Can You Commit to Blogging For Your Non-Profit?

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission. She is known as the "Words Girl" around Graphix For Change. Her current quest is to get a grip on how online marketing analytics can help grow a non-profit's program and reach.

In Part 1 of the first class for Inbound Marketing University, "How to Blog Effectively for Business (GetFound 101)" with Ann Handley and Mack Collier of MarketingProfs.com, we explored the basic components of a blog, and how they work together. Blogs are without a doubt a powerful marketing tool for your non-profit agency. There is so much opportunity for reaching out to your audience and getting good exposure through your blog. So, now we get to the hard question: are you ready for it?

Let's take a close look at exactly what a blog commitment means.

Does Your Agency Have the Resources to Add Blogging to Your Non-Profit Marketing Plan?

Let's look at the two main resource issues to consider before you jump in and commit. First, do you have the time? Can you devote consistent time each week to updating the blog? Secondly, do you have the people? Ideally, you'll want at least two or three people contributing, not only to share the work load, but to bring in fresh perspectives.

The worst thing you can have is a blog that is dead in the water, with old posts and no fresh content. As Mack Collier says, "your blog does not have an expiration date." This is a commitment you'll make from here on out. It's too frustrating for your audience to begin to interact with them, only to have the blog go dark.

Who Should Do the Blogging for Your Non-Profit?

Building a good blog with lots of comments and interaction does take time. It's not magic; you need to build an audience, and encourage response. So consider carefully who you choose to write for your blog. Ann Hadley of MarketingProfs recommends you choose bloggers with the following characteristics:

1. an understanding of blogging and social media

2. true enthusiasm for your agency and its mission

3. passion for connecting with and helping your clients and collaborators

4. good, fluent writing skills

The Executive Director may not be the right choice to be your primary blogger! This might come as a surprise for some agencies. While it's great for your readers to have an opportunity to interact with your ED, he or she may not have the ability to truly commit to consistent blogging.

A great place to look for help is your volunteer base, including your board and your operational volunteers. Your volunteers have a level of commitment and passion for your agency that can make them fantastic evangelists. Just be ready to give them some guidelines about story ideas and style. It's a good idea to have a second set of eyes on any blog post before it goes live; have a staffer assigned to review each post before it goes live.

A blog is a wonderful marketing tool for your non-profit agency. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before you commit. If you decide that blogging is right for you, go forth boldly and connect with your world!

Inbound Marketing University - Blogging 101

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission. She is known as the "Words Girl" around Graphix For Change. Her current quest is to get a grip on how online marketing analytics can help grow a non-profit's program and reach.

Last week I wrote about Inbound Marketing University, an online learning adventure that I'll be sharing with you in this blog.

I just completed lesson one, "How to Blog Effectively for Business (GetFound 101)" with Ann Handley and Mack Collier of MarketingProfs.com. The take-away from lesson one is simplicity; breaking the blogging platform down into its most common components.

Why blog?
In 2008, 45% of the US online population read blogs on a monthly basis. In 2013, that number is projected to be 58%, 0r 128 million. In 2008, 13% of the US online population created or maintained a blog; by 2013 38 million US netizens will be blogging.

There will be an online conversation about your agency, company or area of expertise. If you aren't engaged in it, you have no say over how that conversation is framed. With an active blog, you become a thought leader in the discussion.

So, what is a blog?
A blog has two basic characteristics:
1)A tool that allows you to quickly and easily create and publish new content; and

2)allows readers to leave feedback on that content, as well as react to feedback from other readers.

Google loves blogs. Why?
The content is constantly changing and fresh. Search engines want to provide their users with the freshest, most relevant information available. By blogging, your site becomes fresh, exciting, and more attractive to the search engines. You get more traffic.

Basic components of blog
Most blogs have the same basic components: the post, the comments, a sidebar, and a header.

The Post
This is the dominant part of the blog; it sets the tone for what you talk about, how you want to position yourself to your readers. This is where you add your fresh content. This is not about advertising or talking about your agency. It's about giving folks information that will be helpful to them. This allows you to establish your expertise while providing useful information.

The Comments
This is where your readers get a say in the content being created. When your readers interact, it makes your content more powerful, more interesting. When someone does comment, be sure you comment back, in a conversational and personal way. Use first names; be welcoming and friendly. Make that personal connection and you'll open the door for even more comments.

The Sidebar
The sidebar is your opportunity to connect with other people in other ways. For example, you can add your Twitter feed, or offer an RSS feed of your blog. You can run a quick poll, or add a sign-up form for your newsletter. The great thing about the sidebar is this can be fully automated, so it is constantly changing, but completely hands-free for you.

Header
This is a great place to put your branding elements (logo, tagline, etc) as well as links to more information about the agency or company. It sets the overall look and feel of the blog, and ties it in to your existing website.

Layout and Design
There are myriad choices for layout, either through easy-to-use templates or customization. A word here...start simple, start clean. Make it easy to understand at a glance, so the reader's focus isn't distracted trying to "figure it out." You can even use dropdowns for the information in the sidebar, for a really clean look.

That's the basics of "what is a blog?" In the next post we'll talk about some things to consider before you commit to a blog. In the meantime, please add your thoughts about blogs, and if you know of a blog that you really love, post it here so we can talk about it.

Inbound Marketing for Non-Profits - A Learning Adventure

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission. She is known as the "Words Girl" around Graphix For Change. Her current quest is to get a grip on how online marketing analytics can help grow a non-profit's program and reach.

I'm pretty excited; I've just signed up for Inbound Marketing University Educational Program, a training program from Hubspot.com. Hubspot has become my new go-to place to improve my skills in online marketing. It's good timing too; I was watching Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, on Larry King last night. I don't usually watch the show, but Tony Robbins was also on and I'm always interested to hear what Tony's got to say.

The topic was jobs, and the economy. Both of these gurus, as well as the third panelist, Magic Johnson, all agreed that the key to not just surviving, but thriving, is to remake yourself. Find that thing you are passionate about, and become the best you can be at that.

My thing is online marketing, and my passion is teaching non-profits and small businesses how to effectively market themselves online. So when I saw this course offering this morning, I signed up. As I work through the class I'll share my insights and ah-ha moments here, and translate what I'm learning into bite-sized, actionable steps.

The first lesson is "How to Blog Effectively for Business." Come back tomorrow for the juicy details. (Take the RSS feed of our blog to make it easy to follow along! Just click on the orange "Post" button under "Subscribe" in the right column.)

To Blog or not to Blog? For Social Change agents, that is no longer the question...

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

We work with leaders of non-profit organizations and public service groups. Our job is to help them bring about social change by utilizing the tools available on the internet. So, eventually, the conversation will come up about a blog. Usually, for those who have not yet begun to blog, they wrinkle their face, or make some other not so subtle non-verbal sign of resistance. To address this resistance and to help you think about getting started, Graphix for Change provides you with the
Top 10 Reasons why Social Change agents should blog.

1. It’s not just for amateurs with too much time on their hands. Blogging got a bad rap when too many people started blogging their brains out without citations, research, or letting facts get in the way of a good punch line. Now blogs are being used as a serious way to get your point across and to promote an organization’s mission.

2. Leaders need followers. Think of your blog as your leadership platform, as your way to reach your organization’s audience with your message.

3. It helps your reflect on your work and stay focused. Writing a blog entry requires that you clarify your position on something, that you think about what you want the public to know, and how you hope they will act with regard to your issue.

4. Organizations are the experts. Blogging helps you build your expert status. Eventually your name and organization will become recognized as a key mover on your issue.

5. If you don’t join the conversation, you won’t be in it. Because of the explosion of social media, there are folks out there talking about your issues. Make sure that your perspective is out there through a blog, otherwise, the conversation could go down another path.

6. Public visibility attracts money. Blogging will help you become known to potential donors, funders, and supporters.

7. Dialogue on an issue is healthy. When people are reading and responding to your blog posts, it generates fresh and dynamic debate. This helps move your work forward.

8. Blog a shout out - have a friend forever. If you appreciate what someone has done - a reporter, legislator, board member, give them praise through your blog. This will resonate not only with the person you thank, but will let the rest of the world know that you appreciate the efforts of your community.

9. The world needs to hear what you have to say - plain and simple. What if the world were a person and asked the question - How would you have me change? Your blog can provide the instructions.

10. Blogging is easy, fun, and free.

Changing the world? Start by Changing a Definition

So, you want to change the world, eh? Social change is to many people like love - you know it when you feel it, but it's sometimes difficult to describe. Indeed, social change is complex, involving many interrelated people, organizations, concepts and policies. It can be difficult to define.

I find it essential to work within a framework, and one of the best that I’ve found is offered through The Center for Effective Philanthropy and and then applied through the Women's Funding Network. This framework conceptualizes social change as occurring on five interconnected levels, the first one being Changing the Definition of something.

I can’t think of a better way to begin than changing the definition of something, first in one person’s mind, and then in understanding of others. Indeed, for every social justice issues, it seems to begin here. Working on sexualized violence, for example, starts with redefining rape, learning the origins of the historical concepts of rape as a property crime against the men (either father or husbands) in a woman’s life. The redefinition emerges when we turn it around and realize that rape is an attack on the body, mind, and soul of the victim and is not the victim’s fault or responsibility. Working on issues of poverty begins when we redefine poverty through a lens of understanding society’s oppression. I’m convinced that this is where it starts.

So, how do we change the definitions of the issues that we address through our organizations and alliances? We can begin amongst ourselves but very quickly that becomes an exercise of cyclical ranting - the proverbial singing to the choir. What we really need is a means of changing definitions more broadly - by reaching the minds and hearts of the general public, policy makers, allies, families, educators.

I’m convinced that we can start here through an intentional campaign of telling the world. At Graphix for Change we utilize web-based tools to build and promote the expert status of organizations. Most organizations who work to help people affected by a problem are indeed the experts on the issue, but often don’t get the public recognition or credit for being the experts. Through a system of article marketing we take what organizations know about an issue and help you widely distribute it, by placing it on your website as well as numerous other sites. The result is a more informed public, with a redefined understanding of your issue, while at the same time, your status as an expert and leader in the area expands. Shift happens, let’s start shifting some definitions today.

Good Design is not a luxury for nonprofits, it’s a necessity

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

At Graphix for Change, we do design and marketing for nonprofits. We also get it because we’ve been there. In my past lives as an employee of various not-for-profits, I’ve had the titles of Executive Director, Associate Director for this and that, Development Manager, Counselor, Community Educator...you get the idea. In each of my positions, I would tumble head-first into the classic dilemma that most non-profits face. Do we put our resources into the work or into telling people about our work? Do we spend money on people or printing? Website development or advertising? Can’t we get it donated? I’ve been on the other end of the phone when someone called to say they want to donate us a vacuum cleaner - that needs to be repaired - that uses bags that are discontinued. You can guess whether or not we accepted it...I realized finally that there has to be a line that we could easily cross where our efforts at cost savings actually cost us more, because we run the risk of not getting our message out, of not reaching those who really need our help, of not making the difference we set out to make.

We want to change the world and we take seriously our role as stewards of the resources, donated by individuals affected by the issue that we want to change, or granted to us through foundations and government sources that support us. So, I’m convinced that it’s just as important to pay attention to how our message is presented as to what the message is. Think about it, key things that we need to know are branded for a reason. It’s because there are ways that we as people take in information and then translate that information into action. A stop sign is a red hexagon with white letters, this is a logo for a brand that we no longer even think about, but it’s one of the first things we pay attention to when we’re driving. Apply this to how you’d like to change people’s behavior or the way our systems operate, and we’ve harnessed some serious social change potential.

The internet has become a place where not only can we post our information, but we can use it to interact with our clients, our donors, our supporters. When organizations begin to utilize their websites as more than a billboard or an electronic brochure, then we begin to engage with our friends and supporters in new ways, while we develop systems that support efficiency and interaction. Welcome to Web 2.0, nonprofit world. Let’s change some things together.

Taking The Plunge

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission, in partnership with Graphix For Change. Carol is also the owner of Brandeur Marketing.

I took myself to the movies on Sunday, and saw "Whip It"...just me, myself and a bag of way-too-buttery popcorn. The cast was fantastic...think "Ocean's Eleven" on estrogen. Some of the smartest, funniest and hippest female actors out there, in a great ensemble story that left me feeling like I could easily take on the world.

What struck me as I left the theater was the delicious boldness of Drew Barrymore in her directorial debut. Never one to ask for permission, Ms. Barrymore has taken a story about grrrrl power and made it real. She had something to say, and she said it loudly, clearly and without a trace of self-consciousness. She took The Plunge and came up sparkling.

While I bought my ticket expecting to be entertained, I never expected to be inspired. But I was. It got me thinking about all the "plunges" we take in our lives. And what happens when we miss our opportunity to dive in. How many times have I wanted to say something, wanted to speak up, wanted to voice an opinion, and was held back by...anything.

Being in marketing, it's easy to take those plunges that everyone expects us to take. You have to put yourself out there for the big events, the fundraising campaign, the monthly newsletter, the networking. You've got a mission, and you know how to make some noise around it.

But what about those unexpected plunges, when you just have to dive in and make a statement? Scary stuff. Do it anyway. Say your piece. Speak your mind. Be your own hero.

Life is a collection of all those plunges you take, and the ones you let pass by. I'm diving in. See you in the deep end!

Using Keywords to Find Your Audience

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission, in partnership with Graphix For Change. Carol is also the owner of Brandeur Marketing.

Want to attract the right people to your site? Then you've got to get into their minds and think like they do. This is especially true if your site caters to a specific audience or a niche market. Let's walk through a simple process that will really help you put a stake in the ground on finding your audience online.

1. Identify a "real person" in your audience.

First, you have to think like your audience. This can be a challenge, so bear with me and we'll walk through this together.

Get out a blank piece of paper and jot down a few typical "people" who might use your site. They might be survivors, advocates, volunteers, or family members. Make a list of at least three different "personas."

Got your list? Okay, spend a few minutes on each "persona" and flesh them out. Give them an age, a location, and a real reason for needing your agency's services. It can help if you base this on real life experience, so maybe think of some of your clients and how you've helped them.

2. Get in their brains

Now that you've identified your personas, it's time to start thinking like they do.

Imagine that you are the first "persona" on your list. What might you be thinking as you search for help or information? Keep in mind...these are real people, sometimes in crisis or a state of real need. They aren't necessarily well-versed in your industry's jargon or buzzwords. And they need what you offer.

Take a few minutes right now and jot down some of the search terms your personas might use. Remember, think like them. While your agency might offer "victim's assistance and advocacy" it's highly unlikely that your person in crisis is going to think in those terms. Instead, use the kind of language and wording that your audience is likely to use.

Think locally. If you serve the Boston area, include "Boston" in your search terms. There's no sense trying to reach an audience in San Francisco if you only offer local services.

3. Do a search

After you've identified a few key search terms for each persona, enter them into a search engine and look carefully at the results. Is your client likely to find the information they need? Is your agency in the search results? This can really be an eye opener for a lot of people, when they realize that they are not likely to be found by the people who really need them.

Once you've found a few key phrases that will bring the right people to your site, start using those terms in your site copy, especially in headlines, subheadings and article titles. This will help the search engines find your site and include it in their search results. And that will help your audience get the help they need...that's the key to all of it.

What do we really Need?

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

What is is that we need?
I’ve been thinking alot about social services, their systems, rules, forms, processes, people, institutions, and all of it. I’m thinking about it alot now, not because of any academic or intellectual endeavor, but because I’m in the thick of it right now. Within the last month, stuff ... really big complicated stuff... happened in my family. The end result was the doubling of my family and household when we welcomed our niece and nephew into our home after the illness and death of their mom. So, here we were (and in many ways still are) in need as a family. But, of what, exactly, are we in need? We went to court and were told “you need to complete this stack of papers”. Okay we said, as we turned around to stand at the only counter we could find and began to fill out the forms seeking to be appointed as legal guardians. Then there was the endless instructions, you need to sit in this courtroom, no this one, no back to the first one. Then, at another agency we were told, “you need to fill out this form and bring this list of documents”. It went on like that - schools, health care organizations, state institutions. All the while they almost had me convinced. Maybe if I just focus on the forms, fill them all out correctly, bring the documents, pieces of paper, paper that proves that other paper exists. You get the idea. Then I stepped back for a minute because someone said to me, intending it as a compliment “oh, maybe you could be my guardian, you’re doing such a great job”. I think I hurt her eardrum when I kinda yelled “no, be my friend - there’s no paperwork and it’s what I really need”. It made me keep thinking about the difference between social change and social service. I’m convinced, now more than ever that what people need is not just a social service, but institutions, organizations, well-trained people, procedures that understand that we all bring ourselves and our real human needs to human service organizations. People aren’t sick, addicted, poor, victimized, isolated, disabled, uneducated, or oppressed because they lack social services, it’s because our social system lacks many of the things that people need. My problem is not that I lacked a service, it’s that my life, and the lives of these beautiful children have been altered, turned upside down, never to be the way they were. There’s good and bad in that. There’s change, sadness, joy, anxiety, trouble, transition, hope. All of it. So, I’ll stay committed to the systems change work and will never again look at a form, or a process, or a social service the same way that I did before.

The Ducks Are Hungry - How Article Marketing Works in a Crowd

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to more effectively market their mission. She is the Words Girl at Graphix For Change, and owner/marketing consultant at Brandeur Marketing.

Like a flock of hungry ducks, online searchers will peck at any scrap they can find to get the right info. Throw them crackers. Write short articles about your area of expertise, and submit your articles to an article distribution service. It's how article marketing works to feed the ducks.

The ducks are hungry. And apparently they will eat anything. They've been hovering around my patio door, sounding highly annoyed that I'm not throwing bagel bits and bread crumbs their way.

They are almost frantic, swishing their bills through the damp grass, scarfing up whatever odd things they find.

I'm lucky enough to have a front row seat on Grand Traverse Bay at the moment, overlooking a sandy beach and a marsh full of waterfowl. I took a few days away to clear my head and get some writing done. And the ducks just wouldn't leave me alone.

Until...

The folks in the condo next door starting throwing crackers. Real, legitimate duck food. Now they are leaving behind the odd assortment of grass, bugs and who knows what at my door, and flocking over there for the bonanza.

The scene makes me think of online searchers, and their insatiable quest for information. You know how it happens; you enter a search term in Google or Yahoo! or one of the other search engines, and frantically peck at whatever scraps happen to come along in the search results. The problem is, some of it's edible; some of it is actually palatable; and some of it is not fit for human consumption. And when you do find a good source for reliable information, you go back again and again.

So how do you get your website or organization to be the "go to" source in your field? How do you get yourself in the first page of search results for those hungry ducks...er...potential visitors? It's as easy as throwing crackers.

Simply turn all that good info you already have (on your site, in your FAQs, in your ebooks, reports and white papers) into short (400-600 word) articles. Then distribute them, using a content or article distribution service. You simply enter the article once, and the article distribution service pushes it out to thousands of online publishers, editors, site owners and news groups. Your article gets widespread distribution, and keeps all those searching ducks well fed with palatable info.

The process is known as "article marketing", and it has an amazing lasting effect too. As you publish more and more good information, you become recognized as a leader in your industry. People will turn to you for dependable information, and not have to hunt so hard for the scraps out there.

I can see it happening already. The ducks have become bored and disappointed with my patio door, and keep returning back to the folks next door. The way returning customers, with their repeat business, will flock back to you for more good info. Doesn't that sound ducky?

Now, about those seagulls...

Marketing the Mission in a Web 2.0 World

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to more effectively market their mission. She is the Words Girl at Graphix For Change, and owner/marketing consultant at Brandeur Marketing.

Understaffed. Overworked. Dedicated to the cause, yet running on empty. When you work for social justice and social change, these emotions are all too familiar.

I was privileged to be a part of the National Sexual Assault Conference last week in Washington DC. There I met some truly amazing and inspiring people who are working to change the world. Not just in words or in lofty concepts, but right down on the ground. They are working to change the world and make it better place. They do this with the advocacy and services they provide for survivors. They also change how the world will look in the future, through education, prevention and policy initiatives.

These people are truly remarkable.

And they have a problem.

Almost everyone with whom I spoke had a common issue. These organizations working for social change have huge amounts of data, research and educational material in their possession. And yet they are struggling to get that information out to the people who really need it...the survivors, the people in crisis who don't know where to turn, as well as volunteers and donors who could support their work. In an age when access to any amount of information is literally at your fingertips, why is it so hard for these organizations to connect with the people they are desperately trying to reach?

Bring on Web 2.0

The solution, as it often is, is found where the problem lives. There is TOO much information available online, and much of it is myth, misconception and just plain garbage. Many of the people I spoke to lamented the fact that a survivor of sexual assault has to wade through page after page of utter dreck to find the real gems of help, wisdom and support. The answer? These organizations MUST be present on the Web and join in the discussion where it is happening.

Having worked in non-profits for many years, I might guess at what's going on in your mind right now. "Okay, fine, now you want me to add another whole set of tasks to my understaffed, overworked team. Are you serious?"

Um...yes. You have to.

The good news is you probably already have about 90 percent of what you need to make it happen. The other 10 percent is part planning, and part motivation. Let's look at an example:

Think of the last report you read about statistics or trends in your city. It probably contained at least 5,000 words about the issues your community is facing, and suggesting some ways to respond. Now think of the people you would most like to know this information. Is it potential donors? Volunteers? Granting organizations? Other community leaders?

Take a minute a really get a clear picture in your head of 1) what info you want to share and 2) who you want to share it with. Now take the next 20 minutes and rework a section of that report into a 500 word piece, written in your own words. (If the report was published by your own organization, even better...you can likely use much of the content as is without rewriting, since your organization already owns the copyright). Don't agonize over the writing itself. Rather focus on what you passionately want to say.

After you've drafted it, read through it again. Tweak it, give it a careful proofread, and save it. Don't worry about winning a Pulitzer Prize. Just make sure it's clear and readable, with good spelling and grammar.

Now go to your blog and post it. If your organization doesn't have a blog, ask someone in a similar agency to let you post it as a guest author in their blog, with a link back to your website. Tweet it. Update your status on Facebook and give people a link to the post. Send a copy of it via email to your contact list. Add it as an article in your next newsletter. Email it to the editor of your local paper.

Congratulations, you've just used Web 2.0 tools to market your mission, and help get crucial information to the right people. You've joined the discussion where it is happening. You've positioned yourself as a leader in your field. Most importantly, you've changed your corner of the world.

The conversation is happening all around us. Learn how to leverage the tools available and make the Web work for you. The World 2.0 is waiting for us.

Survivors of Sexual Violence have a Huge Stake in Health Care Reform

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

It's Wednesday evening, a few minutes before President Obama's big speech on health care. I'm in my hotel room at the National Sexual Assault Conference. I can see a view of the Washington monument from my room and I spent the day talking to people who work in rape crisis centers, coalitions and policy organizations on sexual violence. Can't help but connect the dots to the issues of survivors of sexual violence and the stake that we all have in the health care issue.

Research findings are telling the story loud and clear. People who live through sexual assault, children who are sexually exploited have worse overall health over their lifetimes than the general population. By worse I mean the whole package. Survivors of sexual assault have higher incidences of cancers, cardio-vascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and nervous system disorders. For every major system in the body, the experience of sexual assault seems to heighten the odds and shorten the lives of survivors. For reasons that are yet to be fully understood, survivors of rape and other forms of sexual assault have a huge stake in this issue.

Health care, and access to the benefits of decent preventative and intervention treatment are indeed an issue for policy development as it relates to sexual assault survivors. Decent health care would include training and support for medical professionals to screen for and provide supported referrals to survivors. Training for technicians, surgeons, nurses, and social workers on the normal responses that survivors have to sexual assault and how to help support them through testing, surgery, recovery, and prevention would be a part of a comprehensive health care system that works for survivors.

For advocates in the movement to address sexual violence, it would mean program development and training so that we can support survivors as they access the health care system. It would mean learning to ask questions about a survivor's health status and developing programs that provide preventative and wellness options for survivors.

The health impact of sexual violence, if taken on as an issue within rape crisis centers, would be a visible and important issue, a next step for rape crisis centers. Our vision of recovery for survivors, as well as for whole and well communities must be informed by these issues. It's the logical and right next step for our work toward health.

The buzz about prevention

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

The 80's called... and while they don't want their prevention work back, they'd just like some credit for the wisdom.

Reflecting on Jane Doe Inc.'s (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence) series of capacity building gatherings on the prevention of sexual and domestic violence, I can't help but compare the conversations to those I was a part of in earlier days of the movement. Since 1984 I've been working in organizations, and now in partnership with organizations that are working toward an end to violence.

Then we had very little to go on except the burgeoning awareness within our communities. We also had lots of passion and we felt certain that if only we told enough people enough of the facts, if only survivors' stories were shared, then the awareness would motivate people to live violence-free lives and to join us in the fight. Now we have some tools, some research, and a theoretical framework that moves us beyond the awareness thing and into an actual model of prevention.

We're talking about changing individual behavior, improving relationships that support non-violence, changing laws and institutions, and changing society. Now there's language like social-ecological models, bystanders, community development. If you are working in an organization that is committed to prevention, it's definitely worth attending some of these trainings. They offer this framework and some language, and definitely some tools to use in your communities.

But, don't let yourself think that you're starting over. You see, we weren't wrong even back then. We in rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, community based organizations and coaliitons have been workng out of this model for decades now, perhaps with different language, but we have been working on comprehensive prevention strategies for a long time. While we welcome the influx of interest, the modest increase in resources, the evaluation data that helps us know where best to put our efforts, we deserve to honor what we have been doing all along and welcome this as an opportunity to stabilize our work and generate and secure new collaborators and partners in the work. Most important, we must enjoy the process of building our vision. For by describing the world and imagining a time when no one ever becomes the victim of sexual or domestic violence, we are the bold and daring change makers that our world needs. What if we worked on prevention AS IF we really believed it could be done. This, would change everything.

Is there an Economic Stimulus that would End Poverty?

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized violence and is passionate about a vision of a movement that is inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

Graphix for Change recently designed Child Poverty in Massachusetts, A tale of two states. In this compelling report, Massachusetts Citizens for Children has pioneered new conversations and commitments toward addressing poverty, including in my home town, Springfield, Mass.

Download report here.

Seemingly endless is the news reporting on the proposed economic stimulus packages. Trillions of dollars being pumped into the financial system so that banks can start lending, businesses can stop laying off and start hiring, in general, so the world can keep turning. Please know, I'm as up for economic stimulation as the next person - I just can't ignore this sinking feeling that I'm having. I'll admit it, it's grown from a sinking feeling to an outright emotion. I knew for sure when I shouted at my television this morning - What about the Poor People???!!!

From everything that I've been seeing and reading, getting the economy back on track means getting back to some type of status quo, which for many many people is not a recovery at all, just a return to when things are bad rather than worse, our communities' poor. Statistically speaking, I live in a poor community. The media household income is around $26,000, the school system that educates my neighborhood's children graduates about 54% of its first year students. Foreclosures and vacant properties are disturbingly increasing. 36% of the children who live where I live are poor.


I also love my neighborhood. Most people at least nod, if not stop and have a conversation with people on the street. The old Victorian homes are beautiful and most have been painted with many colors and are graced with beautiful carpentry and craftsmanship. Our neighbors walk over and play cards or barbecue something for dinner. I can walk to locally owned restaurants and eat food that represents cuisines form around the world. There is a real effort at community as well as delightful successes at cross-cultural communication and friendships.


So, why do I feel that we're being left behind? Perhaps it's because of the assumption inherent in the economic solutions proposed that poverty is acceptable. In fact, no one that I see with a national visibility or level of media attention is saying anything at all about the necessity or desire to eradicate poverty. An economic stimulus package that really worked toward ending poverty would have to include some real efforts at the root causes of poverty. Local communities could receive funds to build and sustain real local grass roots efforts at ending the root causes of poverty. In my neighborhood and neighborhoods like mine, a goal of 100% graduation and 100% job training or college would be set with a full range of supports to make it happen. The focus on ending poverty would no longer be the "trickle-down" notion that has been the default strategy. Instead of expecting a few to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", we would collectively expect all to fully participate.


Now, I'm not naive to think that there wouldn't be a consequence. First, we'd have to eliminate the threat of poverty as a punishment for mistakes and stock-market fluctuations. I'm looking for the day when the day's headline is something like: All Housed with Decent and Adequate Space to Live, or Children Go to School and Graduate...

Are You Holding Yourself Back??

Carol Palmatier writes about marketing and personal branding, and is a frequent contributor to a number of industry blogs.  

What beliefs are limiting your own life, your success, your relationships, your career? This Tony Robbins interview with Frank Kern and John Reese is an eye-opener.

Last December, I had the awesome opportunity to attend Date With Destiny in Orlando. What I learned there did change my life...when I allow it to! See, the funny thing is, as much as I learned and brought home from that event, I limited the power it could have in my life. The limits are insidious...often hidden, sometimes blatant and still surprising. A limiting belief can rob you of your success before you even begin. And we all have them.

This video interview with two Internet Marketing giants is a good reminder of how powerful these limiting beliefs can be. Everybody needs a wake up call now and again, and I got mine this morning.

If you're not a fan of Tony (yet), this is a good intro to what he's all about.

And it just might change your life before lunch. Enjoy!

The Zen of Personal Branding

Carol Palmatier writes about marketing and personal branding, and is a frequent contributor to a number of industry blogs.

I hear voices in my head. Constantly. A never-ending stream of ideas, thoughts, words, writings, conversations. On every topic under the sun.

The voices criticize, cajole, inspire, chuckle, encourage, annoy…a melange of discordant ideas, like the episode in which Bugs Bunny conducted the symphony. You remember that one, right? Only Bugs Bunny is my brain, and seems intent on amping up the volume and making its own form of questionably joyful noise.

The funny thing is, I don’t think I am crazy. In fact, I think I’m a pretty normal gal. I believe that most smart, ambitious, goal-oriented people have these voices in their own heads, urging them on, criticizing their mistakes and pushing them forward.

(A little affirmation would be good here. You do have those voices, right?)

Blessedly, I’ve recently begun to learn how to quiet those voices for a time, and simply BE. Be quiet, be still, and observe those voices as an impartial party. It takes practice and effort to recognize the voices for what they are. And it takes no small amount of courage to turn off the noise too. What if this is my million-dollar idea waiting to be heard? What if I really need to learn what this voice is screaming to tell me?

Ssshhhh. Be still already.

What I’ve found in the stillness is precious. It’s the relief you get when that noisy punk kid neighbor finally turns off the Slayer. There’s a new found ability to focus and concentrate on the task. A new creative process takes over, in which the words flow and the thoughts are clear. Suddenly I’m speaking from a new place of truth and IS-ness.

The voice that says “there are other people who know more about this than I do” is replaced by the recognition that we are all learning on our journey. The voice that screams “don’t try that; you might fail” is nudged aside by the realization that success and failure are arbitrary self-imposed concepts.

Now the idea of “going out and marketing myself” becomes simple and conversational. Learning, sharing, growing…not blustering about how wildly amazing I am, or how my years of experience in the field have helped me leverage the….blah blah blah.

Engaging in the conversation is the essence of personal branding and marketing. No one’s asking you to know it all. In fact, who wants to be THAT guy? No one’s deciding you’re a failure or a success..well, no one except you and that Bugs Bunny in your head.

Relax. Be Still. Absorb the quiet. Then come out and introduce yourself to the world. Happy to meet you.