History of Community Organizing

There are two major schools of community organizing:

1. Saul Alinsky: This focuses organizing on existing organizations. His book "Reveille for Radicals" (1946, updated 1969) describes how to build coalitions of groups within communities. Over the past ten years, the Industrial Areas Foundation has built organizations around churches. His last book, "Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals," was published in 1971.
2. Fred Ross: Ross is not known nearly as well as Alinsky (a point which his partisans say is important in itself. A "real" organizer is not a leader. He/she stays in the background.) Ross is the guru of organizations that believe in building membership organizations one at a time. Ross himself had a great influence on Cesar Chavez (a point I make on a piece I did on Chavez years ago that appears on the Institute for the Study of Civic Values site). The National Welfare Rights Organization (a group active from 1966 to 1975) again, built on chapters of welfare recipients--is out of the Fred Ross tradition. And today, the leading group inspired by Fred Ross is Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

What are some other styles of community organizing you've learned about?

Organizing LOCALLY Online

When I became aware of the Internet in the early 1990's, after more than 30 years of involvement in social movements and politics-- it was clear to me that this new technology would have a profound impact on community and political organizing at every level of this society. The combination of listservs that enabled large groups of people to communicate with one another simultaneously on matters of concern; search engines that offered easy access to information about issues of concern; and web sites that would enable individual activists and small groups to gain widespread attention for causes simply by promoting them online clearly had the potential to turn the entire political process on its head. We have not come quite that far yet. Yet the Internet has already had an even greater impact on democratic politics that we would have dared to predict ten years ago.

Of course, at this moment, it is the bloggers of America who captivate our attention. Many of them write quite well. They speak clearly and forcefully about the critical issues of the day: Iraq, health care, civil liberties, the electoral process itself. They promote one another. In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote the anonymous pamphlet called "Common Sense" that sparked the American Revolution. Bloggers are carrying this tradition forward.

Yet the Internet has done far more for activists than simply providing an online soapbox for their causes. It has made it possible for just a handful of activists to mobilize to recruit literally thousands of people into movements of common concern.

The best known example, of course, is MoveOn.org. Here just two software developers in the Bay Area, Joan Blades and Wes Boy, launched a well written online petition opposing Bill Clinton's impeachment that wins support all over the United States. The petition likely contributed to the Senate's ultimate decision not to convict the President at their trial. Three months later, MoveOn.org emerged as a fund-raising network, collecting thousands of dollars online to support candidates who voted for impeachment. Today, MoveOn.org has emerged as a national organization with 3.3 million members who are now mobilizing voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives all over the United States.

Unfortunately, the phenomenal success of MoveOn.org and activist groups on the Right like the Christian Coalition may intimate people working entirely at the local level that they cannot compete in this process.They're wrong.

In February, 2006, a single activist opposed to legal immigration, an Orange County retiree named Jim Gilchrist, decided to take matters into his own hands and organize a citizens patrol of his own between the Arizona and Mexican Border which he called, The Minuteman Project. He set up a web site, expecting to recruit another four or five people to help him. Instead, he was deluged with emails from hundreds of people pledging their support. By April, more than 1,000 people had joined Jim Gilcrist's Mexican Border Patrol. For better or worse, Jim Gilchrist made this happen, but the Internet made it possible.

Although MoveOn.org and Gilchrist's efforts are impressive, they are only early examples of how groups can use the Internet in politics. The greatest online organizing opportunities right now are not national, but local. Both major parties are now struggling to build grassroots organizations that help get voters to the polls on election day. They have recognized that the most persuasive mobilizer is the one who lives down the street.

The power of local mobilization creates a tremendous opportunity for people to wield real genuine political power right where they live. If they create an email list for just ten to twenty voting neighbors and use this list to build solidarity and recruit new members, then every politician running for office in their District will be soliciting their support. Close elections can be decided by people who make this commitment. In the hotly contested elections of 2006, it is likely that one or more stories like this will be told. That's when the battle to use the Internet achieve enduring political power in the America will begin.

Organizing Using New Technologies/Media

What are some ways to organize or advocate for your non-profit organization or cause by using new media and/or technologies?

1. MySpace [to manage volunteers/fundraise.] - see Tech Soup article "How to Use MySpace to Raise Awareness"

2. Mobile Phones - see MobileActive Strategy Guides

Check out more links on this subject at:
http://del.icio.us/CTCVISTA/communityorganizing

5 Tips For Connecting With Fellow CTC VISTAs Online

You've probably just gotten back from your VISTA Pre-service Orientation and are still reflecting on the inspiring, passionate and awesome people you just met - not to mention the conversations and connections you made. In spite of the great discussions and thoughts that were shared during the sessions and beyond, you may be feeling a mixture of inspiration and sadness that the people you met are most likely now spread far across the country - perhaps thousands of miles apart. What's a VISTA to do to keep in touch?

There are many ways. This entry will go over 5 of them. If you have any more, don't hesitate to add them in the comments below.

The CTC VISTA Directory:
This directory lists the current CTC VISTA Project Members. It has the name, email, latest Field Reports, organization, city and state that each VISTA is serving in. This Directory is the top source to get in to contact with current VISTAs. There is also a link to CTC VISTA Alumni, should you want to get in to contact with previous VISTAs.

Hot tip: these emails can be entered into many social networking sites' "friend find" features to find and connect with other VISTAs online.

The CTC VISTA Listserv:
this is the official Mailing list of the CTC VISTA Project . For those of you who have never used a listserv, it is essentially: "An e-mail list of e-mail addresses of people with common interests. Software enables people who belong to a list to send messages to the group without typing a series of addresses into the message header. Usually members of the group in the listserv have to subscribe to the mailing list."

It is one of the quickest ways to communicate with ALL current CTC VISTAs at the SAME TIME. Feel free to post questions or comments about anything CTC VISTA related to the list. Hot tip: if you answer a question, be sure to 'REPLY ALL' so that your answer goes to the list as well for others to see - this ensures that if someone ELSE has the question, they can see the answer there too.

Hot tip: It also boosts your credibility as a 'go to' person for particular topics - think of it as gaining 'social capital' for sharing your knowledge with the list;) This technique also works on LinkedIn (see # 5)

The CTC VISTA Webinars and Conference Calls:
These will be regular opportunities for you to not only become a more effective VISTA and professional, but also, a time to reconnect and hear the voices of your fellow VISTAs. Regardless of diversity, each PSO/'class' of VISTAs brings a very unique amalgamation and collection of individuals together - many of whom are sharing the same hopes and frustrations throughout their VISTA year as you are. These webinars give you an opportunity to regularly reconnect with your new friends and colleagues in context based on professional and personal development.

Hot tip: read (and comment on) some of your fellow VISTAs Field Reports BEFORE the webinar, this way, if you're a bit shy initially, you'll have something to connect on when you 'meet' on the conference call. These Field Reports can often be the base for amazing discussions during the calls - kinda like the things shared during some of the PSO sessions;)



The CTC VISTA Facebook Group:
Well shoot. This just had to go in as a way to connect. While it is 'outside' the main communications used for the Project, it DOES provide an informal way for you to connect with and learn more about your fellow VISTAs. While CTC VISTA Headquarters will be experimenting and playing with the features of this group throughout the year, it will provide a quick way to browse personal profiles of fellow VISTAs who are on Facebook. NOTE: not all CTC VISTAs are on Facebook. For a complete list, see the CTC VISTA Directory.

Hot tip: some VISTAs have personal blogs, websites or other social media that offer additional ways for you to connect with your peers - these are often listed in their profiles. Check these out. Comment on them. Communicating in this way is an important part of establishing yourself as a presence, resource and advocate throughout the CTC network.

LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is THE networking site for professionals. Think of it as your online resumé + professional network. Creating a profile on LinkedIn allows you to not only connect with other CTC VISTAs past and present, it also allows you to see who THOSE VISTAs are connected to professionally. By understanding the professional context of who's connected to who, you can strategize your communications and meetings with people online and off.

For instance, if a former VISTA is connected to an awesome grantwriter and you want to know how to write grants, you might start off an email communication like: 'Hi, I noticed you worked with [said VISTA] on [said project]. I am also a VISTA and would like to know more about grantwriting. Might you or anyone you know have some resources for me?' In the example above, you are already connected to them by virtue of being a VISTA;) but you are also able to articulate your relationship to ask for what you need and it's not quite a 'cold call' - all because you were able to see 'who's connected to who'.

Hot tip: fill out your profile as completely as possible using relevant keywords. This not only improves your connectability (giving OTHER people more topics to connect to you on), but it also increases your visibility AND Google page rank.

Conferences

NYC Grassroots Media: We these connections and strategies and work together to demand a media system that will link our diverse communities, connect local and international struggles, and fight for social justice across boundaries and beyond borders. Feb 24, NYC

Beyond Broadcast: For 50 years broadcast media have played a powerful role in shaping political culture and mediating citizen engagement in the democratic process. Now a participatory culture is putting the tools of media creation and critique in the hands of citizens themselves. Feb 24, Boston
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Freedom to Connect: F2C is a meeting of people engaged with Internet connectivity and all that it enables, including vendors, customers, regulators, legislators, analysts, financiers, citizens and co-creators. This year, the theme of F2C is how universal connectivity and the plunging capital requirements of information production are changing our fundamental economic and social assumptions. March 5 & 6, 2007, Washington DC

International Computer Refurbisher Summit : This is a great conference for anyone interested in computer repair, receiving equipment for your CTC or students, and meeting refurbishers from around the world who provide equipment to NPOs, NGOs, and underserved communities.March 9, Washington DC

Women, Action & the Media: the Center for New Words is hosting the fourth annual Women, Action & the Media (WAM!) conference, more than 400 participants for a weekend of exchanging our observations, ideas, experiences, opinions, and tools for change—and planning together for action. March 30-April 1st, Cambridge MA (MIT)

Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTEN), April 4-6, Washington DC

Intel Computer Clubhouse International Conference, April 23-25, Chicago

Allied Media Conference The Allied Media Conference is an annual, weekend-long gathering of influential alternative media-makers and committed social justice activists, a unique cross-section of media workers, community organizers, daring filmmakers, ambitious radio producers, serious publishers, skilled web designers, and artists whose work makes revolution irresistible. This year's theme focuses on participatory media that transforms the producer and receiver, "Breaking Silence, Building Movements." June 22-24, 2007, Detroit

Communities and Technology: The Communities and Technologies biennial international conference serves as a forum for stimulating and disseminating research on the complex connections between communities - both physical and virtual - and information and communication technologies. June 28-30, 2007, Michigan State University

Alliance for Community Media A nonprofit, national membership organization founded in 1976, the Alliance represents over 3,000 Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) access organizations and community media centers throughout the country. It also represents the interests of millions of people who, through their local religious, community and charitable groups, use PEG access to communicate with their memberships and the community as a whole. July 25-28, 2007, Minneapolis, MN

NAMAC: brings together creators, thinkers, policy makers, administrators and funders to hear the most current thinking about the field’s future opportunities, to create a national platform for the media arts, and to strengthen our networks.Oct 17-20, 2007, Austin, TX

National Conference on Media Reform

CTCNET

External Lists

http://www.omidyar.net/group/compumentor/ws/conferences_and_events/

Tech Soup: http://www.techsoup.org/community/events/index.cfm

CTC VISTA Blog hints

Our biggest source of information for what VISTAs are working on are the Field Reports, but they're also sometimes a source of guilt and frustration.

Here's some hints on blogging in general:

• Hints from the PSO, Fall 2006
• Nine Lessons for Would-Be Bloggers [from TechSoup.org]
• Nine More Lessons for Would-Be Bloggers [from TechSoup.org]

What techniques might you use for keeping up on your blogging?

Other Listservs and Groups

Media & Technology

• NTEN Community - NTEN is a professional community that connects people involved in nonprofit technology and strives to help them effectively use technology in their work. Groups are free for anyone to join and contains a large number of topical and regional discussions to join.
• CTCnet - CTCnet has a private listserv for its members to discuss Community Technology Center related topics. CTC VISTAs can also gain free access to the list: contact your VISTA Leader or Paul Hansen.

Nonprofit & Social Change

Omidyar Network - We believe every individual has the power to make a difference. We exist for one single purpose: So that more and more people discover their own power to make good things happen.

AmeriCorps*VISTA

• VISTAnet: - VISTAnet is an on-going discussion group for VISTAs, former VISTAs, AmeriCorps folks, and anyone interested in national service and social issues.
• meetamericorps.com: Create a profile, tag your interests and skills, view a map of current and former VISTAs, MEET other VISTAs. This website is a free and easy-to-use tool for current AmeriCorps and VISTA service-members, alumni and prospective volunteers to find and meet one another for fun, success and profit...er, um good.

Creating your own

• Google Groups - Google offers a very nice free listserv service.

Conferences and their Value

The CTC VISTA Project requires that host organization's send their VISTA member to a national conference during their year of service. Attending a conference provides a number of important training, development and future-plan opportunities for VISTAs with numerous benefits for host organizations as well.

Understanding the Conference Experience

Many VISTA members are initially reluctant to attend conferences. Often they have never attended a conference before and do not understand what they gain to benefit from attending. Additionally, VISTAs sometimes equate the Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) with a conference, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

Conferences provide a number of benefits, but it probably is the best, and sometimes the only, opportunity for VISTA members to meet a broad and diverse representation of people working within or related to their field of work. Serving deeply within their own organization, conferences offer the opportunity for VISTAs to acquire much greater width and depth in their understanding of their field of work.

These opportunities take many different forms and allow VISTA members a wide diversity of interaction. Most conferences are built upon standard presentations in which an individual or small group of people present to an audience. This, while educational, often is one of the least interesting and productive parts of a conference. Instead, there are many possibilities for meeting face to face, individually with leading practitioners or individuals working on interesting or applicable projects. Between sessions, at meals, at bars, clubs or parties, conference offer a great opportunities to make fun and personal connections with other people in the field. Conferences often take the form of "blowing off steam".

Meeting People at Conferences

VISTA members often do not realize it, but the work they are doing is usually cutting edge or intensely applicable to other people in the field. Introducing yourself as an AmeriCorps*VISTA will often times elicit recognition and special treatment. Many VISTAs have met people who have found them grants, resources, career advice, future employment or free drinks.

Bring business cards, promotional materials and be willing to talk to strangers.

Making Presentations

We highly, enthusiastically recommend that VISTA members take every opportunity to present at conferences.

Financing a Conference

As part of the application process, the CTC VISTA Project encourages host organizations to budget for their VISTA to attend a conference. Often times VISTA member will attend with their supervisor.

This should include:

• Airfare- Booking at least three weeks before (or earlier) provides the best prices. Also, please schedule flights so that VISTAs can attend the entire conference, even allowing for "book ends" in which the VISTA can attend pre- or post-conference events.

• Hotel - We highly recommend that VISTAs stay in the conference hotel. This is most convenient as this is where conference activities are taking place, or departing from. Additionally this avoids placing the VISTA in a dangerous neighborhood or requiring additional transportation expense. VISTAs usually can find a roommate with another VISTA in order to split costs, though hotel rooms should be booked very early in order to receive a reduced conference rate.

• Reimbursements or Per-Diem - VISTA members are already living at a low fixed-income and so effort should be taken to not make conferences a financial liability. We recommend VISTAs are either reimbursed for meals not covered by the conference and transportation (shuttle or taxi from airport to hotel) or receive a per diem (usually about $40 per day). Receipt retention procedures should be discussed prior to the conference.

Recommended Conferences

N-TEN

NAMAC

CTCNet

Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference

???

Dangerous Book

• How to Maximize your Use of Assistive Technology - Rayna, Kevin, Kevin’s mom
• How to make a Teleprompter - Kevin
• How to Create a Great Citizen Journalism - Julie
• How to Get ‘Buy-in’ from the Community - Kelli Williams, Victoria
• How to Download Web 2.0 - Everyone
• 10 Things You Don’t Know (but probably should) about VISTA Health Benefits - Cecille/Meegan
• What To Do When Stuff Gets Stolen - Leena
• Digital Storytelling - Danielle
• 10 Things You Should Know About Writing Federal Grants - Meegan
• How to Rock A Pre-Service Orientation (for Planners) - Kevin
• How to Rock A Pre-Service Orientation (for Attendees) - Kevin
• 5 Instances of Community Mapping Projects and How YOU Can Start One - Ben
• How To Choose a Content Management System (Introduction & Comparisons) - Morgan
• Getting Help - Leena
• 10 Tips for Staying On Task While Telecommuting - Karl (VISTAs shouldn't be Telecommuting)
• On Being an Older VISTA - Pat
• 10 Resources for VISTAs Who Hate Writing Manuals - Morgan

Nonprofit and VISTA Context

• Non-Profits - Kevin, Ben
• CTC VISTA Historical Benchmarks - Paul
• 5 Approaches to Organizing your Organization - AJ

Skills 101

• On Starting Out as a VISTA - Wes
• How to Write Great Field Reports - Kevin
• How to Develop a Strategic Plan - Anna
• How to Create Curriculum - Derek
• Impact (using regressive analysis) - Kevin
• How to Work with Youth and Still Be Hip - AJ
• How to Resolve Conflicts at Work - Rian
• 10 Tips for Managing Volunteers -
• How to Develop a Youth Media Program - Sarah
• How to Project Management Without Going Crazy - Kevin
• 10 Tips for Building Web Communities - Morgan
• 10 Reasons Why Community Wireless Networks Are Important - Josh, Gabe
• How to Build A Media Lab - AJ
• 10 Tips for Event Planning - Victoria, Ashley
• 5 Reasons You Should Car About Communications & Public Policy - Cecille
• Project Planning Tools (SWOT, Stakeholder, Forcefield, etc)

Being a better person

• On the Importance of Commitment - Kevin
• Learning to say no - Ben
• Being a Self-Advocate - Ben
• Your Head – Where Everything Always Works (softening the blows of reality) - Saul
• "Working from Home" - Karl Otto

Networking with People

• Interfacing with People (techies take heed) - John Miller
• How to Maximize Your Ed Award/End-of-Service Stipend -
• How to Network at a Conferences - Ben
• How To Sell Yourself After VISTA - Danielle

Making Do with your VISTA Stipend

• Food Stamps: You Gotta Eat - Morgan
• Lunches: Free and Otherwise - Kevin

Online Tools and Resources

Our Email Listserv

All CTC VISTAs will be automatically signed up for this listserv. By sending a single email to this address, it will go out to all other VISTAs and Leaders. This is a safe space to ask anything and is moderated by VISTA Leaders. Feel free to ask anything.

Value to you:

• Immediacy – make contact IMMEDIATELY with any of your fellow VISTAs and Leaders
• Discussion – discuss issues relevant to your work plan, professional development or life as a VISTA
• Q&A – get your question answered immediately as well as see how other VISTAs resolve questions at their respective sites

Listserv address: ctcvista@lists.ctcvista.org

Our Field Reports

These are mandatory, bi-monthly reports submitted by you for the CTC VISTA Project. These help the Project keep in touch with the needs and challenges of VISTAs while allowing you and your fellow VISTAs to familiarize yourselves with the work of each other. Feel free to comment on the reports of others.

Value to you is:

• Self-assessment – reports track the progress you’ve made

• Support – reports help VISTA Leaders strategize resources to assist you in accomplishing your tasks

• Resume builder – reports reference what you’ve done throughout your year to future employers

http://www.ctcvista.org/vista-workspace

Our CTC VISTA WIKI

This is an ongoing ‘encyclopedia’ of knowledge and resources generated and contributed by you and VISTAs who came before you. There is already an enormous amount of information on there. Feel free to contribute any tips, ideas or resource you come across.

Value to you:

• Awareness – provides a brief overview of the priority areas in which CTC VISTAs are working

• Collaboration – provides a space to share content created, posted, and bookmarked by CTC VISTAs and supervisors, both on the CTC VISTA blogs and elsewhere

• Education – provides the foundation for ongoing collaboration among CTC VISTAs on new projects, such as how-to's, curricula, and lessons learned

www.ctcvista.org/wiki

Our Project Partners

These are the CTC VISTA Project’s national partners. These organizations are ‘super connectors’ and are networked with many other organizations working within your priority area. Many hold conferences, symposiums, meetings and other events throughout the year.

Value to you:

• Know the most important players in your field – by informing yourself with organizations tied to the project you can target networking opportunities

• Be informed about whom you meet – by familiarizing yourself with the work of others you can maximize knowledge exchange at conferences and meetings

• Career opportunities – many of these organizations regularly look for qualified job candidates working in their respective fields – this means you!

Partners

Alliance for Community Media (ACM)

http://www.alliancecm.org/blog.php

Association for Community Networking (AFCN)

http://www.afcn.org/

CTCNet

http://www.ctcnet.org/

National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture (NAMAC)

http://www.namac.org/

Non-profit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN)

http://www.nten.org/

University of Massachusetts Boston - College of Public & Community Service, Community Media & Technology Program

http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/cmt/index.html

Other Resources

Do you use any online social networks like Flickr or del.icio.us? Check out our bookmarks and photos below. Be sure to tag any content that you contribute to the web with “ctcvista”

Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ctcvista/

del.icio.us:

http://del.icio.us/ctcvista

Of course, if any of you are still in need of more whether it's work plan related, supervisor related, or you simply need a fellow VISTA to talk to - don't hesitate to contact your VISTA Leaders - that's one of the many things that we are here for. We are your first line of advocacy and support.

VISTA Leader Guidelines and Information

Check out the attachment for info on being a VISTA Leader.

VISTA Recruitment Resources

Top 10 Ways to Get Your Very Own CTC VISTA
In no particular order...

1. Print Recruiting Pamphlet - Put them everywhere!
The pamphlet (available for download via link below) explains what the CTC VISTA Project is, gives links for potential VISTAs to find even more information (and apply!), and outlines the benefits of becoming a VISTA. This overview gives your potential volunteer a good idea of what VISTA service could give them.

2. Print CTC VISTA Profiles - Inspire potential volunteers!
These profiles (available for download via link below) highlight the service of two current VISTAs and two host organizations. Using the profiles can help explain to potential volunteers what they can get out of volunteering at your organization. They can also see how others have used their commitment as a VISTA to further their career goals and learn things they wouldn't have learned otherwise.

3. Print CTC VISTA Posters - Robots, Del.icio.us, and Godzilla, oh my!
Putting these posters (available for download via link below) up in your organization's office or anywhere your organization is involved will definitely capture a potential volunteer's attention. Staple your business card or attach your organizational info to the poster and there you go - a fast advertisement.

4. Use Job Description Template - Add your info and VOILA!
Download the attachment at the bottom of this page. Open the document. Copy and paste the Job Description you submitted with your CTC VISTA application. Easy way to spread the word!

5. Print CTC VISTA Project Digests - Show them they won't be alone!
The CTC VISTA Project Digests (available for download via link below) have articles written by current and former VISTAs, organizational leaders, and industry experts. The Digest serves as a compilation of the work that the CTC VISTA Project is involved with throughout the country and can show your potential volunteer the vast network they would be connected to should they choose to become your VISTA.

6. Post with local university/college career centers - easy!
Most universities and colleges have career centers on campus that their graduating students and alumni can visit to learn of career opportunities and options. Some career centers have online job search systems, some send out emails with current job opportunities, some simply have a notebook with open jobs throughout the area. Research your area's schools and use the Job Description Template to post to career centers in programs related to your volunteer opening.

7. Idealist - Make it easy for them to find you!
Idealist is a well-known website that is often used to find volunteer opportunities and jobs with nonprofits and philanthropic companies. You can post your job description at: http://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/Post/default?sid=
Posting a job is $50, but posting a volunteer opportunity is FREE!! Make sure you classify your posting as such.

8. Craigslist - More than a place to pawn off your stuff!
Craigslist can help you target your local community job-seekers. Just go to http://craigslist.org/ , and click on your area's link. You can post your opportunity through the Craigslist job postings. Some area's sites charge $25.00. You can also post through the Community -> Volunteer section, but you probably will not get as many views.

9. Other community centers - You'll find the volunteer-minded!
Post your job description, posters, or leave pamphlets at community centers throughout your area. A good place to start is large centers like the YMCA/YWCA - there is a lot of traffic through these types of community centers and chances are your ad will be seen by just the right person.

10. Recruit from within - Rewards for work they're already doing!
Are you fortunate enough to have that golden volunteer? A great way to get a great full-time person is to offer the VISTA position to someone who has already helped you in the past. Not only do they get a little return for work they obviously love to do, you get someone who already is trained.




CTC VISTA Recruiting Materials

Job Description Template
http://flyers.ctcvista.org/program_info/Job_Description_Template.doc

Recruiting Pamphlet
http://flyers.ctcvista.org/program_info/for_VISTAs.pdf

CTC VISTA Profiles
http://flyers.ctcvista.org/profiles/spring2007.pdf

CTC VISTA Posters
Robot Army: http://flyers.ctcvista.org/posters/CTCVISTA_robot_army.pdf
Del.icio.us Tagcloud: http://flyers.ctcvista.org/posters/CTCVISTA_tagcloud_sm.pdf
Godzilla: http://flyers.ctcvista.org/posters/CTCVISTA_vs_godzilla3.pdf

CTC VISTA Project Digests
Fall 2006: http://flyers.ctcvista.org/digest/fall2006.pdf
Spring 2007: http://flyers.ctcvista.org/digest/spring2007.pdf
Also available online at: http://www.ctcvista.org/digest/spring07

VISTA Training Guidelines

In-Service Training Request
Massachusetts State Office AmeriCorps*VISTA
(Formerly Continuous Development Training/CDT - Policy revised 9/07)

In-Service Training (IST) Funds are to be used for AmeriCorps*VISTA members to attend workshops, conferences, and/or classes pertaining to their AmeriCorps*VISTA assignment. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests must be for a minimum of $100, with a maximum of $500 available to each member. Several training request may be submitted at once. You must receive written approval of your request before registering for training. All training must be completed by the end of the 5th month of service.

Guidelines:

• VISTA Supervisors must approve training prior to request. Please state in your request that your Supervisor has approved the training, and cc them in the email request or ask them to sign your faxed request.

• Requests must be submitted at least 14 full days (two weeks) prior to the date of the event via fax at (617) 565-8607 or email at MA@cns.gov

• Request must include:
  1. Course events/description and cost, preferably a website link to the course;
  2. Place, date and time;
  3. Brief description of how this course will support the AmeriCorps*VISTA Member in their assignment.
• Reimbursement will be for class cost only – course materials and/or travel costs will not be covered. You must submit an original receipt for the course, or the training organization must provide a letter on letterhead with the course title, cost of the course or seminar, the date it was paid, and the VISTA’s name with confirmation of registration. The amount on the receipt must match the amount on the voucher. If your receipt does not match the amount listed on your voucher, you must contact the state office before submitting your paperwork for reimbursement.

The Corporation State Office will notify the AmeriCorps*VISTA member via email as to approval / disapproval of the request, prior to the course. If you receive no response to your request seven days prior to the date of training, please call Christine Robles at (617) 565-7017 or email crobles@cns.gov. If you do not receive a written approval prior to the training, you will not be reimbursed.

AmeriCorps*VISTA Members or their Sponsors must pay for the course, then submit original receipts and a completed reimbursement voucher (provided by CNCS). Reimbursement checks will only be made out to the VISTA member; it will be your responsibility to reimburse your Sponsor.

Website Improvement

Use Cases

vistas and supervisors:
do you know what is expected of you at any one point in the year?
have you gotten forms off the website?
have you gotten manuals or guidelines off of the website?
do you read blogs or the newsletter (the Digest) off of the website?

vistas:
do you read the vista blog?
do you use the wiki?
do you check the website for news and events? (probably just wait for
the emails)
do you keep in touch with any other vistas?
have you used another vista as a resource?
do you
have you used the website to show others what your work is about?

questions people are trying to answer with the website

uninvolved people:
what is this place?
where is this place?

random web surfer/visitor through a link
why is this relevant?

prospective vista
where is it located?
would I want to do it?
would I be qualified to do it?
where can I do it?
*who can I contact about it?
*how do I apply?
*when is each piece of the process happening?
(a lot of this is in the "supervisor resources" section)

prospective org
where is it located?
do we need this?
what do we need to do to get it?
who can we contact about it?
how do we apply?
what other orgs are involved?
when is each piece of the process happening?

current vista
*where are those forms?
*what is the next thing I have to do with the project?
*who do I contact about ___?
how do I contact other vistas?
what are other vistas doing?

current org
*where are those forms?
*what is the next thing I have to do with the project?
*who do I contact about ___?
what about after my vista leaves?

prospective employer of current visitor

Post-application VISTAs and organizations
**what is my application status?
**what stage is the project at? (project news)
**when is each piece of the process happening?

Specific Comments

-- about section:
the contents of what the about section should be are on the front
page, so do we even need the about section itself? project news
should be more visible. during the application process, people rely
on knowing what is going on, and having it buried here doesn't help
people find it or feel that it's credible. also, do you need the
"contact" link in the secondary menu there? it's right next to
"about" in the primary menu.

-- contact us page:
needs to have info about who is responsible for different things. for
people who are already involved in the project, it's great; for
people with questions who didn't RTFM, there aren't clues on who to
email except the titles. I solve this problem at our organization
with a contact form where you select a subject rather than
individuals to contact. You could follow that with the staff list.

-- the ctc vista project guidelines:
need to be more