decline, and communities in central Appalachia specifically, can keep kids, cash, and culture in the community. It includes overarching theory, examples, and lists of resources.
Concerned about the flow of young people, money, and talent away from your community? Want new ideas about how to keep those assets local? This presentation focuses on how communities in economic decline, and communities in central Appalachia specifically, can keep kids, cash, and culture in the community. It includes overarching theory, examples, and lists of resources.
City Youth Now is requesting $15,000 from The San Francisco Foundation to support its core operating expenses. City Youth Now provides funding and services to promote stability and personal growth for at-risk youth in San Francisco's foster care and juvenile justice systems. It aims to ensure these youth have the same opportunities as other children to become successful adults. The letter cites statistics showing many youth need additional support and will benefit from City Youth Now's programs, which help youth gain skills and avoid dependence on government assistance. City Youth Now is looking to expand its services and continue helping youth through difficult circumstances.
Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA delivered this presentation during the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014, at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.
Articles Featuring:
-Announcement of Seattle Chief of Police, Carmen Best, Editor Contribution
-Overturn I-200 - Initiative 1000 is Now Live, by Henry Yates, Tabor 100 Public Affairs Chair
-June 2018 General Meeting Photos courtesy of Flyright Photography
-Tabor 100 19th Annual Captains of Industry Gala Invitation
This document summarizes a study on women entrepreneurs in Yemen who use microfinance. It finds that women clients predominantly engage in small home-based businesses due to social restrictions. They take loans mainly to support their families and improve living standards. While clients are generally satisfied with microfinance programs and staff, loans are too small and products too limited. The report recommends that microfinance institutions increase loan sizes, diversify products, strengthen training programs, and play a greater role in empowering women through networking and information sharing.
The Children's Hospital in Denver built a grassroots advocacy network of over 4,000 volunteers to influence legislation affecting children's health. By recruiting hospital staff and families as advocates, educating them on issues, and facilitating contact with lawmakers, the network helped pass a bill requiring booster seats and has addressed issues like immunizations. The successful model has inspired other children's hospitals to develop their own advocacy efforts.
(4) 10.30 John Lippincott (Louvre II-III, 26.04)CAEI
The document summarizes 10 principles for successful fundraising in higher education from a speech given by John Lippincott, president of CASE. The principles are: 1) Make a compelling case connecting donor passions to university capabilities. 2) Take a comprehensive approach including individual, foundation, and corporate giving. 3) Be strategic and link fundraising to university mission/vision. 4) Integrate fundraising with alumni relations, communications, and marketing. 5) Engage donors through involvement and communication. 6) Commit to long-term fundraising requiring investment over time. 7) Hire professional staff and follow best practices. 8) Earn trust through honest and ethical practices. 9) Be accountable and transparent. 10) Develop a culture of asking
Concerned about the flow of young people, money, and talent away from your community? Want new ideas about how to keep those assets local? This presentation focuses on how communities in economic decline, and communities in central Appalachia specifically, can keep kids, cash, and culture in the community. It includes overarching theory, examples, and lists of resources.
Concerned about the flow of young people, money, and talent away from your community? Want new ideas about how to keep those assets local? This presentation focuses on how communities in economic decline, and communities in central Appalachia specifically, can keep kids, cash, and culture in the community. It includes overarching theory, examples, and lists of resources.
City Youth Now is requesting $15,000 from The San Francisco Foundation to support its core operating expenses. City Youth Now provides funding and services to promote stability and personal growth for at-risk youth in San Francisco's foster care and juvenile justice systems. It aims to ensure these youth have the same opportunities as other children to become successful adults. The letter cites statistics showing many youth need additional support and will benefit from City Youth Now's programs, which help youth gain skills and avoid dependence on government assistance. City Youth Now is looking to expand its services and continue helping youth through difficult circumstances.
Book review on Mary Johnson Osirim\'s book, Enterprising Women in Urban Zimbabwe. Not yet published. Do not quote without permission. Comments are very welcome though!!
The document discusses seven benchmarks that are used to evaluate and rank charities and companies. The seven benchmarks are: (1) causes supported, (2) financial health, (3) financial capacity, (4) tax status, (5) accountability and transparency, (6) website and social media presence, and (7) employee experience. Each benchmark is then defined in more detail with relevant metrics and considerations for evaluation. Examples of top-rated charities based on meeting these benchmarks are also provided.
The document summarizes the 2013 annual report of COWIC/OhioMeansJobs - Columbus-Franklin County's Youth Workforce Services Programming (S.O.A.R.hire!). It discusses how the program helped over 1,150 youth and young adults ages 14-24 gain work skills and experience through internships, jobs, and training. Key outcomes included 903 youth completing work readiness training, positive supervisor evaluations of interns' growth, and recognition from the White House for being a best practice program. The report highlights the importance of partnerships and continued efforts to support young workers and reduce high youth unemployment.
This document provides a summary of a proposal to create an innovative digital platform called iGPS (Individualized Guides and Paths to Success) to help reimagine the foster youth system. The proposal notes that currently, foster youth often experience poor outcomes such as dropping out of high school, homelessness, or incarceration. The iGPS platform aims to empower foster youth by providing them with information, resources, and tools to help them set goals and make better decisions to achieve a more successful future. Key features of iGPS include records, mentoring, career exploration, and personal development tools. The proposal recommends that the Mayor endorse this platform to help change the narrative around foster youth and provide them additional support.
Bob Carter discusses the importance of creating a culture of philanthropy, particularly in Brazil. He argues that while US and Canadian fundraising practices are advanced, charities there have been slow to innovate, and they can learn from countries like Brazil. The key difference between the US and Brazil is that fundraising is viewed as an integral part of achieving community impact in the US, through a culture of philanthropy developed over centuries. For Latin America to strengthen philanthropy, fundraising must be seen as a natural part of community life through culture building within organizations and society.
Women enterprise presentation: SMME's - Being part of the solutionWomen In Business
This document discusses several topics related to small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. It provides statistics on the number of SMMEs and self-employed individuals in South Africa. It also discusses the role of SMMEs in job creation and exports. The document also covers topics like lifelong learning, networking, paying it forward, and being involved in the community.
This document provides information about the National Academy Foundation's 2014 annual conference, NAF Next. It summarizes that NAF served over 70,000 students in the 2013-14 school year, a 13% increase from the previous year. The conference will bring together business partners and leaders from NAF's 565 academies to focus on achieving higher levels of impact through advisory boards, work-based learning, and performance tracking tools. The agenda outlines plenary sessions, learning seminars, and special events over the four day conference in Washington D.C. to support NAF's goal of graduating 100,000 career-ready students by 2020.
What Difference Does it Make-- Reviewing Evidence on School- Employer Partner...NAFCareerAcads
The seminar will present an authoritative overview of recent national and international research into the impact that employer engagement in education has on young people as they move through schooling and ultimately into the work world. Learn how and why employer interventions can have positive impacts on the success of young people.
2015 September Tools for Change CGI NewsletterDr. Chris Stout
The newsletter provides updates on awards, tools, reports, and opportunities from the Center for Global Initiatives (CGI). CGI received a Top-Rated Award from GreatNonprofits for the fourth year in a row. The newsletter also highlights recent blog posts from the Global Health Policy Center, news of restrictive NGO laws passed in Cambodia, and the work of the Center for Global Health at the University of Illinois. Additionally, it provides information on funding opportunities such as the Lipman Family Prize and Forbes Under 30 $1M Change the World Competition.
Walking Miracles is a nonprofit organization in West Virginia that provides assistance to families affected by cancer through helping with travel expenses, counseling, and patient navigation. The organization is currently run solely by its founder and needs to establish its brand and increase donations in order to continue operating and potentially expand its services. The core problem is that Walking Miracles needs to better establish its brand and ensure sufficient funds to meet its goals of continuing to support local families impacted by cancer.
MICAH is made up of 50+ churches, synagogues, mosques, community organizations, and unions--all standing together for a more just Memphis.
MICAH works to connect and amplify these diverse voices around our common values--equity, justice, and our God-given human dignity.
This was the Program for Public meeting in 2018
The document provides an overview of research conducted on the United Way of Gloucester County (UWGC). Key findings include that most millennials are unaware of UWGC, current donors have given for many years but want to attract younger donors, and most community members are unaware of what UWGC does. The research also analyzed UWGC's social media presence and identified areas for improvement. The document then outlines objectives and strategies to increase awareness of UWGC among key audiences like millennials, businesses, media and community members. Evaluation plans and a projected budget are also included.
This document provides an overview of how older adults can serve as a valuable resource for after-school programs. It notes that older adult volunteers are available, motivated, consistent, and versatile. Research on programs like Experience Corps shows that older adult volunteers can improve school culture, limit behavioral issues, and boost student achievement. While older adults represent a great opportunity, after-school programs must invest in planning and support to effectively engage older adult volunteers. The document provides sample roles, strategies, and materials to help programs integrate older adults.
The Red Sea is a prominent Ethiopian restaurant and nightlife establishment located in Minneapolis' West Bank neighborhood near the University of Minnesota. It has served the local community for over 17 years. While financially successful, the owners seek to better capitalize on the business's proximity to major institutions by attracting more students and visitors. The Red Sea operates a restaurant, bar, and nightclub, serving diverse customer segments for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and live music events. In addition to food sales, the business generates income by owning and leasing the commercial property it occupies.
Social Donor Management for JSEA ConferenceEverTrue
This document discusses using social media data to improve donor management. It notes that over 80% of donor records lack accurate career information. Social media platforms like LinkedIn provide a wealth of updated professional data that can be used to better understand donors and prospects. Analyzing social media engagement and connections through a "Donor Graph" can help identify highly engaged individuals who may be likely and capable donors but are not currently giving. Several examples are given of how universities have found new prospects and re-engaged lapsed donors by leveraging social data in donor management.
Advocacy During the COVID Era - EveryLibrary - MLA 2020 Virtual Annual Conf - EveryLibrary
Presented by John Chrastka during the MLA 2020 Virtual Annual Conference, Oct 14, 2020 "Are you wondering how you can better advocate for your library in the face of COVID-related budget pressures? In this budget climate, library leaders need a highly-engaged plan to advocate for the funding they need to continue enriching their community or school. Join EveryLibrary’s executive director John Chrastka for a discussion of how austerity budgets work and what new advocacy techniques and skills you need to support your next budget request. Come ready to learn what the current revenue forecasts are for states, municipalities and education, along with effective ways to gauge community priorities and sentiments during COVID-19, and some of the best ways to frame your advocacy message in light of current concerns. We hope for you to come away with actionable insights on building coalitions and partnerships to help advocate for your library."
The document summarizes research findings from a study of smallholder agriculture and cooperative associations (CA) in Ethiopia. The key findings are:
1) Formal cooperatives and informal savings groups are the main types of CA for smallholder farmers. Women make up only 10-20% of cooperative members but play an important role in production.
2) Women benefit the most from membership in informal savings groups which allow them to access loans and resources. External agents are important in supporting both cooperatives and savings groups.
3) The research recommends focusing future phases on sub-sectors like honey and milk where CA is common and exploring how membership in multiple groups can better benefit women.
Agricultural credit and financial service in Somalia HassanMumin1
Agriculture credit is the amount of investments funds made available for agricultural production from resources outside the farm sector.
Agricultural finance is considered as separate field of study dealing with lending and borrowing by organizations and farmers
Resourcefulness, creativity can help further your nonprofit's missionGrant Thornton LLP
Not-for-profit organizations are seeking to expand their impact and grow revenue by strategically investing resources in key markets with long-term potential. One such organization, Be The Match, entered three new cities to gain access to more potential donors and volunteers. They focus on broadening ethnic diversity of donors to better serve underrepresented groups. Creativity and partnerships can also help further missions - for example, Boeing transports toys for orphans in Iraq when delivering planes, and Samuel Adams partners with Accion to provide coaching to entrepreneurs. Not-for-profits are also quantifying outcomes to demonstrate true value and impact to donors through transparency.
The document discusses tools and programs called HometownOhio and townology that are aimed at revitalizing Ohio's downtowns. HometownOhio offers a wide range of entrepreneurial and technology-based tools integrated into existing downtown programs, including market analyses, heritage tourism assessments, project management assistance, and funding programs. townology is a system that integrates e-commerce with traditional downtown businesses to generate additional income through advertising fees from online sales, benefiting downtown programs and organizations. The tools provided by HometownOhio and townology emphasize private-sector initiatives, entrepreneurship, and leveraging technology and partnerships to support self-sustaining downtown revitalization efforts.
Book review on Mary Johnson Osirim\'s book, Enterprising Women in Urban Zimbabwe. Not yet published. Do not quote without permission. Comments are very welcome though!!
The document discusses seven benchmarks that are used to evaluate and rank charities and companies. The seven benchmarks are: (1) causes supported, (2) financial health, (3) financial capacity, (4) tax status, (5) accountability and transparency, (6) website and social media presence, and (7) employee experience. Each benchmark is then defined in more detail with relevant metrics and considerations for evaluation. Examples of top-rated charities based on meeting these benchmarks are also provided.
The document summarizes the 2013 annual report of COWIC/OhioMeansJobs - Columbus-Franklin County's Youth Workforce Services Programming (S.O.A.R.hire!). It discusses how the program helped over 1,150 youth and young adults ages 14-24 gain work skills and experience through internships, jobs, and training. Key outcomes included 903 youth completing work readiness training, positive supervisor evaluations of interns' growth, and recognition from the White House for being a best practice program. The report highlights the importance of partnerships and continued efforts to support young workers and reduce high youth unemployment.
This document provides a summary of a proposal to create an innovative digital platform called iGPS (Individualized Guides and Paths to Success) to help reimagine the foster youth system. The proposal notes that currently, foster youth often experience poor outcomes such as dropping out of high school, homelessness, or incarceration. The iGPS platform aims to empower foster youth by providing them with information, resources, and tools to help them set goals and make better decisions to achieve a more successful future. Key features of iGPS include records, mentoring, career exploration, and personal development tools. The proposal recommends that the Mayor endorse this platform to help change the narrative around foster youth and provide them additional support.
Bob Carter discusses the importance of creating a culture of philanthropy, particularly in Brazil. He argues that while US and Canadian fundraising practices are advanced, charities there have been slow to innovate, and they can learn from countries like Brazil. The key difference between the US and Brazil is that fundraising is viewed as an integral part of achieving community impact in the US, through a culture of philanthropy developed over centuries. For Latin America to strengthen philanthropy, fundraising must be seen as a natural part of community life through culture building within organizations and society.
Women enterprise presentation: SMME's - Being part of the solutionWomen In Business
This document discusses several topics related to small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. It provides statistics on the number of SMMEs and self-employed individuals in South Africa. It also discusses the role of SMMEs in job creation and exports. The document also covers topics like lifelong learning, networking, paying it forward, and being involved in the community.
This document provides information about the National Academy Foundation's 2014 annual conference, NAF Next. It summarizes that NAF served over 70,000 students in the 2013-14 school year, a 13% increase from the previous year. The conference will bring together business partners and leaders from NAF's 565 academies to focus on achieving higher levels of impact through advisory boards, work-based learning, and performance tracking tools. The agenda outlines plenary sessions, learning seminars, and special events over the four day conference in Washington D.C. to support NAF's goal of graduating 100,000 career-ready students by 2020.
What Difference Does it Make-- Reviewing Evidence on School- Employer Partner...NAFCareerAcads
The seminar will present an authoritative overview of recent national and international research into the impact that employer engagement in education has on young people as they move through schooling and ultimately into the work world. Learn how and why employer interventions can have positive impacts on the success of young people.
2015 September Tools for Change CGI NewsletterDr. Chris Stout
The newsletter provides updates on awards, tools, reports, and opportunities from the Center for Global Initiatives (CGI). CGI received a Top-Rated Award from GreatNonprofits for the fourth year in a row. The newsletter also highlights recent blog posts from the Global Health Policy Center, news of restrictive NGO laws passed in Cambodia, and the work of the Center for Global Health at the University of Illinois. Additionally, it provides information on funding opportunities such as the Lipman Family Prize and Forbes Under 30 $1M Change the World Competition.
Walking Miracles is a nonprofit organization in West Virginia that provides assistance to families affected by cancer through helping with travel expenses, counseling, and patient navigation. The organization is currently run solely by its founder and needs to establish its brand and increase donations in order to continue operating and potentially expand its services. The core problem is that Walking Miracles needs to better establish its brand and ensure sufficient funds to meet its goals of continuing to support local families impacted by cancer.
MICAH is made up of 50+ churches, synagogues, mosques, community organizations, and unions--all standing together for a more just Memphis.
MICAH works to connect and amplify these diverse voices around our common values--equity, justice, and our God-given human dignity.
This was the Program for Public meeting in 2018
The document provides an overview of research conducted on the United Way of Gloucester County (UWGC). Key findings include that most millennials are unaware of UWGC, current donors have given for many years but want to attract younger donors, and most community members are unaware of what UWGC does. The research also analyzed UWGC's social media presence and identified areas for improvement. The document then outlines objectives and strategies to increase awareness of UWGC among key audiences like millennials, businesses, media and community members. Evaluation plans and a projected budget are also included.
This document provides an overview of how older adults can serve as a valuable resource for after-school programs. It notes that older adult volunteers are available, motivated, consistent, and versatile. Research on programs like Experience Corps shows that older adult volunteers can improve school culture, limit behavioral issues, and boost student achievement. While older adults represent a great opportunity, after-school programs must invest in planning and support to effectively engage older adult volunteers. The document provides sample roles, strategies, and materials to help programs integrate older adults.
The Red Sea is a prominent Ethiopian restaurant and nightlife establishment located in Minneapolis' West Bank neighborhood near the University of Minnesota. It has served the local community for over 17 years. While financially successful, the owners seek to better capitalize on the business's proximity to major institutions by attracting more students and visitors. The Red Sea operates a restaurant, bar, and nightclub, serving diverse customer segments for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and live music events. In addition to food sales, the business generates income by owning and leasing the commercial property it occupies.
Social Donor Management for JSEA ConferenceEverTrue
This document discusses using social media data to improve donor management. It notes that over 80% of donor records lack accurate career information. Social media platforms like LinkedIn provide a wealth of updated professional data that can be used to better understand donors and prospects. Analyzing social media engagement and connections through a "Donor Graph" can help identify highly engaged individuals who may be likely and capable donors but are not currently giving. Several examples are given of how universities have found new prospects and re-engaged lapsed donors by leveraging social data in donor management.
Advocacy During the COVID Era - EveryLibrary - MLA 2020 Virtual Annual Conf - EveryLibrary
Presented by John Chrastka during the MLA 2020 Virtual Annual Conference, Oct 14, 2020 "Are you wondering how you can better advocate for your library in the face of COVID-related budget pressures? In this budget climate, library leaders need a highly-engaged plan to advocate for the funding they need to continue enriching their community or school. Join EveryLibrary’s executive director John Chrastka for a discussion of how austerity budgets work and what new advocacy techniques and skills you need to support your next budget request. Come ready to learn what the current revenue forecasts are for states, municipalities and education, along with effective ways to gauge community priorities and sentiments during COVID-19, and some of the best ways to frame your advocacy message in light of current concerns. We hope for you to come away with actionable insights on building coalitions and partnerships to help advocate for your library."
The document summarizes research findings from a study of smallholder agriculture and cooperative associations (CA) in Ethiopia. The key findings are:
1) Formal cooperatives and informal savings groups are the main types of CA for smallholder farmers. Women make up only 10-20% of cooperative members but play an important role in production.
2) Women benefit the most from membership in informal savings groups which allow them to access loans and resources. External agents are important in supporting both cooperatives and savings groups.
3) The research recommends focusing future phases on sub-sectors like honey and milk where CA is common and exploring how membership in multiple groups can better benefit women.
Agricultural credit and financial service in Somalia HassanMumin1
Agriculture credit is the amount of investments funds made available for agricultural production from resources outside the farm sector.
Agricultural finance is considered as separate field of study dealing with lending and borrowing by organizations and farmers
Resourcefulness, creativity can help further your nonprofit's missionGrant Thornton LLP
Not-for-profit organizations are seeking to expand their impact and grow revenue by strategically investing resources in key markets with long-term potential. One such organization, Be The Match, entered three new cities to gain access to more potential donors and volunteers. They focus on broadening ethnic diversity of donors to better serve underrepresented groups. Creativity and partnerships can also help further missions - for example, Boeing transports toys for orphans in Iraq when delivering planes, and Samuel Adams partners with Accion to provide coaching to entrepreneurs. Not-for-profits are also quantifying outcomes to demonstrate true value and impact to donors through transparency.
The document discusses tools and programs called HometownOhio and townology that are aimed at revitalizing Ohio's downtowns. HometownOhio offers a wide range of entrepreneurial and technology-based tools integrated into existing downtown programs, including market analyses, heritage tourism assessments, project management assistance, and funding programs. townology is a system that integrates e-commerce with traditional downtown businesses to generate additional income through advertising fees from online sales, benefiting downtown programs and organizations. The tools provided by HometownOhio and townology emphasize private-sector initiatives, entrepreneurship, and leveraging technology and partnerships to support self-sustaining downtown revitalization efforts.
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, in partnership with Allegany Franciscan Ministries, conducted the 2nd Annual Nonprofit Survey to gather data regarding the needs in the community, the state of nonprofits and how best funders could be of assistance. Respondents were asked about their current challenges, the impact the economic downturn has had on the services they offer and their most pressing funding needs. Here are the results with a special focus on South Palm Beach County.
Why Provide Community Programs - the ACA ViewDavid Phelps
Community and employee education programs empower people to improve their lives and communities while fostering partnerships. Most ACA members support employee involvement in charitable giving through causes their employees care about. This boosts employee morale, retention and productivity while enhancing the company's reputation and opportunities for growth. Examples of ACA's community education efforts include Ask Doctor Debt for financial literacy, National Credit Education Week, youth financial literacy kits, and a free online personal financial management course.
- The Vista's role was to increase nonprofit organizations registered as partners with Washington Connection, the City's online benefit portal. This was to help underserved communities access benefits.
- 40 organizations were originally contracted to use the portal, but many faced challenges with the technical issues and time it took to help clients apply. This led to reluctance in fully utilizing the portal.
- Over time, the Vista worked to address issues, expand partners, and help organizations see the portal's benefits. This included training, resources, and emphasizing its ability to holistically help those in need.
The document discusses how diversity and inclusion programming can generate revenue for chambers of commerce. It argues that such programming brings in people and businesses on the margins as future sources of revenue. Diversity programming innovates, expands the market space, and makes the chamber relevant to more potential members and sponsors. Examples are given of how diversity summits raised hundreds of thousands in revenue for one chamber and increased minority business membership and revenue for another.
How to Use HealthyCity.org for Grant Writing & ReportingHealthy City
These slides are from a webinar designed to demonstrate how to use HealthyCity.org to enhance your grant proposals and reports with visually impactful and relevant data, maps, and charts. Learn how to access data that highlights the needs and opportunities within your communities of interest and how to make the case that your program will make a difference.
In this training you will learn how to:
- Gather data for your particular area of interest by creating your own community boundaries.
- Create maps and charts that provide the visual evidence to demonstrate both the need and potential within your community.
- Report your results - make the case that your program or project has had a positive and measurable impact.
The president's message provides an update on Tabor 100's activities and goals for 2019. It discusses the recent elections and hopes that newly elected legislators of color will support minority business programs. It promotes repealing I-200 to allow affirmative action. It also discusses plans to establish an Economic Empowerment Center in Tukwila to support minority businesses with services and training. The president expresses optimism that 2019 will see Tabor 100's major objectives realized to better promote minority businesses.
Big Ideas for Small Business: Greater University Circle Small Business Study-...CleEconomicDevelopment
This document provides a summary of preliminary findings from a retail survey of 40 small businesses in neighborhoods near University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio. The key findings are:
1) The surveyed businesses fall primarily into four categories: barbershops/hair salons, convenience stores, art galleries/furniture stores, and food services. Most businesses are small, with an average of 3 employees.
2) The physical conditions of the business properties varies significantly, with over 40% deemed only fair or poor. Building condition correlates with neighborhood socioeconomic conditions.
3) Technology adoption among the businesses ranges widely, from some lacking cash registers to others using advanced systems like Square. Overall, technology appears to be utilized less often
The document discusses property tax rates in California before and after Proposition 13. Before 1978, property tax rates averaged less than 3% of a home's assessed value and there were no limits on annual rate increases. Proposition 13 capped property tax rates at 1% of a home's assessed purchase price. It also limited annual increases in assessed value to 2% per year. This stabilized property taxes but resulted in unintended consequences like underfunding local governments and schools.
Lisa Colton, founder of Darim Online, presents to the Synergy Seminar at the UJA Federation of NY on how synagogues can be using online tools to accept donations and to promote their cause. 3/09
AHEPA Senior Living residents advocate for the Affordable Connectivity ProgramAhepa Senior Living
Discover how residents at AHEPA Senior Living champion the Affordable Connectivity Program in our latest blog post. Explore firsthand accounts and insights into bridging the digital divide for seniors. Join us in advocating for accessible technology and connectivity for all seniors.
Featured Articles:
Technical Assistance Center Information Update
Government Affairs Committee Update by Riall Johnson, Chairman
Membership Committee Update by Christina VanMiddlesworth, Chairwoman
February GM Photo's Courtesy of Flyright Productions
Newsletter Graphic Design and Editor, Kalea Perry, Independent Contractor
How to Use HealthyCity.org for Service Referral & Planning Healthy City
These slides highlight the tools on HealthyCity.org that facilitate both service referral and service planning. The website helps you connect vulnerable populations to the resources they need by providing the largest searchable and mappable online hub of health and human services in California. In addition to this comprehensive resource data, service providers and planners can access additional community data to identify gaps in services, as well as identify areas of need and opportunity to inform program planning. In this training you will learn how to:
- Facilitate case management: Help clients find services by searching the detailed health and human service database of 2-1-1s across the state (*available in 16 counties and counting).
- Inform service planning: Research information about your clients’ communities to enhance program focus and planning.
- Improve service planning and provision by adding your own data: Map data that you collect in order to see the distribution of your clients, members, facilities, or other organizations.
Green acres and milk and cookies understanding your community through market ...Gina Millsap
What don't you know about your library's customers? Surveys and focus groups just scratch the surface. Staying relevant today means meeting customers where they are and developing the right services for them. This program will show how market segmentation data combined with your ILS patron data and geographic information system (GIS) technology will leverage your resources; enable collaboration among libraries; guide strategic, service and facilities planning; and change the way you interact with your community.
Surviving, Thriving and Speaking Up for the Arts in These "Interesting" TimesAnne Katz
Art is not a frill, it's part of the solution: surviving, thriving and speaking up in these 'interesting' times. The document discusses the challenges facing arts organizations due to the economic downturn, including fewer jobs, less disposable income, and declining revenues. It provides statistics on the impact and lists resources for arts organizations. Eight high-priority strategies are outlined to help arts organizations weather the economic challenges, including strategic planning, strengthening boards and audiences, partnering with other organizations, and avoiding panic.
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) strongly disagrees with suggestions to eliminate the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs (PRIME). PRIME provides grants to microenterprise development organizations (MDOs) to deliver counseling and technical assistance to very low-income entrepreneurs in underserved areas, which is not duplicative of other SBA programs. PRIME grants of around $90,000 on average support over 200 clients per organization. Studies show microbusinesses receiving this assistance have a 30% higher five-year survival rate. For $8 million in 2010, PRIME created or supported over 200 jobs. Eliminating PRIME would
The Challenges Of A Nonprofit OrganizationMichelle Davis
Non-profit organizations play an important role in society by pursuing purposes other than generating financial profits. They occupy an intermediate position between the public and private sectors. While NPOs can engage in business activities and make money, any profits must be used to further the public purposes of the organization rather than being distributed to owners or participants. NPOs contribute to development of civil society and address social, charitable, cultural, educational and other needs not met by the commercial or public sectors.
Articles Featuring:
I-200 Poll Update
Technical Assistance Center Update
Education Levy, by Henry Yates Tabor 100 Public Affairs Chair
General Meeting Photos Courtesy of Flyright Productions
Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) helps low- and moderate-income individuals improve their financial situation through programs that provide financial education, incentives to save, and opportunities to build wealth. In 2008, CAAB experienced record enrollment in its financial education courses and increases in savings through its individual development account program. CAAB also coordinates a tax preparation and filing program that claimed nearly $2.4 million in earned income tax credits for low-income taxpayers.
Similar to Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Public Relations Plan (20)
Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Public Relations Plan
1. Situation Analysis
A Challenge
The mission of Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization serving 475
member businesses, is to facilitate a strong business climate and to foster community well-being
in Athens County. A two-person staff, consisting of President Wendy Jakmas and Office Project
Manager Dawn Worley-Sims, carries out the Chamber’s purpose, which also includes promoting
members’ businesses, encouraging “buy local” initiatives and providing business support
services.
In keeping with these roles, hosting and attending area events is a large portion of the Chamber
staff’s focus and workload. Networking events, including bi-weekly “Business After Hours,”
play a strong role in the Chamber’s communication process with clients. Additionally,
participating in popular county and university events such as charity functions (Lace Up For
Kids by Athens County Children Services, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, etc.),
Bobcat Student Orientation and sponsor events (Ohio Forensic Team tournaments) is an
important promotional tool for the Chamber.
In order to keep businesses updated about membership information and event updates, the
Chamber staff releases a monthly newsletter called the “ChamberGram.” The most recent
ChamberGram included information about the Chamber’s new “buy local” initiative - launched
during the 2009 holiday season to encourage local shopping. This campaign incorporated the
Chamber’s commitment to green practices by developing and selling 100 percent biodegradable
promotional carrying bags.
Aside from its commitment to green initiatives, the Chamber’s other branding efforts include the
creation of a new logo and tagline for 2010: “Support Businesses That Support You.” This re-
branding has yet to take full effect, as the Chamber has not updated its Web site or social media
sites with the new design.
The Chamber wishes to continue facilitating a support network for local businesses, and it would
like to substantially increase both support of its members’ businesses and awareness of its role in
the community. However, a few challenges stand in the Chamber’s path to optimum success.
One of the Chamber’s most critical challenges is operating with such a small staff. The two-
person staff can yield a total of only 80-120 work each week. Given this lack of (wo)manpower,
the Chamber is focusing on executing tasks on the tactical level, rather than spending its limited
resources on the sometimes demanding chore of brainstorming, planning, and bringing long-term
strategic goals to fruition.
Another challenge for the Chamber is the lack of coordination amongst other area organizations
with similar goals. The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau is debuting a savings
passport card called “Rediscover Athens” in May 2010. This program has not been presented to
the Chamber, suggesting a general lack of cohesiveness between Athens County’s business
organizations that are aiming for similar goals.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
2. An Opportunity
The Chamber is located in the predominantly rural Athens County. The majority of its member
businesses are located within the city of Athens, which holds the largest residential population in
the county. However, a large portion of this population is comprised of temporary residents who
come to Athens because of the presence of Ohio University. Ohio University boasts more than
17,000 students at its main campus in Athens. It is important to note that, while the individual
students may live in Athens only temporarily, there is a steady influx of students to maintain this
population size. So, though these students may be in Athens County for only about four to five
years, this audience is of a consistent population and is an untapped potential the Chamber has
struggled to reach effectively in the past.
Upon conducting a survey of 100 Ohio University students, 66 percent of students said they had
heard of the Chamber. However, more than 70 percent responded that they do not have an
accurate idea of what the Chamber’s duties are. Seventy percent of those surveyed said they are
not knowledgeable about the benefits of shopping locally; thus, they have no knowledge to
actively make an effort to shop at local businesses, often choose choosing to shop online or
travel outside the county to larger cities to meet their needs.
However, of the students surveyed, 51 percent said they feel that it is at least somewhat to very
important to them that the Athens business community thrives economically. This presents the
Chamber with the opportunity to convince the other half of the student body of how the
economic welfare of the community does impact their daily lives.
Furthermore, the results of recent statewide elections prove Athens County residents’ interest in
environmental legislation, including voting down a controversial issue about livestock regulation
and passing issues advocating for clean coal, to name a few. Athens is also home to hundreds of
environmental and sustainability organizations, such as the Ohio Green Network, Sierra Club
and the Appalachian Peace & Justice Network. Because of these factors, county residents may be
more apt to support “buy local” or green campaigns.
We believe that the untapped potential of the large student population and the environmentally
conscience nature of the Athens County residential community makes for a perfect opportunity
to implement a strategic plan. We also think it is a great time for a “buy local” campaign because
of “green” trends becoming so mainstream in today’s culture.
Goal
For the Athens County and Ohio University communities to be regarding the Athens Area
Chamber of Commerce as a leading member of the Athens business community in order to
promote patronization of member business and to foster community well-being.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
3. Target Audiences
Audience 1: Ohio University Affiliates
Ohio University’s students and faculty comprise 30 percent of Athens County’s population,
making this audience vital for the public relations plan. Ohio University has more than 17,000
students, 5,000 full-time employees and nearly 1,000 full-time faculty members. Because Ohio
University affiliates play such a powerful role economically in Athens County, it is important to
address their needs with strategic messaging in the public relations plan.
Thirty-one percent of Athens County residents are between the ages of 18-24. Our campaign
must reflect this demographic’s preferences, media and otherwise. According to a recent Burst
media study, college students prefer to be reached through the Internet instead of through
television or radio. More than 50 percent of these students spend about 20 hours a week online;
thus, the Chamber, which already disseminates messages through electronic newsletters, will
need to expand its online presence in order to cater to the needs of this substantial audience.
Also noted in the Burst study, college students spend $250 a month on personal items; less than
25 percent of said dollars are spent online, with the rest being spent physically in stores. When
asked how these students choose what and which kinds of things to buy, 70 percent of them
admitted that their choice is based solely on the lowest cost. This plan will encourage students to
spend more of their monthly budget at local businesses. Because their money is already
predominantly spent in stores, this behavior change will not be too drastic. In fact, the biggest
challenge may be convincing students to keep their spending dollars in Athens County instead of
traveling to shopping malls in Columbus or Parkersburg, West Virginia.
The average income of university students is dramatically less than the poverty level, so
targeting the higher-earning staff and faculty could make a greater financial impact to local
businesses. More than 75 percent of Athens County residents travel fewer than 30 minutes to
work each day, which means they are already spending much of their time inside the county.
Encouraging this financially powerful group to shop locally, because they are already physically
local, could lead to a meaningful boost to local business. By convincing Athens County residents
to shift even just 10 percent of their spending to local markets, the result would mean more jobs,
lower residential taxes and higher property values, which would benefit both students and Athens
County residents.
Audience 2: Athens County Residential Community
Approximately 115 – or 25 percent – of the Chamber’s member businesses are outside of
Athens’ city limits, located across the county in towns like the Plains, Nelsonville and Albany.
Therefore, it is important to remember the Chamber’s scope reaches beyond Athens City limits.
According to the 2000 Census, 27,685 people live in the townships surrounding Athens city, and
Athens city has a population of 21,342. Thus, although a large population is centered in Athens,
county residents are still fairly dispersed throughout the county. Because of this, the new
Chamber campaign should include businesses located in “remote” areas. Likewise, the new
campaign should not ignore citizens living outside of Athens city.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
4. Southeastern Ohio is often viewed as a poverty stricken area, so money is an important factor to
take into account in the new plan. The median household income in Athens County is $20,665,
which is far below the national average of $60,374. The Chamber’s public relations plan needs to
take into account that money is limited for most Athens County residents, which suggests that
financial incentives will be important for a successful plan.
Also, as a whole, the county has voted outside of national and state trends, as well as favoring
legislation in support of environmental issues. According to the office of the Secretary of State,
in the 2009 state elections, Athens County was the only county in Ohio to vote against Issue 2, a
proposal to create a regulatory board for livestock agriculture. In the 2008 election, Athens
County residents passed statewide issues (such as support for the Clean Ohio program for
environmental revitalization and an amendment to the Ohio Constitution to protect private
property rights and water) with a majority vote, according to the Athens County Board of
Elections. This is important information for the Chamber because it means residents may be
more willing to support “buy local” or green lifestyle messaging campaigns.
Taking into account Athens County’s population statistics, income and citizens’ views, the new
plan must be comprehensive in nature and truly understand the area’s permanent residents to
really impact all Chamber businesses and, eventually, the county as a whole.
Audience 3: Athens County Chamber Members
The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce is currently composed of 475 members, including
Athens County businesses both large and small: big-box stores, boutiques, banks, credit unions,
at-home businesses and even private individuals.
Four committees make up the Chamber: the Athens Uptown Business Association (AUBA), the
Ambassador Club, the Promotions and Special Events Committee and the Athens County
Business Education Partnership (ACBEP). The AUBA is a subsidy of the Chamber and focuses
on commerce in uptown Athens. The Ambassador Club coordinates volunteers for Chamber
events. The Promotions and Special Events Committee promotes Chamber events and special
activities in the county. And, the ACBEP works to link the human resources of area businesses,
government agencies and service organizations with local schools to meet student and staff
needs.
Benefits of Chamber membership include networking events, health insurance, workers’
compensation program at premium group savings, referrals and numerous marketing and
promotional opportunities. Despite these numerous opportunities to grow and work together as a
community, there is always room for improvement in member relations.
While the Chamber does host events and provide members with various marketing opportunities,
members have been known to become complacent, either by overlooking these benefits or
feeling unmotivated to try new methods. The Chamber should more effectively encourage
members to take advantage of these opportunities and to work together more closely.
At first, it may seem easy to overlook the importance of targeting Chamber members, especially
because they are already actively involved with the Chamber. However, by engaging Chamber
members both more frequently and through the use of new methods, it is possible to forge a
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
5. deeper sense of community. With a stronger sense of community and group identity amongst
Chamber members, member businesses will enjoy an increase in both communication amongst
the group and a willingness to help one another under the understanding that through solidarity,
they can prosper.
Audience 4: Athens County Visitors
Athens County attracts many visitors each year because of its educational institutions, regional
events and outdoor attractions. The county is adjacent to Hocking County, which is home to nine
state parks and forests. In 2007, park officials estimated that nearly 3 million people visited
Hocking County’s parks; this is a number of visitors too large for the Chamber to ignore.
Because of this significant amount of visitors, the plan should take into account visitors’ impact
and the potential opportunity this group presents.
The Ohio Tourism Division estimates that more than 173 million trips were taken to Ohio or
within Ohio, and it can be surmised that a large number of these trips were in the Athens County
region due to the aforementioned attractions of the Hocking River Valley and Athens’ own
strong regional tourism presence. For instance, in 2010, visitors will be coming to Athens
County for various events:
• Regional events: International Street Festival in Athens, Moonshine Festival in New
Straitsville, 25th annual Poston Lake Bluegrass Festival in Guysville, Boogie on the
Bricks Music Festival in Athens, 6th annual Nelsonville Music Festival featuring stars like
Loretta Lynn
• Special events/ large-scale events: Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Athens, Ohio Brew Week in
Athens, Rotary District 6690 Annual Conference in Athens, Pelotonia 2010 (the annual
cycling tour to raise awareness for cancer research that will depart from Athens and
feature Lance Armstrong)
In addition to these regional events, there are also a great variety of events at or sponsored by
Ohio University, such as conferences, performing art events and commencement ceremonies.
Studies from the Ohio Tourism Division also show that for every $1 invested in tourism
marketing, $149 is generated in trip spending. Additionally, visitor expenditures in 2007 had an
impact of $180.4 million in Hocking County alone; this resulted in $25.6 million in county taxes
and employment of 982 people. Based on these numbers, it is important for the Chamber to
address temporary visitors and tourists in its new messaging because this group can lend a
significant boost to member businesses and, thus, the Athens County economy.
Objectives
Objective #1 (Ohio University Affiliates)
To effectively communicate to Ohio University affiliates the Chamber’s dedication for
supporting local business and to increase awareness of the economic and environmental benefits
of shopping locally by five percent, to be measured by a second survey distributed after the
campaign.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
6. Social Media Strategy: This strategy is designed to reach Ohio University affiliates through the
medium that Burst media studies statistically prove as one of the most effective. The Chamber
will update its current social media networks and pages to attract the attention of university
students, faculty and staff. Messaging will be regarding discounted prices and Chamber events.
The social media sites will serve as venues to promote the message “Support Businesses That
Support You,” while communicating the importance and benefits of shopping locally. The tactics
in the Social Media Strategy aim to inform students, faculty and staff about the role and benefits
of the Chamber and to generate buzz about events and promotions.
Tactics:
1. Revive the design and content of the Chamber’s current social media accounts on Facebook
and Twitter. Update these pages on a daily basis with information such as news about Chamber
businesses, promotions, event pictures and multimedia to keep readers interested.
2. Create a Ning account to display event and business photos, promotional videos and a blog to
keep both Chamber businesses and Ohio University affiliates informed about Chamber
happenings on a day-to-day basis.
3. Record and edit a promotional video to educate the Ohio University community about the
purpose and importance of the Chamber. The video will be posted on the Chamber’s existing
Youtube account. Also, Chamber businesses will be invited to upload their own videos to the
account.
Student and Faculty Organization Strategy: The Student and Faculty Organization Strategy is
designed to engage groups on the Ohio University campus that are already most likely to support
the Chamber. Because student and faculty organizations generally have a strong influence over
their members, the Chamber will work with group leaders to offer special discounts and
philanthropic opportunities. This will ideally create a mutually beneficial relationship between
the organizations and the Chamber because the organizations will have access to businesses that
are willing and ready to meet their needs. Meanwhile the Chamber will have the chance to
promote local shopping, increase awareness of the benefits of keeping money local and increase
understanding of the Chamber’s role in the community. By engaging these specific groups, it is
possible to influence individuals who will consistently advocate for issues on behalf of the
Chamber without pay.
Tactics:
1. Draft a letter inviting student and faculty organizations to participate in discount or
promotional fundraisers and philanthropic endeavors. The letter will stress the importance of
mutual benefits between the organizations and Chamber businesses.
2. Draft another letter, once the groups have confirmed participation, to member businesses
encouraging them to reach out to student and faculty organizations in order to promote the
communal relationship between the Chamber and the community.
Financial Incentive Strategy: This strategy is designed to motivate Ohio University affiliates to
patronize Chamber businesses. The strategy takes into account the issue of high prices in today’s
economy, which is the largest determining factor when deciding where to shop, according to the
surveyed students. In partnership with participating local businesses, the Chamber will organize
and promote a discount program to encourage local shopping, while removing the number one
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
7. hindrance: slightly higher prices. The discount program will also work to spread awareness of
the Chamber’s and the overall benefits of shopping local in Athens County.
Tactics:
1. Create a virtual coupon book, comparable to the ones distributed at campus bookstores,
featuring Chamber businesses. This virtual book will act as a directory and advertising for the
Chamber.
2. Promote the virtual book through social media, press releases, ads in local newspapers and
Ohio University student Web pages.
Objective #2 (Athens County Residential Community)
To effectively communicate to all residents of Athens County the Chamber’s dedication to
businesses owned by Chamber members, “buy local” initiatives and the general promotion of the
Athens County community to be measured by any change in the number of customers visiting
the social media sites and spending money at Chamber businesses.
Media Strategy: In order to foster an optimal communication exchange, the Media Strategy is
designed to establish a working relationship with the local media outlets. The Chamber will
prepare press materials for the media in order to provide concise and accurate information about
the Chamber’s role in the community. Additionally, the Chamber will pay for advertising spots
in these same local media outlets. Key messages will be clearly articulated, placing special
emphasis on the Chamber’s new tagline: “Support Businesses That Support You.” A media
strategy is crucial in order to effectively reach the Athens County residential community because
this audience is geographically fractured and relies heavily on traditional media as its main
source of information.
Tactics:
1. Place advertising, highlighting the Chamber’s new logo and tagline, in area newspapers. This
will represent an effort by the Chamber to streamline its new image and the direction it is
seeking to take for member businesses.
2. Create a media kit for Athens County news outlets. The kit will include a news release about
upcoming sponsored events, a fact sheet on the history and prominence of the Chamber and a
copy of the member directory. The media kit will be available in both print and digital formats.
The digital format will be posted to the Chamber’s Web site.
Seasonal Event Strategy: The Seasonal Event Strategy is designed to increase the reputation
and visibility of the Chamber throughout Athens County. The Chamber will choose one to three
events per year to host in order to solidify its brand and prominence within the Athens residential
community. The goal will be to host these events on an annual basis in order to create and
solidify community awareness and recognition of the Chamber and its member businesses.
Tactics:
1. Host a family-friendly “Chamber Crawl” event on a spring weekend. Athens lacks family-
friendly, city-wide street festivals in the springtime, when compared to summer events like Ohio
Brew Week or Boogie on the Bricks. The event will feature samples from local restaurants and
heavy signage displaying the Chamber’s logo, promoting itself as the event’s sponsor. Uptown
Chamber members will be invited to host an event within their business; for example, a retail
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
8. store may offer hor’dorvres, displays and discounts, while a restaurant/bar may offer a
discounted drink and specialty dishes. The event will encourage community members to
experience the uniqueness of uptown Athens and promote the importance of the Chamber and
shopping local. The idea will be pitched to the Athens Uptown Business Association February 10
during its monthly meeting.
2. Hold seasonal window decoration contests on Halloween and Christmas. A Halloween event
will recognize Athens’ annual block party, reminding the Athens community to purchase their
holiday needs at local businesses. Likewise, a Christmas contest will solidify the Chamber’s
previous “buy local” Christmas shopping campaigns and encourage residents to shop locally
during the gift-giving season. Residents will be asked to go online to the Chamber’s site to vote
for a winning storefront display.
Chamber-Member Distinction Strategy: This strategy is designed to distinguish Chamber
members from non-members in the eyes of the Athens County residential community. This is
important because many community members do not make this distinction when deciding in
which stores to shop. The Chamber will enable customers to distinguish between Chamber
businesses and non-Chamber businesses by strongly encouraging Chamber businesses to display
the “Support Businesses That Support You” sticker in their stores.
Tactics:
1. Emphasize the need for member businesses to display the logo sticker in their store windows
and near the cash register so that the Chamber is solidified in customers’ minds.
2. Distribute monthly incentives like free pizza to participating businesses’ employees, free
advertising in the ChamberGram, etc., to reward businesses that display the Chamber’s brand.
Objective #3 (Athens County Chamber Members)
To actively engage Chamber members to work in unison in order to establish a deeper sense of
community and a common goal to be measured by the number of businesses and frequency of
their participation in Chamber initiatives.
Community Building Strategy: The Community Building Strategy is designed to forge a
stronger sense of unity and shared purpose amongst Chamber members. Included in this strategy
will be efforts to privately engage individual members in order to strengthen ties between the
Chamber and its members, as well as efforts to influence the entire group to cooperate at a higher
level of involvement. Community leaders that are Chamber members must be targeted. By
practice and through rhetoric, they can set the example for other Chamber members. Also, it will
be necessary to stress the concepts of unity and cooperation during Chamber events and
networking opportunities.
Tactics:
1. Emphasize the community of the Chamber businesses through organizational publications
(like the ChamberGram,) the Web site, social networking accounts and e-mail.
2. Issue a letter to member businesses stating the reasoning behind the brand redesign. The letter
will also stress the importance of displaying the logo within businesses.
3. Identify community leaders within the Chamber and personally contact them, stressing to
them the importance of participation in Chamber events and promotions.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
9. Materials and Marketing Strategy: The Materials and Marketing Strategy is designed to
encourage meaningful communication amongst Chamber members and to give them a medium
through which to communicate. This strategy relies more on taking specific, concrete actions and
less on changing behavior and perception. By taking advantage of social media both more
frequently and by using new methods, Chamber members can communicate with each other
about fundraisers, events and topics of mutual concern. Opportunities to market for Chamber
members such as the “Best News Tip of the Week” promotion, ChamberGram advertising and
advertising in the Membership Directory need to still be encouraged; however, new tactics must
be implemented. Many of the Chamber’s past materials fail to break out and reach those who
might not usually pick up Chamber materials.
Tactics:
1. Utilize the established social networking sites along with the new Ning site to serve as a forum
for Chamber members to communicate. The sites will also serve as a tool to promote the
businesses and upcoming events.
2. Invited Chamber members to participate in the “Best News Tip of the Week.” It will serve as a
useful business tool to express fresh business development tips for Chamber members to share
with one another. This forum will create a sense of unity and enforce a communal relationship in
which everyone benefits.
3. Continue to issue the ChamberGram on a monthly basis to keep all businesses up-to-date on
Chamber activities. The tool also works to advertise for local businesses.
4. Issue statements to be read during Committee meetings that stress the importance of unity and
co-dependence amongst Chamber Members.
Objective #4 (Athens County Visitors)
To effectively communicate to visitors of Athens County the Chamber’s dedication to businesses
owned by Chamber members, the benefits of “buying local” and the general promotion of the
Athens County community to be measured by any change in the amount of customers visiting
and spending at Chamber businesses.
Personal Outreach Strategy: The Personal Outreach Strategy is designed to increase visibility
of the Chamber to Athens County visitors through methods that have a personal touch. The
Chamber will establish a presence at local and regional events in Athens County to disseminate
information and collateral to promote its member businesses and its “buy local” initiative, as
well as to gather feedback from customers. This strategy is important because, without it, the
roughly 3 million annual visitors to the region will not be aware of the positive reciprocity that
they can bring into effect.
Tactics:
1. Make contacts with the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as adjacent
counties’ offices, such as the Hocking County Visitors Bureau. It should be established that these
bureaus and the Chamber will work together toward the same goal of attracting customers.
2. Establish a presence through hosting a booth or sponsoring signage at local events (like the
International Street Fair in Athens) and regional events (like the Ohio Pawpaw Festival).
Chamber employees will be available to answer questions, distribute information about the
virtual coupon book and stress the importance of shopping at member businesses.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
10. 3. Distribute reusable jute bags at events and at popular shopping districts, such as Court Street
or Nelsonville’s Historic Square, to encourage visitors to shop at local businesses.
Online Strategy: The Chamber reports receiving many telephone calls from visitors inquiring
about restaurants to eat at or hotels to stay in, for example. The Chamber currently has its
membership directory available on its Web site; however, this is the extent of information
available for visitors. The Chamber will mobilize this missing link by establishing a more
developed area of its Web site related to tourism attractions. Additionally, the Chamber will take
this a step further by including information about the importance of supporting community
business and making visitors aware of the potential impact they can have within the community
on their visit.
Tactics:
1. Ensure the online directory is clear and searchable for visitors to utilize.
2. Draft an educational message to post alongside the directory, which will establish the
importance of visitors shopping locally.
3. Create a more developed portion of the Web site about Athens County’s tourism attractions.
Evaluation
Objective #1 (Ohio University Affiliates)
To effectively communicate to Ohio University affiliates the Chamber’s dedication for
supporting local business and to increase awareness of the economic and environmental benefits
of shopping locally by five percent, to be measured by a second survey distributed after the
campaign.
Assessment: The Chamber will measure the success of the Ohio University objective by
reissuing an identical survey to students at the end of the campaign initiatives to see if awareness
of the purpose of the Chamber and the benefits of shopping locally increase by five percent.
Success will also be gauged by the popularity of the social media sites and the participation rates
of student and faculty organizations.
Objective #2 (Athens County Residential Community)
To effectively communicate to all residents of Athens County the Chamber’s dedication to
businesses owned by chamber members, “buy local” initiatives/programming and the general
promotion of the Athens County community to be measured by any change in the amount of
customers visiting and spending at chamber businesses.
Assessment: The Chamber will measure the success of the Athens County Residential
Community objective by measuring participation and attendance at the window display and
”Chamber Crawl” events. This measurement will determine the success of the events.
Ultimately, however, the success of this objective will be gauged by changes in Web site traffic
and customer spending at member businesses.
Objective #3 (Athens County Chamber Members)
To actively engage Chamber members to work in unison in order to establish a deeper sense of
community and common goal to be measured by the number of businesses and frequency of their
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
11. participation in Chamber initiatives.
Assessment: This objective will be measured by the participation rates of Chamber businesses in
financial incentive initiatives, social media communication and special events. If many
businesses participate, the Chamber will know if they should continue this method of community
building.
Objective #4 (Athens County Visitors)
To effectively communicate to visitors of Athens County the Chamber’s dedication to businesses
owned by chamber members, the benefits of “buying local” and the general promotion of the
Athens County community to be measured by any change in the amount of customers visiting
and spending at chamber businesses.
Assessment: The success of this objective will be measured by the feedback generated by
visitors. The Chamber will analyze the nature of comments and questions received from visitors
at events. Additionally, the Chamber will analyze the response, whether positive or negative, of
the Web site updates.
Timeline
Week of February 1-7
• Send professional business letter to Chamber members inviting them to submit a discount
coupon for the virtual coupon book.
• Draft letter for student and faculty organizations that describes the purpose of the Chamber and
importance of shopping locally, as well as inviting them to participate in philanthropic efforts
and Chamber events.
• Make contact with Athens County Visitors’ Bureau to establish a relationship and discuss the
business plan and possible collaboration.
Week of February 8-14
• Continue creating virtual discount book; due date for business response is February 12.
• Begin updating Twitter and Facebook accounts, beginning with changing the name of the
Facebook page to “Athens Area Chamber of Commerce.”
• Create a schedule to continuously update social media sites coordinated with events,
“Business Tip of the Week” and weekly updates.
• Create Ning site and designate blog writers. Invite Chamber businesses to submit blogs at will.
• Begin filming promotional student video for YouTube account.
• Invite Chamber members to submit promotional videos for the YouTube and Ning sites.
• Contact Uptown Chamber members regarding “Chamber Crawl.” Begin coordinating event and
choose spring weekend to host the event.
• February 10, attend the Athens Uptown Business Association meeting at City Hall to pitch the
Chamber Crawl idea and collect feedback.
Week of February 15-21
• Create media kit for Athens news outlets promoting the virtual coupon book and new brand.
• Purchase advertisement space in The Post.
• Post digital format of media kit on Chamber’s Web site.
• Launch promotional student video on YouTube and Ning. Promote the video through social
media sites.
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell
12. • Send e-mail to participating businesses promoting the importance of participation in Chamber
events, social media sites, “Business Tip of the Week” and display of logo.
• Offer first incentive for Chamber businesses who display logo in the window.
Week of February 22-28
• Choose a day of the week and location to distribute 25-30 jute Athens Chamber bags to promote
the virtual coupon book and social media sites.
• Remind businesses to continue submitting blog posts and business tips to social media sites.
• Ensure the directory is clear and searchable for visitors to utilize.
• Draft an educational message to post alongside the directory, which will establish the importance
of visitors shopping locally.
• Create a more developed portion of the Web site about Athens County’s tourism attractions.
Week of March 1-7
• Continue updating social media sites, “Business Tip of the Week” and YouTube account.
• Remind businesses to continue submitting blog posts and business tips to social media sites.
• Finalize date for the Chamber Crawl, coordinate details and promotional efforts. Due date for
Chamber business involvement registration will be March 3.
• Finalize student/faculty organizations involvement with the Chamber. Create spreadsheet to
designate type of involvement, along with what philanthropic efforts and if any money will be
raised by the organizations.
Week of March 8-12
• Finalize plans for the Chamber Crawl, designate planning committee and create promotional
efforts.
• Remind businesses to continue submitting blog posts and business tips to social media sites.
• March 10, attend the Athens Uptown Business Association meeting at City Hall to confirm plans
for the Chamber Crawl.
• Distribute second survey to students to gauge results of campaign efforts.
Estimated Budget
Because the Chamber is a non-profit corporation, it has a very limited budget. The money the
Chamber sets aside for marketing and advertising is already strained; therefore, a new public
relations plan is especially important because it has the potential to act as “unpaid advertising”
for the Chamber.
25-30 reusable jute bags (Previously purchased by the Chamber in 2009) $50
Once per week ads for a month in The Post (Ad revenue diverted to The Post, a different
publication than normally sponsored) $160
Possible promotional printing fee $50
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
Total $260
Bradley, Grimmelsman, Kralik, Maxwell