posted by Apprentices

Aug 19, 2011 @ 9:40am

On rooms.

What did your bedroom look like in high school?

 

Julie Turner
Duran Duran and other random band posters from the free bin at Sounds Familiar.

Pete Anderson
My room had a fly fishing decorative motif (mom’s choice) and very little
free space. Being the oldest, I got the room with the most privacy and
sunlight, which was nice.

Teresa Coles
We were building on a new wing to our house at the time, and all I wanted
was orange shag carpet (Go Tigers). It was set off with a custom gold
quilted spread, yellow/gold/orange combo stripe/flowered wallpaper, and
white dotted swiss curtains to calm it all down. A result of my daddy’s
directive to my mother “Let the baby have what she wants.” :)

Ryon Edwards

Maria Fabrizio
10th grade when I lived at home: 4 lemon yellow walls, 1 wall with Starry Night by Van gough. That year, the day after christmas I went to my room with a new set of paints and just painted it. Without permission. And my closet was plastered with Hanson posters. 11th and 12th grade I shared a dorm room at Governor’s School. It was small with two twin beds, two mis-matched comforters, two disparate sets of family photos, a poster of Jim Morrison with two hand drawn lobsters covering his chest, two completely different styles and sizes of teenage girl clothing, one small mirror above a small sink, and a trashcan filled with empty ramen packets.

Cathy Monetti
One summer I went away to camp and came home to discover my mother had completely redecorated my bedroom while I was gone. I was livid, and being 13, vowed to hate everything about that room, forever. Now I’m the Mom (of a daughter no less), and I realize my mother did this as a generous act of love. It is a great truth that the view is very different from this side of a mother/daughter relationship. Although—I must say—I never touch anything in my child’s room without permission!

Kathryn White
Clean. I was vigilant about hanging up clothes as soon as I was done with them. I didn’t allow books to stack up on my bedside table. Clutter never saw my floor. (What happened to that person?!)

Yanti Pepper
It had a credenza that housed my Emerson stereo with turntable, record albums (this was pre iPod, even pre cd’s!) and a 13 inch black and white tv with only a dozen channels (all local stations, no cable).  And I’m pretty sure that I had a poster of The Police on my wall because they were my favorite group back in the day. And I think I had a poster of Michael Jackson from his Thriller days.

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posted by Apprentices

Aug 12, 2011 @ 9:30am

On obsessions.

What is your latest obsession?

 

Pete Anderson
Authentic retro MLB batting practice jerseys

Cathy Monetti
Looking for fun. http://cathymonetti.blogspot.com/

Kathryn White
Friday Night Lights, on Netflix. Yes, I know I’m a couple years behind on this one. But this show is so much bigger than high school football. Bigger than Texas, even. And I feel quite validated to learn that literary greats like Lorrie Moore have been just as obsessed as I. Clear eyes. Full hearts.

Ryon Edwards
spotify.com

Yanti Pepper
HBO’s True Blood

Kevin Smith
I recently got a big green egg: http://www.biggreenegg.com/. So I’m all about grilling everything.

Maria Fabrizio
http://tatt.ly/

Julie Turner
Survival. http://scwordsmith.com/

Teresa Coles
Reading Ann Patchett books. Bel Canto should be on everyone’s list.

 

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posted by Apprentices

Aug 05, 2011 @ 9:00am

On habits.

A bad habit you can’t seem to break

& a good habit that’s part of your routine:

 

Kevin Smith
A.  Sleeping late
B.  NPR

Pete Anderson
A) Smokeless tobacco use
B) Staying up to date by always having my car radio set to NPR

Yanti Pepper
A) I am addicted to Grandma Utz potato chips.  The ingredients are potatoes
cooked in lard (that’s the key word) with salt added.  You can only buy Utz
potato chips in the mid-Atlantic region, so I make my husband bring home a
couple of bags whenever he goes on business trip up north.
B) I put sunscreen on my face every day.

Teresa Coles
A. The diet coke habit
B. Bible study before work

Maria Fabrizio
a. nail biting :(
b. getting up at 5:00am to run

Kathryn White
a. falling asleep in my mascara
b. green smoothies

Ryon Edwards
A. buying lots of weird, typically unwanted stuff (because I think it’s cool or because I think I can do or make something with it)
B. doodling, sketching and experimenting with unwanted stuff.

Julie Turner
A. Eating Cheetos.
B. Regular exercise (see A)

What are yours?

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posted by Teresa

Aug 01, 2011 @ 2:16pm

The Social Enterprise: Building A Business Behind A Nonprofit

We all know why nonprofits have to start thinking more like entrepreneurs. But how do we make our nonprofit more business-like?

Consider the social enterprise. By definition, a social enterprise is an organization that applies capitalistic strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. In some cases, an organization may have been founded as a social enterprise, as was Goodwill in 1902. Edgar J. Helms had the idea to collect used household goods and train people who were disadvantaged to repair and resell them. Today, Goodwill is a $3.2 billion nonprofit organization that uses funds generated from its thrift stores to provide employment, training and rehabilitation programs for people with barriers to employment.

But what if your nonprofit wasn’t formed as a social enterprise from the beginning? Never fear. Nonprofits are rising to the challenge every day, putting creative and viable business strategies to work.

Take a look at TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers) in Durham, NC. This nonprofit has not one, but seven businesses that support the nonprofit, most of which serve to train and rehabilitate substance abusers. Residents learn job skills while working for one of the businesses, which then generate revenue to support the program.

Here are some questions you might explore in considering a social enterprise strategy for your nonprofit:

Who does your nonprofit serve? Are there positive ways to engage this audience in a commercial activity? How would it benefit them?

What do your donors need? Is there an opportunity for a commercial product or service to meet this need? Can your organization deliver it to them?

Do your clients have an unmet social need? Could a new product or service address it in a new and relevant way? Is there a commercial market for it?

Granted, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to developing social enterprise strategies or any new form of revenue generation. Looking to successful brand marketers and their commercial endeavors can be the first step to getting outside of your fundraising box.

 

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posted by Apprentices

Jul 29, 2011 @ 9:00am

On pizza.

 

Tell us about the best pizza you ever had.


Ryon Edwards
Venus Pie Pizzaria, Spartanburg, SC. Ate there while on a photo shoot a few years ago. Hand tossed, New York style. Not too much sauce, thin crust, large slices. Service not great, restaurant not the cleanest. But the best pizza ever.

Kevin Smith
Taking visiting friends and family to Lombardi’s on Spring Street in New York City, the first pizzeria in the US. The best ever, especially when it’s snowy.

Pete Anderson
My choice is Moon River Pizza in my hometown of Jacksonville, FL. I liked going there with my sisters when my parents were out of town.

Julie Turner
I have eaten so much pizza it’s impossible to say.

Kathryn White
Margherita pizza, eaten at a bar in downtown Charlotte, while wearing stage make-up and tights. After a full day of dancing, I had just finished the last performance at a museum’s grand opening. I was 15, and ravenous. The balance of fresh basil and tomato, of rich mozzarella and slightly-chewy crust tasted like the best thing I’d ever eaten. I’ll always wonder if the pizza was truly that magical, or if the dancing just sharpened my hunger.

Cathy Monetti
Homemade Margherita Pizza, made by my sister-in-law Colette Rodbell. Fresh pesto, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (from Arthur Avenue) and fresh basil from Colette’s herb garden, spread on the most perfect fresh pizza dough. Grilled right there on the Rodbell’s patio, where it was served on a perfect summer night in Larchmont, NY. I have never been able to recreate Colette’s pizza (and believe me, I have tried) but I do believe it is proof that pizza can change your life.

Teresa Coles
Brick oven pizza in Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, on a late summer evening in 2002. Cathy, Tim, Jay and I. It was so good I smoked a cigarette afterward.

Maria Fabrizio
I have always been a cheese and pepperoni kind of person. Simple. Easy. Classic. But when I moved to Richmond, VA for grad school I discovered the most heavenly of  pies. A dear friend and now relative of mine bought one for us to share with a few glasses of wine at her house. I was so skeptical, it was from a chain called “Extreme Pizza” and it was covered in vegetables. Politely, I took a slice as not to seem rude and I absolutely fell in love. The pizza is “Drag it through the Garden” and I’ve found nothing near as good. My heart and stomach now live for fresh mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, broccoli, vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, tomato sauce, mozzarella and cheddar

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posted by Teresa

Jul 21, 2011 @ 3:01pm

Know your supporter, not your cause

Why do people give to a cause? We’d like to think it’s because our nonprofit is tied to a worthy and noble mission, and that alone, is sufficient. But it’s just not the case.  Much of it depends on how people think the cause looks on them, much in the same way they consider how the choice of a consumer brand reflects their personal style, taste and values.

Nonprofit marketers have to get savvy with this. It’s not enough to know your cause and build an intellectual case for support. You have to dig down deep and form an emotional connection with your supporters.

How do you build that connection? It starts with taking the time to really understand your audience. I’m not talking about glossing over demographics, but spending some real time in their shoes. Listening to them. Identifying their habits. Knowing what motivates them in their everyday lives, outside of your cause.  That’s when you can really start to understand how they currently frame your issue in their minds. That’s when you can start developing a story that gets inside your supporters’ hearts, minds and lives.

 

Case in point: the Ad Council’s Unplug spot from their Discover the Forest campaign. It openly shows the all-too-common reality of a family that is connected to everything but the outdoors, then “kidnapped” by a group of animals and brought to the forest to rediscover it. The outrageousness of the vigilante wildlife recognizes that fact that enjoying nature is just not top of mind with most families, and in calling out that truth, we can see ourselves there. All told, this spot does something that is not seen enough in the nonprofit world: the cause shows demonstrates what it can do for you as opposed to what you can do for it.

 

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posted by Apprentices

Jul 15, 2011 @ 9:30am

Delightful Weekend

What was delightful about last weekend?

Julie Turner
Last weekend I picked fresh cherries at an orchard in upstate New York.

Rebecca Jacobson
Staying in pajamas till 3:00 in the afternoon!!  And had a friend over
visiting while our kids played.  Pure delight!

Pete Anderson
Enjoying sunshine beyond 8:00.

Kathryn White
Rocking on a back porch on a late summer night, listening to my friend read Lorrie Moore’s latest book aloud to me.

Ryon Edwards
Spending time with my daughter, who turned 13 on Sunday. Yikes.

Cathy Monetti
I made pesto from the July bounty of basil in my garden. I hope heaven smells like fresh basil.

Kevin Smith
Fresh cut grass and grilling.

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posted by Apprentices

Jul 08, 2011 @ 8:52am

Favorite teacher

Who was your favorite teacher, and why?

Maria Fabrizio
I can’t choose one. The collective group of teachers as parents at Governor’s school get the gold medal. They were all hard, they all made me cry, and they all made me better at my craft. They saw potential where I did not. I doubt that each of them know how much they changed my life: Joe Thompson, Ben Gilliam, Axel Forrester, Carly Tucker, Alice Munn, Dana Howard, Michal Brodeur, and Katya Cohen.

Teresa Coles
Carol Gunn, my English teacher of all four years of high school. That level of  consistency  yielded my permanent mastery of its versus it’s.

Ryon Edwards
Two favorites: Dangerfield Ashton, my middle school art teacher. He was eccentric, outspoken, and wild. He painted some crazy stuff. Chris Davis, my high school art teacher. She was softspoken, sensible, and honest. She led me to study design in college, which I am grateful for.

Cathy Monetti
Dr. Robert W. Hill, English professor at Clemson University. He made me believe I had potential as a poet.

Kevin Smith
Dr. Jim Sims. He made history relevant by drawing parallels with present day. We have much to learn from the French and Russian Revolutions.

Kathryn White
Dr. Teresa Jones, professor of English. She taught me to be a better reader, critic, and writer–but most importantly, she taught me to get to the heart of it.

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posted by Teresa

Jul 05, 2011 @ 2:05pm

Donor beware: research your nonprofit

Donating to a nonprofit and its cause can be a humbling and uplifting experience at best. At worst, it can be a nightmare should you discover your nonprofit of choice to be less than reputable.

Last Wednesday we learned the Coalition Against Breast Cancer, a charity that has raised more than $9 million dollars, is in fact a scam. In the past five years the CABC used less than 4% of their funding to fight the diseases that affects 1 out of 8 women.  A scam at this level would have been almost impossible to detect without governmental assistance, but you can make sure your money goes to the right place by heeding a few tips:

  • Don’t give cash: Cash can easily be lost or stolen and never make it to your charity. When you donate with a credit card the money can at least be traced. If you do give online, make sure the URL starts with  “https:” this means it’s a secured site.
  • Ask questions: They want your hard-earned money, so don’t be afraid to ask what it’s going toward and how it will be used. If they can’t give you the answers you need, think about finding another charity.
  • Check the spelling: Scammers will sometimes use a name similar to widely known nonprofits. They hope that you don’t realize that you are donating to a fake site.
  • Trust your gut: Scammers are sneaky; it’s their job to lie, cheat and steal. Chances are something is going to feel “off” about their pitch. Trust this feeling.

It’s sickening to think that some people would take advantage of the less fortunate in this way. Don’t let them deter you from supporting your cause. With a little research you can feel safe knowing your money is going to a good place. To find more tips on how to avoid charity scams, visit ftc.gov.

 

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posted by Teresa

Jun 20, 2011 @ 5:19pm

Nonprofit content: Tips versus Truth

How many times have you seen it? The nonprofit Facebook page chocked full of tips, factoids, data, etc. All great information about a great cause that someone spent a lot of time researching and posting.

And it just sits there. No likes, no comments, no nothing.

Because no one (other than professionals who get paid to spend their days immersed in your cause) has time to read all of that info.

What would happen if — instead of spending all that time digging into data and trying to convert us to their cause with all that information — nonprofits just showed us what their work is all about? What if we could see how they’re working, who they’re serving, and how they’re making an impact? Can’t that compel us to act?

If you doubt that it can, consider this video from charity: water, one of my favorite organizations. They are doing so many things right, from developing cause-related marketing strategies featuring celebrities who donate their birthdays to harnessing the power of free agents to pull off the first-ever Twestival.

The power of a story:

Kristen Bell visits Northern Ethiopia from charity: water (special donors) on Vimeo.

I could go on and on in homage to their brilliance, but I digress. The point of this video is that it shows what the cause is doing in a way that is simple, human and profound. For example, I was especially moved by Kristen Bell’s emotional response to the outpouring of donations made in her name. That’s real stuff there, and its power transcends any amount of intellectual case making you can develop and distribute. And by no means does it have to be hard to produce. It just has to be well considered.

The next time you’re tempted to distribute data as compelling evidence for your cause, think about what really moves you. I’m betting it won’t be a spreadsheet or bullet points.

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