Community Technology Organizing Consortium (CTOC)
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Supported Projects
Outreach
Sheveeta Shepard
9/2005 — 9/2006
Sheveeta will further our mission by assisting with our workshops for non-profits, managing and updating our database of members, and updating our website and listserve.
The work our VISTA is doing with our database and outreach is a major function to CTOC’s mission. As a consortium, keeping in contact with our members, keeping them updated to local policies, and positioning them to network together and exchange ideas and practices is reliant on constant and continuous communication with the membership base.
Our project has completed 5 workshops which covered the topics of IT fundraising for non-profits, education and advocacy surrounding local and state cable franchise issues in Los Angeles, disability and access issues, social enterprising for non-profits, and digital storytelling. In each of our workshops, our VISTA was implemental in outreaching to attendees and presenters, updating our website information and list-serv, and follow-up on evaluations of attendees.
CTOC has made major changes to the website, moving it to a new server and expanding the previous capabilities to include membership capabilities, a discussion forum, and more resources for local organizations to aid CTOC in its networking and outreach capacities. The VISTA has helped to keep the site updated with upcoming CTOC workshops and events, as well as making the site more user friendly by changing the layout of the page and adding visual pictures. Our VISTA has also aided in managing the list-serv and adding new members.
CTOC held a local logo contest for youth. This project was suggested and created by our VISTA who wrote a proposal, created the contest criteria, and outreached to local organization who worked with youth in digital media.
CTC Outreach and Research
Michael Eagle
9/2004 — 5/2005
Goal 1: Increase attendance at CTOC events by 30%.
Goal 2: Help to coordinate a minimum of six CTOC events.
Goal 3: Assist in the development of training curriculum for Train the Trainer events.
Goal 4: Assist in the evaluation of CTOC’s project activities.
Goal 5: CTOC will leverage national, regional and local resources, including AmeriCorp*VISTA members to ascertain funding and enable the growth of the project.
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.
Event Planning
Michael Eagle
9/2004 —
- Increase attendance at CTOC events
- Help coordinate CTOC events
- Assist in the development of a training curriculum for Train the Trainer events
- Assist in evaluation of CTOC’s project activities
- Assist in fund raising efforts
Event Planning and Fund Raising
Dana Sou
11/2006 —
Dana Sou actively participated in building the capacity of the Community Technology Organizing Consortium on various levels. Dana helped to organize 3 major events which included: COTC’s Annual Christmas event in December, NTEN’s Accessibility Institute in Los Angeles in January, and our annual Meet the Funder Event in June. Each of these events required vast outreach and community organizing to CTOC’s members which consists of various non-profit organizations and CTC’s in the Los Angeles area. Dana was successful in drawing attention and generating interest to these three events by actively communicating with numerous organizations through phone calls, and posting on the listserve.
Dana has also collaborated with CTOC staff to write and edit parts of CTOC’s three year strategic plan that spans from fundraising to media policy initiatives. She has also helped in areas of funding through conducting research for potential funding through foundation searches and has written up Letter’s of Inquiry (LOI’s) as well as draft and edit grant proposals. She is also currently writing a policy position paper concerning technology standards among high schools. Dana’s participation with CTOC has greatly helped the organization through community outreach, funding, and creating resourceful research projects.
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