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Your YIP, Your Winnipeg
Starting the BUZZIn order to help your committee get the word out, here is a list of ideas that your committee might find useful. WebsiteUse this very website filled with videos and lots of helpful info to get people excited about the program. Get people talking by sharing a few videos, or posting the link on Facebook; there are lots of ways get the word out online! Social MediaYes, like most other things, YiP is also on Facebook at ‘Youth in Philanthropy Winnipeg’. Once you ‘like’ us on Facebook you will receive updates on progress throughout the year, new YiP blogs, events, etc. If you choose, you can start your own school-based YiP page as a way to communicate with your committee. Posters and BrochuresThe Winnipeg Foundation will provide posters to help you attract attention to your committee. You can also create your own promotional materials. PA/ School Newspaper/ School Newsletter AnnouncementMake an announcement over the school’s PA system, or publish one in your school’s newspaper/newsletter. A copy of this announcement can be found on the Resource CD-Rom: If I gave you $5,000 what would you do with it? What if I told you that you had to give it all away to help Winnipeg? Would you use that money to help clean up the environment? To give kids more places to play? Or would you use it to help find a cure for a disease? If you join the Youth in Philanthropy committee YOU will get to make that decision. The Youth in Philanthropy committee gets to give away money to help our community. It’s a great opportunity to meet people and learn about Winnipeg while having fun and gaining valuable skills and experience. Come check out the next Youth in Philanthropy meeting on [date] at [time] in [location]. If you have any questions or want to learn more about the program ask [staff advisor’s name]!
Host an Info SessionAt the beginning of the school year, invite interested YiPpers to an infosession. This is an opportunity for people to learn more about what is involved in YiP, before they decide if they would like to join the committee. (Hint: Have returning committee members bring treats to share at the session) Open Houses/ Club FairsAt your school’s next open house or club fair, set up a booth or table to help promote YiP to the student body. School AssembliesAsk if your YiP committee could make a brief presentation to the student body at your next school assembly. Presentations at Feeder SchoolsWhen students from your area’s feeder schools (elementary and junior high schools) come for orientation, inform them about the YiP program. You could also ask permission to schedule visits to these schools to help promote YiP. Word of mouth is one of the biggest recruitment tools that your committee has. Have each member of your committee bring a friend to the next meeting. Having someone to attend meetings with will provide more incentive to continue participating and help prevent drop off. Ask yourself these questions to make sure you’re on the right track. . . . .Do you have enough committee members?Experience has shown that a committee of 8-20 members works well because there are enough people to share the workload, but not so many that agreeing on meeting times and grants is too difficult. That’s not to say that a committee of 5 or 25 can’t work — just that it might be a little more challenging! Is your committee diverse?Do you have members with a variety of interests? Do your members represent a variety of grade levels? Is there a good mix of guys and girls? The more diverse the committee, the more perspectives you’re able to represent, and the more effective your grants will be. How will you decide who will take leadership roles?Will you vote by secret ballot? Select volunteers? Assign based on criteria, such as amount of experience in YiP? Will meetings be formal or informal?Each committee has its own way of running meetings, but regardless of how casual the meeting, an agenda should be followed at each meeting. How often will the committee meet?It’s a good idea to schedule regular meeting times at the beginning of the year. The amount of work to do may vary throughout the year, but it’s always easier to cancel a meeting if there is nothing to discuss than to arrange one at the last minute. When and where will the meetings be held? How long will they run?Base your decisions on what works best for the majority of your committee and your staff advisor. How will you make decisions?Will your committee be democratic (majority vote) or work toward consensus (everyone agrees)? Information on both democracy and consensus is found in the workbook – check out the resources section.   |
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