Welcome to Neighborhood Development Communication

1. Welcome to Neighborhood DevelopmentCommunication

2. Objectives • Building Neighborhood Connections • Producing and Distributing Newsletters and Annual Reports/Fact Sheets • Maintaining Written Record of Decisions and Polices • Advertising Meetings Adequately in the Neighborhood • Arranging Public Forums and Educational and Informational Events • Maintaining a Good Relationship with Local Media • Making your Presence Known at Public Hearings and Before Official Bodies

3. Building Neighborhood Connections An essential part of neighborhood organizing is contacting other people in the neighborhood. There are a number of good communication channels used by neighbors and neighborhood organizations, such as posters, fliers, yard signs, and announcements in community or church newsletters. Perhaps the most effective channel, however, is personal contact through phone calls or stopping by. Personal contact is advantageous because: a. It lets people know you are interested in them and in hearing their ideas and perspectives. b. It assures people they will know at least one other person at the meeting – you. c. It gives you an opportunity to explain what you are working toward and why. d. It gives you a chance to hear what your neighbor feels is important and what they would like to see accomplished. e. If neighbors tell you they will come, and know you are expecting them, they are more likely to show up.

4. Personal Visits Making personal connections through visiting homes is one strategy for learning more about your neighbors. The purpose of such “personal visits” is to establish a social connection with your neighbors through which you may build a foundation for future work (and play!) together. Especially if you are unfamiliar with the people in your neighborhood, it is a good idea to go on personal visits with a partner. What is a personal visit for? • 20-30 minutes of quality one-on-one time • To make a connection and learn about a person • To ask for specific commitments • To evaluate previous actions/activities • To set up house meetings or other future activities • To prepare for upcoming activities

5. With whom should you do personal visits? Do personal visits with a leader or potential leader; allies or potential allies; and opponents or potential opponents. Tips for good personal visits include:  • Make an appointment • If you can’t get the person by phone, drop by • Don’t take notes! • Be on time • Relax, enjoy the person’s company and let them enjoy yours • Don’t bring more than two people with you • Get a specific commitment • Ask questions, listen, and focus – try to get past what they do, to why they do it

6. Door to Door Going door to door is another strategy you can use for learning more about your neighborhood and addressing specific issues. As with making personal visits, it is always good to go door to door in pairs. It is a give-and-take process of listening, persuading, and asking. For example: Here is a sample door: Introduction • Introduce yourself, the organization you are working with (if any), and explain why you are at their door. • Ask if you may have a few minutes of their time to talk with them about the problems in their neighborhood. At this point, they may invite you in. Purpose • After sitting down, repeat your name and organization, and thank them for their time. • Get their name, confirm address, get phone #, and write it down. • Glance around. Ask or acknowledge something you observe. • Ask them how long they’ve lived in the area and if they know their neighbors. Listen • Ask what they think are the major problems in their neighborhood. • Ask if they would like to do something about these problems. • Explain that you (or your organization) are working to bring people together to work on issues such as those the neighbor suggested as priorities.

7. Solution • Explain the issue that members are working on. Ask if they support the issue. • Ask the person if they would like to join others in their neighborhood in fighting these issues. Name other people on the block who joined. • Explain what membership means and ask them to become a member. Next step • Invite them to the next meeting or action. • Ask for names of neighbors that may also want to join. • Ask them to do something for the organization (deliver flyers, contact neighbors, host gathering). • Congratulate, thank, flatter, acknowledge.

8. House Meeting A house meeting is a small gathering of friends who meet at the home of someone they know and trust. The purpose of a house meeting is to discuss issues of concern and develop specific ways to work together, as a group, to address these issues. House meetings are also an effective way to bring new members into a community group. They provide a personal and comfortable environment where people can get to know each other, learn about community issues, and become familiar with the group. Because they are small gatherings, house meetings provide an opportunity for people to listen to each other, ask questions, share ideas, and become informed. In the process, people can discuss ways to get involved in the organization that are best suited to their skills and interests. A house meeting involves a host or hostess, a leader from your neighborhood group or organization and some guests. The host/hostess plans the house meeting with a neighborhood leader. They pick a time and date for the meeting, decide who to invite and plan what will happen. The host/hostess invites the guests. Five (guests) is a good number.

9. The house meeting itself should last an hour and a half, at most. During the meeting, the host/hostess and organization leader work together to make the guests feel comfortable, lead the discussion, present the issues of concern, and generate interest in the group. The goal of each house meeting is for the guests to become informed and involved. Each guest should leave with something specific to do. At the end of the meeting, it is a good idea for guests to leave with written information such as fact sheets, or a “things to do” list. The host/hostess should follow up on the meeting by checking back with the guests to get their reactions and encourage their involvement. The organization leader should follow up with the host/hostess to evaluate the house meeting and discuss ways for the guests to become active members in the group. A successful house meeting will inspire guests to join your group and possibly even sponsor their own house meeting. If your organization is growing at a fast pace through the use of house meetings, a coordinator should be selected who is responsible for keeping track of each house meeting, what actions people agreed to take, and who committed to them. A sample house meeting agenda is found in the appendix. And remember to SERVE REFRESHMENTS!!!

10. The 1st Neighborhood Meeting Your first neighborhood meeting provides an opportunity for residents to learn, discuss issues, solve problems, and get to know one another. But if the meeting is not run efficiently, it will not be effective. More importantly, badly run meetings can discourage participation at future meetings and group activities. Remember that your first meeting will be different than future board, committee and general meetings. More information on planning those meeting can be found in chapter 3. An effective meeting results in residents feeling they have made a contribution and that the organization is worthy of their time and has good direction. Below in the next slides are eight basic steps that you can take to help ensure meeting is effective.

11. 8 Basic Steps • Set goals - Think about why you are having the meeting. Determine what you want to accomplish. Does the organization need to make decisions? Do committee assignments need to be made to accomplish a larger goal? • Set up a meeting time and location - If your organization will meet frequently, establish a standard meeting place, date and time. The location should be handicap accessible, centrally located, and well-known with adequate parking. The size of the space should accommodate the anticipated attendance. Neighborhood centers, churches, schools and community centers are excellent. Weeknight meetings after 6:30 p.m. often have the best attendance.

12. 3. Prepare the agenda - The agenda should be designed to help you meet your goals. Each topic should have a time limit and the name of the person addressing the topic. Limit the meeting to one and a half hours. Here is a sample agenda: • Welcome and Introductions • Guest Speaker(s): (A representative of Lansing Neighborhood Council, Neighborhood watch program, etc) • Discuss neighborhood concerns • Make sure to ask people what issues are important to them • Determine your organizations goals possibly using a visioning session • Consider tackling short term achievable goals, like flower planting, that have immediate return on investment • Remember the City takes a long time to get things done, so include more structural things (like getting speed bumps in as longer term goals • Discuss what sort of organization you would like to form (more later) • Assign members to fill key roles • Suggest Agenda Items for Next Meeting

13. 4. Know who will attend – Since this your first meeting it is extremely important that your proposed leadership team be at the meeting to run it effectively. You also want to ensure that as many neighbors are in attendance as possible. Make sure that everyone who attends signs in with contact info and addresses. 5. Advertise the meeting - If the entire neighborhood is invited, prepare a flyer that is simple, yet eye catching. The flier should include the meeting date, time, location and purpose or goal. Fliers can be mailed or hand delivered. Have your leadership team make reminder phone calls to their neighbors. If only the leadership team is meeting, mail a reminder notice or make phone calls. 6. Set up the meeting space - Arrange tables and chairs in a manner that is conducive to discussion. Set up displays or set out handouts before the meeting starts. Offer refreshments.

14. 7. Facilitate the meeting - Have someone welcoming people as they come in. Start the meeting on time. Everyone should sign-in and someone should be taking notes or minutes. Follow the agenda, stick to the times allocated for each topic, and remain on-track. Encourage participation and summarize comments you hear. The meeting should focus on real problems rather than being a gripe session. Treat everyone with respect and remain open minded. Make sure that once a discussion about an issue is finished that the group is aware of final decisions, assignments and deadlines. Conclude the meeting on a positive note and thank everyone for attending. Consider inviting an experience facilitator to keep your meeting running smoothly and positively. 8. Follow-up - Confirm assignments or deadlines with a phone call or memo. Acknowledge help and significant contributions by others. Identify ways to improve the meeting and attendance. Make sure everyone knows how information will be passed out (newsletter, flyers, e-mail, etc).

15. Neighborhood Newsletters • Distributing Newsletter • Check area print shops to find out the cost of printing them…..(LNC allows neighborhoods to copy newsletters, flyers, and other neighborhood documents at no cost to registered neighborhood group). • Create a distribution plan---are you going to mail it through bulk mail, or are you going to hand deliver them. Either way distribution is a large task, so make sure your group has a distribution team. (LNC also has a bulk rate permit in which neighborhoods are allowed to utilize. Please talk to a staff member for further details.) • Creating a Newsletter • Form a committee and designate tasks • Decide how many issues will you have a year • Decide what will be in each issue, make sure you keep it focused on information, news, and events that will benefit the neighborhood as a whole. • Decide on a catchy name that everyone will recognize as your neighborhood newsletter • Decide on a logo • See page 45 in the Building Community in Lansing Handbook. You can download a copy on our website under In The Neighborhood Tab

16. Steps on how to create an Annual Report • Step 1 Start with the numbers. Almost all annual reports center around financial data, even in nonprofit organizations. Meet with your organization's finance advisers and/or accountants to review the past year's financial performance, and determine what information to include in this year's report. The financial status of your organization will help guide your choice of theme and appearance for the annual report. • Step 2 Note that the exact content of the financial report will vary based on organization size, business model and for-profit/nonprofit status. Check with finance and legal advisers to confirm which of the following elements to include:Income Statement---the basic statement of the organization's financial stability. It details sources of money, expenses, and net income or loss for the year.Balance Sheet---provides an overall view of the organization's financial status. It lists both the assets and liabilities (amounts owed) of the organization. In for-profit organizations, the balance sheet will include a statement of shareholders' equity. This essentially puts a number on shareholders' value by subtracting liabilities from assets.Cash Flow Statement---reports on how cash moves through the organization and how much cash is on hand.Risks---a summary of business risks the organization faces or may have to face in the future.Notes---include explanations of the organization’s accounting practices, explain any exceptions to general accounting practice and describes how the financial information was gathered.Publicly traded companies must include a report from senior leadership confirming that internal accounting controls meet the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

17. Step 3 Make a budget. Use the costs from the previous year's report, if available, as a starting point. Next, consider your current needs. Ask, will you require professional photography? Writing assistance? Do you want to print and mail the report and/or post it to a website? What technical help will you need? How much will printing and postage cost? • Step 4 Choose a tone and theme for the annual report's content and design. Did the organization do well? Then plan for an upbeat tone and a bright, colorful design. If the organization faced challenges or has weathered a storm, a low-key tone and black-and-white design make more sense. • Step 5 Plan your content. Review the year's activities. Read through recent newsletters, meeting minutes, press releases and news coverage. What were the key achievements and milestones? Who were the high performers and difference makers? Use your answers to draft a content plan for the annual report.

18. Step 6 • Start at the top. Begin the annual report with a letter or column from an organizational leader (chairman of the board, president or executive director). The executive's message should provide an overview of the year's activities and accomplishments. It should also summarize the financial performance in terms a general reader can understand. • Step 7 • Give credit. Include recognition for leadership and key staff members in for-profit organizations, or donors and volunteers in nonprofits. • Step 8 • Review your plan with leadership. Be sure to get buy-in on budget, tone and appearance. In particular, make sure the presentation of financial information meets with executive approval. Remember that leadership will probably want to sign off on the final content and design before publication and distribution. • Step 9 • Produce the report. If your organization lacks writers, photographers and designers, you may need to do the work yourself or find volunteers. Marketing communication firms and professional freelancers are also sources of help. If you are planning to print and mail the report, get quotes from several printers and mailing houses. These may be able to help with design of the annual report as well.

19. Maintaining Written Records and Policies • Keep all neighborhood documents in a safe and accessible place. Such documents include but not limited to: Receipts, Bylaws, 501c3 status (if applicable), Articles of Incorporation, Bank Statements, Grant Applications, Grant Approval/Denial Letters, Annual Reports, other Financial documents, etc. • Please refer to page 31 in Building Community In Lansing: A Neighborhood Handbook. You can download/view a copy of the handbook on our website. • How long does our group need to hang on to records and policies? Please click on the link below to view a copy of a Retention List from YEO & YEO CPA’s Business Consultants Business Record Retention Schedule.pdf

20. Ways to Advertise Neighborhood Meetings/Events • You can announce your meeting in the Lansing State Journal. All announcements must be submitted before Sunday of each week. Announcements will run in the Sunday Newspaper in the Events section. You can submit events to www.lsj.com. • Another way is to e-mail, mail, or call in to the Lansing Neighborhood Council (LNC). LNC staff will e-mail it out to other groups, put it on their website, and their Google groups. You can reach LNC staff by calling 393-9883 or e-mailing at lansingneighborhoodcouncil@yahoo.com. • Some groups use funds that they have raised or obtained from grants to purchase neighborhood signs to put out around the neighborhood with the event details. The Lansing School District Print Shop that is located at Hill Center has reasonable rates for all kinds of printing needs. • Lastly you can flyer your neighborhood, letting neighbors know of your upcoming meetings. LNC Staff is here to assist you in creating a flyer, copying flyers, and mailing them out if you would like. LNC offers these services at no charge to the neighborhood, except the cost of postage for mailing out announcements. LNC has a bulk permit account set up with the post office that allows us to mail out items at a discounted price.

21. Arranging Public Forums/Events • Choose a location, date, and time • Setup a committee to help setup guest speakers, tables and chairs, refreshments, and other details. • Stay in communication with each other to help plan. • In the Building Community in Lansing A Neighborhood Handbook Chapter 5 talks on Organizing Activities, Events, and Projects. It has guidelines and check list that you can follow. • Lansing Neighborhood Council has put together a list of Speakers that you may want to use. Click the link below to access that list. Speakers List

22. Maintaining a Good Relationship with local Media • When calling to submit an event make sure you follow the directions that they ask • Also make sure that you send a thank you note • Get to know the staff members • For a list of the Lansing Area local media please click below http://www.lansing.org/media/local-media/

23. Making Your Neighborhood Presence Known at Public Hearings and before City Official Bodies • Find out who your City Council members are. They can help you resolve any situation that is affecting your neighborhood. • Call your City Council members and introduce yourself. They are very down to earth and are wanting to get to know the neighbors that live in their City. • Go to a City Council Meeting. • Get signed up to be put on their mailing list to be notified of Public Hearings that can affect your neighborhood.

24. Questions • Was the information that you learned helpful? • What are some key elements that you will use in developing your neighborhood? • Was the online class user friendly? • If you could change anything in the online training, what would you change? Please submit answers to: lansingneighborhoodcouncil@yahoo.com and we will send you a certificate of completion.