How to write a PSA

25 Tips for Managing Volunteers

1. Live your values.
2. Build trust and relationships.
3. Be transparent and accountable.
4. Manage volunteer programs strategically, within your organization’s annual or long-range plan.
5. Provide opportunities to make a real difference.
6. Inspire volunteers to believe in themselves and their ability to succeed.
7. Match tasks to volunteers’ interests.
8. Understand and effectively communicate the organization’s overall vision.
9. Understand and effectively communicate the ultimate project objectives and each step along the way
10. Provide training and technical assistance.
11. Delegate without micro-managing.
12. Make certain volunteers have primary and secondary assignments, so that when decisions or issue resolutions are pending, secondary tasks can be focused on instead of the individual having to be idle.
13. Understand volunteers’ experience level, technical ability, and management skill so that everyone is challenged and no one is put into a situation over their heads.
14. Assess the willingness, as well as the ability, of each individual to accept and carry out the assigned responsibility in a timely manner.
15. Make decisions promptly and clearly, and expect prompt decisions.
16. Delegate decision making authority wherever appropriate to keep detailed decisions at the optimal level.
17. Clearly identify units of work and milestone dates for each volunteer.
18. Enforce quality standards with a formal, periodic accounting of objectives to keep a sense of urgency in place, provide a basis for performance evaluations, and provide a sense of accomplishment through each successive phase.
19. Keep volunteers focused on primary objectives by deflecting unnecessary distractions to.
20. Changes to scope are inevitable; each proposed change must be evaluated for its importance and necessity. If the change doesn't’t pass the “gotta have it” test, direct the effort back within the established project boundaries.
21. When you hear it, write it down so that the issues and related details are captured, and can be reviewed, prioritized, and organized.
22. Reduce excuses for failure by resolving problems.
23. Don’t micro manage. Be a resource as much as a manager.
24. Recognize volunteers for their accomplishments.
25. Politely persevere.
Sources: www.serviceleader.org, www.managementhelp.org, www.urban.org, www.techsoup.org

Basic Strategic Planning
A strategic plan ism’t some piece of paper that should go on a shelf to gather dust. If done well, it’s a road map with the best route outlined in red to get you where you need to go as fast as you can get there – and using the least amount of expensive gasoline.
A strategic plan is, in a sense, a big “to-do” list – an annual plan, a five-year plan, a 10-year plan, whatever. It helps you decide where to go, how to get there, and – with effective measurement – if you got there at all. It can both prove and improve your effectiveness at fulfilling your mission.
Most plans begin with long-range goals based on issues that are important to the organization. Do you want to make some things happen, or not happen? What’s the major impact you want to have on your community? What are the two or three or five or so things your group can do to impact that issue? What are your vision and values – the ideal future you see, arrived at in the most ethical, inclusive way?
Building a real, workable plan – in writing, that you refer to and act on every day so that it becomes a natural part of your process—is worth the time. Benefits enable an organization to:
1. Clearly define its purpose and establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with the mission.
2. Communicate those goals and objectives to the organization’s constituents.
3. Develop a sense of ownership in the plan.
4. Ensure the most effective use is made of the organization’s resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities.
5. Provide a base from which progress can be measured and establish a mechanism for informed change when needed.
6. Bring together everyone’s best and most reasoned efforts in building a consensus about where an organization is going.

Formal strategic planning should be conducted at least once a year to be ready for the coming fiscal year. This helps identify goals, resources needed to achieve those goals, and funded needed to obtain the resources.
Many planning guides are available, with a lot of different steps. Here’s one very simple model.
Step 1: Analyze your organization’s history and services for the past five to 10 years. This analysis includes a thorough understanding of your vision and mission; what you’ve done; what you’ve failed to do; what you want to do; who else is providing similar services; and your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Step 2. Make some assumptions, based on as much “real” data as possible. What fairly reliable assumptions can you make about various influences – governmental, sociological, technological, economic, financial, demographic, etc. – that will affect your organization during the life of the plan?
Step 3 is the strategic summary:
a) Define key success factors: what’s it take to be successful?
b) Understand factors in the community that your organization can use to advantage or that are disadvantages.
c) Set a handful of realistic goals/objectives: what do you want to see happen?
d) Plan the strategy: how will you make it happen?
e) Settle on tactics: what steps will you and others take to make it happen?
f) Evaluate: How will you know, in real, measurable terms, if you’ve succeeded, failed, or come out somewhere in between? Make your goals/objectives measurable.
Step 4: Outline contingency plans, just in case something does not work as planned.

For each objective, include, in writing:
1. action steps
2. why each step matters
3. when each step is to be accomplished
4. what expenses are involved with each step
5. who’s responsible for accomplishing each step
6. measurement – how you will know it’s been accomplished

A budget is an important part of the planning process. A budget is, in simplified terms, is a financial statement of the action plan.

Sources: www.sloanreview.mit.edu, www.managementhelp.org, http://humanresources.about.com, www.1000ventures.com, www.csoonline.com, and the book The Communication Plan: The Heart of Strategic Communication, by Lester R. Potter, ABC.

Basic Media Relations

TOOLS
1. News release: a notice to the general media announcing something newsworthy. Always include the details – who, what, when, where, why, and, if applicable, how. Always include contact information (phone, email, etc.). Try to keep it to one page. Summarize the news in the first paragraph. Use simple sentences and short paragraphs. Conform to generally accepted newspaper styles. Don’t send junk. Don’t send too much. Don’t “cry wolf.” These days, email is okay – and often preferable. Understand and respect deadlines.
2. Media advisory: more of an update or “heads up” than a news release. Include the same stuff.
3. Back grounder: record written in chronological order which walks the reporter through a brief history of your group, including mission, goals, and success stories. Stick to the facts. Keep it to one or two pages.
4. News conference: hold one only if you have something really newsworthy and picture worthy. Have enough copies of news releases, back grounders, and other information available for media kits.
5. Media liaison: a knowledgeable and personable person assigned by your organization to work with the media.

USE YOUR TOOLS WISELY
1. Get to know media contacts while also respecting their time.
2. Understand each editor or reporter’s needs.
3. It’s okay to call reporters to discuss their needs in relation to yours.
4. Send news releases.
5. Follow up when you believe it’s appropriate, both as a courtesy and learning experience.
6. Don’t ever take any sort of contact personally; reporters are busy, too.
7. Be accurate, clear, and concise. Avoid jargon and slang.
8. Be prepared to answer any questions.
9. Be patient.
10. Keep answers brief and to the point and friendly/positive.
11. Ask the reporter if he or she needs additional material or information, and encourage them to call again if they have any other questions.
12. There is no such thing as “off the record.” Don’t say anything you would not want the public to hear.

OUTLETS
1. Radio: If possible, arrange a meeting with the host prior to the show and explain in as much detail as possible what you want to discuss. Bring your material with you, have it available in case you need it, and share a copy with the host. You might get 20 seconds of air time or, in some cases, as much as half an hour or so. If you are asked a question to which you do not have an answer, be honest and straightforward. Promise to answer fully later, and follow up on that promise.
2. Television: Define your parameters first, and get to know your media contacts. As with any medium, knowledge about the station helps. Proper dress should be comfortable and present the kind of community image you want to leave with viewers-clean and confident.
3. Print: Newspaper and magazine reporters need interviews – short or long – and are often accompanied by a photographer or bring a camera. As with any other media, stick to your message to minimize any chance of distortion or misrepresentation. In smaller communities, print is more likely to use your news releases. Weeklies and dailies are common; don’t forget the earlier deadlines for monthlies and other important periodicals.
4. Editor/publisher or editorial boards: It can be a challenge getting “in,” but it can also pay off. The meetings can be informal or may take the rigid form of a boardroom setting. Be prepared for direct questions. When the meeting is over, don't expect an editorial piece in favor of your project in the next edition, although this has been known to happen. Results will likely be favorable in the long run.

What other ways can you think of to reach the public?

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH
“Column inches” and “advertising equivalencies” are, at best, a starting point and, at worst, a distraction. Real success comes with getting individuals to do something because they read the published news release (or responded to some other forms of contact). Knowing what you want to accomplish helps shape your message.

Sources: www.businessfordiplomaticaction.org, www.ainc-inac.gc.ca, www.gebbieinc.com, www.pertinent.com, www.drnunley.com, http://commons.iabc.com, www.coyotecommunications.com.

All you’ll ever need to know about media interviews that almost fits onto one piece of paper . . .

Keep your “eye” on these five concepts.
1. Integrity: Keep it real and keep it honest.
2. Information: Share facts, including your main points.
3. Interesting: Relate what you say to your audience’s emotional needs, so they will find it interesting.
4. Insight: Help the audience understand why you do what you do, and how that relates to them.
5. Imagery: Create short, simple, clear, memorable word pictures (like painting tiny, 10- or 20- or 30-second canvases for the mind)

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
1. Know your messages. This is part of your job; if you sit back and wait for good things to happen, you’re likely to get weak results.
2. Know your facts.
3. Clearly understand why listeners/viewers/readers should even be interested in what you have to say.
4. Know what you want to accomplish in each interview. Focus on three or so main points. Weave those points into as many answers as you can without becoming a bore about it.
5. Anticipate questions, and practice making your answers interesting in the context of your key messages. Questions almost always will include the basics: who, what, when, where, why, how. Don’t just anticipate the questions you wish the interviewer would ask, but also the hard questions that you wish the interviewer would not ask.
6. Build a rotating stock of short anecdotes that support your reason for being here.
7. Be ready to handle the unexpected with grace.
8. Be prepared. When you set up the interview, ask questions about the interviewer and his/her station or publication so you’ll know how to do the best interview possible. If you can make the time before the interview, gently suggest some potential topics the interviewer might want to ask you about. In advance if possible, provide a one-page, easy-to-skim fact sheet.
9. Be on time. Or even a little early.
10. Collect your thoughts and center yourself before you go into any interview, especially if you’re feeling out of tune.

DURING THE INTERVIEW
11. Always keep your primary audience – who you really want to reach – in mind.
12. Be positive and upbeat, but not so upbeat that you sound fake.
13. Have fun whenever it’s appropriate, which is most of the time.
14. Listen fully, then answer. Don’t plan your answer while the interviewer is asking the question.
15. Always remember that you are the interviewer’s equal. You are being interviewed because of what you have to offer.
16. Avoid terse “yes/no” answers, but don’t ramble.
17. Speak slowly and clearly without sounding semi-comatose.
18. Tell your stories/anecdotes clearly, in as few words as possible to get your point across.
19. Use words that create mental pictures for listeners/viewers/readers.
20. Don’t gossip and don’t speculate.
21. Remember that you’re always on the record, and you can’t take it back.
22. Don’t just passively answer questions. You can also bring up topics that interest you, the interviewer, and the audience.
23. If you think the interviewer has got an important fact wrong, speak up. Correct it with the same respect you would use with any other equal and, if possible, with humor.
24. At the end of the interview, say “thank you,” and mean it. Close out (on or off the air) with some friendly chat but don’t say anything you wouldn't’t have said in the interview.

20 Basic Fundraising Tips

1. Set realistic goals. Know how much money you need and when you need it.
2. Put your plan, including the schedule and all tasks, in writing.
3. Set beginning and end dates for each project.
4. Find out what types of fundraiser's have been successful for your group or community in the past.
5. Double check your community calendar to co-ordinate your activities with other community activities.
6. Suggest a minimum amount and use a range of options ($100, $50, $25, other) or use sponsorship categories like business, household/family, and individual.
7. Motivate your team with a show of your own enthusiasm.
8. Contact local media in advance about your fundraiser via phone call, press release, or public service announcement.
9. Write talking points for volunteers so they can be informed solicitors.
10. Keep in mind that individuals are the largest source of funding for nonprofit organizations.
11. Corporations give for a handful of reasons: publicity, community respect, etc. Show how donating to your group will benefit the corporation as well as the community.
12. Corporations are more likely to give to new initiatives, special programs, and special events.
13. Government will sometimes fund beneficial projects such as social service programs, cultural resources, and educational opportunities.
14. Remember that you personally are not asking for money; you are an advocate for those in need.
15. Use those who are close to you as a “mini-committee” by contacting their own friends, sending out letters, helping plan a party, or finding raffle prizes.
16. Remember to thank donors.
17. Use a combination of techniques such as a raffle, a fundraising letter, online fundraising, a party, corporate involvement, etc.
18. Help everyone realize that their contribution will last much longer than the 30 seconds it takes to write a check or make an online donation.
19. Mention your efforts whenever possible. You never know when someone has $20 burning a hole in their pocket.
20. Always remember to ask.

45 Basic Fundraising Ideas: affinity programs (credit cards, phone cards, etc.), alumni reunions, annual gifts campaign, art exhibit, auction/silent auction, banquet, basketball in the street, beach party, block party, business directory ad sales, calendar sales, celebrity lunch or dinner auction, crafts fair, community festival, concert, cookbook, direct mail, fashion show, father-daughter dance, golf tournaments, hobby fair, mall booth, marathon, membership campaign, money tree challenge, movie festivals, no-show event, personal face-to-face solicitation, photo contests, product sales, raffles, restaurant chefs’ challenge, sheriff’s posse or jail and bail out, sidewalk chalk art show, speaking engagements, sports exhibition game, treasure hunts, t-shirt sales, used book sale, walkathon, wall of honor, wedding fair, wine and cheese tasting's, wish list, yard sale.

Sources: http://nonprofit.about.com, http://www.profitquests.com, http://www.teamintraining.org, http://www.fundraisingtips.com,

Credibility: Tips for Earning It

James Kouzes and Barry Posner promote six disciplines to help leaders build and maintain credibility. Briefly, these are:

1. Understand yourself and your own values.
2. Appreciate the values and desires of constituents.
3. Affirm shared values to build a sense of community.
4. Help constituents develop to their fullest capacity.
5. Serve a purpose and set the example.
6. Sustain hope by fostering optimistic attitudes.
source: Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, written by James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Why and How-To of Communication Measurement

Discussions about measurement and evaluation bring to mind the philosopher who walked into a bar and ordered a drink. When he finished, the bartender asked him if he wanted another.
The philosopher replied, “I think not,” and ceased to exist.

We take risks when we DO NOT measure. Often, these risks include missed opportunities:
• to prove our performance
• to improve performance
• to learn more about our audiences and their needs
• to get the resources we need

Measuring results really ism’t hard, and the time it takes is well spent.

One excellent, immediate starting point is the Pyramid of Quality developed by Federal Express from a number of sources:
Level 1 (logistics): delivery and input – did people receive the communication in a timely manner?
Level 2 (attention): compelling, understandable, and credible – did people read it, or see it, or listen to it – and did they believe it?
Level 3 (relevance): relevant and useful – was the communication meaningful to the audience?
Level 4 (influence): attitude, commitment, and behavior – did the communication spur the audience to action?

The first three levels should be, but are not, constant. The fourth level is what you accomplish when you do the first three levels right.

Another good model (that takes more time and effort to use) was developed way back in 1959; it’s still useful today. This model – Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels – was finally published in book form by its developer, Donald Kirkpatrick, in 1994. The four levels are:
Reaction: Immediate feedback to evaluate the communication, so the parts we don’t like can be improved.
Learning: Did the communication change attitudes, increase knowledge, or improve skill? Kirkpatrick recommends testing before and after.
Behavior: Are they using their new attitudes, knowledge, and skills? Kirkpatrick recommends measuring these, using both interviews and focus groups, at least three months later.
Results: What effect does the communication have on the organization? Kirkpatrick acknowledges that many factors can influence results, and urges us to “be satisfied with evidence if proof is not possible.”

Making the decision to NOT measure your work is like the prehistoric creature who sat on a ledge wondering whether to eat or to be eaten.

20 Ways to Recruit More Volunteers

Before you recruit:
1. Always keep the public informed about what your organization does.
2. Know specifically what you need volunteers to do, and target specific individuals.
3. Always keep the recruitment message as clear, simple, and upbeat as possible: the need to be filled, how the volunteer can help meet this need, what’s required in the “job,” what the benefits of volunteering are.
4. Have a compelling message that explains why what your organization does for the community is worthy of the prospect’s time.
5. Do your homework; know what motivates prospects.
6. Developing a timeline and set realistic goals.
While you recruit:
7. Remember to ask.
8. Arrange presentations to local service clubs and other groups that might have an interest in your organization.
9. Follow-up quickly with prospects.
10. Post your needs in local media, on bulletin boards, and wherever else you can while respecting other people’s interests and needs.
11. Ask pertinent questions of prospects, and listen to the answers.
12. Involve as many people as possible in recruiting, including current volunteers.
13. Look at things from the perspective of the potential volunteer.
14. Personal contact works best.
15. Recruit with a specific role in mind, rather than asking “anybody to do anything”.
16. Actively seek the skills the position requires.
17. Be honest. Do not cover up or downplay the task as so unimportant that “anybody can do it syndrome”
18. Look where you’ve never looked before.
Afterwards:
19. There is no “afterwards;” recruiting is an all-the-time process.
20. Evaluate the success of each recruitment campaign to learn what worked and what didn't’t, so you can do it better next time.
sources: www.casanet.org, www.charityvillage.com, www.hc-sc.gc.ca, www.nonprofit.about.com, www.volunteeringireland.com.

A Dozen Reasons to Volunteer

Use this information to help recruit and retain volunteers:
1. Meet more people.
2. Make important networking contacts for business or in the community.
3. Learn or develop new work-related skills.
4. Build self-esteem and self-confidence.
5. Feel needed and valued by making a difference in someone’s life.
6. Express gratitude for help you may have received.
7. Gain or practice interpersonal skills such as understanding people better, motivating others, and dealing with difficult situations.
8. Develop skills in public speaking, writing, conducting meetings, and public relations.
9. Learn more about important issues in your community.
10. Build your resume.
11. Explore career possibilities.
12. Have more fun.
sources: www.givingandvolunteering.ca, www.serviceleader.org, www.timebank.org., www.national.unitedway.org, www.volunteer.ca.

Public Speaking Tips for Shy People
Five things to tell yourself every day:
1. I am special because (whatever fits here for you). I don’t have to tell everybody I'm special; they’ll know it if I will just be my relaxed self.
2. I will be timely in everything I do, but I won’t be rushed.
3. My ancestors relied on fear to survive bigger, stronger, and faster predators than I’ll ever find in my audience.
4. When I practice talking to people – no matter how few or how many – I know that a little nervousness can sharpen my focus and improve recall, raise my energy level, and make a more dynamic speech.
5. Even when I’m nervous on the inside, I will be calm on the outside.

Talk to people every day.
1. Pay attention to others’ interests and activities; you will never lack for conversation. Ask about the other person’s day, plans, or any subject you know interests them.
2. Ask “open” questions that take more than a “yes” or “no” response: often, WWWWWH: who, what, where, when, why, and how.
3. If you don’t understand, ask. Questions demonstrate your interest.
4. Question assumptions about the other person. Don’t rely on rumors or stereotypes.
5. Respect for others (and yourself) is a sign of strength, not weakness.
6. In the long run, sincerity wins.
7. Don’t be too personal, unconventional, silent, or dismissive.
8. If somebody’s a jerk, it’s not your fault.
9. Respond with specifics. “Do you like Pearl Jam?” Say yes or no, & say why.
10. Be patient. Make the effort to politely work through problems.
11. Aim for good, not perfect.

WRITING A SPEECH: THE MOST COMMON STRUCTURE
I. INTRODUCTION
• Pick one or two of these: Tell a short story, state the significance of your topic, open with a quotation, ask a question, present a startling fact or statistic, or relate how the topic affects the audience directly.
• Clearly explain your topic – what you’re going to talk about.
• Explain the significance of the topic.
• Very briefly summarize your two or three main points – what you are going to say about what you are going to talk about.
• Answer the question, and say what your two (or three) areas of analysis will be.
II. BODY: REPEAT THE FORMULA
• State your first main point in a general way. Support this point with a short story or anecdote the audience can relate to. Support this point with two or three facts.
• State your second main point in a general way. Support this point with a short story or anecdote the audience can relate to. Support this point with two or three facts.
• State your third main point in a general way. Support this point with a short story or anecdote the audience can relate to. Support this point with two or three facts.
III. CONCLUSION
• Let your audience know you are about to finish your speech.
• Review the main points.
• If possible and appropriate, try to end on a dramatic, funny, or thought-provoking note that ties back to your main topic.
REHEARSE
1. The first time you rehearse, expect to struggle. Words may not come easily, and you might forget some things you planned to say. Every time you practice, it will get easier.
2. Memorize your opening and closing – three or four sentences each – so well that you can speak them naturally. Knowing your opening and closing by heart lets you start and end fluently, connecting with your audience when you are most nervous.
3. Rehearse out loud. Don’t just silently read your speech to yourself. The physical process of speaking the words out loud will help you master content. You’ll also uncover words, phrases, and order that don’t sound the same when read aloud.
4. Once you have a fairly good grasp on the speech, you might choose to practice in the presence of other people and ask for their reactions. You will get a much better sense of how well you know the speech if you can deliver it to friends or family members.
5. As you practice, time your presentation with a stopwatch or clock. Be sure you understand the minimum and maximum times allowed for your presentation.
6. Because of nerves, most people talk faster during a speech than when they practice it. When you rehearse, make certain your speech runs longer than the minimum time limit. That way, if your speaking rate increases, you will not end up with a speech that is too short.
7. Speak loud enough: whisper? soft? conversational? loud? yell? Maybe some of each, although you seldom if ever need to whisper or yell. Usually speak in a conversational tone.
8. Speak clearly, pronouncing words correctly.

SHARING THE SPEECH
1. Rise slowly when your name is called out, walk normally (not casually or lazily) to the dais, confidently climb up, look at the people all around, smile, take your stance.
2. Don’t apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you call the audience’s attention to something they may not notice.
3. Begin slowly and give a smooth and little longer salutation, begin slowly. Within a few seconds you will feel in full command; then go full swing.
4. Make eye contact with your audience.
5. Focus on people who are listening to you, not on those who may not be listening.
6. Ignore if you have made a minor mistake and no one noticed. Admit and correct if it is pointed out or if it is a big enough error.
7. Concentrate on the message. Focus away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience.
8. Take your time. Don’t read your speech word-for-word and don’t rush through it. Use gestures that feel natural, pause to drink water if you want, step this way or that.
9. Be conversational, as if you were talking with a group of friends.
10. Vary your voice tonality and speed during your presentation. Convey energy when you need to, and slow down to “draw them in close” when it’s appropriate.

source: ETVV.org's own Tom Geddie, from a class, "Public Speaking for Shy People," that he's taught.

SCROLL DOWN:

? How to write a Public Service Announcement
? 25 Tips for Managing Volunteers
? Basic Strategic Planning
? Basic Media Relations
? Being Interviewed
? Basic Fundraising
? Credibility: Tips for Earning It
? Why and How-To of Communication Measurement
? 20 Ways to Recruit More Volunteers
? A Dozen Reasons to Volunteer
? Public Speaking Tips for Shy People

Other good sources for nonprofit's:

Texas Nonprofit Management Assistance Network:
www.txnetwork.org

Gifts in Kind:
www.giftsinkind.org

Tech Soup:
www.techsoup.org

Copyright 2006 East Texas Virtual Village