outreach
Online Outreach and CTC Implementation
Organization:
Socio-Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians VISTA Name:
Rachel Rose Sandow
Program Start:
9/2009
Program End:
9/2010
Project Description:
This project grew out of a strategic assessment and will improve communication with collaborative partners, constituents and improve the utilization of an existing organizational resource. There will be three components:
Development of sustainable communications strategies: E-newletter - To communicate with supporters, collaborators and constituents on a regular basis. The development of an agency brochure and template that can be updated or reused for new programs.
Web-site: To up-grade and improve web-site with information and links to Southeast Asian resources for adults and youth. To provide detail about accessing basic services that supports the work of SEDC’s case managers and links Southeast Asian communities nationally.
Computer Lab: An underutilized resource, provide technical support, develop policies for use and maintenance. Research opportunities for free and low-cost software. Solicit college student volunteer to staff computer lab and work with clients.
Goal 1: Improve communications with constituencies
Goal 2: Re-open Computer Lab
Project Outcome:
The VISTA member worked along with SEDC staff to improve communication and collaboration throughout the agency. She developed a sustainable communications strategies, including starting up SEDC Web-site and maintained the site throughout. She interviewed staff and wrote the contents for the web. She established newsletter and distributed widely in the community. She also assisted in setting up computer lab for after school children to use. She spearheaded on all of these projects by collaborating with SEDC staff. The projects that she worked on are still active and we hope to continue it for many more years.
Regulatory Research VISTA
Organization:
Prometheus Radio Project VISTA Name:
Brandy Doyle
Program Start:
9/2009
Program End:
9/2010
Project Description:
Prometheus has always done work to make the workings of the FCC more transparent and to bring a wider array of voices to the table as the FCC considers the media future. A VISTA will allow the organization to reorganize this often harried work into a more systematic operation for Prometheus.
The regulatory research project involves researching legal and technical issues as they relate to communications regulations, for the purpose of informing regulatory rule-makings. This would include topics such as Low Power radio, media ownership, spectrum policy, and the analog to digital transition.
Goal 1: Make FCC regulations and lawsuits relevant to media reform accessible to a broad audience
Goal 2: Prepare outreach plan for future FCC filing windows
Project Outcome:
Goal #1 for our second VISTA was to “Make FCC regulations and lawsuits relevant to media reform accessible to a broad audience.” Brandy Doyle has developed a working knowledge of FCC regulations and telecommunications law that she’s used to educate both the general public and other staff members on the rules that impact community radio. She has written a number of brief, plain-English articles about complex regulatory subjects, including digital radio, radio spectrum policy, and broadcast media ownership. Brandy led the effort to develop a comprehensive plan for the organization’s regulatory work, including a 20+ page document on regulatory work – the most comprehensive the organization has ever produced. This plan proved instrumental gathering input from the entire staff collective in decisions about future regulatory priorities. As part of her goal to make regulatory procedures more accessible, Brandy designed and led a series of public workshops in different settings. In April Brandy held an educational workshop at WMNF Community Radio in Tampa, Florida on media ownership and FCC rulemaking process. In May, Brandy co-presented on “Community Journalism: Its Relevance in Radio and How to Bring it to your Newsroom” with Terri Klemetson, news director at KMUD, and co-presented “The D.C. Report: Community Radio, Politics And Policy” with Pete Tridish at Grassroots Radio Conference. Also in May, she facilitated a discussion with Davis Media Access about the challenges and benefits of community radio/public access television partnerships. Brandy has been aided by her coworkers in the regulatory policy team who have taught her how to research FCC dockets and given her context and information to make sense of them. She has also received support from the rest of the staff.
Because of her own interests, skills, and experience, Brandy has chosen to taken on a number of general writing and editing projects for the organization. Brandy has worked with the communications staff to think through a more comprehensive press strategy, not just a press strategy for outreach, as described in her VISTA assignment, and has played a role in improving our process for media advisories and press releases. Another responsibility Brandy has taken on has been to help coordinate aspects of our new website launch. She’s also taken on responsibility for responding to requests to volunteer at Prometheus, a role that rotates amongst collective members.
Impact Quote:
All of Brandy’s work has been conducted with an eye towards sustainability. The documents she has helped to produce continue to be re-used on our website and in policy briefs for FCC staff and public education. Brandy has provided an invaluable long term contribution to our organization. - Danielle Chynoweth, VISTA Supervisor
Development and Communications VISTA
Organization:
Prometheus Radio Project VISTA Name:
Ian Smith
Program Start:
9/2009
Program End:
9/2010
Project Description:
The Development & Communications project would entail directing a fundamental change in fundraising policy, moving Prometheus towards a more grassroots fundraising strategy. This project would also include developing and maintaining systems for Prometheus’ donor and paid technical service relationships. It also entails creating communications tools, such as a regular and targeted donor appeal, for soliciting a broad base of financial support from those that access our services.
Goal 1: Help build and solidify Prometheus’ ability to engage community radio stations and community radio supporters in opportunities to support Prometheus financially and in a regular and sustainable fashion.
Goal 2: Create a more sustainable source of funding by developing technical services and products that Prometheus can offer for a fee.
Project Outcome:
Ian’s work as been essential at building the capacity of the organization at a key time of growth and transformation of Prometheus.
Towards goal #1 of increasing regular, constituent contact, Ian has: shepherded the development of a new database merging 4 into one, developed a system for maintenance, trained all staff, coordinated a monthly eNewsletter, coordinated an annual mail appeal, implemented CiviEvent for pre-registration for events, and implemented a paper sign up sheet system for events. As a result, our database list grew by 7,456 new contacts, including over 600 from the US Social Forum where Ian’s sign up system was first used. We now have over 1000 facebook fans who receive regular updates thanks to Ian’s merging of our email, web, and facebook communications. A database consultant worked with Ian to build the CiviCRM database after which he largely implemented the above with input from Prometheus collective members.
Towards goal #2 of building grassroots fundraising support, Ian has helped develop a work plan and donation calendar for the Development Team which has guided our work throughout the year and made reporting on progress much easier. He designed and launched our new Sustaining Funders program. He also designed and launched out new major donor program by identifying potential donors and inviting them to key events and creating a donor packet. Ian assisted in writing a number of grants and grant reports for Prometheus, helping to gather statistics on the effectiveness of our programs and the demographics of our constituents. He did these in conjunction with our Development Director.
Towards goal #3 of developing web donor tools, Ian has built a number of custom donation interfaces to our new database and build contact and other forms on our website. As a result, the new website will integrate seamlessly with our database, cutting out costly duplication of data. We can now track what appeal or route online donations come from and better assess the success of our specific fundraising efforts. Ian was trained by our web developer to create these forms.
Teen Media Program Builder
Organization:
Community Art Center, Inc. VISTA Name:
Emily Richburg
Program Start:
10/2010
Program End:
10/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will work to increase the impact of the Art Center’s annual Teen Media Program through year round network building, cultivating collaboration, and youth leadership support in identifying best practices in media literacy curriculum building.
The Corps member will create mechanisms that youth can easily use to connect with other youth media organizations throughout the year. The Corps member will increase investment in youth media literacy by planning events (both virtual and physical) to engage the youth media community. Youth investment will also be increased through exposure to other youth media programs nationally and locally. The Corps member will also coordinate focus groups with constituents, national and youth media groups and Community Art Center alumni to help identify best practices in youth media curriculum.
Community Outreach Coordinator
Organization:
Squeaky Wheel VISTA Name:
Goda Trakumaite
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will help promote and brand Squeaky Wheel’s individual programs (such as the Buffalo Youth Media Institute, techARTS for girls, and Channels - Stories from the Niagara Frontier), help raise the visibility of Squeaky-produced media, amplify the marketing of their educational and production programs, and strengthen Squeak Wheel’s community presence of its media literacy and production workshops. All in all, the community outreach coordinator would help make Squeaky Wheel and its services to the community more visible and accessible to more people.
Online Community Manager
Organization:
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC) VISTA Name:
Rachel Allen
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will layout the foundation for a strong and robust social media network, where NAMAC can model behaviors and techniques, and then, in turn teach them to NAMAC’s membership. The Corps member would be able to help create the social media plan, implement and refine it, and develop it further through the duration of service. The overreaching goal is to connect real people to people, and to develop long-lasting professional relationships that can enhance the capabilities of NAMAC’s nonprofit members.
Media Literacy Analysis and Curricula Development
Organization:
Access Humboldt VISTA Name:
Sam Kaplan
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will survey the constituents of Access Humboldt, analyze the data, incorporate these key elements into our programs and curricula, and increase the awareness of the available resources.
Media Justice Organizer
Organization:
Media Literacy Project VISTA Name:
Leticia Miranda
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will support Media Literacy Project’s media justice campaigns and public awareness efforts and ensure that the message and effort of the campaigns are connected and relevant to partners, members and constituents. The Corps member will also participate in all campaigns and will function as a liaison between MLP, campaign partners and will assist the Campaign Coordinator with implementing and revising as needed MLP’s campaign strategy, with conducting campaign evaluations, and with creating campaign curricula.
MLP’s campaigns for the 2010-2011 program year include the Prison Phones campaign, the Cell Phone Literacy campaign, and the continuation of their Universal Broadband and Network Neutrality campaign.
KONZ Internet Radio Developer
Organization:
UFM Community Learning Center VISTA Name:
Megan Andrews
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The Corps member will develop and implement an online community radio station for the Manhattan, Kansas area called KONZ Internet Radio. The VISTA will help with fundraising, public awareness and education about the online station and what it can offer, oversee equipment purchases as well as beginning the process of recruiting and training volunteers to staff the station. The Corps member will create the foundation for future sustainability by helping provide the energy and the necessary day-to-day work.
Development Coordinator
Organization:
Sanctuary for Independent Media/New York Media Alliance VISTA Name:
Carolyn Braunius
Program Start:
9/2010
Program End:
9/2011
Project Description:
The VISTA will work on building The Sanctuary’s grassroots fundraising capacity while organizing and expanding our grant writing efforts. Other priorities include continuing to build The Sanctuary’s capacity for handling volunteers and in-kind donations. The goal is to put into place a solid foundation for attracting and retaining a full spectrum of support, ranging from financial and material to human resources.