MCN : 09 NCW Series

Nonprofit communicators face a significantly busier and more complex environment in today’s world. How can organizations continue to attract, engage, and motivate donors, participants, and allies in a world where resources are limited yet communications venues seem limitless? How can your organization take your outreach and communications efforts from one-way broadcasting into dynamic conversations that inspire participation?

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Minnesota Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators seek to help answer these questions in their 2009 Nonprofit Communicators Series. This series of four workshops may be attended individually or as a series for maximum impact. This series will expose you to cutting-edge communications concepts, share practical skills, and support concrete ideas you can put to work quickly.

Details for all:

9– 11 a.m.
Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Parkway North, St. Paul, MN 55104
Directions and map: Directions and Google Map
Parking: Parking is free in the ramp adjacent to the building.
Fee: $45 per session for MCN and IABC members/ $65 per session for nonmembers
OR $150 for all four workshops for MCN and IABC members/$240 for all four workshops for nonmembers

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How to Manage Your Reputation and Brand in Today’s Environment

Friday, November 20

Are you responsible for what your “friends” say about you in social media? How should you respond to negativity in social media? How will your organization be seen, much less remembered, in today’s hyper-media environment? Your organization can (and should) be engaging in reputation management and brand building both on- and offline. This session will examine the challenges and concerns of protecting your brand and ensuring a good reputation in both new and old media. You’ll learn tips for “listening,” get help identifying your brand, and examine how to craft medium and audience-appropriate messages.

About the presenters:

Elen Bahr brings nearly twenty years professional communications and management experience to the nonprofit community. Her work ranges from overall organizational messaging to grant proposals to brochures to online strategy and content. Specific to the Web, Elen’s experience traces back to the inception of the commercial Internet in the 1990’s. Starting her career at Cray Research, Elen and her team were responsible for placing computer equipment in Internet test beds worldwide. As the Internet grew from a research tool into the commercial vehicle we know today, Elen transitioned with it. She has traveled a career path from computer hardware and software to the overall Web-user experience. Elen has developed strategies for sites in the United States and Europe.

Joanne Henry is principal at marketing consulting firm Henry Schafer Partners and a co-founder of Common Good, a nonprofit breakfast series that brings innovative private and nonprofit companies together to support frontline nonprofits. As principal at Henry Schafer, Joanne has developed and managed successful local, national and international programs from concept through launch and execution for medical device, health care and many other companies. She is a strong collaborator and has a track record of successful partnerships on behalf of nonprofit, business and educational clients.

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Be Heard, Inspire Action — Creativity and Storytelling in the Nonprofit World

Monday, December 14

In a turbulent and crowded marketplace, how do you communicate who you are, what you stand for, how you’re different and what you offer to the world? Creativity and storytelling — using today’s communications tools and timeless storytelling techniques — will ignite the positive change and tangible results you seek. Join Fred Haberman and Nathan Rice of Haberman, a brand public relations firm, to learn how to better discover, develop and tell your story in an authentic, transparent way that connects emotionally with your audience and drives success.

About the presenters:

Fred Haberman has counseled hundreds of companies and nonprofit organizations in the sustainable living, health and wellness and technology sectors on how to create brand or cause-related movements to generate brand awareness, sales and positive change. His work with these movements has proven his belief that storytelling is the best way to inspire consumers to connect with a cause or brand. Fred is a board member of the Herzfeld Foundation, one the largest foundations in Wisconsin.

Haberman's interactive storyteller, Nathan Rice, is an Experience Economy Expert — one of only 100 in the nation who study and explore the impetus of change in business, rather than its manifestation. Nathan's areas of expertise are as vast as the Web. A short list includes search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social networking, social media campaigns, online reputation management and online community development. Nathan is a frequent speaker and educator on the top of social media and storytelling.

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What does it take to implement the effective use of Web 2.0 technology in your organization? Over the past couple of years, more and more nonprofits have been adopting Web 2.0 strategies for marketing, communications, outreach and engagement. Hear from a panel of nonprofit social media experts using real-life case studies about how they got started using blogs, social networks, and Web innovations to enhance their marketing, communications, and customer service strategies and how these strategies have (or have not) succeeded.

Meg Canada (convener) is a senior librarian for Web services and training at Hennepin County Library. Meg coordinates public training and social media efforts for the forty-one library system. She volunteers hosting the Unsummit, presenting at MinneWebCon, and is a regular contributor to Social Media Breakfast. Meg also sings regularly with the Twin Cities chapter of TechKaraoke. At this session, Meg will be joined by a panel of nonprofit social media experts.

Dania Toscano Miwa works as a development officer at Great Plains Institute, an environmental nonprofit working on clean energy policy. Dania graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2005 with degrees in American Indian studies and art. Dania also serves on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Twin Cities Chapter, and volunteers at The Como Zoo and Conservatory and Minnesota Orchestra.

Meg and Dania will be joined by Meghan Seawell, Print and Electronic Media Specialist for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys.

Using Metrics to Investigate, Evaluate, and Decide

Thursday, February 4

Communications work can be hard to measure, and thus hard to understand. How do you know if a given communications method is working – should you drop the print newsletter in favor of an electronic one? Fortunately, there are many more tools at your disposal for measuring and analyzing communications than there ever have been. This session will help you think about metrics, analytics, and benchmarks, particularly as they pertain to investigating, evaluating, and deciding a course of action with your communications. You’ll get ideas on how to bring firm data and numbers that demonstrate effectiveness and reach to your stakeholders. You’ll learn how to use data to identify your audience(s) and how best to communicate with them. Finally, you’ll learn how to discover how people communicate and behave online, and how offline and online communications work together.

About the presenters:

As director of e-Strategy, David Erickson specializes in strategic online communication. He has more than 14 years experience, first as a freelancer, then as founder and president of e-Strategy, and now with Tunheim Partners. David's experience includes executing a national online media relations campaign, expert positioning with e-mail marketing, EPKs and search-optimized press releases, search engine marketing for many clients, viral video campaigns, and social media marketing campaigns.

Natalie Wires specializes in online communications, media relations, and event planning and execution. As an account representative at Tunheim Partners, her work has included executing regional and national media campaigns, developing strategic online communication tools using Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and MySpace, and assisting with events including the RNC Media Party and talent recruitment events for Target Corporation.

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Design – Wallinga Design
Workshops Planning Committee – Brad Baso; Pam Carlson, Arc Greater Twin Cities; Julie Dappen, MAP for Nonprofits; Christine Durand, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Katie Eukel, Fourth Sector Consulting; Nicole Garst, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Stephanie Haddad, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Annette Hanley, Goodwill Easter Seals; Mai Anh Kapanke, Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota; Helen Ng, Charities Review Council; Janey Palmer, IABC Minnesota; Ashley Schweitzer, Nonprofits Assistance Fund; and Gail Wallinga, Wallinga Design

About IABC Minnesota:

The International Association of Business Communicators is a world-wide association that promotes effective communications. The Minnesota chapter provides services, activities and networking opportunities to members who strive for excellence in public relations, employee communications, marketing communications and public affairs. For more information, visit http://mn.iabc.com/.