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Revitalization Series Workshop: More Money for Main Streets: The Formula for Raising Unrestricted Capital

Wednesday, June 16 – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

More money for Main Streets: The Formula for Raising Unrestricted Capital

More than 80% of all annual donations come from individuals*. Research shows this is the greatest growth opportunity for the nonprofit sector. It is also the most sustainable source of income over time. Moreover, building authentic, meaningful relationships with your donors reaps a multitude of rewards for the donor and your organization. Through donor cultivation you may find loyal volunteers, passionate board leaders, new opportunities and more. * Giving USA

In this session, participants will be taken through the donor journey from the first gift to an estate gift. We will give you advice on how to implement simple and effective strategies utilizing the resources and activities you are already doing. Plus, we will also reveal some secrets to attaining corporate support and finding new donors.

We will cover:

• How to increase your annual unrestricted donations from individuals

• Building your membership and converting members to annual donors

• Simple ways to retain and upgrade existing annual donors

• How to find the best major donor prospects in your current donor list using wealth screenings, donor profiles and other planning tools; how and when to make “the ask”

• Engaging your Board and other volunteers in fundraising

• Finding and engaging New Donors

• Producing effective and profitable events

• The difference between corporate sponsorship, program partnership, grants, financial and in-kind donations – and how to get funding from some or all of these.

• Easy ways to start talking with your donors about leaving your organization in their will

 

Speaker

 

Danielle Locke

Photo of Danielle Locke

Hey! I’m Danielle Locke. I founded Locke Step Partners because I was frustrated by the endless cycle of grants and events. I knew I could help nonprofit directors raise more unrestricted funds, especially from individual donors already in their list! I serve as a fundraising coach, connector, knowledge resource, and sometimes just a safe space to vent. My specialties include nonprofit management, donor cultivation, fundraising/campaign strategy, and board engagement.

I am an expert in nonprofit fundraising because I have had considerable success in organizations just like these – 20 years actually. I have a few credentials too. These include a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from the American College of Financial Services, a Master of Public Administration with a certificate in Nonprofit Management, from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, both from Cleveland State University. (The Pysch degree comes in handy these days.)

I believe every nonprofit leader has the potential to create a sustainable future for their organization by through meaningful donor partnerships. I am focused on giving nonprofits the step-by-step instruction, tools and support to actually implement the permanent changes that lead to their thriving future.

Revitalization Series Workshop: The Art & Economics of Filling Your Downtown Buildings

Wednesday, April 21 – 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Becoming Historic Redevelopment-Ready

Join Corey Leon from the National Development Council for an introduction to the dollars & “sense” of redeveloping a historic building using a computer spread sheet. We’ll touch on the benefits of owning real estate, and key financial documents, such as the pro forma, you need to complete in order to properly evaluate the potential for redeveloping any historic building. We will dig into how lenders review potential projects before they commit to construction and/or permanent financing, and how all the structured redevelopment pieces fit together to make the development happen. Dust off your Lotus 123, Quattro Pro, or Excel and get ready to use an income property spreadsheet for a deep dive into the critical financing perspective of historic building redevelopment. Computer access able to open and edit an Excel spreadsheet is required in order to complete the session cases.

Attracting What Your Community Wants & Needs in Your Downtown

In the afternoon, Jason Duff from Small Nation will discuss proven ways your community can recruit new and expanding businesses to your community. Whether its solving your downtown vacancy problem or how to have a productive conversation with a developer, Jason has a solution for your community. Jason will also share several strategies on nurturing your existing downtown businesses to help them be even more successful.

Speaker

 

Corey Leon

Corey Leon is a director with the National Development Council’s Central Team. Corey is an Economic and Housing Development Finance Professional with over 20 years of experience in community economic development, with an emphasis on real estate finance. He has a full working knowledge of financial underwriting for commercial real estate, residential development and business credit and is skilled in utilizing a broad range of financial resources to structure creative financial packages that bridge the gap between development costs and private sector investment. Corey has assisted with the financial structuring of over $500 million in closed transactions for real estate developments and small business finance transactions.

 

 

Jason Duff

Jason Duff is the Founder of Small Nation which encompasses a group of companies, leaders and investors who develop places, spaces and dreams for small towns and small-town entrepreneurs across the county. Jason and his team at Small Nation have completely revitalized the town of Bellefontaine, Ohio. In 7 short years, they have turned a dying town and helped make it a Best-in-State destination.

Jason and his team can be credited with renovating more than 30 historic buildings, started and founded 14 new businesses that have hired more than 190 employees, 18 new loft apartments and they continue to lead and inspire in making towns and communities strong.

Jason serves on Small Business Advisory Council for US Chamber, is a regular contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur & Inc Magazine, has been recognized by the White House as Top100 Entrepreneurs in 2013 and 2015, and was recently named Heritage Ohio’s 2019 Young Preservationist of the Year.

Revitalization Series Workshop: LORE Storytelling

Wednesday, February 17 – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

WHY STORYTELLING? WHY LORE?

A compelling story is the fastest route to human connection and influence. Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. A well-crafted story connects the listener to the teller, holding attention and driving action.

LORE has been empowering individuals and organizations by giving them the tools and a platform to share their stories since October 2018. Founded by Bridget Flaherty, an award-winning storyteller, LORE has helped hundreds of people craft their personal stories. In addition to hosting workshops for businesses, LORE has partnered with nonprofit and public organizations to gather and promote the stories of their constituents and clients.

LORE Storytelling Workshop

A compelling story is the fastest route to human connection and influence. Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. This interactive program will teach you how to craft a captivating first-person story. You will learn about the story arc and story components, draft and share your personal story, and receive valuable feedback.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to distinguish yourself and your company through the stories you tell.

• Acquire creative and powerful tools to communicate in a unique and authentic way.

• Develop a personal story that people want to hear in order to better connect with customers, employees, and colleagues.

Speaker

Bridget Flaherty

Bridget Flaherty has a successful career in Information Technology and Business Process Improvement and she is a Storyteller. Odd combination? Yes. And it makes her uniquely qualified to teach storytelling for business.

The first time that Bridget got on stage to tell a story, she won the competition. Instantly, she was hooked. She began travelling to share stories across the Midwest, including cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton.

Quickly, Bridget recognized how a captivating story can impact business success through effective leadership, captivating marketing, increased sales and clarified company culture. It was a natural fit. Marrying her more than 20 years of experience in business leadership with her passion for storytelling, Bridget developed a curriculum that makes sense for business professionals and she began to share the art of storytelling. LORE was born.

Bridget leads storytelling workshops, small group sessions and provides one-on-one coaching for business professionals that desire to tell a captivating story.

Te’Jal Cartwright

Te’Jal Cartwright was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Her passion for her community was instilled in her at an early age when she was encouraged to go out into the community with her church. Throughout her academic career, she would find herself more and more concerned about the state of her community and the role that she played in empowering those around her while learning from them as well. After graduating from the University of Dayton with her bachelor’s degree in English, she went on to fundraising and community outreach. It was at her previous job that she discovered her love for hosting. With this discovery she created a digital talk show called What’s the Biz with TJ. What’s the Biz focuses on highlighting black entrepreneur’s stories in an effort to connect the community to black owned businesses. Te’Jal has interviewed more than 35 businesses and has expanded to a national platform within the past year. She’s also interviewed legendary artists like Jojo Brim and Christopher “Play” Martin from Kid N’ Play. Her life’s work is dedicated to creating a better world for her 3 year old son, Luke.

Te’Jal has been a part of the LORE team in a variety of capacities since January 2019. She is an engaging host and a proficient technologist who keeps the LORE Storytelling Workshops moving smoothly.

Understanding PPP Round Two Webinar

Tuesday, January 26 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Round Two is starting to roll out. If you want to learn more before you apply or are not sure if you qualify, join Shannon Feucht and Jerome Jones from The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as they introduce the basics and answer your questions.

During the webinar, SBA will discuss:

  • Overview of Forgiveness Process & Requirements
  • Overview of the Paycheck Protection Program, as updated by The Economic Aid Act
  • Overview of SBA Resource Partner Services

There will be time to ask questions!

Speakers

Shannon Feucht is a Lead Economic Development Specialist at the Columbus District Office for the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this position, she is responsible for marketing and conducting outreach to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and resource partners in order to help them start and develop by utilizing

Jerome W. Jones is a Lender Relations Specialist with The U. S. Small Business Administration. Prior to joining the SBA Jones was a Certified Business Advisor with The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College and Managing Member of The Danash Group, LLC. He has also served as VP of Lending with the Economic and Community Development Institute, the Vice President of Business Services at Telhio Credit Union where he was responsible for the business loan department, Vice President of Community Development Lending for Key Bank, and a senior loan officer for Community Capital Development Corp. Jones is also very active in the Central Ohio community, serving on the United Way of Central Ohio Finance Committee and the City of Columbus Loan Review Committee, as well as having served as a board member of the Columbus Urban League. Jones is a recipient of the SBA Financial Services Champion Award, is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional, a Certified Business Advisor and attended Jackson State University and Franklin University.

Demystifying Influencer Marketing: Identifying, Activating, & Growing Effective Partnerships Webinar

Wednesday, January 27 – 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

This session will focus on training organizations to work with influencers: how they can be effective, how they can benefit destinations, as well as discussing techniques for researching effective partnerships, connecting with influencers near you, and creating and maintaining successful relationships with them.

The Ohio Tourism Office will also share how their Co-op advertising program can provide financial support.

Speakers

Elizabeth Dekker uses her background in the arts to promote exploring our world in creative ways. Her experience in small business management has created the foundation of her classes on business development and experiential marketing. She is currently using her skills to promote the city of Worthington as its tourism director, as well as teaching businesses classes through her company The Right Hands.

Nicholas Dekker is a food/travel writer based in Columbus, writing his award-winning blog Breakfast With Nick since 2007. Nick also freelances for Experience Columbus, TourismOhio, Ohio Magazine, Columbus Monthly, and many other travel publications across the state. For his day job he works on the marketing team of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Paola Santiago Del Castillo works at TourismOhio and the Ohio. Find It Here. brand., as social media coordinator and handles everything from day-to-day posting to influencer campaigns and social video content! She graduated from Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism, and after working in broadcast news, magazine journalism, and non-profit communications she finally found her niche in social media management. Her passion lies in supporting small, minority-owned businesses, finding hidden gems while traveling, and eating well!

TourismOhio Marketing Opportunities Webinar

Wednesday, July 8th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

TourismOhio provides more services than you realize! They’ve developed a campaign to support local businesses; provide financial support through their cooperative marketing program; and tons of social media support. 

Join TourismOhio Director Matt MacLaren for an update on TourismOhio’s marketing which includes safety precautions and a discussion about how the state’s tourism bureau can support your organization in a variety of ways including co-op advertising programs, features on social media and much more!

Speaker

As the Director of TourismOhio, Matt MacLaren is focused on growing Ohio’s $48 billion tourism industry by increasing it’s 226 million annual visits.  He is responsible for implementation of the strategic plan, staff leadership, increasing industry partnerships, and building visibility of the Ohio. Find It Here. brand.

Prior to becoming the tourism director, MacLaren was Senior Vice President of Membership for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).  
 
MacLaren is a graduate of Capital University Law School as well as The Ohio State University where he studied political science and business. 

2019 Quarterly Revitalization Series: Promotion

Join Heritage Ohio in Wadsworth on April 25th for the 2nd Revitalization Series Workshop of 2019. The focus of this workshop will be on promotions. Though Main Street programs do many of the critical tasks through design, economic vitality, and organization, the promotions committee is, in general, responsible for activating the downtown through events. Events are what everyone knows Main Streets do, it is one of the highly visible aspects of what we do and can sometimes be the only thing that many in our communities know about us.

Get ready for a day packed with tools to help you succeed in this area. Find out how partnerships can enhance your events, learn how to create unique experiences, tackle social media to improve marketing efforts, tell your story through video, and create the one thing Main Street can’t survive without, a sustainable volunteer culture. As always, you will also have the opportunity to explore this Main Street community and grab a bite to eat at a local establishment.

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Update to The Highway Beautification Act Needed?

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to watching Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. The most interesting part of the film was learning of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s Lei Cidade Limpa, or Clean City Law. The law went into effect in 2006, banning billboards, most outdoor posters, and bus advertising, as well as graffiti.
As an Ohioan, it’s certainly difficult to imagine living without the constant barrage of advertising. They seem to be everywhere. Depending on where you live and what you do with your day, you have the potential to see thousands of advertisements a day. In addition to being information overload, outdoor ads can become visual pollution if executed poorly. The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 was implemented to help curb some of the bad taste, but it clearly has some shortcomings. When I was helping my friend move to Colorado in 2005, I could not believe how many billboards I passed between St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri. I would not be exaggerating in saying at least 500 in 3 hours of driving. Not exactly a scenic drive. While Missouri may be extremely friendly to billboard advertising, 4 states have banned them outright: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont. Others have mode of delivery bans. Arizona recently banned electronic billboards.
So, what effects have been seen in Sao Paulo? According to a 2011 survey, 70-percent of residents supported the ban. Graffiti and street art can still be seen in the poorer areas of the city and marketers still hope for relaxing of the law. Several media sources cited the need for building improvements. With the billboards, posters, and graffiti gone on many buildings, years of neglect are beginning to show and have presented the city with new challenges.
Personally, I wouldn’t miss billboards if they were banned in Ohio, even the one I saw in Cleveland a few weeks ago that informed me of current NFL scores as I drove by. It was possibly the most useful billboard I have ever encountered. Typically,  I look at a few dozen a day as I drive around Columbus, but I could only tell you the messages of a few that I find amusing. I think this is true of most people. We’ve learned to ignore them. And if such a ban were even discussed in the Ohio Assembly, business would be front and center in this discussion. As with any change, businesses will overreact, claiming doom and gloom, but they will survive. It may take some creative solutions, but marketers will still find ways to get information to you. It could even have a few positive benefits for businesses and customers, not to mention for the aesthetics of communities, the rural landscape, and nature.
What’s your take on outdoor advertising? What, if anything, would you like to see changed?