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:
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Recommend website template theme/color scheme
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Determine member/donation specifications
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Set up electronic acknowledgment language
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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:
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Keep existing WordPress website, which will require viewers to leave our site in order to make a donation, or
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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