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Communications & Development Committee Notes



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  • Communications & Development Committee Meeting

    April 19, 2023, 7:10-8:35 pm

     

    Attendees

    Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Liz Polfus, Michael Harrison (via phone)

    Unable to Attend

    Phil Trunnell, Rick Fornoff, Scott Clodfelter


    Notes/Next Steps


    Committee agreed that Elemental Creations will continue hosting our email accounts on their server and will bill us for renewal in May; Liz and Michael will be responsible for handling technical issues via the control panel (such as setting up and deleting email accounts); and we will pay Elemental Creations for any technical support that’s needed


    Liz successfully tested a new link that enables the public to contact Chris without divulging his email address; she will demonstrate this at the board meeting and then set up similar contacts/emails for board officers and committee chairs


    Michael will follow up with WildApricot re the issue of HCCA emails being flagged as spam by email providers

    Liz will share a Google document with Christina and Michael to track details and ownership of website tasks that will improve/expand content

    Liz will prepare a recommendation for a free document sharing platform that can serve as a central digital repository for organizational information

    Christina reported on fundraising to date: $3,930 from 152 members plus $420 from 22 people for yard sale spots

    Christina will work with Chris on a postcard that can be mailed to acknowledge members who pay by check and have no email address

    Christina reported on the 4 emails sent since March 28 to our 378+ contacts, which had open rates from 61% to 68%

    Christina proposed the following email schedule:

    --May 3 Yard sale reminder (to all contacts not registered for the event)

    --BearWise event announcement to all contacts—pending 6/13 date and location

    --Join email as soon as we can couple it with an example of how their membership supports our work (landscaping at entrance, little library, etc.)


    Scott submitted a report indicating that “we’re seeing slow steady growth in followers and engagement” however, we didn’t get any takers on the “share your photos” posts beyond those he added


    Committee discussed potential listserv for Haw Creek community but agreed it would be too labor intensive to manage

    Next meeting: Wednesday, May 24 at 7:00 pm



    Communications & Development Committee Meeting

    March 28, 2023, 7:05-8:25 pm

    Attendees

    Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Liz Polfus, Michael Harrison (via phone), Phil Trunnell, Rick Fornoff, Scott Clodfelter


    Notes/Next Steps


    Committee members welcomed Liz and thanked her for joining the committee

    Christina will ask Suzanne to transfer responsibility for HCCA’s web hosting from her company to her subcontractor ICDSoft with Liz and Christina as primary contacts—our current contract expires May 12 and we will work directly with ICDSoft on the renewal

    Christina will remove all board member email and home addresses from the website to protect personal information from potential hackers/scams

    Liz will research methods that can be safely used to contact board members and committee groups, such as “boardmembers@hawcreekavl.com” or creating a special contact form for inquiries/comments

    Christina asked everyone to check website pages on multiple formats (desktop, tablet, mobile) to confirm readability and report any issues so they can be addressed

    Christina will work with Michael and Liz on website improvements/additional content

    Discussed the issue of HCCA emails being flagged as spam by email providers but resolution is uncertain—we may have to ask WildApricot for assistance

    Christina will follow up with Chris and Phil to establish a procedure for processing checks to ensure that a member’s address/phone are entered into the database

    Chris will draft language for a postcard (potentially designed by Amy) that can be mailed to acknowledge members who pay by check and have no email address—key is to inform them that without an email they will only hear from us via the newsletter

    Christina raised a concern that we currently have 392 contacts and that when we hit 500 we’ll move from the WildApricot “Group” level to the “Community” level and the price will increase by about 83%; we agreed to not add members without an email address to the database but maintain them in an Excel spreadsheet; we will also consider exporting the data to review for duplicates and multiple contacts at the same address that could be merged, thereby reducing the total number of contacts

    Christina reported on the emails sent in Feb and March to our 337+ contacts, which got particularly high open rates (62% to 72%), and that we now have 112 members

    Christina proposed the following email schedule:

    • Apr 1 Join email to all contacts not currently members
    • Apr 14 Yard sale reminder #1 to all contacts not registered for the event


    Discussed criteria for mass emails and agreed to limit to major news items or events; other items, like the new Masters Park parking lot to trail head path, can be added as a news item and posted to social media


    Scott reported that our posts on social media continue to generate likes/hits; he will continue to promote our news items and events when appropriate

    Discussed asking contacts/followers to submit interesting Haw Creek photos to increase engagement and photos could potentially be used on the website, including naming a monthly “winner”; Scott will post an invitation on Facebook

    Chris will add the proposed Website and Social Media Policy to the agenda for the next board meeting (May 9), where it can be voted on and included in the meeting minutes if approved by the board

    Rick mentioned that he has confirmed June 13 for the BearWise presentation; Chris will follow up with Leslie to secure a venue; Christina will post the event as soon as all details are finalized

    Next meeting: Wednesday, April 19 at 7:00 pm

    Communications & Development Committee Meeting

    February 21, 2023, 7:10-8:20 pm


    Attendees

    Christina Maggi (Chair), Michael Harrison (via phone), Rick Fornoff, Scott Clodfelter


    Unable to attend

    Chris Pelly, Phil Trunnell


    Notes/Next Steps


    Christina will follow up with Chris about transferring responsibility for the icdsoft (domain) account from Suzanne’s company to HCCA

    Michael will continue working on the Haw Creek Valley tab, adding the Masters Park Wildflower compilation and improving the Amazing Residents page

    Michael will work on some website fixes: back buttons, a bad link, and formatting on committee notes pages

    Michael identified an issue with HCCA emails being flagged as spam but resolution is uncertain—we may have to ask WildApricot for assistance

    Christina will explore options for adding language about junk/spam mailbox on online email and membership subscription forms

    Christina will maintain a list of additions/improvements to the website to be addressed as volunteer time becomes available (e.g. adding previous board meeting minutes)

    Christina will revise membership levels to offer non-automatic renewal options

    Christina will follow up with Phil on entry of memberships from check payments and confirm the acknowledgment process

    Christina reported on the emails sent in Jan and Feb to our 300+ contacts, which got particularly high open rates (65% to 77%) and generated $900 from 40 members

    Christina noted that we still have 68 names with no email address from the original Excel membership list so they can’t be added to our database; we also have 17 invalid email addresses that can’t be identified—we’re hoping these “lost” members will be activated after receiving the newsletter or attending the annual meeting

    Scott reported that our Facebook page followers are increasing slowly but steadily, and that the promotion of Patrick’s (postal carrier) retirement party got a lot of traction 

    Christina will ask Susan for photos of Game Day for social media postings

    Christina will follow up with Debbie about connecting to Haw Creek HOAs and with Leslie about the “Welcome Wagon” program, both related to expanding outreach—and members—in the community

    Rick is a member of the East Asheville Recreation Club and suggested we hold a “members only pool party” as a benefit of HCCA membership

    The Winter 2023 newsletter mailed on Feb 17 to 2,190 residents

    Christina proposed the following email schedule:

    Feb 22 website link to newsletter to all contacts

    Feb 28 Annual Meeting announcement to all contacts

    Mar 6 Community Yard Sale announcement to all contacts

    Mar 12 Annual Meeting reminder to all contacts

    Mar 21 join email to all contacts not currently members (ensure all checks/payments received at annual meeting are added to the database first)


    Scott will promote the newsletter, annual meeting, and yard sale on social media when appropriate

    Chris will ask for additional volunteers to help with website tasks at the annual meeting; if needed we will advertise on social media

    Next meeting: Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 pm

    Communications & Development Committee Meeting

    January 17, 2023, 7:10-8:20 pm

     

    Attendees

    Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Michael Harrison, Scott Clodfelter

     

    Unable to attend

    Nicole Losey, Phil Trunnell, Rick Fornoff

     

    Notes/Next Steps

     

    Christina will continue adding/editing content, including a subscribe button, to the new website and will work with Scott Money, DezignSeed Consulting (DSC), on implementing approved changes

     

    Chris will follow up with board members about adding email addresses to the list of 94 names we want to add to our database (the list was distributed at the board meeting)

     

    Phil will add contacts previously missing email addresses to our database as provided by board members, plus the 24 additional contacts that Chris previously provided

     

    Phil will add people who recently joined or renewed their HCCA membership to the database with their gift information

     

    Phil will confirm that financial links and reports work as expected (audit trail)

     

    Christina will work with DSC to revise membership and donation payment acknowledgment emails

     

    Christina will ask DSC about making our website GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)-compliant as recommended by WildApricot

     

    Chris will ask Suzanne for her opinion on our privacy page and if she thinks it meets GDPR recommendations

     

    Michael will add photos and new pages to the Haw Creek Valley tab, specifically Library, Fire Stations, Places of Worship, and Public Transportation; he will also add captions to the Amazing Residents page

     

    Michael will scan the “History of Haw Creek” document prepared by Erin Fornoff so we can add that to the Haw Creek Valley page

     

    Scott will try to find the “official” Instagram icon for the website

     

    Michael will try to find an icon for Nextdoor that can be added to the website

     

    Christina will ask Sarah (who volunteered at the board meeting) to review the website and offer comments—1/19

     

    Christina will ask all board members to review the website and offer comments—1/25

     

    Christina will ask Suzanne to redirect our domain to the WildApricot site—tentative launch date 2/1

     

    Chris is working on preparing a newsletter, which would tentatively mail on Feb 21 (3 weeks prior to the annual meeting on March 14)

     

    Chris shared that the volunteer who has been doing the newsletter graphic design is unable to continue; he will reach out to his contacts, including the lettershop we use, to find a new designer

     

    Christina proposed the following tentative email schedule:

  • ·      Jan 18 send renewal email to board members
  • ·      Feb 7 send join email to all contacts not currently members
  • ·      Feb 21 send email with website link to newsletter to all contacts
  • ·      Feb 28 send annual meeting announcement to all contacts
  • ·      Mar 7 send annual meeting reminder to all contacts
  • ·      Mar 13 send another annual meeting reminder to all contacts
  • ·      Mar 21 send join email to all contacts not currently members (ensure all checks/payments received at annual meeting are added to the database first)


Scott will promote the annual meeting, website launch and newsletter on social media when appropriate

 

Chris will ask for additional volunteers to help with website tasks at the annual meeting; if needed we will advertise on social media

 

Michael shared a draft of best practices and recommendations for storing and managing the various passwords used for HCCA; committee members will review and provide feedback

 

Setting up a Google business account to enable shared workspace, calendar, and Gmail address is currently on hold

 

Next meeting: Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Committee Meeting

December 5, 2022, 7:00-8:10 pm

 

Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Michael Harrison, Rick Fornoff, Scott Clodfelter

 

Unable to attend

Nicole Losey, Phil Trunnell

 

Notes/Next Steps

Christina reported on the hiring of Scott Money, President of DezignSeed Consulting (DSC), a WildApricot Partner, for professional assistance on an as-needed basis that will include design, training and technical help at $80/hour (nonprofit rate)

Christina and Chris participated in a 1.5 hour DSC WildApricot Administrative Training, which covered all administrative menus, with a high level overview of how they work and the functionality available; DSC will provide a video of the training

Christina will email some date options for Email Designer Training with DSC

Christina will share DSC recommendations for improvements to the website; we will then determine which ones to implement (ourselves or with DSC assistance)

Christina will add the people that were not on the master list previously uploaded to WildApricot but are on the current WordPress subscriber list (as provided by Michael)

Christina will prepare a document of the names on the master list that do not have an email address, which means they can’t be added to the website, and distribute it to all board members so that they can provide email addresses wherever possible

Christina will ask Phil if he can provide instructions on the process of uploading contacts and if he can upload appx 24 additional contacts that Chris will provide

Christina will ask Phil if he can add the 4-5 people who recently joined or renewed their HCCA membership to the database with their gift information

Christina will forward the photos Chris provided for local landmarks to Michael for addition to the new website under the Haw Creek Valley tab

Rick and Scott will review the website (hcca42.wildapricot.org) and offer their comments/suggestions

All significant changes to the website should be completed before Jan 10

At the Jan 10 board meeting, Chris will propose adding two new membership levels (Friend $50 and Supporter $100), and Christina will ask board members to review the website and offer comments

Christina will send an automated renewal email to all board members as a test, in preparation for sending a mass email asking all contacts to renew their membership

Phil will test/confirm financial links/reports (audit trail) based on board member gifts

Christina will create/revise member gift acknowledgment emails

Goal is to redirect domain to WildApricot and launch the new site in January; once the site is fully propagated and we’ve confirmed all links work correctly, Christina will send an email to all contacts who have not yet renewed asking for their membership gift

Christina, Nicole and Michael will be the primary website administrators handling events, emails and membership issues; Phil will handle all financial aspects ensuring website gifts align with bank statements (audit trail); Renate will continue to receive inquiries sent to info@hawcreekavl.com; we will attempt to recruit additional volunteers who can help manage website tasks

Christina will ask Nicole to add an icon for Nextdoor next to Facebook and Instagram, and change all icons to white

Scott reported that HCCA is following 30 organizations on social media and sharing info/links, primarily through Facebook

Everyone agreed that we need to post something after each event as a news item on our website, which Scott will then post on social media

Chris will prepare an update on the Masters Park parking lot for posting to the website

Scott has added Chris and Christina as administrators on Nextdoor and has added Chris, Nicole and Michael as administrators on Facebook; he will prepare a list of passwords for HCCA officers to ensure continuing access regardless of volunteer turnover

Michael will prepare a draft of best practices and recommendations for storing and managing the various passwords used for HCCA for review at our next meeting

Christina will ask Phil if he can research and/or help with setting up a Google business account to enable shared workspace, calendar, and Gmail address

Once we have a Gmail address, Rick will set up a Twitter account for HCCA and share the ID and password with Scott who will add Twitter to Sprout Social, the social media management tool he uses to monitor activity for HCCA

Next meeting Tuesday, January 17 at 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Committee Meeting

November 1, 2022, 7:00-8:00 pm


Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Michael Harrison, Nicole Losey, Rick Fornoff, 

Scott Clodfelter (via phone)

 

Unable to attend

Krista Gamble, Phil Trunnell, Suzanne Amelung

Notes/Next Steps

Everyone liked the Firma theme for the new WildApricot site, however, Nicole will try to adjust the background colors to create more contrast with the black text

Nicole will continue working on the migration of the site and expects to meet our goal of going live on Nov 10

Christina will ask Suzanne to redirect our domain from https://www.hawcreekavl.com to the new URL https://hcca42.wildapricot.org/ approximately two days in advance of Nov 10 so we can make any needed adjustments before the formal announcement

Michael will upload Bernie’s photos of Masters Park and share them with Nicole for use on the WildApricot site

Michael will download a copy of the HCCA website to ensure access to old documents (minutes, etc.) that are not being uploaded to the WildApricot site

Christina will follow up with Phil regarding activating the online donation function, continuing to use PayPal, and about payment methods mandated or prohibited by WildApricot’s terms of service agreement

Christina and Phil will establish membership description/levels and an automatic acknowledgment email for all donations

Christina has reached out to five WildApricot Partners seeking professional assistance on an as-needed basis that would include design, training and technical help; she will share her findings and make a recommendation asap

Christina will prepare talking points on the website transition for the Nov board meeting

Rick will set up a Twitter account for HCCA and share the ID and password with Scott who will add Twitter to Sprout Social, the social media management tool he uses to monitor activity for HCCA

Scott will send links for the HCCA Nextdoor Group, Instagram and Twitter to Nicole so she can add them to our home page

Scott will document our social media account passwords/information so that HCCA leadership will know how to access accounts in the event of volunteer turnover

Michael will put together best practices and recommendations for storing and managing the various passwords used in the organization

Michael will share the master password to the WordPress website with Nicole so she will have full administrative rights

Michael will send Christina a list of people that need to be added to the WildApricot database (those that are not on the master list uploaded to WA in August but are on the current WordPress subscriber list)

Christina will research the cost of setting up a Google business account to enable shared workspace, calendar, and Gmail address

We will work to develop an enticing story about HCCA’s accomplishments since our founding in 1984 to garner media awareness (with the Citizen Times, WLOS and Blue Ridge Public Radio) during our 40th anniversary year (2024) or sooner if possible

Next meeting Monday, December 5 at 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Committee Meeting

October 5, 2022, 7:00-7:40 pm

 

Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Scott Clodfelter (via Zoom)


Unable to attend

Krista Gamble, Michael Harrison, Nicole Losey, Phil Trunnell, Rick Fornoff, Suzanne Amelung

 

Notes/Next Steps

 

Chris will email Suzanne about migrating website pages to our new WildApricot site

 

Chris will make another attempt to uncover the password for our old Facebook page so we can try to contact those 600 followers and ask them to follow our new page

 

Scott will start a new Nextdoor group for HCCA

 

Scott will activate social media as soon as new content is posted to our website

 

Scott noted that Instagram is based on photos, not text, and will adapt website posts accordingly

 

We discussed posting of events from other organizations and agreed that we will post to our Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor accounts but not to our website unless HCCA is a co-sponsor of the event

 

Next meeting Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Committee Meeting

August 31, 2022, 7:00-8:20 pm


Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi (Chair), Michael Harrison, Phil Trunnell


Unable to attend

Krista Gamble, Rick Fornoff, Suzanne Amelung

Notes/Next Steps

Christina and Phil had a call on Aug 16 with Suzanne, who indicated that although she hasn’t worked with WildApricot (WA) she’s heard good things about it and would recommend that we move everything to WA as WordPress updates are time consuming

Suzanne noted that our ilovehawcreek.com domain and server space is paid through May 12, 2023; she will purchase/set up the new domain that the committee agreed to, hawcreekavl.com, for $10 for the year (registration will be up for renewal on Aug 23, 2023)

Suzanne agreed to set up an email address using that domain, hawcreekavl@gmail.com, using the server space that we have for ilovehawcreek.com (paid through 5/12/23); after that we will have to renew the server space, which is about $100/year

Phil received the master list from Krista and will format/upload it to WA

Phil and Christina will work together to:

  • Recommend website template theme/color scheme
  • Determine member/donation specifications
  • Set up electronic acknowledgment language
  • Establish process for $100+ gifts to get acknowledgment letter

Phil will provide login access to Michael, who will review WA and offer suggestions on a plan to migrate ilovehawcreek.com WordPress to hawcreekavl.com WildApricot

Christina will work with Michael/others on content and structure of pages on WA site

Christina will undertake webpage editing and/or writing tasks with assistance as needed

Phil will prepare a 10-15 minute presentation to show board members how the WA system will work for us at the Sept 13 board meeting

Everyone agreed that an Oct 1 live date is unrealistic and acknowledged that the goal is to have the site up and running by the Nov 10 public board meeting

Committee should conduct a tab-by-tab review of the new website to ensure all pages, especially donation pages and links, look and work as expected

Everyone agreed to the fall fundraising plan that Christina presented at the last meeting, which will launch at the Nov 10 event followed by a series of emails and social media outreach beginning on Nov 29, Giving Tuesday

Christina will put together a draft schedule for posting events

Michael volunteered to post on Nextdoor (Haw Creek, Sondley and Bull Mountain)

Chris volunteered to post on Instagram

Chris is working on ideas for the next newsletter, which should mail in late October

Christina will explore vendor and mailing list options

Chris is drafting a brochure, which should be ready in time for our Oct events

Christina will create a welcome packet and connect with new residents in Nov/Dec

Phil will research the cost of having a Google business account and Gmail accounts

Christina will work with Krista to set up a Google Workspace account where we can archive HCCA documents

Christina will set up a shared Google calendar enabling board and committee members to view all meeting and event dates

Next meeting is Wednesday October 5 at 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Committee Meeting

July 27, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm


Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi, Phil Trunnell, Rick Fornoff


Unable to attend

Krista Gamble, Michael Harrison, Suzanne Amelung

Notes/Next Steps

Everyone present agreed to serve on the committee and Christina volunteered to chair

Christina will email Suzanne, Michael and Krista to seek their opinion about WildApricot, the new information management system that the board approved and we are planning to use; target date to go live is October 1

Christina will arrange a meeting/call with Phil, Suzanne, Michael, Krista and Chris to discuss and determine which option we want to go with:

  • Keep existing WordPress website, which will require viewers to leave our site in order to make a donation, or
  • Migrate our WordPress website to a WildApricot template to create a seamless experience when making donations

Phil will prepare a presentation and show board members how the WildApricot system will work for us at the September 13 board meeting

Chris will talk with Michael about posting new content to the website

Rick suggested HCCA open a Twitter account

Phil will research the cost of hiring a social media consultant

Rick will find out what Gmail options are available for HCCA and if we can get the same address for our URL

Krista will set up a Gmail account using the name Rick recommends and create a Google Docs Work Space where we can archive HCCA documents

Christina will set up a shared Google calendar using the Gmail address and enable board and committee members to view all meeting and event dates

Christina will follow up with Michael about setting up a Get Involved page on the website

Christina will follow up with Krista, who is organizing the various lists into one master Excel spreadsheet, which Phil will format and upload to the new system

Phil will work with Christina to set up automatic electronic acknowledgment emails and a system to identify larger ($100+) gifts that will receive an acknowledgment letter

Christina distributed draft language for use on the website and in HCCA materials, which was reviewed and approved; a slightly revised mission statement will be reviewed for approval at a future board meeting

Christina distributed a draft marketing plan for a fundraising campaign that would launch in October with a newsletter appeal (and announcement of a public board meeting on November 10), followed by a series of emails and social media outreach beginning on November 29, Giving Tuesday

Christina suggested exploring event sponsorship and foundation funding—to be discussed with Sarah/others at a future date

Committee should conduct a tab-by-tab review of the website before the newsletter mails to ensure all pages, especially donation pages and links, look and work as expected

Chris is working on drafting a brochure that can be used as a handout at events

Chris will order HCCA stickers with the website address—pending a new URL

Christina will follow up with board members and compile brief bios for the website

Christina will work with a local realtor to identify new residents and deliver a brochure/membership form to introduce them to HCCA

Next meeting: Wednesday August 31, 7:00 pm

Communications & Development Meeting

June 29, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm


Attendees

Chris Pelly, Christina Maggi, Krista Gamble, Meghan Quinn, Phil Trunnell, Renate Rikkers, Rick Fornoff, Susan Michael


Unable to attend

Michael Harrison, Suzanne Amelung

Notes/next steps

Chris and Christina co-chaired the meeting and Chris will recommend that the board formalize a Communications & Development Committee at the July 20 meeting (members would include Chris, Christina, Krista, Meghan, Michael, Phil, Rick, Suzanne)

Rick will review the website to see if he can work with WordPress (an open-source content management system) and help improve its functionality (Chris will get access info from Michael and send it to Rick)

Phil is researching subscriber database options that will enable us to capture donor and gift information and will present examples and costs at the next meeting

Krista will organize the existing membership Excel spreadsheet so it can be used for mailings (Chris will send her the most recent list)

Phil will receive all new donor information for accounting purposes and then forward data to Krista for incorporation into member spreadsheet—need to determine how acknowledgment letters will be processed and mailed, and how to link new information to the email list, which is managed by Michael

Krista will set up Google Docs (with seamless sharing) as a way to archive HCCA documents/achievements for future reference as board members change

Meghan will continue to serve as the website content manager and upload HCCA committee descriptions (Christina to send document)

Meghan will update the website calendar weekly (tentatively on Wednesdays) with events as provided by committee chairs

Christina and Meghan will review and refine the mission statement, value proposition and other language for the website with assistance from Chris and Rick

Krista volunteered to manage the HCCA Facebook page

Meghan will manage the HCCA Instagram account (Christina to send her password)

Chris will draft a brochure that can be used as a handout at events

Chris will order HCCA stickers

Christina and Krista will put together a sample welcome package for new residents

Christina will draft a marketing plan to launch a fundraising campaign in November

Christina will recommend to Leslie that the Community Outreach Committee make connections with local groups and/or table at local events such as the tailgate market, PTA, Haw Creek Commons, etc.

Integrate QR code in all media

Next meeting: Wednesday July 27 at 7:00 pm

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