May 2009 E-bulletin

FEATURE ARTICLE
Non-Profits and the Media
RELATED RESOURCES
Communications Ideas and Resources for Non-Profits
SPECIAL EVENTS
Preparing Press Releases that Get Noticed
Reaching the Facebook Generation
Introduction to Survey Design and Analysis
Community Disaster Preparedeness – Tools and Templates
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
Highlighting a Few 2008 Award Winners - continued
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing myBackCheck.com
Canadian Administration of Volunteer Resources National Conference
Canadian environmentalists encouraged to apply for community award
Partnerships and Collaborations Needs Assessment Survey


FEATURE ARTICLE

Non-Profits and the Media
Written by Erik Butenschon, Community Outreach Coordinator

Non-profit organizations have an important relationship with the media.  Often this relationship involves requests for interviews, sending out press statements, or dealing with a crisis or emergency that the media learned of.  Yet, for a multitude of reasons, smaller non-profit organizations usually do not employ full-time media relations employees. 

If the media always responded to our organizations and the issues our organizations work on the way we would like, there would be no need to learn about the intricacies of how media works.  But, we know that at the end of the day, the media always has reasons for deciding which stories and issues it is interested in, and which it is not.  It stands to reason then, that a good start towards making the media work for your organization is by figuring out how the media works and learning what they want to hear. 

Once you have figured out the basics of how media works, what they like to hear, and how your organizations goals and interests fit into that context, a good second step is to actually institute a communications plan.  While this is never an exact science, most good non-profit communications plans should include; 

• An analysis of your organization.  In order to create a broad communications plan, it is important to understand the context within which your organization sits, and is positioned within the community it serves.
• An analysis of the external or public environment.  Understand what the context is that your message will be received in.  Know who will be in agreement/disagreement with your message.  What is the current perception of your organization in general?
• A focus on what your organization/projects key objectives and goals are.  Media coverage is a means to get some type of message across.  It is not an end in and of itself.  If your organizations key goals and strategies are not focused on during media coverage, it can be counter-productive.
• Who is your target audience, and who do you want to influence?  This can ultimately determine how your message is delivered.
• Consider the Timing.  Properly timing your press release can be a great, simple, and proactive way to get the most “bang” out of your communications “buck”.  An example of this could be if your organization works toward poverty reduction, timing your press release to coincide with budget announcements by the government.

Join Volunteer Manitoba for our Brown Bag Series workshop, “Preparing Press Releases That Get Noticed” on May 20th in our Winnipeg training room. Click the link to register.
http://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/newsite/Press%20Release%20Flyer.pdf

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RELATED RESOURCES

Communications Ideas and Resources Available in Volunteer Manitoba’s Resource Centre

Hurt, K. (2003?). Handling the media.
http://www.civicus.org/new/media/Handling%20the%20Media.pdf
This online toolkit, from CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, offers guidelines for issuing press statements and handling newspaper, radio and television interviews.


IMPACS - Communications planning: Why should your non-profit develop a communications plan? (2001).
http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/show/803D7443-F203-1EE9-B66CF5D9B72BAFB2
This online toolkit, developed by the former Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS), contains sample media communications plans.


IMPACS - Developing effective media communication skills (2001).
http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/show/80441078-F203-1EE9-BC02F866764A5794
The former Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS) also developed this online toolkit, which discusses how editors choose the news and gives helpful pointers on preparing for and handling interviews.


IMPACS - Media communications toolkit (2001).
http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/show/80436D82-F203-1EE9-BE3BB7D453B100B7
Another online toolkit, developed by the former Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS), that looks at common media tools that can help promote a non-profit organization’s public profile.


Longhurst, J. (2006). Making the news: An essential guide for effective media relations. Ottawa: Novalis.
This book provides guidance on finding out what editors and reporters want in a news story. It offers tips on finding alternative media opportunities, writing and preparing for news releases and interviews, and handling a media crisis.

For a list of books available to borrow from our resource library, plus other websites, go to http://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/newsite/recognition_resources.htm

To borrow any of our resources, contact our Resource Coordinator at 477-5180 ext. 223, or Toll-free at 1-888-922-4545 ext. 223, or via e-mail , vmresource@mts.net)

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Preparing Press Releases that Get Noticed

Join Global Winnipeg news anchor Eva Kovacs as she identifies what news organizations need to see in your press releases. Learn how to tell your stories by preparing press releases that clearly identify issues and the people that are being affected. Learn what gets your group or event the attention you want or need. This Brown Bag style workshop takes place on May 20th, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm at the Volunteer Manitoba Training Room. To register, click here http://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/newsite/Press%20Release%20Flyer.pdf

Reaching the Facebook Generation: How Can Non-Profit Groups Reach Out to Youth Today?
A university journalism professor recently lamented that few of his students read newspapers or news magazines or listen to radio news. What media do most of them access? The answer is Facebook, and other social media sites. If that's the case, how can non-profit groups reach out to youth today? That question, and more, will be addressed at Going Barefoot II, a May 15, 2009 conference at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg. The theme of the one-day event is “Reaching the Facebook Generation”. The keynote speaker is Mike Tennant, co-creator of the CBC Radio show “The Age of Persuasion”. For more information, visit http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/events/GBII/

Introduction to Survey Design and Analysis
Volunteer Manitoba, together with Health in Common, will be hosting another Survey Design and Analysis workshop. The workshop will introduce participants to the basic principles of good survey planning and design. There will be two sessions. Session one will include an opportunity to practice writing survey questions. Session two will show participants how to use Excel to perform simple descriptive analysis and display results using charts. Prerequisite: Participants should have a good working knowledge of Excel or similar spreadsheet software. The workshop will take place at the Millenium Library, with session one being at the Anhang Room (2nd floor), and session two at the Computer Training Lab (4th floor). To register click here.

Community Disaster Preparedness – Tools and Templates
Volunteer Manitoba will be hosting a brown bag style workshop on June 17th titled “Community Disaster Preparedness – Tools and Templates”. On March 4th, over 100 organizations were offered opportunities to learn what disaster resiliency is and how disasters can impact the at risk populations they serve, as well as their staff, volunteers, clients, vendors and community stakeholders. Requests were made for a follow up session with more of a practical template/tools focus. This brown bag session will provide the tools needed to develop a written plan for disaster response and recovery. The workshop runs from 12:00 – 1:30pm, and the cost is $10.00, which includes light refreshments. To register click here.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Introducing myBackCheck.com

myBackCheck.com can be a great resource for non-profit organizations. They provide criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks and guarantee the following:
• 24 hour turnaround time
• Forgery-proof delivery system
• Complete disclosure of details on Unclear criminal checks
• On-line delivery of results
• Auditable process
• Secure storage of data via our site
• Availability of a senior BackCheck criminologist at all times to discuss a candidate file with you (no charge for consultations)

The service allows candidates to complete the check at their leisure from their home computer. This has several other advantages:
• No trip to the police station
• No parking
• No waiting in line
• No waiting 2-4 weeks for results
• Lower cost (pricing based upon volume)

CAVR National Conference

This year the Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources will be holding their national conference in Edmonton, Alberta from May 31 – June 3, 2009. The conference is titled “Define Together, Change Forever, and will give participants the chance to network with Canadian non-profit sector leaders and invest in professional development. The conference is very affordable, and allows for the opportunity of a pre-conference trip to Jasper. www.cavrcanada.org

Partnerships and Collaborations Needs Assessment Survey

Volunteer Manitoba, together with Arts and Culture Industries and course developer Sue Hemphill, will be hosting a workshop in the fall of 2009 titled “The Art of Collaboration”. This course will focus on partnerships and collaborations, and was made possible by funding from The Winnipeg Foundation and Manitoba Arts Council. To take part in the needs assessment survey that has been created in preparation for the course, visit the following web address http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6UcjhbGSEVGv6pS2xw9DyA_3d_3d..



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