The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York and The John R. Oishei Foundation kickoff third annual StoryGrowing WNY Program designed to build communications capacity of community organizations.
Ever been asked what your organization does, and watch your listener’s eyes glaze over while you list off multiple initiatives, statistics and other items important to you and the community, but not so energizing to a new audience that is programmed to be distracted?
This is a serious challenge faced by multiple non profits, old and new, in our community who are seeking to recruit new employees and develop younger donor bases at the same time. While non profit leaders may be experts in their field, and excellent managers, their communication plans are sometimes lacking a solid narrative, focus, strategy, or necessary tools for success in 2020, where donor support and community interest and advocacy cannot be taken for granted.
For the third year in a row, The Health Foundation and Oishei Foundation are teaming up to offer StoryGrowing WNY. What’s significant about this program is that it’s not just hearing from WNY non profits that had a successful strategy that may or may not be applicable to your own organization. It’s put together by Andy Goodman, Co-founder and Director of the Goodman Center and an internationally recognized speaker, author and consultant known for his workshops on storytelling. He’s helped develop the overall curriculum and will be the featured speaker at the tipoff event. Also significant is that this program is not just for the person on staff who handles communications, but directors must also attend in order to make this a transformative experience for each organization from top-to-bottom.
The free kickoff event, open to all WNY non-profit organizations, will include insight and practical tools and tips for effective storytelling and is useful for all organizations regardless of their interest in applying or their success in being selected for the overall program.
Seats are limited and interested participants must reserve a seat at www.storygrowingwny.org. Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Based on sold-out events for the first two StoryGrowing kick-off events, organizations are asked to limit their participation to no more than four representatives so that more organizations can participate.
When: Monday, March 2, 2020; 9 AM-Noon
Light breakfast and networking 8:30 AM -9:00 AM
Opening remarks: 9:00 AM-9:10 AM
Workshop with Andy Goodman 9:15 AM-Noon
Where: The Lexus Club at Key Bank Center, Seymour H. Knox III Plaza, Buffalo, N.Y. 14203
After the kickoff event, eight local nonprofit organizations will be chosen to participate in the overall program that is designed to help local nonprofits harness the power of storytelling, to build capabilities in effective marketing and communications, and to connect them with local communications experts.
The eight-month program features local marketing and communications experts sharing their expertise in a series of workshops and as guides and coaches for teams throughout the program including representatives from Block Club, Of the Sea, Rise Collaborative and No Boundaries Media, Let’s Talk Public Relations, and Program Savvy Consulting.
