Even if you can’t make it to the PBS Annual Meeting this week, you can still access all the fresh insights and ideas from the conference. That’s the magic of Twitter. Follow these hashtags to stay plugged into the action.
We can’t wait to connect with you – online or at the conference.
This is the third in a series of posts that share smart practices and case studies on the elements of engagement. Today’s post highlights the value of sharing your story to attract additional funding. (See the first posts here and here.)
“Share your story” is a phrase we often use at NCME. What we mean is: Start talking about the value of your work for the community. When foundations and community organizations (i.e. potential funders and collaborators) understand this value you bring, they’ll begin to see you as a go-to partner for investing in local concerns.
But funders won’t know unless you take the time to share with them. So, how do you talk about your value in a way that doesn’t feel like self-promotion? Let’s look at an example from North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC). On a recent webinar, Major Gifts and Grants Officer Andrea Vizoso and Program Director David Brower explained how they leveraged the story of their American Graduate work to attract more funding. Click here to read more.. »
This three-part series shares smart practices and case studies on the elements of engagement. The first post covered the importance of listening to your community. Today, we highlight what stations should consider before choosing a community partner.
Creating (not to mention, sustaining) partnerships can be difficult. It’s easy to start by looking for organizations just like yours, people who “get” your work and mission. While that’s important, there’s also huge value in finding partners who have different, complementary skills and resources. They bring strengths your organization doesn’t have, so with them, you can expand your impact that much farther.
The question is, how do you find the right fit?
Think before you leap
On a recent NCME webinar, Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) Faith Wachter offered some words of advice for stations. As part of MPT’s work on American Graduate, Wachter worked with a number of partners to spur conversation and raise awareness about the dropout crisis in Maryland. Reflecting on her experience, Wachter encouraged stations to ask themselves a few questions before committing to a partnership: Click here to read more.. »
This three-part series shares smart practices and case studies on the elements of engagement. Today, we’re highlighting how listening can strengthen your content.
Your local community is the best source of stories you’ve got. It’s teeming with history, unique perspectives, and voices just waiting to be heard. The good news is, your station is perfectly positioned to bring them to light. And it starts with listening.
You may be thinking, “Ok, but what does listening really mean?” Let’s look at a model. On a recent webinar, WFDD’s Greg Keener shared with us how his station turned listening into action through its American Graduate initiative. Click here to read more.. »
In honor of Public Radio Music Month, NCME’s Director of Radio Engagement Ann Alquist chatted with Nico Leone, co-executive director of KDHX, a volunteer group and community station with a goal to reflect the voice of its community. Learn how they’re engaging in a unique way.
Alquist: It’s apparent that KDHX really values listening and interacting with the community. Why is that important to your work?
Leone: In a very real sense, we are the community. We’ve got about 800-1,000 active volunteers. . . so a lot of the community comes through our doors day in and day out. We always have our ear to the ground and have a good sense of what’s going on in the community. Engagement is tremendously important. . .we think about it just as part of our identity and mission.
How can stations set themselves up for the best results when seeking grants?
Hint: Effectively engaging your community can help you focus on relevant local issues that are more likely to attract funding.
Last week, NCME’s Cristina Hanson and Maureen Paschke, consultant and former senior grants director at Ideastream, joined the Grant Center for the first webinar in its series on grantseeking. The series aims to share information stations can use to improve their ability to fund their work. Click here to read more.. »
“So what?” Increasingly, foundations want evidence that their grants have impact. Join the Grant Center on May 3 for a webinar on how stations can plan, from the beginning of a project, to demonstrate outcomes and impact effectively and affordably.
Presenters include Ellen Martin, Senior Consultant, FSG; Charles Gasper, Director of Evaluation, Nine Network; and Beth Spezia, Field Representative, Outreach, WSIU Public Broadcasting.
Register here.
NCME is excited to bring you these regular tips from the Grant Center, a partnership between APTS and DEI, funded by CPB. Visit them online for more information. Subscribe to our blog by email to get more tips like this delivered straight to your inbox.
“The argument over whether or not to collaborate with the audience is over,” said APM’s Mike Caputo, introducing last week’s APM-NCME webinar. “Now the question is how . . . how do you engage the audience so that it’s meaningful for them, but so that it’s also meaningful for your journalism?”
The webinar explored how stations can convene their community in a way that informs their work. Here are few takeaways to achieve success – before, during and after your event.
Before: Execute a preparation plan
“The front-end work is vital. Without it, the event won’t make good journalism,” said presenter Stephanie Curtis, Minnesota Public Radio. Keep these tips in mind as you plan: Click here to read more.. »
With last week’s Power of Personal Engagement webinar, we kicked off our Community Insights series, brought to you from NCME in partnership with American Public Media (APM). This series is a part of our goal to deliver concrete tools and tactics for public media professionals, so you can significantly improve your engagement practices.
Community Insights will focus on ways you can engage your community through in-person and online approaches. Done well, engagement informs your work and increases your value to the community by reflecting and addressing its needs. Click here to read more.. »
