Time: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Abstract:
People and Prosperity are at the center of Communications and Fundraising! Lindy and Carrie will share multiple practices (both in person/virtually – print format and in person) of the Iowa STEM Council and Regional Hub networks to connect with and engage various audiences in STEM through a PPT presentation, video and audio content, as well as techniques to secure and recognize funders. We will ask session participants to share best practices as a group, and in the final portion of the session, assemble break out teams to engage in discussion of practices to take home and implement.
Outline:
Learning Goals: 1) Being creative/innovate in your communications/fundraising to various audiences to get them engaged. 2) Using data to analyze effectiveness. 3) Learning various techniques and methods to reach your audiences (whether in-person/virtual/print/digital) 4) Developing peer relationships with funders to help create other funding opportunities.
Topics to be covered: 1) Being creative with your communications to capture and engage your current and potential audiences. 2) Data – What to use and how to use it. 3) Innovation through the pandemic and pivoting from all print/in-person messaging and events to virtual opportunities (STEM Podcasts, Teachable Moments, Virtual STEM Festivals, etc). 4) Engaging funding partners through communications (STEM Billboards, STEM Gems) 5) Presenting opportunities for funders to lead peer-to-peer discussion on funding projects (CSE campaign) 6) Communication through events (STEM Day at Capitol & State Fair and STEM Summits)
Session Format/Engagement of Audience: 1) Introduction of Lindy/Carrie and the STEM Council Ecosystem through the use of communications (PPT, Audio, Visual, and testimonials). –2) Questions and open forum with participants about their best practices/techniques, captured on either flip pads or Google Sheet (will provide link to participants). 3) Breakout groups to discuss strategies they had heard, and how they might implement them in their own ecosystems, followed by report out to entire group.
Addressing Failure/Room for Opportunities: We will each share an example of a technique we designed and tried, that did not quite go the way that we anticipated it was, and what we learned from it.