One aspect of our mission is friendships. Most of our clubs achieve this through socials, happy hours (5:01s), networking opportunities and other adult-focused (PG-13) activities. Awesome. Seriously, great conversations come to life over a cocktail and amazing, life-long friendships are formed out and about on the town. By all means, keep it up!

A comment on a friend’s Facebook wall recently brought me back to a long-running, not-so-funny joke. It’s been said that we’re a drinking club with a charity problem. Is that how you’d define Active 20-30? Perhaps you’d call us a service organization with a social aspect? I’ll come back to the image we put forth in another post, but I challenge each of you to think about how you define the club and what impression you leave with others outside of our fold.

The comment left on the wall said: “Is 20/30 club code for party club? Every pic someone has a drink. I know, I’m just an old fuddy duddy. :)”

The response, however, was very well written, in my opinion. “taking pictures of the hands on events with the children is difficult because we often work with children who are in protective services so we can’t publish the photos publicly. SO, we have a lot of fun together raising money and celebrating friendship, especially on out of town trips!”

It was a quick and easy way to say that there is so much more to us; perhaps an invitation to come find out what our real impact is.

The questions I have for you is this: How do you respond to similar questions? What do you do proactively to keep friends, donors and potential members from assuming we’re just a party club in the first place? How do you tell the full story of Active 20-30?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. I would like us to learn from one another and build upon what’s working.

Upcoming Events ~ Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Pub Krawl

Cost is $15 and you will receive an official Pub Krawl T-shirt and Drink specials at each bar we go to.

After Centerfield’s Bar and Grill we are heading back to Buckaroo’s for the After Party hosted by Buckaroo’s Bar

May 22, 2010 ~ The krawl will kick off at the Wild Horse in Minden, Nevada at 4pm.

Pub Krawl List:

WildHorse
Indigo
Francisco’s
Two Guys from Italy
The French
The JT
El Rancho Grande
Centerfield
Buckaroo’s

In addition to the Pub Krawl we will be having a 50/50 Raffle and a Poker Run.
Come join us for an evening of Good Friends, Good Times, and a Great Cause!

Hey - This weekend - the 22nd - is the Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Pub Krawl.

We are raising money for the kids of Douglas County. We have 9 bars committed and an after party at Buckaroo’s Saloon planned.

T-Shirts are $15 and are your ticket to the event and the drink specials - $2 Draft Beer and $3 Well Drinks!! It is a good time and a GREAT cause! I am selling the T-Shirts - Large to 2XL!

The fun begins at 4PM and The Wild Horse.

In addition to the Pub Krawl we are also doing a 50/50 Raffle and a Poker Run! It is a lot of fun and you should join us!

Email me @ gaberielsmommy@hotmail.com for details and to buy you T-Shirt!

Your National Committees

When you think of the Active 20-30 national association, you likely think of the ladies at the national office and your elected national board members. There are many more people serving at this level who have been appointed to provide resources to and work on behalf of all of the clubs.

After a few recent conversations, I thought it was a good time to remind everyone about the committees working at the national level to advance our clubs individually and as a whole. This is one more thing your members and club get for being part of Active 20-30. If you aren’t using some or all of the tools at your disposal, are you getting the most out of your experience?

In no particular order, here are a few of the national committees you may want to talk with.

• New Charters :: Lead by Gioia Hershey, this very active committee works with clubs in formation and those who have expressed interest in becoming part of Active 20-30. They are responsible for making sure the club is prepared to represent and operate as part of our association.
• Membership Growth & Retention :: Chaired by Trena Roush; Any chartered club (new or established) should use the resources of this committee to help grow and/or sustain membership, develop leaders and connect with others for ideas.
• Grants :: Headed by Katey Wilks, this committee will help you learn how to identify grant opportunities and apply for them. They are also tasked with helping obtain grants for the national level.
• Website :: Comprised of Trena Roush and Dottie Johnson, this committee is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the national association’s web presence, including Active20-30.com, the Facebook Cause page and other such outlets.
• Public Relations Workgroup :: Chaired by Julianna Landrum, this group works hard to help clubs in formation and existing clubs get their names out in the community. They also help spread the name of Active 20-30 into new communities. They are a great resource for clubs who want to learn how to get the word out about their events, membership drives, etc., too.

For a complete list of committees and contact information for committee chairs, please visit the national website.

It should be underscored that these committees are here to help impart knowledge and skills to each of our clubs on an as-needed and tailored basis. These are very talented and educated individuals who have a great passion for making Active 20-30 a greater organization. Learn from them and take advantage of their availability.

Tonight!  Come Join Us For Good Drinks, Good Friends, Good Times,

Great Cause And Of Course Karaoke!

Guest Bar-Tending is a great way to get together with your favorite Sierra Nevada ladies and just let loose and have a good time!

Please join us for a few hours to share a few laughs…and if you like to karaoke,you can sing us a tune!!

Buckaroo’s Saloon in Gardnerville!

7 pm - 11:00pm!

100% of the profits raised will go back to the children in Douglas County!

via Active 20-30 Blog

Why Donors Don’t Give To Our Causes

We all agree that there are numerous reasons to give to a cause. I’d be willing to bet that most of us can make a strong argument for giving to Active 20-30 specifically. There are donors out there who you have each approached - actively or passively - who have opted not to give as you would like. Below are reasons why donors don’t give and ways you can combat some, if not all, of these

Doing something different today!

Bragging about my new favorite restaurant here in Gardnerville Nevada! They have one of the most mouth watering menus! If you are local - you really should give them a try! You will be happy you did!

Visit their website here to see what I am talking about!

Earlier this month, I watched a 6-year-old learn to ride his bike without training wheels. It was less of an adjustment for him than I expected, but no less exciting for his dad and I as we watched.

Bob helped Zack balance with his hand on the seat and handlebars for just a few yards, then off he went. After a few minutes of going straight, he was able to curve around the court and guide himself to nearby lawns when he felt a “crash” coming about. It was exciting to see him take on something new without apprehension and with such success.

Funding Friday :: Write To Win

This is the sixth in the 9-part series, Funding Fridays, designed to remove the intimidation from the topic of grants.

How to Write an Application That Wins Grants

The opening section of your application for funding is a key ingredient of your winning grant, cooperative agreement, or contract bid recipe. When you write your application, focus on the problem you want to solve, where you’re located, what you’ve done as an organization, and what you’re doing now.

Using groups of three in your grant application
Research shows that groups of three are effective in getting your audience to remember an important point. The words that stick in our minds forever usually come in groups of three: blood, sweat, and tears; reading, writing, and arithmetic; and red, white, and blue. Here’s an example of this tactic applied to grant writing terms:

The American Association of the Benefit Examiners (AABE) works with third-party insurance providers to determine the average expenditure per patient. The ultimate selling tools to insurance providers are cost-saving, cost-effective, and cost-wise advice and expertise from the AABE.

Demonstrating soft cash assets
Phrase your request to suggest that the organization isn’t begging for grant, cooperative agreement, or contract monies with both hands out, but rather it has some resources or strengths already in place to build upon. The review team is more likely to bestow review points on an organization that already has some assets — not just cobwebs — in its corner.

Making a point with emotion
When you write about your need or the need of your target population, you must stick to the facts. However, write with the understanding that you increase your chances of winning grant awards, cooperative agreements, and RFPs by touching the hearts of the individuals making the funding decisions. Remember, don’t go overboard, but do make an impression by using emotion-filled phrases.

The following example highlights powerful phrases that you can use in your grant or cooperative agreement applications and RFPs to describe any isolated class of people:

The proposed project will address the community problems of chronic underemployment and unemployment by helping clients create and implement employability plans. Jobs at prevailing livable wages are beyond the reach of many who grew up in poor and struggling families and who truly believe and accept that as their fate. Sadly, cultural ignorance on the part of local and regional units of government has caused the target population to be overlooked and become transparent!

Keeping the grant app reader on track
When you get the attention of the person making the funding decision, you don’t want to lose it. Here are some general writing rules for keeping your reader on track, with eyes glued to your writing:

• Use a lot of headings.
• Use numbered and bulleted lists.
• Keep paragraphs short, incorporating no more than five to seven sentences in each paragraph.
• Use a 12-point Times New Roman font (preferred by 80 percent of grantmaking agencies).
• Stick with one font to avoid a jumbled appearance.
• Avoid using all capital letters.
• Underline sparingly.
• Use boldface or italics to emphasize key words and phrases.