3. 3
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................4
EXTERNAL OPERATIONS
Promotions
Press Kit ..............................................................................................................6
News Release......................................................................................................8
Media Advisory ..................................................................................................11
Brochure ............................................................................................................13
Fact Sheet .........................................................................................................13
Branding ................................................................................................................14
Social Media
Facebook ...........................................................................................................17
Twitter ................................................................................................................19
Social Media Best Practices ..............................................................................22
INTERNAL OPERATIONS
Google Drive..........................................................................................................26
Outreach Letter......................................................................................................28
Potential Contacts at Cornell .............................................................................29
Ithaca Generator Summer Camp ..........................................................................30
Mentorship Program..............................................................................................33
Ithaca Generator Internships
Benefits & Recruitment ......................................................................................35
Marketing Internship ..........................................................................................37
Event/Fundraising Internship .............................................................................39
Internal Operations Internship ...........................................................................41
APPENDICES
Appendix A – Ithaca College News Release
Appendix B – Chevrolet Media Advisory
Appendix C – Brochure Writing Tips
Appendix D – The Coca-Cola Company Fact Sheet
4. 4
Executive Summary
Ithaca Generator is a Makerspace, a place for inventors, crafters, designers, engineers,
and artists to come together and share resources, ideas, and projects. With an existing
group of dedicated members and a set of educational classes already developed, Ithaca
Generator approached Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations (SCNO) in the
spring of 2015 looking for additional support in the following three areas:
1. Investigate current internal operations of the Ithaca Generator to identify key
areas of improvement.
2. Suggest a number of best practices for organizing the Generator’s business
operations, as well as promoting the space to members of the Ithaca community.
3. Research and recommend a variety of outreach strategies to increase
awareness and generate more local interest in the Ithaca Generator.
SCNO began the semester-long engagement in February with the goal of developing
strategies for Ithaca Generator to expand their community outreach and increase the
overall efficiency of internal operations. SCNO worked to accomplish this goal by
developing sample promotional materials, identifying new demographics that might be
interested, and creating strategies to further engage current members.
This plan book contains information and suggestions in regards to local outreach,
program development, and member relations. SCNO’s first recommendation is to begin
distributing promotional materials such as brochures, fact sheets, and press releases
throughout the Ithaca community and beyond. The spread of these materials will raise
overall awareness of the resources Ithaca Generator has to offer and generate
additional interest in membership.
SCNO representatives also believe Ithaca Generator could benefit greatly from acquiring
a team of interns, developing a youth summer camp program, and coordinating a
mentorship program for existing members. This plan book contains three detailed
internship position descriptions, processes for intern recruitment, and descriptions of a
summer camp and mentorship program. It also includes some internal communication
suggestions and a sample outreach letter for class instructors.
Ithaca Generator can use the strategies outlined in this plan book to increase overall
awareness of the organization and the maker mentality. By doing so, Ithaca Generator
will be able to increase the number people who are aware of its services and improve
overall internal operations.
6. 6
Press Kit
According to the Public Relations Society of America, “Public relations is a strategic
communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between
organizations and their publics.” Putting consistent effort into public relations is vital for
any organization and will pay off in the end, as awareness and engagement will increase
with target audiences. Many students at Ithaca College are studying this field and are
very willing to help organizations in Ithaca maintain a strong public appearance.
When publicizing an event, it is important to consider what people are looking to read or
hear about. It is vital to always be thinking about your target audience, the media
vehicles they use, and what appeals to them. In general, eight primary factors
determine the newsworthiness of a potential story.
1. Impact: The significance, importance, or consequence of an event or trend; the
greater the consequence and the larger the number of people for whom an event
is important, the greater the newsworthiness.
2. Timeliness: The more recent, the more newsworthy. In some cases, timeliness is
relative. An event may have occurred in the past but only have been learned
about recently.
3. Prominence: Occurrences featuring well-known individuals or institutions are
newsworthy. Well-knownness may spring either from the power the person or
institution possess – the president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives
– or from celebrity – the late Princess Diana or fashion designer Gianni Versace.
4. Proximity: Closeness of the occurrence to the audience may be gauged either
geographically – close events, all other things being equal, are more important
than distant ones – or in terms of the assumed values, interests and expectations
of the news audience.
5. The Bizarre: The unusual, unorthodox, or unexpected attracts attention. Boxer
Mike Tyson’s disqualification for biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear
moves the story from the sports pages and the end of a newscast to the front
pages and the top of the newscast.
6. Conflict: Controversy and open clashes are newsworthy, inviting attention on
their own, almost regardless of what the conflict is over. Conflict reveals
underlying causes of disagreement between individuals and institutions.
7. Currency: Occasionally something becomes an idea whose time has come. The
matter assumes a life of its own, and for a time assumes momentum in news
reportage.
8. Human Interest: Those stories that have more of an entertainment factor versus
any of the above - not that some of the other news values cannot have an
entertainment value.
From http://vegeta.hum.utah.edu/communication/classes/news.html
7. 7
All of the following documents and everything submitted to news sources need to follow
AP Style. When writing press documents, consult the Purdue University Online Writing
Lab, especially the section on Journalistic Writing. Some of the conventions that are
most important include:
• Dates, months, years, days of the week
o For dates and years, use figures. Do not use st, nd, rd, or th with dates,
and use Arabic figures. Always capitalize months. Spell out the month
unless it is used with a date. When used with a date, abbreviate only the
following months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
o Commas are not necessary if only a year and month are given, but
commas should be used to set off a year if the date, month, and year are
given. Use the letter s but not an apostrophe after the figures when
expressing decades or centuries. Do, however, use an apostrophe before
figures expressing a decade if numerals are left out. Examples: Classes
begin Aug. 25. Purdue University was founded May 6, 1869. The
semester begins in January. The 1800s. The ’90s.
o If you refer to an event that occurred the day prior to when the article will
appear, do not use the word yesterday. Instead, use the day of the week.
Capitalize days of the week, but do not abbreviate. If an event occurs
more than seven days before or after the current date, use the month and
a figure.
• Names
o Always use a person’s first and last name the first time they are
mentioned in a story. Only use last names on second reference. Do not
use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms. unless they are part of a
direct quotation or are needed to differentiate between people who have
the same last name.
• Times
o The exact time when an event has occurred or will occur is unnecessary
for most stories. Of course, there are occasions when the time of day is
important. In such cases, use figures, but spell out noon and midnight.
Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but do not use :00.
Examples: 1 p.m., 3:30 a.m.
From: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/
8. 8
News Release
News releases are short documents (300-500 words), usually written by public relations
specialists, used to inform the media and the public of something newsworthy. For your
organization these can be used for open houses, specialty programs, new equipment,
appointment of new board members, etc.
Make sure that the release is detailed, with the most important information at the
beginning and background information/additional facts towards the end. Releases start
with “the lead,” one sentence that is no more than 30 words, which includes the most
important facts – the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, and why).
The release should be finished with a short paragraph called a boilerplate. A boilerplate
is a short, factual description of your organization highlighting its mission and goals; it is
basically the “about us” section of the news release. After the journalist reads your
boilerplate, they should understand what your organization does.
News releases should be sent to the editor of the local paper. Be sure to take the time
to really sell the story because journalists get bombarded by plenty of options for articles
every single day. It is important that you emphasize the newsworthiness of the story for
the largest audience possible. It is also important to pair the story with the correct news
source. For an example, see the Ithaca College News Release (Appendix A).
9. 9
News Release Format:
On the following page is a sample new release to be sent to the Ithaca Journal in order
to get community members to attend an open house you are hosting.
Contact Information
(Name)
(phone number)
(email)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HEADLINE
ITHACA, NY- (Lead- include the who, what, when, where, why, how)
(Include the who- short description of the organization)
(Expand upon the event and show the readers why they would want to attend)
(Background- further information about the organization and the event, include relevant
history)
(Boilerplate)
###
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Contact Information
Jennifer Colt - President
(607) 269-7436
info@ithacagenerator.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOWNTOWN COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE HOSTS OPEN HOUSE
ITHACA, NY- Community members are invited to stop by the Ithaca Generator on Saturday
from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. to tour the workspace.
Located at 116 W. Green St. in downtown Ithaca, the Ithaca Generator is a community of
makers. During the open house, visitors will be able to try out different machinery like the 3D
printer and laser cutter. People of all ages are welcome to stop by at any point in the day
and participate in a variety of crafting opportunities. Children over 5 are welcome at any
point, but starting at 1 p.m. there will be a session to construct small wooden toys.
Founded in 2012, the Ithaca Generator provides members of the Central NY community with
a collaborative workspace to foster communal innovation and exploration around technology,
science, and the arts. It offers equipment, training, classes, workshops, and presentations to
the general public to spread awareness of each individual’s unique ability to make and to
ultimately foster responsible and creative use, reuse, and repair of technology.
In order to become a member of the Ithaca Generator and gain access to the workspace
located in downtown Ithaca and the variety of resources and tools, those interested need to
fill out a membership application and choose a membership level. Once accepted, they will
have the opportunity to bring projects to the collaborative space and receive support from
other makers in the Generator community. Members have access to equipment like a laser
cutter, 3D printer, wood shop, welding studio, and electronics studio.
Anyone can become a part of and contribute to the extensive support network of existing
Ithaca Generator members. Membership fees go towards Ithaca Generator maintenance,
updating equipment, and restocking Ithaca Generator resources.
Ithaca Generator is a Makerspace, a place for inventors, crafters, designers, engineers and
artists to come together and share resources, ideas, and projects. We serve technical,
scientific, and craft-minded people in Central NY by offering classes and workshops,
providing a collaborative workspace, equipment, and training, and promoting interest in the
creative uses of technology.
###
11. 11
Contact Information
(Name)
(phone number)
(email)
MEDIA ADVISORY
(HEADLINE)
ITHACA, NY- (Lead)
(Short introduction paragraph telling the reporter why they should come to the event-
photo opportunities, activities that will be happening…)
(List the following in order of importance)
What:
When:
Where:
Who:
Why:
Media Advisory
A media advisory is written in order to get press to cover a certain event and should only
be 200-300 words. Someone from the sponsoring organization will write a short notice,
either formatted in paragraphs or highlighting event details in a bulleted list, which will be
sent to news sources.
It is important that this document highlights the best features of the event, especially
opportunities for photos or videos. This notice calls the reporters and photographers
away from their desks; you need to convince them that they need to come to your event
in order to write about it. This document can also serve as a request to have your event
placed on community calendars. It should be sent to reporters that specifically work with
community events or non-profits. For an example, see the Chevrolet Media Advisory
(Appendix B).
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This is a sample advisory for a weekend event that would be open to high school
students.
Contact Information
Jennifer Colt
President
(607) 269-7436
info@ithacagenerator.org
MEDIA ADVISORY
ITHACA GENERATOR HOSTS STUDENTS FROM ITHACA HIGH SCHOOL
ITHACA, NY- The Makerspace of the Ithaca Generator, located in downtown Ithaca,
will host Ithaca High School students this weekend and provide opportunities for
creativity and hand made trinkets.
The students will be working with equipment like a 3D printer, a laser cutter,
woodshop tools, and electronics. Projects will include making bottle rockets, puzzles
with the laser cutter, wooden picture frames and programming video games.
Where: Ithaca Generator- 116 W Green Street
When: 1- 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 13
Who: Ithaca High School students and Ithaca Generator members
Why: This collaborative event will expose the students to science,
technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) principles.
13. 13
Brochure
A brochure is a great way to promote your organization because it is a physical
pamphlet that people can take with them after interacting with your organization in some
way. This is a promotional tool that can be used to distribute information and recruit new
members. It should include the most important details and be visually pleasing. The
goal is to get community members interested in and excited about the work that the
Ithaca Generator does for its members and the broader Ithaca community. For more
information, see “Brochure Writing Tips” (Appendix C).
Fact sheet
A fact sheet is basically a one-page version of your brochure that is given to media
outlets to provide more information about your organization. It should include anything a
journalist would ever want or need to know in order to speak or write intelligently about
your organization. For an example, see “The Coca-Cola Company Fact Sheet”
(Appendix D).
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Branding
Branding is an important aspect of maintaining a uniform identity for your
organization. This makes it easier for the public to recognize your organization and
makes you seem more reputable. Here are the basics of branding according to
Entrepreneur.com:
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small,
retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly
competitive markets. But what exactly does "branding" mean? How does it affect
a small business like yours?
Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they
can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering
from your competitors'. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to
be and who people perceive you to be.
Are you the innovative maverick in your industry? Or the experienced, reliable
one? Is your product the high-cost, high-quality option, or the low-cost, high-
value option? You can't be both, and you can't be all things to all people. Who
you are should be based to some extent on who your target customers want and
need you to be.
The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and
promotional materials--all of which should integrate your logo--communicate your
brand.
Brand Strategy & Equity
Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on
communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is
part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand
strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand
strategy, too.
Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the
added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to
charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command.
The most obvious example of this is Coke vs. a generic soda. Because Coca-
Cola has built a powerful brand equity, it can charge more for its product--and
customers will pay that higher price.
The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of
perceived quality or emotional attachment. For example, Nike associates its
15. 15
products with star athletes, hoping customers will transfer their emotional
attachment from the athlete to the product. For Nike, it's not just the shoe's
features that sell the shoe.
Defining Your Brand
Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult,
time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer
the questions below:
• What is your company's mission?
• What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
• What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
• What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
Do your research. Learn the needs, habits and desires of your current and
prospective customers. And don't rely on what you think they think. Know what
they think.
Because defining your brand and developing a brand strategy can be complex,
consider leveraging the expertise of a nonprofit small-business advisory group or
a Small Business Development Center.
Once you've defined your brand, how do you get the word out? Here are a few
simple, time-tested tips:
• Get a great logo. Place it everywhere.
• Write down your brand messaging. What are the key messages you want
to communicate about your brand? Every employee should be aware of
your brand attributes.
• Integrate your brand. Branding extends to every aspect of your business--
how you answer your phones, what you or your salespeople wear on
sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
• Create a "voice" for your company that reflects your brand. This voice
should be applied to all written communication and incorporated in the
visual imagery of all materials, online and off. Is your brand friendly? Be
conversational. Is it ritzy? Be more formal. You get the gist.
• Develop a tagline. Write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement
that captures the essence of your brand.
• Design templates and create brand standards for your marketing
materials. Use the same color scheme, logo placement, look, and feel
throughout. You don't need to be fancy, just consistent.
• Be true to your brand. Customers won't return to you--or refer you to
someone else--if you don't deliver on your brand promise.
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• Be consistent. I placed this point last only because it involves all of the
above and is the most important tip I can give you. If you can't do this,
your attempts at establishing a brand will fail.
From http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77408
SCNO suggests that the Ithaca Generator focus on creating a brand image that is
consistent for all communication points with potential members or supporters. This
would including standardizing the color scheme, typefaces (fonts), signage, business
cards, letterhead, website and any promotional materials.
17. 17
Social Media
Today social media is a vital part of any non profit’s public image and is a great way to
create referral traffic to your website. According to the book Mobile for Good: A How-To
Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits, it is estimated that this year, the majority of adults will
get their information from social networks rather than search engines; this is why social
media should be a priority. Each social network has its own uses, tools, and
etiquette. Below is information on Facebook and Twitter including SCNO’s
recommendations for these platforms as well as best practices for social media
usage. Social media is all about interaction; people want to connect with others that
share the same interests, values and hobbies. It is a great tool that can be used to your
advantage.
Facebook
Facebook is a great platform for fan engagement. Facebook is used to provide more
detailed information and updates about an organization; along with website maintenance
it should be the main focus of online promotional activities.
Content Ideas
Your main goal should be to engage fans so they stay invested in your page and
hopefully seek more information by viewing your website. One way to attract attention is
to incorporate pictures into your posts. Plain text posts tend to get lost in an endless
News Feed, but pictures offer an opportunity to include something visually catching that
will get people to click through to your page. Large quantities of photos should be
organized in albums. For example, if you host an open house and take pictures of the
event you should post all of these in an album on your Facebook page and encourage
those who attend to check out your Facebook page and “tag” themselves in the
photos. This will increase visits to your page and engagements with your fans. People
won’t feel welcome in your community unless they have a personal connection, and
Facebook is great for this.
Some sample posts could include:
1. Information for recruiting new members
2. Information about an upcoming event or club meeting
3. Feature on an interesting project
4. Connections with local nonprofits or community groups
Ongoing campaigns could include:
1. Member of the month
2. Equipment spotlights
3. Keeping up with the maker movement on the national level
18. 18
Post Frequency
You don’t want to post so much that people are overwhelmed, but you don’t want to
leave people time to forget about the Generator either. Try to at least post 2-3 times
each week. The best time to post is usually in the evening so people will see your post
as they are using their social media when settling down for the night. Something to
avoid doing is only posting when there is an event coming up. You want people to have
a vested interest in the organization first so that when an event comes up, they will be
inclined to attend. This can be accomplished by making engaging posts like those
proposed above.
Analytics
Analytics are free and they can be used to figure out when and what to post. You can
get to this tool by clicking on “Insights” at the top of your Admin Panel.
• Overview- shows weekly data.
o “Page Likes” shows how many people have viewed your page and clicked
“like.” Since this is where a bulk of the information will be, you want your
posts to promote clicking through to your page. You can do this by giving
fans some interesting information that they will want to see more about.
o “Post Reach” will layout which posts were received the best by your fans
through showing counts of “likes,” “shares,” and comments.
o “Engagement” gives a snapshot of how fans are interacting with your
page during the current week and shows a comparison to the previous
week.
• Likes- shows likes and unlikes for the entire Ithaca Generator page. When
someone likes your page, they are generally seeing it for the first time and
deciding to click “like” once viewing the most recent posts they. Your page will
now show up as something they “like” on their own page, and they will begin to
receive notifications of your activity. This data can be analyzed to potentially
determine what draws people to your page and what makes them want to leave
it- if you find that a lot of people “unlike” your page at one particular time, it is
important to figure out what caused this.
• Reach- shows the number of people who were exposed to your posts as well as
how they interacted with those posts, either by liking, commenting, or
sharing. Because social media is more conversational and is based in
interactions, this data will be important to monitor; you want your target audience
to be engaging with you.
• Visits- shows how many people have visited your page (they didn’t necessarily
like it), and what parts of your page they visited the most.
• Posts- analyzes the post you’ve made most recently and shows how many
people were exposed to that content. It will even tell you what time your
audience was online.
• People- outlines the demographics of your fans so that you can tailor the
content to those audiences.
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Twitter
Twitter is a useful tool for connecting with the Ithaca community’s younger population as
a complement to your Facebook following. Twitter’s short format serves a completely
different purpose than Facebook; it is more conversational. Tweets are limited to 140
characters, so they must be short, sweet, and to the point.
Content Ideas
The following are some sample posts for Twitter:
“Open house today from 10a-3p. Stop by to learn about lego robots, 3D printing and our
laser cutter!”
“Everyone is a maker! Stop by our space downtown to start creating today- we provide
the equipment; all you need is creativity.”
“@WhiteHouse is hosting the Maker Faire June 12-13 this year! #NationOfMakers
#MadeInAmerica”
“@SvanteMyrick supports the maker movement. What are you creating, Ithaca?
”
Post Frequency
The rules for how often to post are less rigid with Twitter. Ideally, 1-3 Tweets each day
Monday – Friday is a great way to start out, and post frequency should increase once
you gain more followers. You should reply to people who try to positively interact with
you within 2-3 days max, but don’t forget to post some original tweets as well.
Here are some tips concerning Twitter usage by non profit organizations:
1. Authenticity before marketing. Have personality. Build community.
Traditional marketing and content development is perfectly fine for your Web site
and e-mail newsletters, but social media is much more about having personality,
inspiring conversation, and building online community. Nowhere is this more true
than on Twitter. Relax, experiment, let go a bit… find your voice. Be authentic.
2. Be nice. Be thankful. Reply and Retweet! Twitter functions much like
Karma. The nicer you are to people in the Twitterverse, they nicer they are to you
in return. The more you ReTweet (RT) others, the more they will RT your Tweets
in return. If someone does something nice for you in the public commons of
social media, it is always a good practice to send them a message of “Thanks…
much appreciated!” Kindness and appreciation will make you stand out from the
others and makes an excellent impression.
20. 20
3. Follow everyone who follows you. This is a hard one for a lot of nonprofits.
They want to keep their “Home” view clutter free and controlled and only follow a
select few. Honestly, they only want to follow those whose Tweets they are
interested in reading. But I say this often… “This time it is not about you, it is
about them.” Web 1.0 communications is all about us and our messaging, i.e,
your Web site and e-mail newsletter. Web 2.0 is all about your supporters and
their messaging. It’s better to create a personal Twitter profile in order to only
follow those select few you are interested in reading, but if you are going out on
Twitter behind your organization’s logo a.k.a. avatar, it is a mistake to not follow
all your followers in return. Why?
i. Twitter is about conversation. You can’t have a conversation on
Twitter if you are not following your followers. It is a one-sided
relationship.
ii. They can’t message you on Twitter if you are not following them.
iii. It’s a snub. Let’s face it… people on Twitter want to be followed. That’s
what the site is about! How can you build community on Twitter if you
won’t even participate with your followers?
4. Use “Favorites” to organize the chaos and feature your most
important Tweets! So, if you are going to follow everyone who follows your
organization (which is hopefully thousands of people) then “favorite” Tweets by
those who you are most interested in reading and favorite your most important
Tweets. The favorites option on Twitter is a simple, excellent tool to help you
organize the chaos.
5. Don’t tweet about your coffee (unless it is fair trade), the weather,
or how tired you are. Provide value to your followers, not chit-chat!
It’s one thing to chit-chat about the weather, your headache, or how you need
coffee to wake up in the morning on your personal profile on Twitter, but it’s quite
another if you are active on the Twitterverse via your organizational profile. The
messages you send reflect upon your organization. Example of what not to
Tweet: “Such-and-such Nonprofit got stuck in traffic this morning. Ugh! I need
coffee and a vacation… and I think I am getting a headache!” No one likes a
whiner and this just makes it sound like Such-and-Such Nonprofit is not a fun
place to work. People follow you because they want good content from your
organization on subjects relevant to your mission. Make sure your Tweets
provide value and are Re-Tweetable.
6. Don’t only Tweet your own content. Twitter is a news source. Participate in
news. Tweet articles or blog posts by your favorite newspapers, bloggers, or
other nonprofits (yes... other nonprofits!). Find allies, and build relationships. If it
is a good read or a good resource, it reflects well upon your organization that you
Tweeted it. There is also a good chance you might get ReTweeted if the article is
deemed timely and worthy by the Twitterverse.
21. 21
7. Send messages, but not via auto-responders. There are tools out there
that will automatically message your new followers. Don’t use them. It’s Spam.
It’s not authentic. It’s not human. It's lazy marketing.
8. Don’t worry about those that “unfollow” you. It’s easy to feel slighted
when someone stops following you. What did I say? Did I do something wrong?
Let it go. Who knows why they followed you in the first place. Give it no more
than 3 seconds thought and then move on.
9. Limit your Tweets to 5 per day, and no more than 6! Less is more
when it comes to Tweeting.*
10. Twitter is what you make of it. You get out of Twitter what you put
into it. This is the same of all Web 2.0 social networking sites.
Twitter is a fun, valuable tool that can drive significant traffic to your Web site
(start watching your Web site referral logs!) and help build and strengthen your
brand in the online world of Web 2.0, but just like Facebook and MySpace,
Twitter requires time and energy to produce results. You get out of it what you
put into it. If you do one Tweet a week, you will get the results of one Tweet. But
if you Tweet 4 times daily Monday through Friday… you will get the results of 20
Tweets weekly.
From: http://www.fundraising123.org/article/10-twitter-tips-nonprofit-
organizations#.VS8HxLHpzq8
* To start out, 1-3 Tweets a day Monday-Friday is great. Once you gain a sizeable
Twitter follower base, you can begin to tweet 4-5 times a day.
22. 22
Social Media Best Practices
1. Reach for loyalty. You should think of social media relationships as real-life
relationships, which take a long time to form and solidify.
2. Plan in advance. Set up a content calendar so that you're not scrambling to
figure out what to post every morning. Take advantage of holidays as well as
niche days that are related to your company.
3. Be interactive. Post things like quizzes or polls to engage followers. Or maybe
run a live Q&A or a competition.
4. Turn the relationships into sales. Once you've established connections with
followers, you can start to drop in offers to turn social media activity into
memberships.
5. React quickly. Hopefully you'll be receiving positive feedback on social media,
but chances are you'll also get a lot of complaints. It is crucial that you act quickly
and respond to these complaints. "The fact that they have taken the time to
complain at all means there is a chance to address their concerns and repair
your reputation," Goldstein says. "Most importantly, by responding quickly (and
you'll have to, considering that the average tweet has a lifetime of 18 minutes),
you build up an image of a business owner who cares about each customer and
who can respond honestly to feedback and criticism by making changes."
6. Tap into breaking news and current affairs. Some of your highest
interaction and engagement rates will occur when you create and distribute
content that is timely and relevant to news stories that are going viral.
7. Be a content curator. From Facebook to Instagram, very few nonprofits
create enough quality content to have an effective content strategy when utilizing
multiple social networks. Regularly getting in the habit of searching, sourcing,
and posting, thus curating, interesting content to your social networks is a must-
have skill for your new media manager.
8. Prioritize storytelling over marketing. The five content approaches of
success, urgency, statistics, quotes, and humor should be interwoven throughout
your social network strategy. Increasingly, donors and supporters follow causes
on social networks. If you make storytelling a higher priority than marketing, then
over time your nonprofit’s brand becomes synonymous with the cause you
advocate. In practice, for every five status updates, posts, or tweets, four should
be related to storytelling, while only one should be a direct ask such as a
marketing or fundraising pitch.
9. Personalize. It's important to not only personalize offers and tweets to
individual customers but also to also personalize your business and give it
character. Being authentic is key in successful social media. "Your greatest asset
as a small business owner is yourself," Goldstein says. "People create
relationships with people, not with a soulless brand, so 'personalize' yourself as
the voice of your business online and people will be more likely to trust, like, and
'like' you."
23. 23
10. Engage authentically. Your nonprofit is not a person. It is a brand
representative of a cause, and most causes require a tone that is smart, well-
informed, and communicated with conviction. Much of the popular social media
advice in recent years is given by people whose expertise is based on building
their own personal brand, not the brand of a nonprofit or business. They often
advocate that brands prioritize chatting and thanking their followers and that
brands respond to every single mention or comment. It’s a strategy that works
well for building a personal brand, but not for a nonprofit brand. Some informal
engagement is required by nonprofits of course, but only in moderation. In most
cases, the best practices of building a personal brand on social networks should
not be applied to building a brand for your nonprofit. Building a strong personal
brand requires “being human” on social networks, but building the brand of your
nonprofit should focus more on becoming an expert resource and a compelling
storyteller.
11. Visuals inspire higher interaction and engagement rates. Photos
uploaded to Facebook get five times the interaction and engagement rates than
posted links. Visually compelling photos uploaded to Twitter double retweet
rates. This reflects a seismic shift away from text to visual content. Know that
professional graphic design is essential for effective branding. On social
networks, the user will make a snap judgment about your credibility based upon
your branding. If your avatar, banners, and backgrounds are professionally
designed, then users are much more likely to become followers. Whether they
remain followers becomes dependent on how well your nonprofit understands
and uses social networks.
12. Do not automate content between social networks. Facebook allows
status updates to be automated to Twitter, but twitterers find it annoying.
Facebook allows your photos to be posted to Twitter, but photos uploaded
directly to Twitter get much higher retweet rates. Be very wary of miracle
marketing automation tools. Mobile and social media require authenticity and a
time investment to be effective.
13. Know that all social networks are now mobile. When distributing content on
social networks, you need to assume that the majority of your content is being
viewed on a smartphone or tablet. Studying how your nonprofit’s content is
displayed on social networks on mobile devices will further illuminate how visuals
often work best on both PCs and mobile devices, and thus highly impact your
content strategy.
From: http://www.inc.com/rebecca-borison/9-best-practices-for-effective-social-
media.html
http://www.nptechforgood.com/2014/09/14/9-must-know-best-practices-for-distributing-
your-nonprofits-content-on-social-networks/
26. 26
Google Drive
What is it?
Google Drive is a cloud-based tool provided free to any Google account holder. It is a
valuable tool that allows people to hold and edit documents from multiple locations and
by multiple users. Google Drive has Google versions of all of the Microsoft Office
software, such as Word (Docs) and PowerPoint (Slides). Google Drive is an efficient way
to store important internal documents or other things that are not necessary for everyone
in an organization to see.
Why Use it?
For the Ithaca Generator specifically, SCNO would like to recommend Google Drive
usage as an organization and communication tool. Currently, the Ithaca Generator
website has some internal documents for anyone to see, such as the instructions for
managing the space. While this is good for easy access and a transparent feel to the
organization, it has the potential to create confusion for non-members on the website
and could make the organization seem somewhat unorganized.
SCNO recommends that the Ithaca Generator create a collection of shared documents
on Google Drive. The sharing capabilities of Google Drive would allow certain
documents to be accessed by the Board, anyone who is going to be staffing the space,
or all members.
The Drive would be the primary tool used by the person staffing the space, as it would
have the following documents on it:
• Instructions for staffing the space
• Membership list (including membership status)
• Machine use guides for each machine
• Contact information for the Board in case of an emergency
• New member applications
• Welcome handbook for new members
In addition to containing these important documents, the Drive would be a good tool for
organizing and communicating what is happening at IG from one shift to the next. Using
a shared spreadsheet could allow the space staffer to log in members who come in and
what they do while there. This not only organizes the people coming and going but
fosters a sense of accountability for members. This spreadsheet could also be shared
with higher-up members who have access at any time so they could log their own
activities as well. This would make changing the space staffer from shift to shift very fluid
and effortless.
27. 27
How to Use it?
To use Google Drive, the first step would be to create an Ithaca Generator Google
account that would be the basis for this Drive. This account also would give you access
to an email account that could be used either for the organization as a whole or for
internal use.
Once you have the account created, Drive can be found either in the top right corner of
the home screen, or simply by searching “Drive” on Google. Once you are in the Drive,
you can share using the “Share” button in the top right corner. There, you can add
emails (not necessarily Google emails) of everyone you would like to be added to the
Drive. After it has been shared with everyone, there is a navigation bar on the left hand
side that has all the options for building the Drive. You can either upload documents
from Microsoft Word or you can write new documents directly on the Drive.
Board Member Activity
SCNO would also like to recommend reorganizing the committees within the
organization. The five committees that currently exist offer a good breakdown of
responsibility at Ithaca Generator. Our recommendation would be to have two Board
members assigned to each committee and either one or two non-Board members on
each committee as well. For an organization of this size, four people to each committee
should be plenty, possibly excessive for certain committees.
These committees should also take on more responsibility each to help further the
organization of IG. For example, the Membership Committee could be in charge of
maintaining the Google Drive (if not an intern) as well as controlling the Mentorship
Program. The Education Committee can focus more on outreach to potential teachers
and potential partners in the Ithaca area. The Marketing Committee could increase focus
on IG’s social media efforts as a method for outreach.
28. 28
Ithaca Generator
116 West Green Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
[INSERT RECIPIENT ADDRESS HERE]
Dear [INSERT NAME HERE],
Hello! We are Ithaca Generator, a Makerspace; a place for inventors, crafters,
designers, engineers and artists to come together and share resources, ideas and
projects. We provide workshop space, tools, classes and social opportunities for makers
in the local community.
This letter serves to introduce, or perhaps re-introduce, our organization to you. As a
local non-profit, we have been active in the community for years, and we wanted to take
this opportunity to remind you that we take pride in providing innovative classes and
educational opportunities.
We focus on the sharing of information, and we feel [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME
HERE] has members with experiences and knowledge that could be a tremendous asset
for the Ithaca Generator and the community as a whole. At Ithaca Generator, we love to
have guests come share their knowledge through either teaching a class or helping to
design a class that we can share with our members and other community participants.
The opportunity to educate is a wonderful public service and allows you to not only
showcase your skills but also to develop yourself further as a teacher and as a public
speaker.
We currently have openings for classes at these times: [INSERT TIMES]. More
specifically, we are looking to focus on education in these areas: [INSERT AREAS OF
FOCUS]. If any of your members are interested, we would love to talk to you further
about what opportunities Ithaca Generator has for you. Thank you for your time, and we
hope to continue this relationship moving forward.
Sincerely,
Ithaca Generator Board of Directors
29. 29
Potential Cornell Engineering Connections
College of
Engineering
Cornell University
Carpenter Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-2201
Phone: 607 255-4326
College of
Engineering Faculty
Directory
http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/research/faculty/directory.cfm
Fabrication Shops at
Cornell
aap_mpf@cornell.edu
American
Association of
Environmental
Engineers (AAEE)
aaee.cornell@gmail.com
American Indian
Science and
Engineering Society
(AISES)
Michael Charles - mtc58@cornell.edu
Ben Oster - bho7@cornell.edu
American Institute of
Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA)
cornellaiaa@gmail.com
American Society of
Civil Engineers
(ASCE)
Jonathan Hrehor - jmh536@cornell.edu
Cornell Materials
Society (CMS)
Chris Mizzi - cam457@cornell.edu
Encourage Young
Engineering Students
(EYES)
Anna Ziemski - amz47@cornell.edu
Angela Agustin - ara222@cornell.edu
Society of Women
Engineers (SWE)
Brittany Wun - bw372@cornell.edu
Ashley Zheng - ayz7@cornell.edu
30. 30
Ithaca Generator Summer Camp
Purpose: The purpose of Summer Day Camp is to provide a safe, fun, supervised
environment for children. A camp program is a place where children learn and grow
while participating in a variety of educational and recreational activities.
Benefits: A summer camp will increase public awareness for Ithaca Generator for
people of all age groups. Children who participate in the summer camp will hopefully
want to continue their “love for making” at Ithaca Generator when the camp is over. The
summer camp will increase the attendance at programs for children held during the
year. The summer camp will also draw the family members of the campers to the Ithaca
Generator. The adults get to see what the shop is all about, and hopefully the
experience will entice them to come down to the Generator to work on their own projects
or sign up for a class. After a successful summer camp, Ithaca Generator’s awareness
will drastically increase because of word of mouth from ex-campers and their families.
Step 1: Figure out what’s going to happen at your camp.
1. It’s important to have hands-on activities.
2. Make sure the campers have freedom. This does not mean that you should not
create an organized schedule, but the schedule should not be completely set in
stone. Provide opportunities for the children to choose between several different
projects. This allows them to experience an initial spark of inspiration and gives
them the desire to work on the activity of their choosing. If they are fully
dedicated to the project, give the child the whole day to work on it.
Step 2: Find a place to hold the camp.
1. Ithaca Generator’s shop will most likely be the location of the summer camp, but
don’t restrict it to this single space.
2. Don’t be afraid to go outdoors! Go to the park for activities or to test certain
projects. It would also be a good idea to use the common area right outside
Ithaca Generator for barbeques and other events.
Step 3: Develop advertising and propaganda.
1. It would be great to create a brochure strictly for the summer camp.
2. Make sure the publicity information contains what ages the camp is open to, what
kind of camp it is, and where the camp will take place. Other facts the brochure
should feature include how people sign up or get more information about the
camp. Be sure to list contact information (email, phone, etc.).
3. Add pictures from previous summer camps to the brochure and other
advertisements to draw parents into signing their children up. Since there has
not yet been an Ithaca Generator summer camp, put pictures of projects that will
be offered at the summer camp. The brochure should also contain the Ithaca
Generator logo with pictures of the staff.
31. 31
Step 4: Secure staffing.
1. Ithaca Generator will most likely need some of the members to help run the
summer camp. Set up a schedule to rotate members each day so they don't get
overloaded with work.
2. A general rule is to have one member present for every five children.
Step 5: Obtain medical and liability insurance (optional).
1. It is a good idea to obtain medical and liability insurance in case there is an
accident.
2. If you are planning to host the summer camp anywhere other than Ithaca
Generator, insurance will be required.
3. It is possible to get insurance strictly for the summer camp.
Step 6: Create project ideas.
The theme of the summer camp should revolve around the maker movement, which
embodies creativity and finding what you love to make. It is important for the summer
camp at Ithaca Generator to have a lot of projects for the children to explore. Here are
some possible projects that could be run at the summer camp:
1. Learn how to solder and make flashlights
2. Learn about programming video games
3. Make bottle rockets/ shoot them off outside in the park
4. Kite making (possibly making it with a 3-D printer)
5. Constructing toys
6. Taking things apart to learn how they work (ex: Computers, VCRs, etc.)
7. Basic electronic work, LEDs
8. Making containers and ceiling hangers from the 3-D printer
9. Create your own 2-D puzzle with the laser cutter
10. Create a picture frame out of wood from Ithaca Generator’s wood shop
11. Paper airplane contest
12. Play the egg drop game (Their job is to create a container out of minimal
materials to make sure the egg doesn't break when dropped from a certain
height. This project is perfect to put the children in teams to challenge each
other and be creative)
13. Simple Magnetic Levitation Train project
Step 7: Make rules.
When dealing with children, you need to have these basic rules:
1. Don’t hurt anyone.
2. If you suffer an injury, tell a staff member immediately.
3. If you make a mess, clean it up.
4. Don’t leave the group without permission.
32. 32
Step 8: Possibly partner with the Sciencenter.
The camp at the Sciencenter wants to provide kids with a fun, exciting and science-filled
summer. The Sciencenter Summer Camp combines fun and games with exciting,
hands-on science activities, experiments, field trips, visits from special presenters, and
museum exploration. Camp days begin and end at the Sciencenter, and include trips on
foot to off site venues.
Sciencenter Summer Camp is open to children entering kindergarten through grade 6 in
the Fall. Science experience is not required – a full variety of topics and activities will
appeal to all levels of science knowledge. Each session accepts up to a maximum of 24
campers.
Science enthusiasts entering grades 7 to 9 are invited to apply for intern positions in the
Future Science Leaders Counselor-in-Training Program. See Camp Programs for more
information and application.
As you can see, the Sciencenter summer camp has the same goals that we suggest for
Ithaca Generator. Both companies want children to find their inner “maker” through
creative projects and activities. If Ithaca Generator were to create a partnership with the
Sciencenter for a summer camp both companies will benefit. A partnership will create a
lighter workload for Ithaca Generator and the Sciencenter. The partnership will also
decrease the amount of income required to run a summer camp.
Contact: camp@sciencenter.org or (607) 272-0600
33. 33
Mentorship Program
Purpose:
To create an environment that nurtures new members and promotes an inviting
atmosphere in which new members become self-sustaining parts of the Ithaca
Generator community. The mentorship program will help develop new members with
low overhead costs.
How it Works:
Each new member will be paired with an existing member who will become their mentor.
The mentor should take some time to get to know the member they will be mentoring
and create a relationship of trust and respect.
Each mentor will show the new member the facility and how to safely use all of the
equipment. Teaching the proper techniques of how to safely use the machines is
critically important. The mentor can answer any questions the member may have about
the operations of Ithaca Generator or how to operate a piece of equipment. The mentor
will evaluate the new member and their skill level with each piece of equipment. The
mentor will then train the member in areas they lack knowledge and make sure the
member can be a full self-sustaining part of Ithaca Generator. Once the member has
received training on the machines, they will be able to create their own projects under
the supervision of the mentor.
The mentor will continue to observe the member and be there to offer assistance to the
new member during their project work. Once the mentor is confident the member has all
the skills to function as an independent member of Ithaca Generator, they will sign off on
the member. Once the member is signed off on, they are free to do as they wish and
work independently.
Who is qualified to be a mentor?
All mentors must be established members of Ithaca Generator community. There
should be a review of potential mentors by the Membership Committee. There should
be a set of criteria to evaluate the mentors to verify they will be effective in this role.
Only when a mentor is approved by the Membership Committee can they be assigned a
new member to mentor.
A mentor must be someone who will make the new member feel welcomed and
encouraged. They must be knowledgeable about all the machines and be able to
communicate how to use them safely. Ideally, the mentor is someone who is passionate
about being creative and willing to share their passion with the member they will be
mentoring. The mentor should be accessible and have enough time to work with the
member and make them feel valued and respected. A mentor should be someone with a
contagious positive attitude who can motivate the new member.
34. 34
Why is a mentorship program beneficial?
A mentorship program will be beneficial because it will provide a new way to make new
members feel welcomed into the Ithaca Generator community. It will help the new
members adjust and learn how to safely use the tools and machines. The mentorship
program creates a sense of comfort for the new member when they are adjusting to the
new environment. It will give the member someone they trust and feel comfortable
asking for advice. It will also create camaraderie among members as more members
come through the mentorship program and become friends with the mentors.
The mentorship program will efficiently transform people from new members to
experienced self-sustaining members with little need for managers or staff to be present
in the process. This will help cut down on overhead as well the need for as many
volunteers to staff the space.
The mentorship program will help provide more cohesiveness among the Ithaca
Generator community. The mentorship program will reduce turnover and increase
retention rates among new members without the need to hire a manager to run the
space and provide orientation for members.
35. 35
Ithaca Generator Internships
Benefits
Because Ithaca Generator staff is limited and all staff positions are volunteer-based,
adding some interns to the team could provide some relief to the Board. SCNO
recommends that IG employ a team of interns over the course of both semesters as well
as the summer. These interns could provide consistent attention to certain components
of IG that cannot always monitored be by Board. While all interns will be unpaid, offering
them a free IG standard membership would add overall value to their experience.
IG is in need of both additional external outreach efforts as well as internal operation
support. This is why SCNO believes that offering a Marketing Internship,
Events/Fundraising Internship, and Internal Operations Internship would be extremely
beneficial.
The Marketing Intern would be responsible for assisting in strengthening the
presence of IG in the local community, on the two nearby college campuses, and
beyond. He or she could assist in areas such as social media management,
website updates, marketing, media relations, and more.
The Event/Fundraising Intern could assist in spreading awareness of IG by
planning and implementing events and fundraisers as well as developing the
class offerings.
The Internal Operations Intern could really help facilitate internal communication
and member relations. He or she could be the initial point of contact for new
members, help create incentive programs to engage current members, and
develop improved methods of communication between the Board of Directors
and all IG members.
Please view the internship descriptions that follow for more details about each position
and a list of specific responsibilities. Keep in mind that these interns do not need to be
paid, but they could do the internship for college credit.
Recruitment
Recruiting interns can be difficult without a place to start. However, since IG is located in
Ithaca, a city full of college students, we believe the college-student population would be
a great starting point for recruitment. We have identified specific majors to target and
different ways to reach out to both Ithaca College and Cornell University to find strong
college-student candidates for the position.
Please view the recruitment methods outlined on the pages following the position
descriptions for more information.
36. 36
Recruiting Interns at Ithaca College
Potential Majors of Interest: Integrated Marketing Communications, Communication
Management and Design, Business Administration, Computer Science, Emerging Media
Ithaca College Office of Career Services
careers@ithaca.edu
(607) 274 – 3365
The Ithaca College job-posting site is known as eRecruiting.* This is the link for
employers to use to login: www.ithaca.experience.com/emp/sblogin
All employers may post jobs and/or internships on this site free of charge. For more
information about posting internships to eRecruiting,* go to this website:
www.ithaca.edu/sacl/careers/recruit/erecruiting/
There are also opportunities to set up a visit to campus. During a visit, you will have the
opportunity to present an informational session about your organization and/or conduct
interviews using the interview rooms in the office. For more information, visit:
www.ithaca.edu/sacl/careers/recruit/recvisit/
Professional Development Coordinators
There are staff members in certain schools at Ithaca College who work to set up
internships for students in their particular school:
Eloise Greene
Park School of Communications
elouise@ithaca.edu
(607) 274 – 3244
Paula Perna
School of Business
pperna@ithaca.edu
(607) 274 – 3680
Amanda Lippincott
School of Humanities and Sciences
alippincott@ithaca.edu
(607) 274 – 3102
* The Ithaca College Career Services job-posting site will be changing sometime this
summer due to Experience’s recent file for bankruptcy.
37. 37
Recruiting Interns at Cornell University
Potential Majors of Interest: Communication, Information Science
Cornell University Office of Career Services
career@cornell.edu
(607) 255 – 5221
The Cornell University job-posting site is known as CCNet. This is the link for employers
to use to login: www.cornell-students.experience.com/emp/sblogin
All employers may post jobs and/or internships on this site free of charge. For more
information about posting internships to CCNet, go to this website:
www.career.cornell.edu/employers/hiring_students/posting/internships.cfm
Cornell University also has a “DYO Summer Internship” program, which allows students
with Federal Work Study to secure career-related summer internships by offering non-
profit organizations partial wage reimbursement for employment. If this is something you
are interested in, view this page:
www.career.cornell.edu/students/jobs/internships/cornell/DYO/employers.cfm
Contact: DYO_Program@cornell.edu
There are also opportunities for on-campus recruiting. This can include an employer
information session and/or on-site interviews. View this page for more information about
scheduling and location options:
www.career.cornell.edu/employers/hiring_students/recruiting/index.cfm
Contacts:
Demetra Dentes
Senior Associate Director for Employer & Alumni Relations
dd21@cornell.edu
(607) 255 – 7464
Mary Ellen Murphy
Employer Scheduling Coordinator
employerscheduling@cornell.edu
(607) 255 – 6934
38. 38
Company Overview:
Ithaca Generator (IG) is a Makerspace, a place for inventors, crafters, designers,
engineers and artists to come together and share resources, ideas, and projects. We
serve technical, scientific, and craft-minded people in Central NY by offering classes
and workshops, providing a collaborative workspace, equipment, and training, and
promoting interest in the creative uses of technology.
Position Title:
Marketing Intern
Location:
Ithaca, NY
Reports to:
Board of Directors
Overall Responsibility:
As the Marketing Intern, you will help IG build a greater presence within the local
community and beyond. You will work with the Board of Directors to develop content
and design for marketing materials that will be spread throughout Ithaca, advertise
upcoming events, and be in charge of IG’s social media accounts. You will also be
responsible for IG’s media relations in order to increase awareness of IG and its
services.
Specific Responsibilities:
• Create promotional materials for distribution to potential members and
partners and to advertise upcoming IG-sponsored events and classes
• Maintain IG’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
• Develop social media campaigns to attract likes and followers
• Perform initial IG website revisions and update website as needed
• Handle media relations by providing information to news outlets for feature
articles and event coverage
• Staff the IG workspace for three hours each week
39. 39
• Attend weekly meetings with Event/Fundraising Intern and Internal
Operations Intern
• Attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and send weekly updates via
email
Qualifications:
• Previous experience in marketing preferred
• Have the ability to research and report on successful nonprofit marketing
strategies
• Be skilled in producing creative marketing materials
• Take initiative and work independently
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills
• Be reliable, confident, and flexible
• Have the ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner
Term of Employment:
One semester or one summer
Salary:
This is an unpaid internship that can be done for college credit. The internship also
includes standard membership to IG, a value worth $35 per month.
How to Apply:
Send a resume and cover letter electronically to:
Ithaca Generator Board of Directors
info@ithacagenerator.org
40. 40
Company Overview:
Ithaca Generator (IG) is a Makerspace, a place for inventors, crafters, designers,
engineers and artists to come together and share resources, ideas, and projects. We
serve technical, scientific, and craft-minded people in Central NY by offering classes
and workshops, providing a collaborative workspace, equipment, and training, and
promoting interest in the creative uses of technology.
Position Title:
Event and Fundraising Intern
Location:
Ithaca, NY
Reports to:
Board of Directors
Overall Responsibility:
As the Event and Fundraising Intern, you will help build IG’s support network within
the local community and beyond. You will work with the Board of Directors to
develop, plan, and implement events that will increase awareness of IG throughout
Ithaca and raise money to fund future IG initiatives. In doing so, you will be
responsible for coming up with creative event/fundraiser ideas, identifying and
pursuing partnership opportunities, and developing the existing IG class
offerings. You will attend the events you help plan and gain experience in event
management as well.
Specific Responsibilities:
• Recruit both students and professionals who are willing and able to teach
classes offered by IG
• Evaluate effectiveness of classes currently offered, develop ideas for new
classes, and manage class schedule
• Assist in the planning and implementation of community-based fundraisers
and member events
41. 41
• Attend events and assist with event management
• Recruit and support volunteers to help with events
• Reach out to local organizations and student organizations on local college
campuses to solicit potential partnerships for events or campaigns
• Suggest and implement additional fundraising strategies
• Develop curriculum, activities, schedule, and staffing for IG Summer Camp to
begin in summer 2016
• Staff the IG workspace for three hours each week
• Attend weekly meetings with Marketing Intern and Internal Operations Intern
• Attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and send weekly updates via
email
Qualifications:
• Previous experience in event planning and/or fundraising preferred
• Have the ability to research and report on successful nonprofit fundraising
strategies
• Be skilled in developing creative event ideas
• Take initiative and work independently
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills
• Be reliable, confident, and flexible
• Have the ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner
Term of Employment:
One semester or one summer
Salary:
This is an unpaid internship that can be done for college credit. The internship also
includes standard membership to IG, a value worth $35 per month.
How to Apply:
Send a resume and cover letter electronically to:
Ithaca Generator Board of Directors
info@ithacagenerator.org
42. 42
Company Overview:
Ithaca Generator (IG) is a Makerspace, a place for inventors, crafters, designers,
engineers and artists to come together and share resources, ideas, and projects. We
serve technical, scientific, and craft-minded people in Central NY by offering classes
and workshops, providing a collaborative workspace, equipment, and training, and
promoting interest in the creative uses of technology.
Position Title:
Internal Operations Intern
Location:
Ithaca, NY
Reports to:
Board of Directors
Overall Responsibility:
As the Internal Operations Intern, you will help IG improve its relationship with new
members and its overall internal communication. You will be the first person to
contact those who submit membership applications to IG and welcome them to the
IG community. You will also develop a mentorship program and incentive program
to increase member involvement. In order to support the internal organization of IG,
you will help create improved internal communication outlets for use both among the
Board of Directors and among all members.
Specific Responsibilities:
• Provide initial contact with each new member applicant via email welcoming
them to the IG community
• Develop a “Welcome Handbook” to be given to each new member during
their first visit to IG outlining membership policies and IG opportunities
• Design a mentorship program that pairs each new member with an existing
member, outline “mentor” qualifications and responsibilities, and monitor
progress of program
43. 43
• Create an IG membership card and distribute it to all current and new
members
• Develop incentive program(s) for all members
• Build an online collection of all internal documents accessible to Board of
Directors and IG members
• Review content on IG Wiki and update as necessary
• Post weekly on the IG Discussion Boards to facilitate conversation and
member interaction
• Revitalize the IG newsletter
• Suggest additional methods for improved internal communication including
implementation procedures and potential costs
• Staff the IG workspace for three hours each week
• Attend weekly meetings with Marketing Intern and Event/Fundraising Intern
• Attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and send weekly updates via
email
Qualifications:
• Have a passion for making members feel appreciated
• Take initiative and work independently
• Ability to handle multiple projects at once and prioritize time-sensitive projects
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills
• Be reliable, confident, and flexible
• Have the ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner
Term of Employment:
One semester or one summer
Salary:
This is an unpaid internship that can be done for college credit. The internship also
includes standard membership to IG, a value worth $35 per month.
How to Apply:
Send a resume and cover letter electronically to:
Ithaca Generator Board of Directors
info@ithacagenerator.org
46. 46
Monday,(November(4,(2013(10:34:33(AM(Eastern(Standard(Time
Page(1(of(2
Subject: Theatrical*Performance*of*‘Twilight*Zone’*Episode*Part*of*Ithaca*College’s*Rod*Serling
Conference
Date: Monday,*November*4,*2013*10:28:32*AM*Eastern*Standard*Time
From: Dave*Maley
To: Robin*Roger
http://www.ithaca.edu/news Contact: Dave
Maley
Cell:
607-279-3168
FOR RELEASE: Upon Receipt (11-4-13-170)
Theatrical Performance of ‘Twilight Zone’ Episode Part of Ithaca College’s Rod Serling Conference
Ithaca, NY—One of the most memorable episodes of the “Twilight Zone” television series has been adapted into
a theatrical production that will be performed as part of Ithaca College’s Rod Serling Conference, scheduled for
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8–9.
“It’s a Good Life” is the story of a six-year-old boy with enormous and inexplicable mental powers. The adaption
by 2012 Ithaca College theater graduate Dan Jones incorporates puppetry, live performance, installation art and
animation.
The production will be staged at 8 p.m. each night at The Studio in Center Ithaca (former Cinemapolis location).
While there is no admission charge, tickets can be reserved at http://itsagoodlife.brownpapertickets.com.
The rest of the Rod Serling Conference, sponsored biennially by Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of
Communications, is being held for the first time this year in Los Angeles.
Serling taught at Ithaca College from 1967 until his untimely death in 1975, and the college is home to the Rod
Serling Archives. The conference will feature a keynote panel of “Twilight Zone” experts:
Earl Hamner Jr., the writer/producer best known for creating the CBS series “The Waltons,” whose first
script acceptance for the “Twilight Zone” gave him his Hollywood writing break
Marc Zicree, author of “The Twilight Zone Companion” and television scriptwriter whose credits include
“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine” and “Babylon 5”
Arlene Martel, actress whose work includes two “Twilight Zone” episodes
Anne Serling will give a reading from her recently published book “As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling.” The
program will also include presentations on topics ranging from “Sending the Extremists to the Cornfield: Rod
Serling’s Crusade Against Radical Conservatism” to “The Joy of Influence: Serling’s Impact on Comics Writing.”
For a detailed conference schedule, visit www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling.
“It’s a Good Life” originated as a darkly humorous short story by Jerome Bixby about a boy who holds his
isolated Ohio town in terror, awe and rigid conformity. It was adapted by Serling for a 1961 episode that has been
ranked by Time Magazine and TV Guide as among the series top 10, as well as included as a segment in 1983’s
Appendix A – News Release Example
47. 47
Page(2(of(2
ranked by Time Magazine and TV Guide as among the series top 10, as well as included as a segment in 1983’s
“Twilight Zone: The Movie.
Dan Jones earned his degree in theatre studies, with concentrations in directing, playwriting and dramaturgy.
While a student, he directed adaptations of Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel “Fahrenheit 451” and George
Saunders’s short story “Jon.” He is a two-time winner of the Delaware Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights
Festival. Since moving to New York City, he has worked on puppetry builds for both Broadway and Off-Broadway
productions.
The puppetry team for “It’s Good Life” will be led by fellow Ithaca College theatre graduate Chava Curland ’11.
For more information, contact Melissa Gattine, marketing communications manager in the Park School, at (607)
274-1023 or mgattine@ithaca.edu.
###
From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for personal and professional success through hands-on
experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across
disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York’s Finger Lakes region,
the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 400 graduate students and offers over 100 degree programs in
its schools of Business, Communications, Humanities and Sciences, Health Science and Human Performance,
and Music.
If you would rather not receive future communications from Ithaca College, let us know by clicking here.
Ithaca College, 953 DANBY RD, Ithaca, NY 14850 United States
49. 49
Brochure Writing Tips
1) Know where the brochure fits in buying process:
This defines your goal.
Leave-behind: complete description of product/benefits
Point-of-Sale: catchy, bright colors, attract pick-ups
Responding to Inquiries: facts and sales points
With Direct Mail: letter sells, brochure adds facts
Sales Support Tool: big illustration, bold headlines, sales pitch
2) Stand-alone or supported by other materials?
Know those materials and match them.
3) Know your audience and what they’re looking for in the brochure
4) Strong sales message on the cover:
“Now You Can Enroll in the AARP Plan of Group Hospital Insurance—
Designed to Pay Expenses Your Other Insurance Does Not Cover”
5) Give Complete Information—It’s an info. medium
The reader wants to know. Lots of text is O.K.
6) Organize your selling points
Dictated by what the reader wants to know
Think about Q and A, numbers, etc.
7) Divide brochure intro short, easy-to-read sections
Make it “scannable” with clear subheadings.
8) Use hard-working visuals (and photos w/captions):
Show product in action, people when possible
Use photos when you can
9) Call to Action:
Find the next step in the buying process and tell your reader to take it.
Enroll? Order? Visit? Call? Test drive?
10) Remember the obvious
Logo, contact info, credit cards accepted, guarantees, free stuff, store
hours
11) Make the brochure worth keeping
Appendix C – Brochure Writing Tips
