Web Business Woman

In midst of the chaos of shopping, gift wrapping and cookie baking I invite you to join me on Diva Marketing for a quiet moment to learn about the work of some smaller nonprofits. Throughout December I'll be highlighting stories from nonprofits that light the way for causes that may not be on the front page of the New York Times. It's my wish that together we can help raise their
visibility, perhaps find a new volunteer or even encourage a donation or two.
Because as Laura King Edwards, Taylor's Tale, says, "Nothing should stand in the way of a dream."  Also the nonprofits that are using social media have agreed to share their strategies so we continue to learn together.

The St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center Story

Story is told by Suzanne Conti who has been involved with the St.
Vincent and Sarah Foster
Center for many years. 

At one time the St. Vincent
and Sarah  Foster Center
was a foster home for children with volunteers providing Easter Baskets and
Birthday toys.  Through the Center's
studies they believed their efforts would be more fruitful if the children
stayed with their parents as long as they taught the parents how to provide and
parent for a successful family life. 

Tutoring of all forms is on-going and the results are wonderful, but the
needs for these young Detroit
families are greater than ever.  Sr.
Judith would be so grateful to any assistance given to help these children and
parents, whether it be crayons for the kids after school programs or warm coats
and boots.

Providing education and skill development opportunities for at risk children and families in Detroit
which have been devasted with the highest unemployment (38%) and highest levels
of high school drop out rates (28%). 
This charity is going to the heart of the problem- working to strengthen
the family unit to become nurturing productive sources for children.

The odds say many of the children served in the Brightmoor
and surrounding communities of Detroit
will end up dropping out of school and going on to lives of poverty. Children's
Learning Experience helps children beat those odds. Individual and small group academic support and
encouragement a positive, nurturing environment that fosters a love of
learning. Strict participation standards that include a high degree of
parental involvement. The goal of the Children's Learning Experience is to ensure
children are performing at or above grade level, and that goal is being met.

Many in the area are living in poverty, unable to support
their families. Lack of education is a major component of the generational
poverty that plagues this area. The Adult Learning Experience addresses this. The Adult Learning Experience has been designed around the
concept of First Steps and Next Steps. In this program we recognize that
getting a high school diploma or completing a GED is the crucial first step and
the foundation for self-sufficiency. To help our students take that first step,
we provide tutoring in math and language.

But a GED is no longer enough to give adults the ability to
support themselves and their families. It is an important first step, but only
a first step. That's why the Adult Learning Experience program goes further.
Building on the confidence that comes with reaching a hard-won goal, we work
with our graduates on Next Steps. Whether that Next Step is enrolling in college, attending a
vocational school or getting into an apprenticeship program, we support program
participants as they take measured, lasting steps toward self-sufficiency.

Values

The values of founders St. Vincent de Paul and Louise de
Marillac, continue to guide the expression of the Center's mission.

Simplicity

Honesty, integrity and openness in all of our words and
actions

Teamwork

Working together in service to others

Advocacy

Advocating for those with no voice

Inventiveness

Being creative in everything we do

Respect

Showing respect for those we serve and everyone we contact on their behalf

Service Quality

History

The agency traces its beginnings to 1844 when the Daughters
of Charity first arrived on the streets of Detroit
with only $8.50 in their pockets, with the intentions of opening a school.
Within two years, they responded to community need by establishing the St.
Vincent Orphan Asylum and a hospital. In 1869, the sisters opened a program to
provide for the needs of unwed and/or deserted mothers and their children.

It is this spirit that began the Daughter’s 150 years of
service to those in need in Southeastern Michigan. They
had no idea that they would be responsible for founding the first hospital in
Detroit, Providence Hospital in 1945, the first private psychiatric hospital in
Michigan, three schools, an orphanage, and a home for unwed mothers and
children in just over two decades.

In 1928, a fire destroyed a summer home located in Farmington
Hills that housed children from the old St. Vincent
Orphan Asylum in Detroit. Mr. and
Mrs. Charles T. and Sarah Fisher of the Fisher Body Family read the news
accounts of the fire. Because of their extreme gratitude to the Daughters of
Charity and Providence Hospital for saving the life of their fifth son, Thomas
Fisher, Charles Fisher took action by donating more than $700,000 to build a
new structure at the corner of 12 Mile and Inkster Roads.

The formal opening took place one year after the date of the
fire on November 25, 1929.
The home reflected contemporary thinking in the institutional care of children.
The Center’s Farmington Hills
campus remained open as a residential facility for foster children until
October 2005. In 2006, the St. Vincent and Sarah
Fisher Center
brought 150 years of family and child experience to the Brightmoor area and the
surrounding community. The statistics for the area are daunting: A 40% poverty
rate for children; a nearly 30% drop out rate; and unemployment levels that
hover around 36%. Children are at risk, and families are failing under the
crushing weight of poverty.

More About St. Vincent and Sarah
Fisher Center

Donation Link

Items desperately needed

Website

Read More Stories From Small Nonprofits

by Guest Blogger, Lena West, Chief of Social Media Strategy at xynoMedia

I had a lovely conversation with a bright, well-read, experienced woman yesterday. (That’s always nice, isn’t it?) Anyway, this woman–let’s call her Ann–was concerned because although she knew people were reading her blog,
she wasn’t getting the kind of feedback and engagement she wanted. This
made it hard to know what her blog readers wanted to read more of and
what their thoughts really are about her content.

The thing is, Ann’s blog is GREAT. She’s an awesome writer, she’s got an interesting
way of approaching her area of expertise (more holistic than silo’ed and
segmented) and, offline, she’s a super conversationalist. The thing is,
her blog is very instructional–and that was the direct source of the
disconnect she was experiencing with her blog readers.

So often, we rush to educate and teach. And adding value–that’s a GOOD thing for sure. But, this is SOCIAL media, so it’s not solely about the education.
It’s also about the connection. Yes, your readers want you to share
your expertise with them, but they also want to know your insights.
They want to know how you FEEL. Anyone can give advice, but it takes a
special someone to connect and build their brand via that connection.

How do you know if you’re doing too much “teaching” and not enough connecting?

A
telltale sign is you know you’re getting blog traffic, but you’re not
getting comments. (Granted, there could be other reasons for not
getting comments–like not asking for them–but no comments is a
classic sign of low connection/engagement.)

Another sign is if you connect better with people using social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, but you’re getting little to no convo
on your blog. For some reason, when we take pen to pad–or in this
case–keyboard to screen, we go into “professor” mode. I know because
it happens to me, too. But, some of my best blog posts–the ones that
get lots of comments–are when I teach AND show a little “underbelly.”

If this happens to you, how do you fix it?

Well,
one way is to be more you. Resist the need to “spill all your milk in
the lobby.” Educate, but don’t “over function.” Take some of that
teaching energy and use it to connect.

Also, there’s a gift
in telling a story. Smart people–the kind of people you want reading
your blog and engaging with you–are naturally curious. Leverage that.
If you start with a story, people will connect because most people grew
up reading stories or being read to as children.

And let’s not
forget: Those naturally curious people want to know what’s coming at
the end of your story, so they keep reading. And because you’ve engaged
them from a place of wanting to connect with them, they’ll be inclined
to do the same by commenting.

Do you have other ways of connecting with your blog readers? If so, do share! If not, share what action steps you’re going to take in 2010 to connect with your readers.

Tom and I are looking forward to the New Year. Can you say the same? What do you have planned for your business, come 2010?

This is actually late in the game to be planning for “tomorrow” or next year. We should have started this process several months ago. But, as many of you know, we were otherwise engaged several months ago (getting ready to put the old house on the market and preparing to move everything to Colorado, where we are now).That doesn’t mean we weren’t thinking about next year, and beyond.

My business is going into its 7th year as Windsor Media Enterprises. We’ve changed a great deal since opening our doors. Part of that change has been driven by our customers and clients, and by the online environment. We’re an online business, primarily. We need to be current with new online tools and ideas. The other changes have been driven by our desire to create a lifestyle business, as opposed to a big business.

As Mary said yesterday in her blog post, we too focused on things like the work we like to do, with clients who appreciate us. We also focused on social media, not so much as a business tool, but as a connector – how is twitter, Facebook, blogs, and all the rest going to impact the people you meet – who then impact your business? How does that work? Do you know? Have you thought about it?

The New Year is creeping up on us and it’s not going to be same-old, same-old. If you live in a world where that happens, it’s your fault. Today’s business success calls for true innovation. That means more than thinking out of the box – it means jumping out of the box. It means pursuing your true goals and passions. It means looking at what works and figuring out how to get it working better, harder, faster, easier for you. It means looking at what didn’t work and not just throwing it out the window but contemplating why it didn’t work. Don’t repeat past mistakes.

The forward road holds surprises and some clouds, no doubt. While you can’t prepare for the surprises (or can you?) you can be proactive about your business planning, your clients’ needs, and your own needs, and maybe those surprises will be few and far between. As for the clouds, Dolly Parton says, “You can have a rainbow with the rain,” so don’t let the clouds deter you. When things go wrong, and they always do, work your way through it. Get help – we ladies often skip that step – we think we should go it alone, and that can spell your downfall. Help is out there, just ask.

A good friend and mentor of mine advises taking a retreat. A weekend away. Away from the usual distractions, all by yourself, where you can walk the beach, or hike in the moutains, or be one with nature, and think. Think about life, your life, and how you’d like it to be. Think about what innovation means to you. Think about the doors that opened this year – and the doors that closed. Be in the moment, with yourself. A retreat can provide clarity of thought – and it can uncover some deep, abiding truths – about you, about your life, and about how you really want to live that life.

It’s not a secret. It’s not jumping out of bed every day with a cheer. It’s not even refusing to give up. It’s life. Embrace it with all of its prickers. The rose is still there, somewhere. You’ll find it if you take time to look for it. When you find it, treasure it. Touch the soft petals and enjoy the sweet fragrance. Make it part of your life.

Everything you do will flow from there.

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter

As we head into the “holiday week” (Seemingly nobody in my circle – or Albuquerque – plans to be working next week) I’m doing my annual evaluation – the good,the bad, the ugly.  And, you know what? Despite the economy, global warming, and the usual general stupidity of the human race…I had a good year. Partly because I looked at the bad and the ugly and tried to learn lessons or to let go.  Things about which I could do nothing, I did my best to let go – quit obsessing; stop reading ignorant, hateful comments on blogs and Facebook (the dark, depressing side of social media)..and so on and so forth. I’m not saying ignore the bad and ugly, simply put in context (and to work for you.) 

Certainly, life as a sole proprietor was difficult this year.  But then it’s always hard – for any type of business. Nobody said life has to be fair, and it isn’t.  I paid the bills and had some fun – what more can I ask?

I re-focused on the type of work (and clients) I enjoy.  Product development. Business strategy. Translating technology into real-world products.  Integrated offline/online marketing plans. Stopped trying to cover all the bases – which is confusing to potential clients and frustrating for me. (Yes, I took some of my own advice!) I realized (yet again, Duh point #1 to me) that I have to work just as hard (and tie my brain into just a big a knots) for a $2,000 gig as I do for a $20,000.  I simply can’t make my business model work with lots of small Marketing 101 projects (If I get blank looks when I talk about emarketing basics such as don’t send unrequested emails and don’t load your web site with flash at the expense of content – that’s not a good prospect for me.)   

My long-time, repeat clients continue to be both fun and educational. I’m lucky that I don’t have to chase cold biz or buzz (see above about re-focusing. Duh point #2 to me.) It really is all about relationships (and that doesn’t happen with cold calls or email blasts…hello?  5wPR? Are you reading?)

My friends and I are all healthy and active, both physically and intellectually.  We don’t always agree but we sure enjoy discussing!   We took some wonderful road trips around our beautiful state. Enjoyed simply being together, and are making more low/no-cost, high-fun plans for 2010. (January snowshoeing for one thing.)

My Civitan Club raised and donated much-needed money to worthy groups such as Roadrunner Food Bank…and had fun doing it. (We’ll be there tomorrow for our monthly volunteer gig, sorting, sacking, stacking.) 

I got better at simply taking time.  (Well, most of the time…;-)  The more I hurry, the more I multi-task – the more I stress and screw up.  As Thoreau said, “Life is too short to be in a hurry.” 

It’s also too short to not have fun, even (especially) “at work”…(I did mention that “fun” element, didn’t I?)

So, how was your year?  Any takeaways you’d like to share? Duh points?

In the
spirit of the season, to give back, Diva Marketing  is showcasing the stories of smaller nonprofits throughout December. It's my wish that together we can help raise their
visibility, perhaps find a new volunteer or even encourage a donation or two.
Because as Laura King Edwards, Taylor's Tale, says, "Nothing should stand in the way of a dream."  Also the nonprofits that are using social media have agreed to share their strategies.

The Lendego Story

Story is told by the founder Dennis
Hodges who explains how he came up with his unique concept where people can directly help others. As Dennis learned some times fate steps in and changes your dream for the better.

Lendego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization based in Atlanta, Ga. that helps meet the needs of others by connecting
them with individuals wishing to give. Lendego empowers its donors to choose
the individuals, families, groups or organization they want to help.

• Powered by
  givers, Lendego positively impacts the lives of real people with real needs.
  With Lendego’s peer to peer giving platform, funds can be directed to specific
  individuals, families, groups or organizations in need.

I came up with the idea for Lendego,
a nonprofit peer-to-peer lending organization, where individuals hoping to
start a business could post their ideas and stories. Those interested could
lend money to the individuals and then be repaid at a later date. Hence, the
name Lendego. I created my business model, built the website and was ready to
launch Lendego when the 2009 flood happened in Atlanta.

Watching the floods and hearing
about all the victims so close to home had a very profound impact on me. The
incident made me think about all of the individuals who were affected by the
tragedies of life on a daily basis and how it was often extremely difficult, if
not impossible for those individuals to receive financial help in their time of
need.

In October of 2009, I converted my
online lending platform to an online giving platform and Lendego, a nonprofit
dedicated to peer-to-peer giving was born. Individuals or families struggling
with difficult circumstances can contact Lendego for assistance. Recipients can
post a need themselves or be submitted by a “sponsor” — family members, a
friend, church, employer or another nonprofit that is working to help meet the
individual's need.

After the need is verified by Lendego staff, their story is
posted at Lendego;
where givers can browse all the needs and select those for which they wish to
help. Givers can give the amount they choose to each recipient. Once the need
is met, Lendego disburses the funds directly to the family or individual in
need. 

Social Media Strategy

Lendego’s grass roots campaign is
conducted via Facebook, Twitter and traditional public relations. Right now the
organization is working on the Faces of Lendego, each month a different story
will be told to the public making them the Face of Lendego. The goal of this
campaign is to raise awareness of Lendego and to change the attitudes and
perceptions behind peer-to-peer giving.

More About Lendego
Facebook

Twitter

Website

Donantion Link

Read more stories from smaller nonprofits

This week Tom discovered that I was included in a list of the smartest people in social media. I thought it was a joke, at first. I mean, I’ve been doing this for over five years, I know a whole lot – and I’m smart, yes…but, to be added to a list of the 100 Smartest People in Social Media, along with the likes of Chris Brogan, Scott Monty, Toby Bloomberg, Peter Shankman, our own Lena West and many others…is an honor I was not expecting.

So, I say thank you to Smarter Social Media, and I thank all the good folks, like Lee Drake, who have sent congrats via the twitterverse. But, what does being on that list mean? A really, really good friend wrote and said the list wasn’t worth the bits and bytes it takes up on the net, because the reality is… it’s all selective. The folks at Smarter Social Media chose the people on the list according to some criteria we’ll likely never know. And, they left a good many excellent social media professionals off of the list.

That made me pause. I looked at the list again, and I thought about what I know about social media, including the clients I’ve helped, and the work I’ve done, and this blog as well as my petblog, and even my newest venture, Blogpaws. And, I decided that I would accept the recognition of the good people at Smarter Social Media, as long as you, readers, know that I am a product of a lot of effort, time, research and help. There’s the key – help. I did not get where I am without help. In fact, the blogger who got me second-guessing this honor was a gigantic help to me, in the early days.

Maybe that’s where we all intersect – those of us who made it on the list. Maybe it’s in the connecting, in the reaching out to ask for help when we needed it, and in accepting the help when it was offered. Women, especially, tend NOT to ask for help. We don’t want to impose on anyone – and it holds us back from bigger, better, more successful ventures, I think.

Being included in a list can be a benefit, if the list is a positive one. I wouldn’t want to be on the 100 Stupidest People on the Net (hope there isn’t such a list, and if there is – what makes the lister the right person to decide who’s stupid and who isn’t?). Being on a list isn’t a guarantee that folks will call and your business will increase – but it helps. Being on a list can’t assure anyone of success, but it can boost confidence and increase energy. After all, as one of the Smartest People in Social Media, I have a duty to prove the list-builders correct, and to provide clients and readers of this blog with information that will serve their purposes, in social media and in marketing to women online.

Else my name on the list means nothing.

It’s a clear bet that you’re just as smart, in your field of expertise. Whether your name is ever added to a list of experts, or not, you’re smart, talented, and innovative. You have to be – not just because you read this blog (thank you) but because that’s what’s required in today’s digitally-focused world of business on the net. And, I’ve met some of you. I’ve talked to others. I know how clever and smart you are. Be proud. Create lists of your own…lists that serve your clients well.

That will make you smarter than all the rest of us.

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna’s Promo Talk

There’s now only nine days left till Christmas and I’ve only had the chance to blog about a few of the great holiday promotions some brands are doing this year. I’ve especially been writing about those that I define as a Social Sweeps promotion which is an interactive promotion that integrates with at least one form of social media.

Well here’s a pretty cool one that American Express launched at the beginning of December to help promote their new Gift Cards as the perfect gift this holiday season. Their ’Twis the Season Twitter promotion @americanexpress asked followers to tweet about any holiday gift they want, up to a $100 value, using the following format: Hey @americanexpress. I have _________ on my holiday list. Pick me! #amexgiftcard.

On each business day through yesterday, December 15, American Express randomly selected three participants who received a $100 American Express Gift Card.

American Express also launched a online interactive game called Winter Wonder-Win that runs now through January 30. Visitors must first register using an e-mail address and then they can play the game in which they use a digital ice scraper to clear off nine panes in a window. If they uncover three of the same Amex gift cards in a row, they can win a $25, $50 or $100 gift card instantly.

Both promotions are hoping to educate consumers on the fact that they’ve now made their Gift Cards even better with no monthly fees and with funds that never expire. Do you remember some of the bad press associated with gift cards because some where no longer good after a certain time period and had huge fees associated with them?

American Express is also giving back this holiday season and has teamed up with the United Way to provide the United Way Gift Card. For each card purchased, American Express will donate the $3.95 purchase charge to support United Way’s work. American Express is just one of United Way’s national partners that is working together to create more innovative opportunities to support local communities during the holiday season, especially given the economy.

Another United Way partner is Target whose stores across the country are donating 3,400 decorated holiday trees, estimated at $1.7 million, through the Target Share-a-Tree Program—now in its 19th consecutive year. United Way volunteers will distribute the trees to families in need and partners such as shelters, community centers and childcare programs. 

So if you still have some holiday shopping to do (like me) consider American Express gift cards, or better yet the United Way Gift Card, for those on your list that you don’t know what to get them. Don’t forget to visit your local Target store as well.

By the way, I have no association with any of these brands, but I do have an American Express credit card which I am happy to say has not increased my interest rate like my MasterCard bank has! Happy Holidays everyone.