Outreach and Marketing Report
2nd Quarter of 2009-2010
Prepared by Sherrie Smith, Outreach Coordinator
Reviewed by Chaun MacQueen, Education and Outreach Manager
Quarter in review
Some outreach highlights from this quarter
- Fee-for-Service – Retail store, Lead Program expansion, and Energy Educator Training
- Vision into Action – Storefront displays, website outreach, marketing, logistics, and preparation for PIVOT intern
- 20 Meetings and Presentations
- 7 community events
- Website upgrades – blog interfacing and new pages
- Constant Contact – setting up email lists, newsletter
- Four media events
- Training new Clara Barton VISTA Corps member
Data Collection
CEP staff gathers large sums of data to track our outreach and volunteer activities and the thousands of referrals we make to other agencies. Data for this report comes from other program reports and the following databases
- Media submissions including online sources, local newspapers, interviews, articles, the numbers of brochures printed by program, and community presentations
- Number and theme of community events in which we participate
- At events – number of people approach the table, have conversations with staff and volunteers, how many take information, and how many leave their contact information.
- Referrals we make to other agencies through workshops, in-home services, community events, telephone, email, and walk-in referrals.
- Website activity past and present
- How people hear about our programs both at registration and by what they say while participating in a program
This information helps guide us in deciding on what kind of outreach is effective, and where there may be gaps in outreach and service.
A. Outreach Activities
Community Presentations and Meetings
CEP hosted a representative from Region 10 EPA for a “site visit.” The site visit was the final step before the EPA issues accreditation to an agency to conduct the new RRP training. During the site visit the EPA representative and CEP staff toured the Architectural Heritage Center to assess the site’s suitability as a “remote training facility” and then returned to CEP to assess our preparedness to offer trainings in-house as well as in off-site locations. The site visit went smoothly and the EPA representative more than once mentioned that CEP stood above all other applicants in the region in terms of thorough preparation and attention to detail.
Presentations:
There were no presentations to report this quarter.
Meetings/Networking Opportunities:
Oct 06, 2009 Portland Green Drinks networking event – Ecotrust Building
Oct 07, 2009 Spirit Mountain Casino Community Fund Grant Workshop
Oct 10, 2009 Oregon HEAT Annual Dinner
Oct 10, 2009 LUSSA monthly meeting
Oct 15, 2009 Portland Community Media orientation
Oct 22, 2009 Black United Fund Brownbag Families First luncheon
Oct 22, 2009 Oregon HEAT conference call – updates
Oct 28, 2009 ECOS (East County One-Stop) monthly board meeting
Nov 10, 2009 Met with Oregonian representative about prices for non-profit advertising
Nov 10, 2009 NOVAA (Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association) Training: Advanced Volunteer Managers
Nov 11, 2009 LUSSA monthly meeting
Nov 12, 2009 Center for Advanced Learning students about their Adopt-a-Grandparent program
Nov 17, 2009 Art on Alberta mural artists presentation
Nov 18-19 09 OECA quarterly meeting – Newport, Oregon
Nov 18, 2009 TACS Diversity Leaders Network: Social Policy Implications of Incarceration and Public Safety
Nov 19, 2009 NOVAA: Living the Life of Your Dreams as a Volunteer Administrator
Nov 19, 2009 CNRG Non-Profit Networking Night
Dec 07, 2009 Environmental Protection Agency site visit for RRP application approval
Dec 09, 2009 Portland Water Bureau LHRP partners quarterly meeting
Dec 18, 2009 Construction Contractors Board Lead-based Paint Programs stakeholders meeting – CCB headquarters, Salem, Oregon
Information and Referral
Community Energy Project makes and receives countless referrals from community partners and individuals, and participates in dozens of community events per year.
The table below represents self-reported data from weatherization workshop participants during registration and participation. We created the designations “registration” and “participant” data. We wanted to compare what people report as their information source when they register for a workshop to what participants writes on their feedback form after the workshop. “Registration” data includes mostly public workshop sign-ups, and “Participant” data includes both public and privately-hosted workshops, where the host organization is responsible for the outreach to their clients.
The following data includes all contracts throughout the reporting period. Special cases – such as Fix-it-Fair participants, and some interpreted workshop participants are not included in this table. This information gives us an idea about how workshop participants make their way to CEP workshops.
| Info Source – Weatherization Workshop |
Registration Year
to Date |
Participants Year
To Date |
| Host Agency |
8 (2%)* |
266 (50%)* |
| Word of Mouth |
95 (28%) |
65 (18%) |
| Community Partners |
42 (12%) |
33 (6%) |
| Past Participant |
15 (4%) |
42 (8%) |
| Caseworker/ Family Advocate |
2 (1%) |
0 (0%) |
| Utility Company |
20 (6%) |
10 (2%) |
| Building/sign walk-in |
33 (10%) |
21 (4%) |
| Magazine / Catalogue |
1 (0%) |
1 (0%) |
| Internet |
48 (14%) |
36 (7%) |
| Newspapers |
22 (6%) |
10 (2%) |
| Flyers |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Neighborhood Newsletter |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| TV/Radio |
5 (2%) |
2 (0%) |
| CEP program (incl. Or heat) |
16 (5%) |
8 (1%) |
| Community Events |
8 (2%) |
0 (0%) |
| Fix-it-Fair |
5 (2%) |
0 (0%) |
| No response/forgot/other |
25 (7%) |
68 (13%) |
| Total |
345 |
537 |
* Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding to the nearest whole percent.
We can see below that the support of the host agency is vital to the Lead Poisoning Prevention program, especially those host organizations providing private workshops for underserved communities. Lead Hazard Reduction partners such as the Portland Development Commission and Josiah Hill III Clinic are also important and reliable sources for us. These data do not include the info source for participants in workshops translated into a language other than Spanish as they do not fill out a form.
| Info Source – Basic Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshop |
Registration
Quarter |
Registration yr to date |
Participants Quarter |
Participants yr to date |
| Host Assisted Outreach |
0 |
0 (0%)* |
59 |
149 (70%)* |
| Word of Mouth |
0 |
0 (0%) |
5 |
5 (2%) |
| Community Partners |
1 |
12 (38%) |
7 |
18 (8%) |
| Caseworker / Advocate |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| CEP Signage/Pass by |
2 |
5 (16%) |
0 |
2 (1%) |
| Magazine / Catalogue |
1 |
1 (3%) |
1 |
1 (0%) |
| Newspapers |
0 |
1 (3%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Other CEP Program |
1 |
1 (3%) |
2 |
3 (1%) |
| Internet |
2 |
3 (9%) |
4 |
6 (3%) |
| Community Event |
1 |
9 (28%) |
1 |
1 (0%) |
| other |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Fix-it-Fairs |
0 |
0 (0%) |
8 |
8 (4%) |
| No Response |
0 |
0 (0%) |
15 |
19 (9%) |
| Total |
8 |
32 |
102 |
212 |
*Percentages may not add equal 100 due to rounding to the nearest whole percent.
This continues our second year conducting Lead Safe Home Projects (LSHP) workshops. So far we have served 17 households, and the majority of people come to us through fix-it-fairs, word of mouth, and from the Lead Poisoning Prevention workshops.
| Info Source – Lead-Safe Home Projects Workshop |
Registration
Quarter |
Registration yr to date |
Participants Quarter |
Participants yr to date |
| Host Assisted Outreach |
0 |
0 (0%)* |
0 |
0 (0%)* |
| Word of Mouth |
0 |
0 (0%) |
4 |
4 (24%) |
| Community Partners |
1 |
3 (14%) |
0 |
2 (12%) |
| Caseworker / Advocate |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| CEP Signage/Pass by |
6 |
10 (46%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Magazine / Catalogue |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Newspapers |
0 |
0 (0%) |
1 |
1 (6%) |
| Other CEP Program |
2 |
4 (18%) |
3 |
3 (18%) |
| Internet |
0 |
0 (0%) |
1 |
1 (6%) |
| Community Event |
0 |
5 (23%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| other |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Fix-it-Fairs |
0 |
0 (0%) |
6 |
6(35%) |
| No Response |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Total |
9 |
22 |
15 |
17 |
This year so far we have offered one Water to the Weather for Healthy Watersheds workshop. There was no pre-registration.
| Info Source – Water to the Weather Workshop |
Registration Year
to Date |
Participants Year
To Date |
| Host Agency |
0 (0%)* |
0 (0%)* |
| Word of Mouth |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Community Partners |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Past Participant |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Caseworker/Advocate |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Utility Company |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Building/sign walk-in |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Magazine / Catalogue |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Internet |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Newspapers |
0 (0%) |
1 (14%) |
| Mailing/Flyers |
0 (0%) |
1 (14%) |
| Neighborhood Newsletter |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| TV/Radio |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| CEP program (incl. Or heat) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| Community Events |
0 (0%) |
3 (43%) |
| Fix-it-Fair |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
| No response/forgot/other |
0 (0%) |
1 (14%) |
| Total |
0 |
7 |
For low-income seniors and people with disabilities, we provide both In-Home Safety Repairs and Weatherization Services. Because there is so much overlap between programs in clients and staff, this information is combined into one chart. The data is for clients who had a work completed in their home.
| Info Source –
In-Home Services
|
Weatherization Quarter |
Weatherization Fiscal Year |
Safety Repairs Quarter |
Safety Repairs Fiscal Year |
| Neighbor |
4 |
4 (3%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Word of Mouth |
13 |
13 (9%) |
0 |
1 (1%) |
| Community Partner |
10 |
13 (9%) |
4 |
10 (8%) |
| Past Participant |
36 |
54 (39%) |
10 |
17 (14%) |
| Caseworker / Advocate |
15 |
18 (13%) |
37 |
82 (69%) |
| Utility Company |
4 |
5 (4%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Signage/Walk by |
8 |
11 (8%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Newspaper |
2 |
2 (1%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Internet |
1 |
1 (1%) |
0 |
1 (1%) |
| Other CEP programs |
9 |
12 (9%) |
4 |
4 (3%) |
| Community Event |
1 |
1 (1%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Other/Don’t Remember |
0 |
0 (0%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| No Response |
4 |
4 (3%) |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Total |
107 |
138 |
58 |
118 |
Many In-Home Weatherization clients for the year were past participants, but may need updating in materials (as tracking and plastic gets older) or clients move into a new home. The vast majority of our repair clients come from caseworkers/advocates from organizations such as Portland Impact and Human Solutions. Numerous clients for both programs come from community partner referrals like Multnomah County Aging and Disabilities Services, North/Northeast Home Repair, IRCO, and other social service agencies.
External Referral
CEP functions as a large referral source for many clients. We’ve created a referral database to track how often and to whom we refer community members who contact us. Information is available to community partners about how many referrals we’ve made to their specific organizations by request. Below are the overall statistics in this report. Referrals are divided into three categories:
A. “Active Office referrals” occur when a person who calls, emails, or walks in the door requests a service we do not offer and we refer them to the appropriate resource. Each member of CEP staff tracks the referrals they make, and the data is collected quarterly.
B. “Active Outreach Events” where we track which brochures are taken at an event by bundling and pre-counting each quarter.
C. “Passive Referrals” include the resources automatically given to our clients through workshops and the In-Home program, as well as how many people visit our website.
Active Referrals were made to more than 30 organizations, three of which (LeadLine, 211-info, and Senior Hotline) are resource hotlines that lead to thousands of other resources. The majority of referrals (57%) for this quarter were to agencies that provide energy assistance, mostly until CEP ran received Oregon HEAT funds. These numbers are under-reported.
|
Quarter Total |
Year to Date Total |
| Office Referrals |
334 |
671 |
| Outreach Events |
40 |
140 |
| Total Active Referrals |
374 |
811 |
In the table below, “participants” includes the number of clients who have received a package through a workshop, In-home services, or a unique visitor our website. “Resources” refers to how many resources a participant can access through the program. For example – if 100 people attended a lead workshop, each participant would receive 20 resources automatically, and that would mean that 2,000 pieces of information with phone numbers, addresses, organization information, etc. were distributed for the quarter.
| Program |
Participants Quarter |
Resources |
Quarter Total |
YTD Total |
| Basic Lead Poisoning |
113 |
20 |
2,260 |
4,560 |
| Lead Safe Home Project |
15 |
22 |
330 |
374 |
| DIY Weatherization WS |
597 |
45 |
26,865 |
28,170 |
| In-Home Services |
165 |
13 |
2,145 |
3,263 |
| CEP Website |
3,113 |
36 |
112,068 |
189,303 |
| Total Passive Referrals: |
143,668 |
225,670 |
Outreach Events
CEP participated in seven different community events this quarter. The type of events varied, as well as the thematic emphasis. Two events could not be attended due to staff illness. The Events are listed below.
General Outreach (all programs)
- Oct 30, 2009 Wintering In – Impact Northwest
- Nov 21, 2009 Fix-it-Fair – Roosevelt High School
Volunteer
- Oct 20, 2009 Student Volunteer Fair – Sunset High School
Lead Poisoning Prevention
- Oct 23, 2009 Resource Fair – Buckman Elementary
- Oct 31, 2009 Multicultural Healthy Homes Healthy Kids Fair – Friends of Children
- Nov 11, 2009 Washington County Community Action Energy Fair
- Nov 14, 2009 Winter Warm-Up Event – International Center for Traditional Childbirth
At every event we promoted all CEP programs and networked with other organizations. Some events have a specific focus. General Outreach refers to events where we promoted all of CEP’s programs equally such as street fairs with general audiences across all ages. At events geared towards children and parents or health, our booth had a larger focus on Lead Poisoning Prevention.
| Outreach Activities (focus) |
Total for Quarter |
Total for Fiscal Year |
| General (All Programs Equally) |
2 |
9 (45%) |
| Lead Poisoning Prevention |
4 |
6 (30%) |
| In-Home Weatherization |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| DIY Weatherization Workshop |
0 |
0 (0%) |
| Volunteers |
1 |
3 (15%) |
| Water to the Weather Workshop |
0 |
1 (5%) |
| East County |
0 |
1 (5%) |
| Total |
7 |
20 |
Fiscal year-to-date CEP has participated in 20 events – nine General events, six Lead Poisoning Prevention events, one East County event, three volunteer events, and one Water to the Weather event.
At most events we have had a great deal of interaction with people, including introductions, information exchanges, and laying foundations with new partners. To help gauge the success of each event, we have developed a tracking system to gather data on how many people visit our table, how many we have conversations with, and how many take information. At a busy outreach event it is nearly impossible to track each person who comes to visit us at our table, so these results may be underreported. The results of this tracking system for the events of this quarter are as follows.
| Contact Tracking (Tabling Events) |
Total for Quarter |
Total for Fiscal Year |
| Total Visit Table |
228 |
638 |
| Take Information |
123 |
332 (52%)* |
| Leave Information/Sign up |
10 |
65 (10%) |
| Conversations |
198 |
532 (83%) |
| Networking/Conversation with other orgs. |
33 |
91 (14%) |
* Percentages are not mutually exclusive, and are a percentage of how many people visited the table
These data help us gauge how effective we are with outreach events and helps in planning before going to an event the next year.
From 2006, the first year we began tracking contact with clients, we’ve increased the percentage of people who take information and with whom we have conversations by 20%.
B. Outreach Development
Outreach Coordinator Professional Development
The Outreach Coordinator attended a TACS Diversity Leaders Network workshop on Social Policy Implications of Incarceration and Public Safety on 12/18/09.
Research for Marketing Development
As we look to expand on our marketing and development of an outreach plan, we’ve been doing research. This quarter we looked into
- ElloPortland.com – a website dedicated to local businesses
- VistaPrint.com – affordable printing options for everything from business cards to banners
- Contacted Willamette Week about being added to next year’s Give!Good give list
- Applied for Google Grants
- Researched and became an affiliate of Energy Federation Incorporated (EFI) to receive commission on sales
- Energy Trust of Oregon’s “Friends” list of contractors – a potential new market for the retail store
Special Projects
Train the Trainer DVD Release Party
This quarter we hosted a release party to celebrate finishing our Train the Trainer DVD. We created and mailed invitations to 73 people – staff, volunteers, friends of CEP, and people involved in making the video. Approximately 20 people, attended the party, and we played the DVD in its entirety multiple times.
East County Outreach
This quarter CEP continued to participate in the ECOS (East County One-Stop) monthly board meetings and participated in an outreach event in Wood Village. In-Home outreach was largely word of mouth and caseworkers that have become aware of the program from outreach for the past few years.
This quarter we
- Held a private workshop and set up a second private workshop with Springdale Job Corps in Troutdale.
- Worked with City of Wood Village, Troutdale Recreation Center to host public workshops
- Worked with Innovative Housing, who put distributed flyers in apartment complexes, informing people about an upcoming workshop.
CEP Fee-for-Service Fundraisers
Retail Fundraiser – Vision into Action
CEP was approved for Vision into Action grant to promote our retail store and provide job-training opportunities. Since approval, we have conducted research and outlined details for the launch of the store, and created position descriptions and solidified who our partners will be for internships.
Originally a PIVOT intern was going to begin her term of service this quarter, but staff illness with both CEP and PIVOT, in addition to the holiday breaks delays the internship from beginning until January.
This quarter we have
- Created/upgraded storefront displays
- Replaced door weatherstripping / hex-head screws
- Created wording/photos for informational displays, mounted on matte-board in strategic locations in the office
- Mounted measuring tapes to demonstrate window sizes as part of a display
- Updated the online portion of store
- Added PayPal buttons with drop-down menus (which had to be removed due to lack of third-party host)
- Added photos and descriptions from retail form
- New language for promoting purchases
- Partnership with EFI (Energy Federation Incorporated) for clients outside of the area who prefer shipping
- Embedded youtube videos showing short examples on weatherizing a window and a door
- Marketing
- Created a basic marketing plan
- Promotion of retail store when appropriate in available media coverage
- Posted an advertisement on Craigslist.org
- Created and submitted an advertisement for the January edition of Beloved Community Journal
- Met with representative of ElloPortland.com, created an advertisement banner promoting the store, posted it online. (Secured years subscription for free, $700 value)
- Logistics
- Updated product prices, descriptions on retail form
- Began tracking how customers heard about us
- Created spreadsheet for inventory tracking
- Intern skill-building
- Easter Seals and Masters in Social Work Community-Based Practice Interns were trained to sell materials, inform customers about tips and tricks regarding products, and take payments
- Had one of two interviews for PIVOT interns. Second interview was postponed until January.
Small-Measure Weatherization: Facilitating Community Empowerment, Education, and Involvement (Train the Trainer)
This quarter we conducted our first paid Training and Consulting workshop. This customized event was for Pastor Darnell Johnson, and Keith Miller form Holistic Community Coalition, from East Chicago, Indiana 12/16 and 12/17/09 at Community Energy Project office.
Their particular interest was in Developing/Designing a Community-Based Program where he trains people from the ex-offender community in a workforce-training job to conduct small measure weatherization for seniors and people with disabilities in their city. They found us through a Google search, which lead to our PDF flyer for this service.
We have also begun conversations with the Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho about utilizing this service. They heard about us through a retired board member with Pacific Power who spoke to them about our services. See next quarterly report for more details.
Other outreach activities include
- Participated in Informational Interview with marketing professional in the community with an interest in possibly volunteering to help market CEP Training and Consulting services
- Completed final DVD printing and DVD jackets for the 50 copies
- Participated in the Train-the-Trainer DVD release party on 12/1/09 at CEP office
EPA Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Training Provider Accreditation
In Mid-September the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Coordinator completed and submitted 2 applications to the US EPA to become an EPA recognized training provider for the new Renovation, Repair and Painting requirements for contractors and others who disturb lead-based paint in targeted housing. CEP has applied to become an authorized trainer for both the 8-hour Initial training as well as the 4-hour Refresher training. We are currently awaiting word on our approval. With mention of our application for the grant at meetings as part of a normal update, we have already begun to assemble a waiting list for interested participants who would like to attend our training upon approval.
The EPA conducted a site visit as the final step towards accreditation. See “Meetings and Presentations” for more details.
Oregon HEAT
This quarter staff and interns worked with Oregon HEAT clients that called or walked in. So far, we have distributed funds to 45 households.
Media Development
CEP has contacted the editors or reporters of 49 community publications to learn which ones had community calendars and were receptive to regularly scheduled events. As a result, we send a list of CEP community calendar events to 17 local publications on a monthly basis: Southeast Examiner, Portland Alliance, The Bee, Asian Reporter, El Hispanic News, the East Portland News, East County News, Portland Family Magazine, Metro Parent Calendar, The Skanner, Mid-County Memo, Portland Observer, Gresham Outlook, The Hollywood Star, and Concordia News. The Oregonian publishes CEP events in their calendar by using CEP’s web calendar. The Outreach Coordinator frequently studies the local media to find new angles for future article writing, and to find CEP publications, and contacts potentially interested reporters about stories relating to CEP services.
The number of papers to which we send press releases varies by how much time we have for publication. Press releases tend to be immediate and time-sensitive, and we have a list of 13 papers we use who can print a story with only a week or two notice. Most community papers are monthly, and often need a month and a half notice to publish a story. If the press release is not time sensitive, then we expand the size of the list.
Due to frequent requests from the media to go into client homes, we have developed an official statement regarding our policies with client dignity and protection, to be posted on our website.
We are currently constructing a portion of the website specifically for the press which will have with past coverage, FAQ, and a media packet available for download.
Media Events by Program
This quarter we had four media events via internet, television news, print, and radio.
Oct 13, 2009 GoodSearch highlighted CEP as “Charity of the Day”
Oct 21, 2009 KOIN 6 News on preparing for the cold weather
Oct 27, 2009 Portland Business Journal Book of Giving
Nov 13, 2009 AM 750 KXL’s “Good News PDX”
Dec 08, 2009 KGW 8 News on staying comfortable in cold weather
GoodSearch is a Yahoo! powered search engine that donates 50% of its revenue to the charities designated by its users. GoodSearch has “charity of the day” it highlights on its home page, for which CEP was chosen.
The Portland Business Journal generates the Book of Giving, a yearly publication dedicated to providing information on different non-profits in hopes of inspiring holiday donations. CEP had a full page color publication in the Book of Giving, thanks to a donation from PacifiCorp, which was sent to subscribers and local businesses.
KOIN 6 News came to our office to film three live segments on weatherization. The Weatherization Workshop Coordinator gave demonstrations on door weatherstripping and window kit installation, and the Outreach Coordinator showed how to change a furnace filter. CEP’s segments were intermingled with segments from the Energy Trust of Oregon and NorthWest Natural Gas. It aired live and one of CEP’s segments was the feature story on KOIN 6’s official website.
KGW Channel 8 News went to a weatherization workshop to interview the Weatherization Workshop Coordinator regarding tips on weatherization and what services CEP offers. They filmed a small segment with the Coordinator, as well as portions of the workshop. The segment aired that evening at 11pm.
Online Marketing
Posting to community websites and list serves such as CNRG and CraigsList.org is a simple and convenient way to post new workshop information that becomes more effective with experience. Some news agencies, such as The Oregonian use our online calendar and publish events frequently on their own. There are always a variety of places where we are mentioned on personal blogs and sustainability sites as well that utilize our calendar to spread the word to their constituents.
The Lead Poisoning Prevention Coordinator is active in an online community called LeadNet, in which local community members, activists, and educators discuss lead issues.
This quarter we open purchased a Constant Contact account, an email marketing tool. We created a variety of lists, totaling 756 contacts (after culling bounce backs) and sent our first electronic quarterly newsletter, followed by a holiday appeal. We added a box to the website giving people the option to sign up for our mailing list. At this point 2-3 new people are signing up a week.
We created a second WordPress account to store newsletter content. The newsletter contains a small synopsis of a story, with an embedded hyperlink entitled “read more…” leading the reader to individual WordPress entries expanding on the story.
Through Constant Contact we also sent an email holiday appeal to 634 people on December 14, 2009.
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing gives us the chance to reach new audiences locally and nationally, especially the millennial generation. Currently CEP has a MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, which are in the top 30 most visited pages on the internet. Three staff also have LinkedIn accounts. The Viral Marketing Plan outline is consistently revised with experience and education.
This quarter we
- Placed links to social networking accounts on website
- Maintained and updated our MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn accounts
- Made frequent status updates
- Researched “Causes” – a fundraising program through Facebook
- Interacted with the online community through comments and “friending” other account holders
- Facebook: 56 fans
- MySpace: 69 friends
- Twitter: 32 followers
- YouTube: 2 subscribers, 3 friends 700+ views of CEP videos
Community Energy Project Official Website and Blog
We maintain an organized binder documenting website activity. Instead of focusing on website hits – where a single user can create multiple hits for the site, we focus on how many unique visitors come to the site. The bottom row indicates the fluctuation in unique visitors in comparison to the previous year.
Due to some issues with the AVstats tracker, the visitors for the month of December were unreported for at least two full days. We took an average of the missing days to supplement the data for accuracy.
| Website Unique Visitors |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| January |
686 |
638 |
764 |
847 |
| February |
464 |
546 |
479 |
772 |
| March |
442 |
479 |
576 |
628 |
| April |
368 |
434 |
439 |
620 |
| May |
377 |
631 |
433 |
738 |
| June |
384 |
412 |
487 |
634 |
| July |
374 |
390 |
514 |
614 |
| August |
569 |
497 |
374 |
580 |
| September |
619 |
619 |
609 |
819 |
| October |
896 |
859 |
978 |
1033 |
| November |
815 |
1003 |
748 |
1081 |
| December |
703 |
717 |
788 |
999 |
| Total |
6697 |
7225 |
7193 |
9665 |
| Difference from previous yr |
+1753 |
+528 |
-31 |
+2472 |
The past four years show periods of increase in CEP’s activity. In 2006 CEP created and hired for the Outreach Coordinator position, where we see a substantial spike from the previous year. In 2007, a professional graphic designer volunteered to redesign CEP’s official website, where we see another spike. 2008 leveled off, and now in 2009 we have seen another record increase. Every month since January has had an increase, perhaps due in part to viral marketing and increased marketing for new programs and to the ongoing economic recession.
The Outreach Coordinator routinely updates calendar activities, website information, and links while promoting our website in all online and newspaper postings, and distributing updated brochures to maintain visitation rates and thus the sharing of information on all of our programs.
This quarter we
- Added a short history about CEP (by client request)
- Updated sponsor list, with new links
- Updated board member list, added links to affiliate organizations
- Overhauled retail page (see Retail Fundraiser above)
- Created and added a “gift tag” to Donation page, altered wording and process for making a donation
- Embedded YouTube videos on Purchase page near tip sheets
- Updated calendar items through the end of January
- Added brochure links to program pages
- Changed “What’s New?” To wordpress.com, which opens in a new window. The blog format allows for easier updating and infinite archiving. We transferred all old “What’s New?” entries to the new format.
- Lead RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) application
- Adventures with “Flat Stanley”
- Koin 6 news coverage links
- Donations to CEP
- Program announcements pertaining to limited materials
- Added a “Testimonials” section, filled in with thank-you cards/emails
- Met with a webmaster to discuss options with running website – altering the home page, going through WordPress, etc.
- Began to reformat the “About Us” page to the style of a classic Home page
- Minimized page sprawl by creating a tab for board members and funding (which also affords us more room to expand on both of these areas)
- Created new pages: newsletters/reports, brochures, FAQ, and media. Began filling in content.
- All new pages have embedded tables that cross-link all the new sections together.
- Doubled the questions for Weatherization Workshop FAQ, organized questions by category
- Added “Join Mailing List” button to “Donate,” “Contact Us,” and “About Us” pages.
The most popular segment of the website this quarter was calendar, then shifted each month, between programs, Purchase, and Contact Us. What’s New? is no longer tracked with standard webstats.
The most common key phrases that visitors typed into search engines were: Community Energy Project, Plastic Storm Window Kits, and Portland Weatherization. Visitors from over 25 different countries visit the site every month.
Brochure Development
We regularly update all brochures as necessary.
This quarter we
- Overhauled our General Brochure to include new lead programs
- Overhauled the Lead Poisoning Prevention brochure to eliminate the insert and include the Lead-Safe Home Projects and HEPA lending program
| Brochure Printing |
Total for Quarter |
Total for Fiscal Year |
| General |
450 |
650 |
| Weatherization Workshop |
300 |
400 |
| Lead Poisoning Prevention |
200 |
250 |
| In-Home Services |
150 |
300 |
| Volunteers |
150 |
250 |
| Lead Safe Home Project / HEPA inserts |
0 |
150 |
| In-Home Safety Repairs inserts |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
1250 |
2000 |
With the elimination of the LSHP/HEPA insert, CEP has six Brochures/inserts: General Information, Weatherization Workshops, Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshops, In-Home Services, Volunteers, and Workshop Leaders. We have a 1/3 page inserts for the In-Home Services on Safety Repairs.
Building Signage/Branding
This quarter we met with Art on Alberta representatives about having community murals on the exterior of CEP’s building. Art on Alberta gave a presentation on a variety of potential artists, and we have decided on the artist we would like to work with.
In-Kind Donations
CEP receives in-kind support from all over the community, in the form of space, interpretation services, material donation, hospitality, and more. Below is a table representing in-kind donations in regards to Weatherization and Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshops.
| Year to Date Workshop Donations |
# Hours Space |
# Hours Interpretation |
# of Times Hospitality Provided |
| Weatherization WS |
|
| BHCD |
102 |
22 |
15 |
| East Multnomah Co. |
6 |
0 |
0 |
| Program Total |
108 |
22 |
15 |
| Lead Poisoning Prevention |
|
| PBW (Total) |
47 |
4 |
7 |
| Workshop Total |
155 |
26 |
22 |
This year, workshops have been translated in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Other In-Kind Donations this fiscal year:
- Professional help with design for Portland Business Journal Book of Giving
- Writer $110
- Graphic Artist $165
- Associate $225
- Professional help with design for Portland Business Journal Book of Giving
- ElloPortland 1 year subscription / Advertising $700
Please note that the most accurate documentation of in-kind donations can be obtained from the finance department. This section is for informational purposes only.
Donated Professional Services
CEP has received a wide variety of professional services that have had a lasting impact on our organization, such as the design of our official logo and our current website design. CEP received no professional services this quarter.
Mentoring Clara Barton VISTA Corps Member
This year the CBVC member began serving as the Volunteer Coordinator. Please see the Volunteer Services report for more details. Below are activities from this quarter pertaining to support we provide for her.
Training
- VISTA observed orientations, gave supervised orientations to both groups and individuals
- VISTA led a group of PGE volunteers with Outreach Coordinator supervising/troubleshooting
- Data entry, setting up spreadsheets, tips and tricks, etc.
- Trouble-shooting, communication skills, activities tracking
- Reporting – Monthly Activity Reports, Quarterly report support
- Set VISTA up with a NOVAA (Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association) membership – for which she has attended two trainings
- Grant meeting for Spirit Mountain Community Fund 10/7/09
Day-to-Day Support
- Weekly check-ins and minutes
- Monthly paperwork – VISTA timesheets, Monthly Activities Reports
- Filing, database management, paperwork, reporting
- Intern paperwork for Easter Seals and Steps to Success
- Filled in for VISTA during absence – leading weatherization teams, coordinating interns and volunteers, etc.
C. Development of an Outreach Plan
Marketing Plan Outline:
August 2009
- Updated corner building sign
September 2009
- Change out worn and torn display materials – door weatherstripping, rope caulk, hex-head screws, etc.
- Place “Buy Weatherization Materials Here” sign on front of building
October 2009
- Send first quarterly newsletters
- Create an online storage space for newsletter information
- Sign up for Constant Contact account
- Portland Community Media – attend orientation
- Create mailing lists (ongoing)
- Targeted groups (contractors, handymen, environmentalists, etc.)
- Create a “join our mailing list” button for website
November 2009
- November Fix-it-Fair
- Retail displays explaining products and prices
- Upgrade purchase page on website to include pictures, videos, and updated information
December 2009
- Beloved Community Journal (December submission for Jan-March paper)
January 2010
- January Fix it Fairs
- Chinook Book meeting – advertise in next cycle? Have a coupon?
- Create and submit newspaper advertisements
- Research PSA’s on regular local channels
- Compile mailing list out of Energy Trust of Oregon Allies
February 2010
- E-Mailing to ETO allies
- New window display (Flat Stanley shadowbox)
- Send quarterly newsletter
- Create and submit newspaper advertisements
- Air CEP PSAs on Portland Community Media
March 2010
- Seek out store “testimonials” for advertising next year
- Better Living Show
- Research “Causes” on Facebook
- Send mailing/emailing to customers to rate satisfaction of products, get testimonials, answer questions, etc.
April 2010
- Send quarterly newsletter
- Research ways to get free internet advertising for nonprofits
- Participate in outreach events as scheduled
- Analyze data from retail store – how did people hear about us? What events could have caused jumps in sales?
May 2010
- Participate in outreach events as scheduled