Transmission Project

Diliana’s background in communications has only strengthened her contribution to UTEC by focusing on increasing the capacity and sustainability of our multimedia programs through various development-based responsibilities. She also works with and trains teen leaders of the Fundraising Team in all aspects of their development work. In addition, she assists with the program development in the areas of video production, sound recording, and web design. It is obvious what a tremendous asset Diliana is for our organization, but it is also apparent that Diliana herself has grown professionally from the hands-on development work of our multimedia programs. She plans to continue this type of work well into the future.

Diliana has played a major role in being an active participant in the organization’s overall development. She has consistently supported her co-workers, emphasizing the team environment at UTEC. Diliana has the skills to bring an idea to life. For instance, UTEC’s first major fundraiser will be taking place early next month. Diliana worked with teens in the Fundraising Team to gather ideas/themes for the event. Since then, she has developed and followed a timeline to make the event a future success!

Diliana has accomplished the following major tasks as based upon her workplan:
• Completion of first-ever UTEC newsletter (second issue now in progress)
• Just recently completed first-ever Annual Report.
• Completed three monthly Open House Nights (and built a system for carrying out this work).
• Developed new mailing list for all fundraising activities.
• Secured donations from various businesses as part of program ads for newsletter.
• Completed and submitted various grant applications (as well as grantwriting training course).
• Developed new bios for all staff.
• Currently documenting all work as part of a new Fundraising Resource Guide.
• Currently planning a special event fundraiser to support a new capital campaign.
• Interviewed and hired teen fundraising staff.

As a result of her work with issues related to sustainability and donor cultivation we were able to consistently produce and distribute our newsletter and double the revenues generated from our annual event. We were able to add a new cultivation event “Lunch on Us” which has resulted in 120 new prospects/donors for our organization. She also organized and laid a system for grant development accumulating appropriate materials which contributed to the efficiency of grant development.

Amanda increased her Spanish language skills and through our leadership development program began to identify and address her own leadership strength and weaknesses.

Mike has updated CTOC’s current database and is 70% complete with updating the information on CTOC members of organizations. Our VISTA has gained considerable knowledge of the organizations listed in our membership database and will be able to easily consolidate both databases into one main database. With the consolidation of both databases that total over six hundred (600) CTC’s, CTOC will be able to significantly improve our outreach efforts.

As part of the updating procedures we have contacted each organization to establish a contact person for each non-profit organization that provides technology services. Mike has completed updating 70% of the organizations’ contact information and has been able to find a designated person for each organization and updating their email addresses. His efforts to gain the correct contact information for these organizations has provided CTOC with a face and voice in the community and increased our visibility with CTCs in Los Angeles. With the increased visibility in the CTC community we have been able to increase the attendance of CTOC members and Non-Member to event workshops by at least 30%.

Mike has designed and developed promotional materials for at least three of CTOC’s events over the past three months.

Mike reviewed materials on evaluation methods and was instrumental in assisting CTOC’s staff in the development of a survey instrument that we are using to collect data on the CTCs in the Los Angeles region. Mike completed 24 CTC site visits in Los Angeles. Not only have these site visits given us a chance to collect information on the local CTC, it has given him an opportunity to get first hand knowledge of the types of programs that are offered by the various CTCs around Los Angeles. We have collected data on 61 CTCs in the Los Angeles region including San Bernardino County. Over the past six (6) months he has enter the 60% of the data that will be used of evaluation. Over the next six (6) months he will assist the staff with data evaluation.

Mike has provided us with information on funding resources that are available via the CTCnet listserv. He has participated and given input in our discussions on being a CTCnet chapter affiliate. He will be doing some research and grant writing for demonstration project that we will undertake.

Molly has worked consistently to improve marketing through various efforts: identifying untapped resources (i.e., high school interns from an arts magnet school who can create fliers for the lab), making ongoing marketing more consistent (by working with the museum’s PR and Marketing person), and helping ensure that information about the program on our website is up-to-date. During the first quarter, she coordinated an Open House for the community classes program (which is targeted towards artists and professionals and designed to bring in revenue) that drew approximately 60 attendees (a definite increase over the last under-attended Open House) and was supported through sponsorship by Bacardi.

Molly cultivated contacts with artists and graphic designers, a company that produces multimedia and graphics presentations for use in courtrooms and legal cases, Miami-Dade Community College, and Miami Ad School, which we can use when finding internship opportunities for youth program participants this summer and at the end of the school year. She has also compiled valuable online resources about career possibilities in the arts and new media, and will be contributing to a section of our forthcoming online curriculum guide, The Documentary Project: A How-to Manual (funded by the America Connects Consortium Field Innovation Grants program). Recently, Molly also initiated and coordinated a visit to the program from a professional graphic design and storyboard artist, who talked to youth program participants about career opportunities available to them and his experiences working for MTV, The Discovery Channel, Sony, and other companies.

The AmeriCorps VISTA project has helped grow the capacity of the program in many ways, including by beginning to improve our systems of documentation, evaluation, and tracking. Molly has been working on developing an Access database which would improve on the previously existing one by allowing staff to track class registration, Open Studio (drop-in) members, and demographic and contact information in the same place and produce better reports. She has also augmented research of funding sources and developed ideas for ways that the Lab can be more self-sustaining, including by restructuring class registration fees.

While actual canvassing of the local neighborhood was fruitful for relationships in our home neighborhood, networking with other organizations was more effective when we were exploring territory that was new to us. We have provided assistance to many new organizations and this assistance ranges from extensive and on-going to brief and by request.

VISTAs helped shape Byte Back’s future through the information gathered in community mapping and other outreach activities. Although we initially thought computer sales and fees for specific tasks might provide sustainability for Byte Back, our understanding the needs of the non-profit community changed through community mapping and attending or leading events and focus groups. We found that many local non-profits had little idea how to meet their technical needs economically, and also needed assistance integrating program and technical planning. Often they relied on irregular volunteers or expensive consultants. Because of these needs revealed through our outreach programs, we have developed a Tech Gap Working Group which is redirecting our efforts towards the providing of planning and services.

While actual canvassing of the local neighborhood was fruitful for relationships in our home neighborhood, networking with other organizations was more effective when we were exploring territory that was new to us. In St Phillip the Evangelist Church in South East we installed a computer lab with their donated computers and are running their computer training program. At Shaw Ministries we provided information that assists them to make cost effective decisions about use of space and purchase of materials. At World Mission Extension Center we provided computers and set up a lab and provided Junior Internship training for their Junior Councilors so that they could assist in camp and after school programs.