ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL FRIENDS
REAL PLACES 2023
CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
OLD SCHOOL TEACHES NEW LESSONS: HOW TECHNOLOGY IS PRESERVING A WPA ERA ICON
REAL PLACES 2023 | OUR SPEAKERS
• JANE COOK BARNHILL, PRESIDENT, ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL FRIENDS
• DANNY STANLEY, TREASURER, ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL FRIENDS
• CAROLYN M. APPLETON, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE
JANE COOK BARNHILL
• PRESIDENT, ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL
FRIENDS
• BORN AND RAISED IN ATLANTA, TEXAS
• TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, FRIENDS OF THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION, TEXAS STATE
HISTORY MUSEUM, PRESERVATION TEXAS
AWARD RECIPIENT, BRENHAM HERITAGE
MUSEUM, WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (AND MORE)
DANNY STANLEY
• TREASURER, ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL FRIENDS
• 28 YEARS IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH, WITH A PRIVATE COUNSELING SERVICE
• ALSO WORKED WITH A COMPANY FOCUSED ON RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, SOIL STABILIZATION AND SUBGRADE DIRT WORK.
• PROJECT MANAGER, ATLANTA-MILLER GRADE SCHOOL
Atlanta-Miller Grade School is a Works Progress Administration (WPA) school dating from 1936.
It took 120 days to complete construction by the Hardy Brothers of Texarkana.
Six large classrooms, restrooms, teacher's lounge, an auditorium, and administrative offices were included.
1975 to 1980
The school was in use until the mid-1970s. Between 1975 and 1980, it became the Atlanta Multi-Purpose Center.
1990 to 2000
It was then used for community storage. The building fell into decline. It received no maintenance.
Supporters banded together to save the school. The property was purchased. Physical maintenance - and financial contributionsstabilized the school.
IRS designation received in 2003, but volunteer work began as early as 2001.
Atlanta Grade School Friends recently purchased the property adjacent to the building to serve as an off-street parking lot.
In 2022 we counted our volunteer hours: 21,000 hours were donated over 20 years.
The value of those hours – which we believe to be a conservative estimate – is $555,030 according to the Independent Sector.
An issue for small historic preservation projects: being allor mostly-volunteer, their budgets can look small on paper (suggesting they are unsophisticated), but their impact is substantial and meaningful.
Be sure to count your volunteer hours and share the information!
CAROLYN M. APPLETON
• NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH 35 YEARS OF HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE ACROSS TEXAS
• NSDAR: AUSTIN COLONY CHAPTER, FRIENDS OF THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, GOVERNOR’S APPOINTEE - TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP (TCEQ), BOARD - INTERSTATE RENEWABLE ENERGY COUNCIL, NTEN: NONPROFIT TECHNOLOGY NETWORK, TECHSOUP AMBASSADOR, THE HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI
• INTERNATIONAL BLOGGER, TWO DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
OLD SCHOOL TEACHES NEW LESSONS: HOW TECHNOLOGY IS PRESERVING A WPA-ERA ICON
TECHNOLOGY ISN’T EVERYTHING. BUT IT DOES HELP …
“… The ultra-social animal has come face to face with the non-social technology that seems to replace any need for human interaction. Since the introduction of modern smartphones in 2007 and digital tablets in 2010, we have dramatically changed our digital footprint.”
The New Humanism: Technology should enhance, not replace, human interactions
(2018) - Brookings Institution
TOP THREE NATIONAL NONPROFIT TRENDS:
1. LIMITED RESOURCES
2. INCREASED DEMANDS STEMMING FROM INCREASED NEEDS
3. AWARENESS THAT EACH NONPROFIT AND ITS BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO BE ACTIVE, VOCAL ADVOCATES FOR THEIR NONPROFIT’S MISSION.
“NONPROFIT SECTOR TRENDS”
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS
BUILDING ON AN ALREADY STRONG FOUNDATION
WE ARE FOCUSING ON DIGITAL TECH FOR COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT TO BETTER INFORM PHILANTHROPISTS AND PARTNERS LOCALLY, STATEWIDE AND BEYOND, TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO ATTRACT YOUNGER GENERATIONS
THE GIVING ENVIRONMENT: UNDERSTANDING HOW DONORS MAKE GIVING DECISIONS
UNIVERSITY OF INDIANA LILLY FAMILY SCHOOL OF PHILANTHROPY
JANUARY 2022
Donors expressed a greater desire for nonprofit organizations to communicate the impact of programs and services and to be informed in more engaging and personal ways.
People shifted their giving to organizations that demonstrated impact and efficacy, which actively engaged in communication and education, and which personalized donor engagement. They appreciated organizations’ efforts to present the impact of donor gifts and planned to continue contributing to organizations with clear and consistent communication.
Donors described a range of patterns in public perceptions of nonprofits. Overall, participants were confident that the philanthropic organizations they support would be able to make an impact with their donations.
Donors attributed this confidence to previous work experience within philanthropy, volunteer experience at an organization, personal vetting or a recommendation from someone they trust, and the organization’s outreach with donors. Strong, compelling marketing that communicated impact, and follow-up communication with donors after a gift was made, helped participants feel that an organization was reputable.
Participants described adjusting to new expectations, including accepting payments digitally and changing the way they engage donors. They noted that it was important to create more engaging content, for example by including images and videos to increase engagement.
… Participants also saw organizations collect donor information in new ways. They witnessed and participated in efforts to collect emails through organization websites and even newer technologies like geofencing. Overall, the shift to virtual interactions and the need to use more digital technologies was framed as inevitable but challenging.
APPEARANCES MATTER
“Appearances matter. When you meet someone for the first time, there is a good chance that your first impression will be shaped by what the other person looks like. Even in situations where facial appearances shouldn’t matter - like deciding if a defendant is guilty or innocent; or choosing where to stay on Airbnb - there are consistent advantages to having ‘the right look.’ Defendants who look trustworthy are less likely to receive the death penalty (Wilson & Rule, 2016) and attractivelooking hosts can charge higher rents on Airbnb (Jaeger et al., 2019).”
Tony Evans, Ph.D., Psychology Today (January 2022)
Photo of Shirley Temple by Alfred Eisenstaedt
ATLANTAGRADESCHOOLFRIENDS.ORG
MODERNIZED AFTER 20 YEARS, THE NEW WEBSITE IS MORE SECURE. IT PROVIDES:
• DONOR AND PARTNER RECOGNITION
• HISTORY, MISSION, AND FUTURE PLANS
• PHOTOS
• MAILCHIMP E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
• QGIV ONLINE GIFT PROCESSING
• THANKS TO CHRIS WOOD, HANDSOMEWEB AND ATLANTA-MILLER GRADE SCHOOL ALUMNUS
#DONOR
WE MODERNIZED OUR ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE ONLINE THESE PLATFORMS ARE FREE DONORS AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS RELY ON THEM
SOCIAL MEDIA
• NURTURE AND BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY -
DONORS AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS ARE ONLINE RESEARCHING YOUR NONPROFIT.
#BEPREPARED
• POST ON SOCIAL AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK –KEEP THE HEART OF YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
BEATING
• MAKE SURE YOUR URLS ARE CLEAR AND EASY TO READ
• FOCUS ON PLATFORMS THAT MAKE SENSE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION AND AVOID ADOPTING TOO MANY
“With over 92% of the search market share, Google is undoubtedly the most popular search engine.” 2022
Consider a free Gmail account, which then provides access to Google Maps, YouTube, Google Drive and more. Remote working is facilitated with these convenient communication and work tools. #CostEffective
WORD OF MOUTH: CAPTURE AND SHARE REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS
“Consumers trust their friends. This is why word of mouth [WOM] marketing is the most valuable source of marketing. According to a Nielsen study, 92% of consumers believe suggestions from friends and family more than they do advertising - this stat alone solidified the word-of-mouth use case. WOM also doesn’t stop after just one interaction. One person will tell another, and that person will someone else, then that person will continue the chain and spread the word further, making it a great vehicle for exposure and distribution - if used well.”
Megan Mosely, Social Media Today (June 2017)
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY BY EMAIL
KEEP THE HEART BEATING …
A PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM ENHANCES
YOUR IMAGE AND ALLOWS YOU TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OTHER LOCATIONS
A PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM PROTECTS
YOU AND YOUR AUDIENCE #CANSPAM
REGULAR EMAIL HELPS CAPTURE YOUR PROJECT’S HISTORY AND CREATES AN ARCHIVE OF INFORMATION FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
YOUTUBE: TELL YOUR STORY VISUALLY youtube.com/@atlantagradeschoolfriends
VIDEO CREATION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED
You can make videos using Microsoft PowerPoint. Carolyn uses Adobe Creative Cloud and Vimeo as well. With a free Gmail account, you can set up a YouTube account and start posting videos!
“Video is the most engaging content type online, with everincreasing network capacity and improving mobile device functionality making it easier than ever to stream video content to people at all times, changing the way that we communicate, engage and interact.”
Andrew Hutchinson
Social Media Today (July 2022)
LOW TECH/ HIGH TECH
SOLUTIONS: VISTAPRINT AND AVERY
LOW TECH/HIGH TECH SOLUTIONS: MICROSOFT WORD, EXCEL AND POWERPOINT
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND USE THEM TO FULL CAPABILITY
OTHER FUN TOOLS
• ISSUU DIGITAL DOCUMENT READER (MAGAZINE FORMAT)
• YELP REVIEW (PLUS GOOGLE MAP REVIEWS AND PHOTO CONTRIBUTIONS)
• ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
GRAPHIC DESIGNS, AND INFRAME PHOTO
ENHANCEMENTS
• WE JOINED TECHSOUP
TECHNOLOGY ISN’T EVERYTHING
We reviewed the case for support and divided our work into clear phases of accomplishment to show how we are moving forward through well-considered steps over time.
We created a long-range plan to mark our progress (regularly updated).
We hired a leading Texas architect, Stanley O. Graves of Architexas to oversee the restoration, which will result in an outstanding restoration but also, community, partner and donor confidence.
TECHNOLOGY ISN’T EVERYTHING
We have reached out to the community – local, regional and statewide - to envision new facility uses beyond historic preservation that involve new technologies. We joined the Chamber of Commerce.
We created a “snail mail” USPS list of 1,500+ using Excel #LowTech “As our digital footprint hits overdrive and Zoom fatigue kicks in, Americans are craving experiences outside of their computer screens.” Forbes (June 2021)
We are poised for an exciting year in 2023. Stay tuned! Please join our MailChimp e-newsletter list. Donations are welcome and may be made online.
VISIT US ONLINE
WEBSITE
ATLANTAGRADESCHOOLFRIENDS.ORG
EMAIL
ATLANTAGRADESCHOOLFRIENDS@GMAIL.COM
FACEBOOK @ATLANTAGRADESCHOOLFRIENDS
YOUTUBE @ATLANTAGRADESCHOOLFRIENDS
ISSUU @AGSF2023
THANK YOU!
DUE TO WINTER STORM MARA, THE MAJORITY OF THIS PRESENTATION WAS GIVEN REMOTELY. YOU CAN WATCH CAROLYN’S TALK ON YOUTUBE @CAROLYNAPPLETON
FUNDRAISING AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR ATLANTA GRADE SCHOOL
FRIENDS:
• CAROLYN M. APPLETON AND
• TONI S. TURNER
