Schedule: By Topic

Finance and Management | Fundraising | Governance | Human Resources | Leadership
Marketing and Communications | Public Policy | Theme-Related

Marketing and Communications

Communicating Public Value: How to be the Champion of Your Government-Funded Program

Thursday, 1 – 4:30 pm.

As government cuts threaten the life of important community program and services, it is essential that the public value created through these contracts and grants is clearly communicated. This workshop focuses on how your organization’s leadership can be proactive in framing and delivering positive messages that stick with the citizenry about your government-funded program. In this workshop, you will learn how to spot and stop using insider language, how to frame up the public value your organization creates, how to link the value of your program to the value your organization creates, and methods for reaching the public on a consistent basis, sharing your message and building a coalition of community advocates. In addition, specific cases will be shared and participants will work together to develop and test messages.

Carlo Cuesta, managing partner, Creation In Common

Plan for Success through Public Relations

Friday, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Public relations can help your organization maximize its marketing efforts as well as help you effectively reach your key audiences including donors, stakeholders and media. It is important to develop a public relations strategy that combines media relations, marketing, messaging, a strong Web presence, grassroots strategies and events marketing. How can you weave all these elements into a comprehensive program? This session will take a detailed look at how to develop a public relations strategy that supports your marketing efforts, leverages your marketing resources and positions you as a leader in the marketplace, ultimately leading to measurable and sustainable goals that enable you to relate and to reach your key audiences.

Sandi Scott, senior account supervisor, Tunheim Partners

Spread Your Message Statewide

Friday, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Your nonprofit’s messages often need to be heard throughout Minnesota, not just in the metro areas. Yet it can often be difficult to build relationships in distant communities – including rural areas and tribal reservations. What strategies are effective when seeking statewide attention? And how can you effectively work with a large number of media contacts spread across a wide geographic region? Come learn how to better reach, engage and inform your constituencies across the state. This session will include strategies for increasing your contacts in both traditional and new media across Minnesota, and discuss specific ideas for building relationships with members of the media in Greater Minnesota.

Ginger Sisco, Sisco Public Relations

Building Participation through Social Networking

Friday, 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.

Your intern won’t stop telling you that your organization needs to get online. “Make a MySpace page! Create a Flickr account!” Or maybe you have started social networking, but can’t help thinking “Why am I here? What do I do now? Is this helping my organization?” Welcome to the new communications landscape and the realities of building participation – from donors to clients to advocates – in the connected age. This session will explore social networking tools (including MySpace, Facebook, blogs and YouTube) that both enhance traditional forms of connection and information exchange, and create relationship-building opportunities that feel entirely new. Attendees can expect to leave this session armed with practical strategies and tactics about how to start using social networking tools to engage in a personal relationship with users by providing something of value.

Jono Smith, director of marketing, Network for Good