Describe Your Unique Role in Collaborative Efforts

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fabric threads[Dalya’s Note: This is an excerpt from my award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.]

You may recall my post about the value of collaboration. Today I want to talk about the importance of carving out a unique niche for your organization in those collaborative efforts.

Your work to advance your organization’s unique brand involves illustrating how you contribute essential threads to your community’s interwoven fabric. You serve as a crucial resource and contributor to social and/or environmental responsibility.

Collaboration combines your organization’s power with that of other organizations that share your values, in a strategic effort to benefit a larger number of people than you could alone.

Ask yourself: How does your work fit into the larger picture of your community’s well-being?

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Interview Questions for Your Main Characters

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GCfGN_symbol-drop-shadow[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Beth Barany, an award-winning novelist, keynote speaker & creativity coach for novelists.]

Many nonfiction writers may be unfamiliar with how to develop characters in their how-to or other pieces. But with some guidelines and some investigative questions, you’ll be able to create interesting and compelling characters for your teaching stories.

Guidelines

Many fiction writers start with this next exercise even before they start their stories. How do I know that? I’m an award-winning novelist, with 2 novels and 2 novellas published, and when I’m not working on my own stories, I help authors write, publish, and market their novels.

Goal
Start with your character’s outer goal. What does she want? Have it be something anyone could see. Example: to get a job. Also, all characters have an inner and non-tangible goal, like to feel satisfied.

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GPA Heart of America Conference on 4/25: I Am the Keynote Speaker

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GPA

The Heart of America GPA Chapter is pleased to announce the Heart of America GPA Regional Conference, titled “Keep Calm and Hit Submit.”

I will be the Keynote Speaker with a presentation titled “Grant Professionals as Strategic Leaders: Your Crucial Role.”

As a grant professional, you are perfectly positioned to help your organization plan strategically for its grantseeking future.  You are the knowledgeable guide who can lead executive and program staff to design work that is attractive to grantmakers. We’ll discuss ways to “rally the troops” while staying calm, cool, and collected.

You will learn:

  1. How to make sure everyone is on the same page
  2. What questions to ask to get the information you need
  3. Examples of strategizing with staff  – before, during, or after the grant award

If you are in the area, don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your colleagues in the grant writing profession, while obtaining valuable professional development experience. Enjoy a cocktail reception and a full day of enlightening grant workshops — all in one of Kansas City’s premier shopping and dining districts, the Country Club Plaza.

Discounted tickets are available for those who register on or before March 31st.

Cost:
GPA Members $100/$85 Early Bird Rate by March 31st
Non-Members $110/$95 Early Bird Rate by March 31st

Please note that while the Heart of America GPA Chapter will allow attendees to register at the conference, the cost for such registrations will be $125 for both members and non- members. We strongly encourage all attendees to pre-register.

Please register HERE.

The conference agenda is posted HERE.

6 Tricks to Make Your Content Skimmable

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eyeglasses[Dalya’s Note: This guest post by Laurel Dykema was originally published on November 14, 2013. Laurel Dykema joined Mission India in 2010 and currently serves as the staff writer and social media guru.]

“AVALANCHE!”

Twitter-ers are tweeting.

Facebook-ers are posting.

Pinterest-ers are pinning.

Instagram-ers are picture-taking.

More micro content on the internet is piling up each day! So, what’s a great nonprofit to do in this age of bite-sized information?

Adapt. Or die.

Okay, okay. Maybe that’s a tad melodramatic.  🙂

But if you want to engage today’s faster-than-a-cheetah-runs readers with content longer than a 140-character tweet, here’s what you need to do: create “skimmable” content.

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