North Central Massachusetts Nonprofit Network

Meeting Notes

Levi Heywood Memorial Library, Gardner

February 2 - 9:00 to 11:00a.m.

Introductions:

Joanne introduced Karin Oliveira as the new Coordinator of Community Builders, and Andrea Hart as the new Program Assistant.

Nonprofit Spotlight:

Joanne Tulonen the Executive Director of Battered Women’s Resources, Inc. presented about her organization.

• The agency represents 29 towns and cities in or area. The organization helps women andchildren.
• Some of the services and programsthat they provide are a 24 hour hotline, 90 day shelter safe haven, school prevention, a volunteer program, and a wide variety of community education. .
• With the organizations hard work and dedication they have made great strides to increasing prevention and intervention, and early conflict resolution and mediation before problems escalate.
• Recently Battered Women’s Resources hired Nick Howe to develop a program to employ on violence. So far this program has reached over 10,000 children and he has made over 400 presentations.
• Also recently they have partnered up with Health Alliance to develop and new and innovative program to train and supply materials to over 1,000 medical professional staff on the subject.
• They also began to develop a pilot program for working with churches in local communities; these pilot programs were located in Winchendon and Gardner.
• More men are involved now than ever before in the organization, Joanne noted that ¾ of men in the states, aren’t violent.
• Violence, can trigger many things in life, precursors can be, to teen pregnancy, drugs and homelessness, to name a few.
• Please go to www.BWRI.com for more information.

The Work Groups broke out to and then reported back to the full group on their action plan and challenges:

Collaboration Work Group

Present:  Marcia Hopper, Dawn Babineau, Nicole Gagne, Andrea Hart

Ideas:

• Discussed last meeting agenda, about forming a Co-op. All agreed that it would be a disaster, possibility later down the road, but not now.
• Discussed possibility of group buying power:
• PR
• Events
• Financing
• Training and many others.

If we buy together, we could have more pull in receiving discounts. As a group we will be researching groups that could come do a presentation for us at the Network, *sell to us*, why we would benefit from hiring their services in this area.

• Discussed using the Institute Website more as a true resource for the Nonprofit Network. Adding a *did you know* section, where we will have weekly updates, and facts that members share.
• Also having a large calendar of events of all the Network Nonprofits to add in their events (fundraisers) check out each others calendars, and post local events and important meetings and dates.
• Work on increasing membership to Institute, also find way to increase number of surveys, and organizational profiles to be filled out and returned. Discount Cards discussed for members of the institute.
• Warehouse of United Way, group trips discussed. Group buying, more time shopping, less gas. Have United Way fax over general inventory, and then post in institute website.  Andrea will call and find out details.
• On new Institute Website, we should have a blog, a question and answer section where Nonprofits can meet and discuss.
• Group training. Work force development. Computer training, specific software’s. Have classes offered within Network, quick in and out meetings. Convenient times.
• Have Jeremiah Rierden come and speak to Network to discuss work force development grants.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Marcia calling about local business discounts.
• Andrea working on survey and bio for members, contacts United Way, discuss about Jeremiah Rierden, update website
• Nicole drafts a letter to solicit to local businesses.
• Dawn contacting chamber of commerce to discuss their discounts offered to members.

Public Image Work Group:

Present:

Ideas:

• Use public access to host a 1 hour show each month to highlight the nonprofit sector.  ½ hour nonprofit news, ½ hour spotlight.  Try to use local college media department.
• Offer tools to nonprofits to boost public image including how to write a press release, search engine optimism (on this subject collaboration and public image should discuss setting up effective trainings needed that Institute and Network can help facilitate.) + calendar idea, posting on website
• Suggested campaign slogan:  Invest in Hope, nonprofits working for you.
• Add a resource page to the Institute website, tech soup, www.openoffice.org, etc.

ASSIGNEMENTS:

1. Tom Moser:  gather information on web site marketing and how to write a press release:  Complete—info sent to workgroup

Legislative Work Group:

Present:  Sharon Zimmerman, Susan Ostberg, Mike Gerry and Joanne Foster

Ideas:

• Planning a ½ day event Friday May 5th at the Mount
• Keynote speaker: Senator Antonioni
• Share successes of elected officials and nonprofits working together
• 3 components:

• table top displays on nonprofits—following a protocol to be designed by committee
• panel of staffers—to describe their typical day and what they need/look for from nonprofits
• case study for staffers + nonprofits to work together

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Secure location/food, establish budget: Joanne F- We have secured space at the Mount from 8:30-1:30 on Friday May 5th
• Develop invitation list:
• Staffers: Susan O.
• Nonprofits: Institute to provide list, Michael G. to review and recommend targets
• Identify Sponsors: Dolphin Resources has agreed to sponsor—thanks Nicole Gagne!
• Develop Program/Secure Keynote: Sharon Z.

Next Meeting

Thursday, March 2, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 West Lynde Street, Gardner, MA 01440

978-632-5298.

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