Talk:PR

Darren's view of FG's current PR priority list based on needs/goals (3/8/12)

1. Thrift Store
2. Bringing in $ donations
3. Front desk information systems
4. Advertising specific FG events (including classes and Hardware Grants program)
5. Institutional donors/business partnerships
6. Bringing in ongoing/long-term volunteers
7. Bringing in equipment donations (non-institutional)
8. Nonprofit partnerships
9. Bringing in day-to-day volunteers

Some others I thought of that weren't on our list:

• Education (included in specific FG events)
• Hardware grants (included in specific FG events)
• E-waste education (would be above equipment donations if included in list)

I guess I should explain that I prioritized my list based on perceived needs at FG. As we often turn people away who want to volunteer for day-to-day shifts, that is a very low priority. As our Thrift Store revenue is starting to flatline, and we depend on it for income, that is a high priority. Make sense?

Amelia's view (with explanations!)

My list of priorities for the PR committee is ranked as follows, along with my reasoning:

1. Advertising Thrift Store/Soliciting Equipment Donations

• These are the two avenues of interaction with the public that we are best known for, and serve the largest number of people. I see them as being of equal priority.

2. Advertising Free Geek events

• No other group or staff member is responsible for this task in general. PR is Free Geek's primary outlet to the community for any events that we want the general public to attend or know about.

3. Institutional/biz and nonprofit partnerships

• I see a call for us to fill this role mostly in the vacuum of an Institutional Outreach Coordinator on staff. Similar to priority #1, I see these as being equally important to Free Geek as a whole.

5. Bring in day-to-day volunteers

• Day-to-day volunteers are our bread and butter. The only reason this role isn't higher on my list is that we have a steady inflow of these volunteers without doing any strategic outreach to bring them in.

6. Bring in ongoing volunteers

• This group of volunteers is lower on my list because generally individual area coordinators are responsible for doing their own recruitment to get skilled volunteers involved in post-build areas.

7. Spread awareness about FG Mission-related issues

• This role is somewhat tangential to the direct execution of our mission, so I see it as a lesser priority.

8. Front desk information systems

• This is primarily the role of the FD Coordinator and other staff, but PR should provide support where needed.

Misty's view

1. Thrift Store
2. Bringing in ongoing/long-term volunteers
3. Bringing in $$ donations
4. Front desk information systems
5. Spreading awareness about social, political and technological issues related to our mission
6. Nonprofit partnerships
7. Institutional donors/business partnerships
8. Bringing in day-to-day volunteers

Combined thoughts (in progress)

1. Thrift store
2. $ Donations
3. Advertising specific FG events