Fall 2011
Report from Facing Pages Convening
We are in a cluttered environment with more and more information coming at us. Resources for doing the work have gone down. The things we do must be high-impact and relevant. We must build our own opportunities . . .
The 2011 Facing Pages Convening “Telling Your Story: How to Focus Your Marketing for Bigger Audiences and Articulate Your Mission for Better Fundraising” (held May 16th at The Center for Fiction, NYC), brought together experts and field practitioners to explore some of the most challenging and compelling questions facing our organizations today.
Click here to download complete Convening Notes
Click here to download Convening Presenter Bios
CLMP’s
Jamie Schwartz greets attendees as they arrive.
A distinguished panel of experts kicks things off.
How can we best use social media? What are the keys to getting a funder’s attention? How can we make our website stand out? Together, we learned…
- There is a lot you can do to keep yourself fresh and keep audience engaged and it doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep it going.
- Fundraising doesn’t work well in social networking – best to build your community and relationships first, before you deliver a call to action or fundraising appeal.
- View Social Networking as a cocktail party – do not barge in; you wouldn’t jump up on a chair and tell people how awesome you are, for example.
- Read your answers to grant proposals out loud, hear what you have written and correct mistakes.
- Broadcasting is not OK in Social Networking spaces. You have to act humanly and authentically in those spaces. To create this, establish yourself as a resource.
- If your targeted audience is “general public,” what does this mean in a city of 8 million where the projected audience is 800? You need to be more specific.
- A lot of people think good design is expensive and hard to get. It is really about finding the right designer and forging a relationship with him/her; much better than using an agency.
Organizations got feedback on their website, grant, or other marketing material from peers and experts.
Graphic designer Julian Montague meets critiquing a website
with two attendees.
One of the best things was having time to network, and catch up with friends.
Facing Pages is an annual convening designed to strengthen and network the literary community by bringing together New York’s literary presenters, writers and publishers. It has become a highpoint of LitTAP’s work over the past six years, focusing on such themes as integrating technology, audience development, and fundraising. Each convening includes key note addresses, panel discussions, break-out sessions, and facilitated workshops.
Share your ideas with us of what you’d like to see covered at the next Facing Pages.
Press Release:
LitTAP Strategic Technology Projects
7 Grants of $2,500 Awarded
The Literary Presenters Technical Assistance Program (LitTAP) is pleased to announce the awarding of seven (7) Strategic Technology Project re-grants to New York State literary nonprofits. These awards will assist each organization in the design and implementation of distinct and comprehensive technology strategies.
Click here for the Press Release and List of Awardees
