Yesterday we gave a presentation on Social Media Strategy at the Social Circle Impact Meet-up.  To start the presentation we asked each person to share something unique about themselves.  This almost always gets interesting!  One person liked to cook, another make wine.  This immediately gave [...]]]> People Connect with People – Not Companies

What Makes You Unique?

Yesterday we gave a presentation on Social Media Strategy at the Social Circle Impact Meet-up.  To start the presentation we asked each person to share something unique about themselves.  This almost always gets interesting!  One person liked to cook, another make wine.  This immediately gave them something in common and help them connect.  One person loved to travel and travel in the Soviet Union while it was still Communist Russia, another was a ballet dancer, another a gymnast.  I was a international gymnast that competed in Russia in the early 1980’s, so I had an immediate connection with these three people.

When we work with individuals and companies on their Social Media plans and strategies we always stress the importance of authenticity.  Each person is unique and this needs to come through.  People are looking to connect, sharing your uniqueness helps this process.  People connect with people, not companies.

Here is the slide show from the presentation:

Want to learn more about web marketing strategy?

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The SSWBN Educational Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications to be awarded this spring for women currently enrolled in or beginning [...]]]> SSWBN Educational Foundation Scholarship applications available!

Are you a “mature” woman 35 years or older, living on the South Shore of Massachusetts, and wanting to or in a career transition?  Do you know someone that is?

The SSWBN Educational Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications to be awarded this spring for women currently enrolled in or beginning an educational program.

Last June the Foundation gave out 6 scholarships of $1000 each.

Click here for more information on the Scholarship program and to download the application.  Application deadline: April 30.  PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION TO OTHERS!!

Pres. Elizabeth Pineault with 2009 scholarship winners – June 2009

Who is the SSWBN Educational Foundation?

A board of six women dedicated to raising funds for the education of transitioning women, and educational grants for members of the SSWBN.

“Helping women achieve professional growth is at the core of the South Shore Women’s Business Network Educational Foundation,” said President Elizabeth Pineault, who noted that the foundation awarded five scholarships last year and hopes to award even more this year. “By providing support to mature women who are undergoing a career transition, we hope to help them accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams.”

Through the years they have helped:

• A single mother and domestic abuse survivor become enrolled in an Administrative Information System Program at a local college.
• An immigrant who came to this country with the sole purpose of providing a better life and a better education for her children, is now going for her BA at Curry College.
• A 38 year-old mother who, had supported herself and daughter as a playground aid, cafeteria worker, and teaching assistant, was able to get her degree in Special Education and is currently teaching full time.
• and many, many more…

You can read more about the Educational Foundation  by visiting their web site (www.sswbnedfund.org )

While you are there, don’t forget to

• DONATE NOW…any amount is welcome and
• sign-up for their newsletters!!

Want to learn more about running a Non-Profit Organization?

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The Building Blocks of a Brand

In part 1 of our series, we talked about how your brand is defined by the sum total of the [...]]]> Guest Post by: Shea Baker & Matt Ulvila of 3thought, Inc, 3thought is a visual communications company based in Plymouth, MA that specializes in graphic design and creative strategy.

Branding Basics

The Building Blocks of a Brand

In part 1 of our series, we talked about how your brand is defined by the sum total of the emotional response people have to the way you present yourself. Because people have free will and you can’t simply tell them what to think, you need to take advantage of any opportunity you get to influence people’s hearts and minds. The pieces you do have control of are incredibly valuable. These pieces of your branding puzzle run the gamut ofrom fast, cheap and easy, to expensive, time-consuming and complicated.

So, first order of business when branding your non-profit is to put your best foot forward and start with the basics.

1. The Name

If you are starting up a non-profit organization, the first thing you need is the right name. Seems like this should be simple, but you should really give it some extra thought. Of course, your name should relate to what you do and why the organization was founded, but it should also be unique and memorable. “Toys for Tots” is way catchier and approachable than “The Foundation to Collect Toys and Games for Children” would have been. When selecting the right name, make sure to take the following into account:

• How does it relate to your mission?
• Is it easy to remember?
• Is it easy to say?
• Is anybody else using it?
• What names are other similar organizations using?
• Can the name be shortened?
• What is the acronym formed by the name? (we don’t want any South Harmon Institute of Technology going on)
• Is the URL available?

Now if you are part of an existing organization, you are probably stuck with the name you have but that doesn’t mean it still shouldn’t be an active part of your branding strategy. Make sure that the name is used consistently taking into account capitalization variations and abbreviations. Decide what shortened (nick names) and acronyms are acceptable. Make sure that everyone in the organization knows how to properly use the naming conventions.

2. The Logo

If you do nothing else as part of your branding efforts, invest in a professionally designed logo. You want to make a good first impression. Remember that if someone hasn’t already formed an opinion about your organization, your logo will set the tone and expectations. If you come across disorganized and unprofessional, you’ll have an uphill battle trying to win the confidence of your constituents. Come across as professional and organized, and you’ve taken the right step to winning over hearts and minds. If you already have a logo, give it a good hard look. Are you putting your best foot forward?

Here are a few logo don’ts:

• Don’t use clip art
• Don’t use photos
• Don’t buy or steal one from an internet site
• Don’t have it created in Photoshop, or worse, Word
• Don’t copy another organization’s logo
• Don’t have your cousin’s brother-in-law’s nephew who knows some graphics stuff because he pirated software from Adobe whip one up for you

Hire a professional and get a logo mark that is unique and you can be proud of. It’s long term value is immeasurable.

• Do chose a logo that fits the emotional tone of your organization
• Do have a logo that is easy to identify and read at small sizes (e.g.1 in x 1 in)
• Do get a vector version of your logo (.eps or .ai file) – every vendor you work with ever again will thank you
• Do have a version of you logo that can reproduce in 1-color – you’ll want to embroider it, screen print it, photo copy it, or cut it out vinyl as some point, then you’ll thank us.

3. The Colors

We all know that products branded in pink more than likely are to support breast cancer research and treatment. That’s a pretty powerful color. But did you know it is also a very specific color? Breast Cancer Pink isn’t any pink, it is PMS 203. Color is one of the key elements people will associate with your organization. When you have your logo created, ask your designer to provide a color palette that gives you the official color codes (PMS , CMYK, RGB) – and if all that is gibberish to you, take a moment to learn a little bit more about color formats) for those used in your logo as well as a few accent colors to support them. Use these colors whenever you create something for your organization. They can and should be referenced in Word and PPT, as well as used on anything you have produced by an outside vendors. You don’t want cranberry website graphics, cherry red flyers, burgundy polo shirts and maroon folders. Knowing and applying the codes ensures that the colors appear consistently. This is important for your audience that is building an association to your brand.

4. Website

If you want to be viewed as a reputable organization, you MUST have a website. Let’s put aside all the fundraising, communication and community building benefits a website can provide for a moment, and focus solely on the fact that without a website you don’t exist from a public perspective. The first thing most people are going to do before deciding to support a new organization is to look for your website. They need to have something to find. And, again, this is a case of never getting a second chance to make a first impression. You want a first glance of your site to communicate that you are a trust-worthy organization.

Of course, the best way to get a professional looking website is to hire a professional. But we realize the funds necessary to produce a dream website are not always readily available to non-profits. But this doesn’t need to prevent you from having a positive web presence. URLs and hosting for your site can cost as little as $70 per year, and with all the do-it-yourself website builders out there, it’s easy to get your organization online.

At minimum, create one page. Use your beautiful logo and your official color palette. Keep the layout simple – don’t use a bunch of crazy formatting just because you can. Include a summary of your organization’s services and your mission statement if you have one. Give a short answer to the question “How You Can Help” so that visitors know what you want them to do. And most importantly, have your organization’s contact information. Other items you may want to include are a listing of your board/staff, a brief list of key goals or achievements and a few select photos that show your good work. But it really isn’t necessary to go nuts. You just want enough there to say, “Hey, we are legit and do good stuff.” The web is one area you can always expand as your organization grows.

*note- we will write more about creating a strong web presence in a later post in the Branding 101 series

5. Collateral

Collateral refers to any piece (usually printed, but also digital) you create to tell people about your organization. This can include rack cards, brochures, flyers, posters, booklets, Power Points, postcards and even letters. More than likely, a non-profit will not have the budget to produce a large-scale collateral system all at once. It is something that will be built up gradually over time. And that’s okay. The key to making all the pieces work together is consistency. You will want to employ your logo and approved colors along with consistent type faces (fonts). You’ll want to pick a few type faces, usually a serif and sans serif, that will serve as your official type. If Susie sends out a letter in Helvetica, Carol should not send out a letter set in Comic Sans (and for the record, no professional organization should ever use comic sans for anything). You’ll want to establish some standard graphic elements that will repeat from piece to piece. Maybe you always use a thick header bar, or perhaps polka dots evoke the mood you like. All your pictures could feature a photo frame or a thin border.

Now if you are not working with a professional designer, simpler is always better. Just because you have a button that let’s you add confetti to everything doesn’t mean you should use it. The goal is to create pieces that when placed on a table together look like they belong together. This is not say that there can’t be variations as the purpose of each piece calls for, but you want to ensure that when Joe Public sees the piece, he will know instantly it is from your organization.

Watch for Part 3 of the Branding 101: “Building Your Brand With Inbound Marketing and Social Media”

Want to learn more about Branding?

Join us at our next non-profit mini-conference.

Saturday, our company, The Toolbox, Inc. (all 4 of us) gathered for a couple of hours to participated in a workshop with Susan Hammond, working together to clarify what our company is about and direction for our future.

We are a virtual company, so [...]]]> Refining Your Organizations Goals

Is Your Organization All Going to the Same Place?

Saturday, our company, The Toolbox, Inc. (all 4 of us) gathered for a couple of hours to participated in a workshop with Susan Hammond, working together to clarify what our company is about and direction for our future.

We are a virtual company, so I think it is something really important for us to do, as when we do get together we tend to the day-to-day operations, and assume that we are all on the same page about “direction.”

I think that is the case for some of the non-profit organizations I am involved with.  We go from one “project” to the next, do what we did last year, (but better), and check off what we have done for the year.

The real challenge is to review-revisit your core values, your “big hairy audacious goals” and know that all the board members are all working towards the same goal.

Then if there is a disconnect, then as a board member, you may need to “self-select” yourself out of the organization.

But now back to TTBI (The Toolbox, Inc)…we had all been giving reading and homework to do before we met, and the fact that we all came prepared, showed to me the dedication we all have to this “project.” As a new company, we were all anxious to see if we were all on the same “page.” We all are equal partners, so it is important to alway feel that we are moving in the same direction.

When we are all clear, a decision that one of us as makes an individual for the company, gives that person the conviction that the other partners will back that decision.

What is your non-profit doing to make sure that your leadership is all operating in unison?  How do you do a “check-up” on your core values, mission & goals? How often do you do it?

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• Orient and Educate Your Advisory Board – Susan Hammond (thenon-profittoolbox.com)
• Resources for Nonprofits & Their Boards (thenon-profittoolbox.com)

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Jane Ford - The Joy Path

Early in my career in the nonprofit sector, I had the opportunity to apply for a federal grant. [...]]]> Guest Post by: Jane B. Ford, The Joy Path and Speaker at the February 10th Non-profit Toolbox Mini-Conference, and author of Get Grants Now

Jane Ford - The Joy Path

Federal Agency Representatives are Your Friends

Early in my career in the nonprofit sector, I had the opportunity to apply for a federal grant. I had successfully applied for foundation grants and so used the same approach for the federal grant: follow all the rules, be honest, submit on time, and make sure to talk to my contact at the funding source. When I received that federal grant, my colleagues in other housing nonprofits expressed surprise that my first public grant proposal was fully funded.

They were even more surprised when I told them that I believed part of the reason for the funding was that my representative at the federal agency had been so helpful. Not only did he answer my numerous technical questions, he also gave me insight into the specific approach that his office was looking for in that year’s proposals. I didn’t find this surprising at all. Isn’t this the way program officers, whether private or public sector, usually worked?

It turned out that many of my colleagues had never chosen to contact their federal representatives believing that these public servants wouldn’t be really useful. In my naiveté, I assumed that program officers, both public and private, would be helpful. I had treated the federal rep just the way I treated private sector program officers, with respect, honesty, and appreciation. And he had been just as helpful in guiding me towards writing a successful grant proposal as had his private sector colleagues whom I had contacted in the past.

This experience confirmed my belief that when you treat other people as you want to be treated, good things generally happen. Learning this early on in my nonprofit career has helped me and the nonprofits I have served in ways too numerous to count.

Want to learn more about Grant Writing?

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