Talk:Press Kit

brainstorming for a Press Kit.

Draw on resources in Stats and Testimonials and get stuff out to folks on the Media contact list.

Mention some organizational ties (Mercy Corps? Rebuilding Center? OSDL?) Mention Portland as "hot spot" for free software/open source. (Use of terms OS and FS?)

Mention some successful grants, what the $$ allowed us to do

There is a video (30 mins?) that details e-waste problems. What's the copyright status of it, can we legally make DVD copies? I believe Oso has a VHS copy and Joe Rowe has it on DVD.

Write "letters to the editor"

• we can send the same one to a bunch of media outlets

Write "prefab" stories.

• mention first- and second-serial rights (basically, whether and when other publications can carry the same story.)

--Pete 01:51, 15 Dec 2005 (PST)

from modsquad mailing list, 12/05

Shawn

Umm, what have we been working on...? Here's my ideas:

- Holiday party - Media strategy and a little bit on what that involves - People's Supporting Business - we'll probably be doing this, but we're working on the specifics - We'll have another 25% off at the thrift store coupon in the Chinook Book for 2006 - We're gearing up for grant/funding request season - If people want to comment or get involved, email outreach@ - Anything else (that's already a lot)

Let's bat this around on the list, then get the report to council. I don't think it's horribly important to get _all_ of this in even, but it would be nice. I see the council reports as a general, informative check-up by those in charge (the council). Highly detailed reports aren't totally necessary.

Marie

Marie’s Thoughts on FG Outreach:

Pete lists FG’s three categories of need as Hardware, Volunteers and Money...

I think I need a better understanding of those needs in order to best contribute my thoughts on effective outreach.

Let’s take them in order:

Hardware:

Is the goal of outreach about this to increase the mass of hardware coming in the door? Is the target audience regular folks who are upgrading, cleaning out, etc? What happens if media attention increases hardware donations like this markedly? What capacity does FG have to accomodate what rate of increase in this kind of donations?

Is there a more targeted goal for hardware that suggests FG target businesses or some audience that can provide specific kinds/specs of hardware that FG needs most. Is the media the most effective way of doing this kind of outreach or are more personal contacts/connections more likely to accomplish this?

In sum, I want to know more about what kind of hardware FG most wants/needs, who has it, where it can come from, etc.?

Volunteers:

What do we already know about where volunteers FG has thus far have come from. Are there characteristics volunteers share that would help us identify how to best reach them? How do volunteers currently find out about FG? Do they get their info from newspapers, tv, radio, other sources, etc? Should we begin by knowing more about what already works? Is media outreach the best way to accomplish this? Would it be more effective to target outreach to certain agencies, organizations, etc.? I need to know more about who we need to reach before making suggestions about how best to reach them.

Money:

I’d like to know more about our existing donors. My impression is they mostly donate $ when donating equipment. Is that really true? What has been our experience in media coverage leading to donations of $? In the world of charitable giving in the U.S., about 85% of donating is done by individuals, 10% by foundations, and 5% by corporations. What is our mix? Are we putting 85% of our effort into reaching individual donors? (individuals are generally the most valuable donors because they often are willing to donate year after year, while foundations and corporations often are not) What should we do to increase our attention on individual donors? What are we doing now? Do we have major donors? Generally speaking, it seems to me media coverage is not the most effective way to reach individual and especially major donors. Certainly it helps build general awareness, which can help in providing background, but you know the saying, people give to people. Personal contacts are usually necessary to make individual giving work. (This is an area I’m especially interested in and already working to try to help accomplish this, that’s why I brought Duncan Campbell in last week but I would like to bring in lots more. We just need to make sure we’re ready for them.)

So I guess the bottom line for me at this point is:

What are the specific objectives FG has for outreach? Are these objectives best met by media coverage or other kinds of outreach? What would be a good mix of efforts? Who is best suited to do what parts?

--Pete 10:58, 16 Dec 2005 (PST)

Marie,

You ask some excellent questions. Here are my thoughts. (Note: as long as there are major points for us to discuss about our needs, maybe it's best to not go into much detail at Council.)

Personally, I feel that "general awareness" is the biggest benefit we can get from the media. Free Geek does so many different and cool things, we will never be able to fully predict what strikes a chord with whom.

Hardware: I would think that increasing hardware donations, in the long run, is an important goal. Both because it's a core part of Free Geek's mission to keep stuff out of landfills, and because it brings in dollar donations. A gradual increase is certainly more manageable, which is why I'd advocate keeping our hardware solicitations to smaller articles (community papers, college papers.) If there are annual patterns, we should try to time such articles durning slumps. That way, hopefully when there IS a bigger article in the Oregonian or Willy Week, maybe it won't cause such an unmanageable spike.

Your point about higher-end hardware is worthwhile, but if FG has such a need I'm not aware of it. Also, I'm not sure how we'd be able to effectively solicit higher-end hardware. This point bears more discussion.

Volunteers: I have lots of ideas how to get volunteers, and no, I don't think the media is the most effective way to do it. But, I think discussing the volunteering aspect will always be of interest to news readers.

Money: Your points are well taken. I think pushing too hard for cash donations in the press would seem tacky. However, if we were to have something like a "campaign," media attention might be helpful. (e.g. "Help Free Geek build up a cash reserve of $50,000 by July" or "Help Free Geek finish its classroom/community meeting space.")