database. outreach

Consituent Coordinator

Organization: 
Grassroots.org
VISTA Name: 
Laura Benack
Program Start: 
7/2008
Program End: 
7/2009
Project Description: 

The Constituent Coordinator Position is a one-year full time paid Americorps*VISTA position (see compensation details below).

• Draft content for marketing and communications materials, including website, electronic newsletter and printed collateral

• Provide outstanding customer service to both internal and external constituent groups members

• Update and maintain member and donor databases

• Build and maintain partnerships with for- and nonprofit partners and community groups

• Assist executive staff in design and implementation of strategic outreach initiatives

• Participate in special projects as needed

Project Outcome: 

Laura developed a grant narrative for Monster.com for Grassroots.org’s volunteer program. This comprehensive document will be very useful in the development of future proposals. She also developed a needs statement (a crucial development document the organization was lacking) that was submitted along with five proposals this year and will be submitted along with all future grant proposals.

She helped to create and then managed Grassroots.org’s volunteer graphic design program. In five months, there were more than 20 graphic design projects completed: http://volunteer.grassroots.org/image/tid/2.

Laura built upon upon Grassroots.org’s community of web design volunteers from 90 to over 400 through social networking and volunteer requests on Craigslist, SmartVolunteer and Volunteer Match. Laura documented the process, which could be replicated by another staff member.

She developed web content and mailings for Holiday Giving Campaign, which can be publicized annually: http://www.grassroots.org/holidaygiving Helped grow the individual giving program, including handling administrative tasks associated.

Laura assisted in acquiring and managing a grant from google.com for $10,000/ month in ad words. She helped to develop and implement four significant new program service offerings. Helped reestablish our facebook presence and create a new twitter presence. We grew from 0 to 2,160 twitter followers in four months. We have grown our membership from 680 members to over 2,000. We have increased the rate of usage for our tools. In previous years, we averaged about $200,000 in free services being given away. In the past year we have given away over $2 million. We have grown our membership from 680 members to over 2,000. We have increased the rate of usage for our tools. In previous years, we averaged about $200,000 in free services being given away. In the past year we have given away over $2 million.

Impact Quote: 

Laura did an amazing job! In fact, we hired her as a full time staff person after her term of service ended.”
- Shane Hankins, supervisor

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