Communications Committee Meeting April 7

Communications Committee Meeting
April 7, 2005

Location & Time: The first meeting was held at the Federal Aviation Administration, 901 Locust Street , Kansas City , MO 64106 from 09:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Committee members in attendance: Sharon Blackmon, Carla Farris, Mitch Frazier, Larry Hisle, Athena Martin, Henry Mendoza, Matt Mitchell, Michele Nelson, Terry Penland, Holly Ross, Daryl Sprague, Paige Wymore-Wynn.

Committee members called in as unavailable: Marcy Nelson

Agenda

1.) Brainstorming - What do you want to accomplish in 2005? Please have your ideas ready for a brief discussion with the team.

Outcome:

The membership roster was circulated for people to sign in.

Our meeting opened with introductions and comments by each member to share their purpose for being on the committee and to identify their personal goals for this campaign. The following examples came from our introductions:

· Build consistency in all agencies – information sharing, opportunities, etc.

· Communicate with different audiences – the benefit of CFC to the community

· Outreach to people

· Help with the details

· Help make the pledge card process more effective

Larry showed the 2005 National CFC video and gave us an explanation about where it came from. It is available to all CFC offices. He asked us to consider the possibility of creating a local video again this year.

Discussion: We need to identify our target audience and where they get their information. Then use those channels of communications to get our story out. Our target audience includes:

· Metropolitan Area Federal Employees and their families
(Asking them to participate in CFC activities and to donate to our campaign)

· Local Charities and Civic organizations like the Lions Club, Rotary Club, etc.
(Informing them about what CFC accomplishes in our community each year)

Our goal is to highlight the Federal Employee and their activities in our community. If we do this well we will influence Federal Employees to give to CFC, and create good will within our community.

Tools that get the word out: Using a Journalism Style Approach

· Web sites (Internet and Intranet) – Provide Federal Agencies CFC information to post on their Web sites using our theme and graphics. Provide our video for their Video Streaming Library, PDF Pledge cards when they become available, success stories, links to the Heartland CFC Web site, etc. (Remember some employees do not have access to the Internet and they can only get information from their Intranet.)

· Informative e-Mail messages – target employees with useful information and ask them to pass it on to the appropriate people. Use caution not to create chain letters. Include URL (Web site addresses), contact information, etc.

· Pictures – Pictures – Pictures
We heard several stories about people wanting pictures – they were willing to purchase them. Some people actually used them for fundraisers. (Buttons, posters, etc.)

· Perpetual calendar with Heartland CFC Logo and Web site address

· Pens, pencils, coasters

· Other items people keep around their desk and use daily to remind them about CFC.

TO DO LIST:

                                    1.            Place the Heartland Area map on our Web site so people know the Kansas and Missouri counties we cover. Make it easy to find on the Home Page.
Volunteers: Larry Hisle

                                    2.            Produce a local video (Write a script, film sites, edit, etc.)
Volunteers: Holly Ross (Script), Holly Ross & Athena Martin (SSA resources for editing)
*** (Ask Beth Walker, Patrick Bustos if they are available to help) ***

                                    3.            Create a portfolio of pictures to use in the campaign (Under tools on Web site)
(Ask all of the CFC volunteers to take all the pictures ‘Digital Preferred’ they can at their events and send them in for this library)
Volunteers: Larry Hisle

                                    4.            Establish a distribution list for the video project – Tape, DVD, Web site, etc.
Will need site name, contact, media type required, etc.
Volunteers: TBD

                                    5.            Establish an e-Mail message format that can be used to get the CFC Story out
Volunteers: TBD

2.) The Heartland CFC Cabinet has requested that we accomplish the following items:

· 2005 CFC Campaign Theme (Pick 3 we can work with)
Can Change the World

Fountain of Caring

Every 1 of Us (National Theme) varying use

Giving is a Choice ….. Choose to Make a Difference

Times Change……..Needs Don’t

Turning Hope into Reality

Outcome:
Propose the theme “Every 1 of Us Turning Hope Into Reality” to the Cabinet

TO DO LIST:

1. Notify the CFC Cabinet that we have narrowed down the suggestions and propose a single theme be approved. A graphic will be prepared for the next Cabinet meeting.
Volunteers: Daryl Sprague & Larry Hisle (e-Mail went out 4-7-05)

2. Create a graphic suggestion for this theme
Volunteers: Carla Farris

· Spring Newsletter (Create an outline)
Tell what CFC is (some people ask – what, why, etc. – no kidding)

Ask people to give this year – to plan ahead for the opportunity this fall

Personal stories (local) - someone that has been helped by CFC donations over the years

Other ideas?

Outcome:

Decided to wait on theme and graphic to publish the first newsletter. Will promote Day of Caring with first edition.

TO DO LIST:

1. Determine the content each newsletter. Come up with suggested copy to accomplish this year’s goal as stated in this bullet item.
Volunteers: Paige Wymore-Wynn, Terry Penland

2. Notify the CFC Coordinators that they need to take digital pictures whenever possible and send them to Larry Hisle for use in our Portfolio and in our Newsletter.
Volunteers: Daryl Sprague

· Training Materials Review (Select team members to review)

(Available at Web site: http://www.heartlandcfc.org)

PowerPoint Presentations

Campaign Coordinator Guide

Communications Kit

Fun(d) Raising Booklet

Canvasser Training Guide

Outcome:

Assembled team to evaluate possible updates to the materials as requested and bring back their suggestions to the committee.

TO DO LIST:

                                    1.            Review Canvassing Training Guide
Volunteers: Henry Mendoza

                                    2.            Review all materials listed in this bullet item
Volunteers: Michelle Nelson, Matt Mitchell

·         Heartland CFC Web site (Team to review)

How can our team improve the overall Web site?

How can our team use the Web site to accomplish our work?

(Meeting dates, times, downloadable files, etc.)

Outcome:

Assembled team to evaluate possible updates to the Web site and bring back their suggestions to the committee.

TO DO LIST:

1. Provide this team other CFC Web site addresses to get ideas from
Volunteers: Larry Hisle (e-Mail went out 4-7-05)

2. Review the Heartland CFC Web site and make recommendations based upon their original ideas and after reviewing other CFC sites for examples
Volunteers: Mitch Frazier, Carla Farris

· Electronic Catalog and Pledge Card (Team to review)

Ideas for e-Pledge cards…

Goal – Reducing the number of printed catalogs pledge cards

Outcome:

Assembled a team to evaluate possible E-Pledge procedures and bring back their suggestions to the committee. The use of electronic signatures, e-mailing PDF files, etc. was discussed. We decided to start simple and focus on providing the ability for people to complete the pledge card electronically and print the copies required for the campaign.

TO DO LIST:

1. Evaluate Adobe PDF file form capabilities
Volunteers: Carla Farris

2. Review catalog counts and pledge form counts required this year
Volunteers:

3.) Suggestion – can we create a new “Heartland CFC Area Logo”?

(Use the National CFC Logo and build a Heartland version)

Outcome:

Prepare a graphic for approval of the committee and presentation to the Cabinet for final approval.

TO DO LIST:

1. Use the National CFC graphic and modify it to create a unique Heartland Area CFC logo
Volunteers: Carla Farris
2.) Future Meeting Plans – Dates, Times, Locations

The CFC Cabinet meets each month on a Wednesday. It would work very well to have our meetings on Thursday following those meetings. (3^rd Thursday each month)

Outcome:

Everyone agreed to be members of a Hi-Tech committee using Teleconferencing, e-Mail and the Heartland CFC Web site to do our work.

TO DO LIST:

1. Share the Membership Roster with all the team members
Volunteers: Daryl Sprague

2. Create a Web page on the Heartland CFC Web site to post committee business
Volunteers: Larry Hisle

3. Establish a Calendar of events on the Heartland CFC Web site to show meeting and teleconference dates and times
Volunteers: Daryl Sprague & Larry Hisle

4. Schedule May 26 meeting at the Federal Courthouse and provide information about room number, date, time and parking to Daryl Sprague and Larry Hisle for distribution to the committee.
Volunteers: Paige Wymore-Wynn

5. Establish a Teleconference for Thursday, April 14, 2005 starting at 9:00 a.m.
Volunteers: Daryl Sprague

Call: 816-329-2480 – Enter Code: 563864
Scheduled: 09:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

6. Establish meeting locations and times for every forth Thursday 9:00 a.m. with Teleconference number for people that cannot travel to the meeting.
Volunteers: TBD

The 2005 Heartland CFC Communications Team agreed to keep information flowing between each other using e-mail. Using “Heartland CFC Communications” in the subject line will help us all recognize the team members communicating with each other.

Please notify Daryl Sprague via e-mail (Daryl.Sprague@faa.gov) if you have any additions, deletions or corrections to the minutes.