Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "philanthropy"

Mutual Housing chosen as finalist for Inspired Giving

2012-01-25T19:07:22Z

Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association recently was chosen as a finalist for the Inspire Giving award, a program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce that encourages civic-minded leadership, volunteerism and philanthropic giving.

The other finalists are Raft, Roseville Home Start, Seniors First and Soil Born Farms.

Mutual Housing develops and operates permanently affordable housing in Sacramento and Yolo county that builds strong and stable communities through resident participation and leadership development. With more than 900 homes, it serves some 2,700 low- to moderate-income residents, half of whom are children.

Raft helps educators transform the learning experience through "hands-on" education that inspires the joy and discovery of learning.

Roseville Home Start transitions homeless families into affordable, sustainable permanent housing and self- sufficiency, through a system of housing and support services that is comprehensive, flexible, accessible and accountable.

Seniors first strives to keep Placer County senior citizens living independently and comfortably in their own homes as long as possible.

Soil Born Farms is an urban agriculture and education project that connects food, health and the environment.

Winners will be announced at the 117th annual dinner and business awards of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce on January 27.

Inspire Giving is the endowment fund of Project Inspire, a program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce. Inspire Giving was established in 2009 in partnership with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and the Leadership Sacramento Class of 2009. Project Inspire offers businesses turnkey activities that encourage their employees to lead, volunteer and give. For more information about Project Inspire, visit: http://www.metro-inspire.org/.

For more information about mutual housing, visit www.mutualhousing.com.

Disclosure: A former journalist, Dell Richards is the principal of Dell Richards Publicity. Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association is a client of the Sacramento public relations firm.

Sacramento Organizations Receive $470,000 in Grants from the Walmart Foundation

2011-12-12T22:34:38Z

Walmart announced a $470,000 commitment to the Sacramento community through local and statewide organizations focused on preventing hunger, cultivating workforce development, advocating for children, and improving educational opportunities.

“During these challenging times, it is crucial that members of our community step up and lend a hand in helping address the issues that we all face together, and Walmart has risen to the occasion,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson. “These generous and vital grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will help Sacramentans get back to work and will help our local organizations continue serving those most in need.”

“At Walmart, we are honored to work with Sacramento organizations that are truly making a difference in the lives of many,” said Debbie Rood, Regional General Manager for Walmart. “These non-profits have found real solutions that will help those in need, those without opportunities, and those with optimism to live a better life.”

Child Advocacy and Education: Walmart associates across the state, which total over 73,000, voted in a ten-week online campaign to award its $100,000 Associate Choice Award grant to the California Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association. This donation will provide California CASA core support and funding for new initiatives, such as education and wellness programming, for the 6,500 CASA volunteers who work to make each child count.

“In times like these, we can all use a helping hand, and thanks to the hardworking men and women at Walmart stores across California, we are able to continue our work: advocating one-on-one to improve the lives of abused and neglected children,” said Robin Allen, the Executive Director of California CASA. “It is important that each child has access to a safe home, caring adults, and true well-being, and we thank Walmart associates for supporting that mission.”

To help mitigate diminished funding for educational programming, Walmart rewarded two educational programs to City Year and the Fortune School of Education, grants totaling $125,000. In addition, the California PTA, based in Sacramento, received an Associate Choice Award for $10,000.

Hunger Prevention: Multiple organizations dedicated to hunger prevention also received grants from Walmart, totaling $130,000. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services received $75,000 to move forward on an innovative program that increases food accessibility to an additional 1,000 people per month. The program provides fresh produce and health education to families in need, a population which has grown by 25 percent in response to the economic downturn.

“Due to the increased rate of health concerns in our community, we found it necessary to be innovative in our effort to reach the greatest number of people in need and serve them in the most effective and dignified manner,” said Blake Young, President/CEO of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. “With funding from the Walmart Foundation, our Food program will be able to reach more people and provide healthier choices for families.”

Continuing their support for local families in need of food assistance, the Walmart Foundation granted $30,000 to the Placer Food Bank and $25,000 to the Emergency Food Bank. Both organizations serve as hubs that not only directly deliver food to families and individuals, but work with local organizations to broadly distribute food and services.

Workforce Development: In response to the economic downturn leaving many people without jobs, the Walmart Foundation concentrated several grants, totaling $105,000, on local organizations with programs focused on workforce development to help the unemployed improve upon employable skills and small businesses improve stability.

The Greater Sacramento Urban League (GSUL) plans to use their $25,000 grant to fund an information technology training program for 90 lower-income residents. The GSUL expects that 88 percent of those in the program will receive job placement in unsubsidized employment and continue to retain such employment after six months. With program participants coming from lower-income areas and facing instabilities in housing as well as employment, GSUL is offering a technical program that teaches skills and has a proven 96 percent completion rate.

“We want to offer people the chance to develop a skillset that will open doors to job opportunities and increased financial stability,” said David DeLuz, Greater Sacramento Urban League Executive Director. “This grant from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will allow us to provide the ability to take the first step in improving their situation.”

Similarly, the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Gifts to Share/WayUp Sacramento and Sacramento Cottage Housing Inc., will use their various grants to create a sustainable community with strong small businesses and improved workforce with various training programs.

About the California State Giving Council: The various contributions to the Sacramento community were made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.

In 2010, Walmart stores, Sam's Club locations and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $29.1 million in cash and in-kind donations to local organizations in the communities they serve in the state of California. Through additional funds donated by customers, and Walmart and Sam’s Club associates throughout the state, the retailer’s contributions in California totaled more than $32.5 million.

To be considered for support, perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria. Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving.

Disclosure: Amelia McLear is a Senior Manager for Walmart.

Sacramento Social Media Club to host 'Best Practices for Charities'

2011-11-04T15:29:28Z

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive.

Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacramento Steps Foward; Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc.; Misty Avila, eAdvocacy coordinator for Aspiration Tech; and Chris Brune, director of creative services at Macer Media (Sacramento Press), for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The event will stream live on Ustream starting at 7 p.m., and can be followed on Twitter by using the hashtag #SMCSAC. The event is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sacramento Food Bank and the River City Food Bank. Donations up to $500 will be matched by CGI as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

In addition to panel, the Sacramento Social Media Club will be hosting a social media tune-up workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6-to-8 p.m. at the Urban Hive. At the tune up, charities will be matched up with marketing practitioners and agencies for one-on-one reviews of their social media platforms, with specific recommendations on improvements after the consultation. In order to participate, charities must RSVP in advance.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H St., Sacramento, 95811. Space is limited for both events. Click here to RSVP for the Social Media Best Practices for Charities panel. To RSVP for the social media tune up, email smcsacto@gmail.com.

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About the Social Media Club: The Sacramento Social Media Club was founded in March 2009 by local social media activists. Its monthly events bring together journalists, publishers, students, communicators and other interested collaborators to facilitate discussions about the key issues facing our society as technologies transform the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and relate. The Social Media Club’s primary mission is to promote media literacy and standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices. To find out more, join their groups on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

About the author: Brittany Wesely is the Associate Community Benefit Health Specialist for Kaiser Permanente, and a member of the all-volunteer leadership team for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Follow her on Twitter @brittanywesely.

PODS of Sacramento partners with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Event

2011-05-17T22:26:49Z

Territory Manager Brian Bills from the PODS of Sacramento franchise was happy to oblige a request from organizers to donate PODS® containers for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Sacramento held on May 7 at Cal Expo.

Officials noted this was the biggest turnout they have ever had with approximately 25,000 people walking, running and raising money to find a cure for breast cancer.

Four PODS® storage containers were used as onsite storage of event merchandise and check-in points for race participants.

Although he did not run or walk Bills also provided services as a mobile DJ, providing music and inspiration to all who passed by.

“PODS is honored to be involved with the Susan G. Komen Foundation,” Bills said. “This was an incredible experience to see everyone, all with such a passion for helping to find a cure for breast cancer.”

PODS of Sacramento is committed to the local community, nonprofit organizations and charities. For more information, visit the website at PODS.com/sacramento.aspx or call 866-229-4120.

Disclosure: Tina Vervoorn is the Public Relations Manager for Consortium Media Services, representing PODS of Sacramento.

Fashion and Philanthropy Join Forces During “Girls’ Night Out” Event

2011-05-11T21:47:09Z

Wellspring Women’s Center announced today they are launching a new fundraiser to raise money to support the organization and its mission to provide community services to women and children.

Wellspring’s first annual Girls’ Night Out event will be held on June 16, 2011 at Plaza Five Fifty Five at 555 Capitol Mall in Downtown Sacramento from 5:30pm to 8pm. Event attendees will catch the latest in hot summer fashions with a fashion show courtesy of local Sacramento area boutiques like Serendipity Boutique, Sequels Consignment Boutique, and Runway Boutique.

“We are very excited to introduce a new fundraising event to benefit Wellspring Women’s Center,” said Sister Judy Illig, Executive Director, Wellspring Women’s Center. “We believe we are Sacramento’s best kept secret in the nonprofit community, and with this new event our mission is to educate the community at large about the critical community services we offer to women and their children, as well as raise funds for our important cause.”

The event is also being supported by local businesses that will feature exclusive shopping opportunities in health, beauty and wellness. Attendees will find unique buys from The Pink House, Time to Be Fit, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Nerdy Dog, Lisa Silva Jewelry, Mellow-Me-Out, To Jewels With Love, Maribou Boutique and Salon, Bags U Love and more! Each item sold will help benefit Wellspring.

“AT&T is proud to be a sponsor of Wellspring Women’s Center Inaugural Girls’ Night Out event,” said Tim Ray, Executive Director, AT&T External Affairs. “AT&T has been a long and proud supporter of nonprofit organizations, such as Wellspring, who work tirelessly in our local Sacramento community to provide much needed community services to those in need. With the help of supporters and event attendees, we’re excited to further assist the organization as it transforms women and their children to flourishing members of society.”

Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased online at www.wellspringwomen.org or by calling 916-454-9688 x 205. In addition to the fashion show and shopping, the ticket price also includes access to wonderful raffle items, tasty appetizers from House Kitchen & Bar and much more.

For 25 years, Wellspring has been a beacon of light in a neighborhood known more for its troubles than its triumphs. Programs include a warm and nutritious breakfast meal served five days a week from 7:30 through 11:30 a.m. During 2010, over 45,000 meals were prepared and served largely by a volunteers who travels from neighboring suburbs as far as Roseville, Rancho Murieta, and Folsom, drawn by the unique program which treats people as ‘guests’ instead of ‘client numbers’.

For More Information Online
Web Site Links
www.wellspringwomen.org

About Wellspring Women’s Center
Founded in 1987, Wellspring Women’s Center is a community agency that helps women and their children get from simply surviving to thriving. Services include free counseling and case management, yoga classes in English and Spanish, parenting classes, domestic violence workshops and much more. Follow Wellspring Women’s Center on Facebook for more details.

Dora Lorenzo is a member of Wellspring Women's Center Board of Directors and the Event Committee Chair.

Athletes > Cancer

2010-07-27T01:35:26Z

Celebrity athletes are just like you and I. Well, maybe not just like you and I, but similar. They are like richer, better-dressed, more-fit versions of us (Or, in Scot Pollard's case, just richer).

The similarities were on display at the second annual Athletes vs. Cancer golf tournament at the Woodcreek Golf Club, hosted by Matt Barnes on Saturday.

Barnes founded the AVC to honor his mother, who passed away from cancer in 2007. Their mission is to "support research, create awareness, provide screening opportunities and deliver support to cancer patients."
The tournament featured many athletes with local ties, among them former Kings Chris Webber, Scot Pollard, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Brad Miller.

I'm a huge sports fan, an avid golfer and I've lost two uncles to cancer. When I heard about this event, I jumped at the chance to attend.
Heres how it worked: Teams of four paid $2,500 dollars to play in the tournament. Each foursome was joined by a celebrity. There was a shotgun start: All the teams started simultaneously on different holes. (Or almost simultaneously, as there were a few more teams than holes).

The tournament was a scramble, meaning each team member tees off, then they pick the best ball of the five. Everyone takes their next shot from that spot. Rinse and repeat until ball enters cup.
Scrambles are probably the most popular tournament format, because it's the only way your average duffers will ever see negative numbers next to their names.

And decent golfers will see BIG negative numbers next to their names.

The winning team, featuring Kings announcer Grant Napear, finished at a whopping 21 under par. For reference, the PGA record over 18 holes is 13 strokes under par.

This day was not about scoring or winning, however. It was all about fan interaction, players and fans enjoying themselves while raising money for a good cause.

I've never been to a more fan-friendly celebrity event.

At the first tee, a hopeful young lady holding a basketball politely asked Chris Webber, "Mr. Webber! Do you have time for an autograph?"
Webber, who was about to tee off, responded to the crowds delight "Sure, as soon as I hit, I'll sign at every hole, all day."
Webber, who proceeded to bring the house down by mimicking Charles Barkley's notoriously herky jerky backswing as he addressed the ball, spent five minutes signing anything and everything thrown his way. CWebb was charming and affable, telling anyone he missed to meet him at the next tee.

Matt Barnes was, if it's possible, even more accommodating. Later in the day, coming off the the 10th green, he stopped to talk to a group of 40 or so fans, many of whom were having a pool party at one of the course-side homes.
He slowly worked his way through the throng, signing every item given to him, posing for every picture request, engaging every one of his fans personally, if briefly. As he went, he deflected the thanks of the adoring spectators: "No, thank you....We couldn't do this without you. You guys make this happen."

Larry Tipper, who won the honor of caddying for Mr. Barnes through a contest sponsored by this site, was having a blast. "I'm in awe. Everyone has been so great!" said the caddy, who is currently undergoing chemo himself. The 37-year-old, who had delegated much of the caddying responsibilities to his son Jacob, nephew Justin and their buddy Brandon, is scheduled to undergo his final treatment on Friday, which also happens to be his wedding anniversary.

The 30th is a big day for the Tipper family. I have a feeling that they'll be getting good news. Remission is the perfect anniversary gift.

A few other celebrity highlights:

Scot Pollard was a walking highlight. The 6-foot 11-inch Pollard was a fan favorite during his years with the Kings, loved as much for his sense of humor, flamboyant hairstyles and outrageous fashion sense as his hard-nosed play. "Samurai Scot" lived up to reputation on Saturday.

Pollard chose to adorn himself in matching, form fitting, DayGlo floral print shorts and shirt. It was spectacular.

I came across Doug Christie on the course early on in the day. Christie was wearing head-to-toe linen, white pants and a pink shirt. I complimented him on his look and asked him if he'd seen his former teammate Pollard. He hadn't, but luckily our photographer, Steve, had plenty of pictures and was happy to share them.

"That is the worst outfit I've ever seen," Christie offered, laughing. He showed the pictures to his neighbor in the golf cart.
"Is that a one-piece?" she asked before returning the camera.

Not 15 minutes later, I watched as another former King, Bobby Jackson, addressed his ball in the tee box. I looked back and saw the unmistakable sight of Scot Pollard and his floral onesie coming up the previous fairway. He noticed his onetime teammate about to tee off. I could see the wicked look on his face from 130 yards away.

He waited until Jackson had completed his backswing before letting out a booming "BOBBBBBBBBAAAYYYYYYYYYY," which reverberated across the course. Jackson's tee shot went WAY right, and he looked back at Pollard, incredulous. After a moment, he cracked a smile, shook his head and teed up another one. Clearly, this type of high jinx was to be expected from the 10-year NBA center.

We caught up to Jason Kapono and the rest of his fivesome as they were about to tee off on a par three. I heard one of them grumbling about their dearth of beverages. They were happy to hear about the open margarita bar we'd encountered at the next tee box. "Let's get going" said one of the non-celebs.

The first to tee off was a young man of about 13 named Nick, who was clearly on cloud nine. I asked him how he and Jason were getting on, knowing full well what his answer would be.

"Awesome," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. Jason overheard our exchange and produced a large mustard-colored stain on the back of his shorts. "You see what the kid did to me?" I looked from the stain to Nick, who tried to hide a mischievous smile.

After Nick hit a line drive that never got more than 5 feet off the ground but went straight and rolled forever, the next fellow pulled his to the left. Nick's ball was still best. The third guy to hit went WAY left, square into a tree trunk, and the ball rolled back to the front of the tee box. Young Nick still had the best ball, and more to the point, guy No. 3's tee shot ended up well short of the ladies' tees.
"TDO," said one of the fellas. "Yup, TDO for sure."

"TDO" is an unwritten rule that some amateur golfers (generally those of the sophomoric male persuasion) play by, where-in should someone not hit his tee shot past the ladies' tees, it's a "Texas D*ck Out." The offender has to go to his ball, sans pants. After some good-natured ribbing and to riotous laughter, No. 3 dropped trou on the tee box. Thankfully, the underpants stayed put. They hadn't been drinking THAT much.

Kapono hit next, ending Nick's shot at finishing with the best ball by hitting a moonshot that landed softly on the green, pin-high. Jason looks like he may be able to put up negative numbers without the help of the scramble format.
On my way off the course I passed the Kapono fivesome again.

"We just had another TDO," one of the gentleman informed me.

"Same guy?" I asked.

"Same guy," he answered, laughing boisterously.

One final celebrity exchange I had was with former 49ers running back Roger Craig. I asked what he thought of the tournament and how he got involved.

"What Matt's doing is fantastic. Cancer affects all of us," he answered, then added, "I'm here for the Rocklin fans," referring to Niners training camp locale for their glory years from 1981 through 1997. "We made history together."

Twenty years removed from his last Rocklin training camp, he still carries the love from the fans who supported him at those sweltering offseason practices. Pretty cool.

If the response from fans and participants is any measure, the event was an unmitigated success. Although we won't know the final tally for a week or so, we do know a lot of money was raised for a great cause.

I highly recommend attending this event in specific, and celebrity golf tournaments in general. You'll never find athletes more at ease, happier to sign or pose or simply shoot the breeze, than they were on Saturday. Everybody I met regaled me with stories of how great this guy was, how accommodating so and so was, how friendly such and such was. There was only one celebrity who I heard anything negative about, though admittedly his name came up repeatedly.

I won't give his name, because ultimately he showed up and supported a good cause. Also, if you are rubbing people the wrong way at a love-fest like this one, I'm sure there are plenty of negative stories floating around already. Thankfully, he was the one exception that proved the rule.

Not the TDO rule, that's totally different.

All photos courtesy of the one and only Steven Chea. Praise be unto him,

Local Company - Waste Connections Steps up to the Plate

2009-12-15T03:44:24Z

During these tough economic times it is refreshing to see a company not only donate money but continue leading the way in ensuring that important non profit services are not interrupted in their communities. A service company, Waste Connections, is embedded in their neighborhoods and has been supporting more than fifteen local charities for many years. Their grass-roots outreach has proven to be the most effective and cost efficient. It works! Many local nonprofits have been struggling in this downturn to stay afloat and Waste Connections has come to their aid - very quietly, but consistently. Government agencies, local governments, please take note. Local grass-roots efforts are the most effective way of reaching and helping people (on Main Street and in rural areas), during this downturn and that includes job creation and important necessary services. The "culture of giving" and community service starts at the top with management, and Ron Mittelstaedt is a leader to watch. Waste Connections is having a huge impact on El Dorado and Sacramento county communities. Let’s all learn from their example and pitch in - our work has just begun!

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreach

2009-11-20T04:17:59Z

Three local non-profit organizations were featured in a Sacramento Social Media Club panel on Tuesday evening hosted by the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. The panel included Celia Cortez, Projects and Event Manager for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Jordan Blair, Board Member for River City Food Bank; and Jon Benorden, Program Coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Service (CARES). Lesley Miller, Media Director for 3Fold Communication, also sat on the panel. Moderator Josh Morgan, principal at Morgan/Dorado and program director for the Sacramento Social Media Club, focused the discussion on how non-profits are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities.

Facebook was the unanimous point of entry into social media for all three organizations. Cortez said the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber selected Facebook because it was the most popular platform among their member organizations; Blair choose Facebook for River City Food Bank because it is the platform upon which he spends the most time. “Facebook provides an easy way for people to connect with causes and non-profits thanks to its one-click ‘become a fan’ feature, “commented Morgan. River City Food Bank, where many of their long-term contributors are past retirement age, is finding that Facebook helps them to engage with the next generation of donors. However some of their loyal supporters are stepping out into social media as well; an 85 year old volunteer joined Facebook just so he could “friend” the River city Food Bank. Benorden said that their “old school” supporters are beginning to mesh with the new people they’ve engaged through their group & page on Facebook but that CARES still has a long way to go.

Both the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and CARES are also using Twitter to promote their organizations and causes. Miller said 3Fold encourages their clients to cross post on multiple social media platforms to increase the traffic among all the sites. For example, use Twitter to remind people the organization is on Facebook or create an event on Yelp and ask people to write a review. I frequently use Twitter to drive traffic to SARTA.org’s website or LinkedIn group where more detailed membership and event information is available.

CARES created both a group page and a fan page for its campaign “Are You the Difference” which strives to eliminate new cases of HIV in the Sacramento region by 2015. Benorden plans to expand the campaign to include other platforms like Flickr and YouTube. On YouTube, CARES wants to personalize and promote their campaign by featuring user generated videos about how individuals can be or are the difference in eliminating new cases of HIV.

The biggest challenge for all of the organizations is finding the time to manage and maintain their social media accounts. Cortez shared that she uses cross posting tools to lessen the amount of time she spends managing each platform the Hispanic Chamber employs. Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Seesmic were mentioned as free services for managing multiple accounts and platforms and Radian6 was recommended as a new professional service for this purpose. Benorden prefers to uniquely post to Facebook and Twitter to keep variety in the CARES messages, but he sticks to a common theme. Blair, who in addition to his responsibilities as a board member of the River City Food Bank works a full time job, schedules time on his weekly calendar to tend to his social media chores. When asked if a volunteer could handle the job, the general consensus among the panelists was that most volunteers and interns do not have enough depth or experience with the organization or its causes to determine social media platform content or to respond to questions and remarks received by followers and friends on the sites. For CARES, sensitivity to and experience with HIV/AIDS is a must for anyone representing the organization on its social media platforms.

The panel wrapped up with a discussion on event promotion using Facebook ads and other tools. All of the organizations are considering using Facebook ads and River City Food Bank has budgeted money for this purpose next year. Benorden pointed out that even if no one clicks through an “Are You the Difference” ad, if enough information is included about the campaign, there is value in people seeing the ad multiple times. Miller said 3Fold advises their clients to put nearly as much energy into post event promotion as they do pre event. Blair followed this advice after a recent River City Food Bank fundraiser, uploading event photos long into the night. The post event promotion is a valuable investment in the success of future events and helps those who attend feel more part of the organization—especially if they are featured in a photo!

After the panel ended, participants informally exchanged ideas on how they are using social media and also had a chance to meet the panelists and ask more questions. The event was live tweeted by volunteer Ira Cohen on behalf of @SMCSac using the hashtag #smcsac. The venue provided by Sacramento State College of Continuing Education is well equipped for meetings and seminars and the Senior Program Coordinator, Toni Ramirez shared that the college is considering offering courses on social media in the future.

Social Media Club, an international non-profit organization, brings together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. The Sacramento chapter was founded in March of 2009 by local users of social media. Free events are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month, but in December, the group is planning a Holiday Party or “holitweetup” in partnership with SacTweetUp on December 10 at Hot Italian in midtown. In January, the normal schedule of monthly panels will resume. For information about the Sacramento Social Media Club and its events, join their groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter.

Photgraphs by Marie Young Photography. For more photos of this event visit her Facebook Page

Sacramento Social Media Club Leadership Team:

Julie Berge, Angela D'Arcy, Laura Good, Suzanne Hopkins, Ronnie Ledesma, Jeff Marmins, Josh Morgan

Finding God on Facebook

2009-11-16T19:42:28Z

Some say God is everywhere but last month, we discovered that social media is everywhere too—even in our churches! On October 20, 2009, the Sacramento Social Media Club held a panel discussion on the use of social media by local churches. The event, “Pray for Social Media”, was hosted by The Sacramento Press, and was moderated by Jeff Marmins of Social Media Path and partnership director for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Panelists included Josh Trevino from the Parish Council of St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville; Robert Mees, Director of Evangelism at Sierra Baptist Church in Pioneer in Amador County and CJ Alvarado, Director of Communications and Technology at Bayside Church in Granite Bay.

I was posting live tweets during the event, and was joined by several other tweeting guests in reaching over 50,000 followers on Twitter (Sacramento Social Media club uses the hashtag #smcsac to live tweet all of our events).

In what could have been subtitled “Finding God on Facebook,” panelists agreed that the most active use of social media in their churches is individual members connecting with each other on Facebook which allows them to share more about lives than they could from the pew. Members, they said, are using Facebook to build a stronger internal community.

While none of the churches represented reported having an official social media strategy yet, Bayside Church developed and implemented a campaign to introduce their staff of about 75 people to Web 2.0. Alvarado, their communications and technology director, is charged with the church’s presence online, which primarily centers on their website and “listening” to online dialogue to “improve the church experience.” Mees, from Sierra Baptist Church, said that “internal relationships are growing organically on Facebook”, and Trevino said that at St. Anna, "the church blog is the most effective social media tool being used."

Where the speakers differed most was on the issue of how to use social media for outreach and evangelism. Both Alvarado and Trevino said that face-to-face dialogue is essential. “The single best way to evangelize is through the example of a life lived,” said Trevino. Alvarado commented that there is not a big difference in how he approaches evangelism in person versus online--“It’s always permission based.” Mees articulated a vision for using social media to be present in more lives. “In a world where church members either have no significant relationships outside the church, or segregate their Christian and non-Christian friends,” he said, “all of their friends, churched and unchurched, wind up as their friends on Facebook, followers on Twitter, and contacts on LinkedIn.” All three panelists agreed that spiritual dialogue was important, but Mees was a strong proponent of using of social media to initiate that discussion. Mees said "social media is an effective tool in building relationships that enable spiritual discussions to take place both online and off."

Following the moderated panel discussion, the audience was invited to ask questions. Several wondered if any of the congregations have people tweeting in church. Alvarado answered that Bayside has experimented with tweeting and texting during conferences but not during church service. A question about how the churches monitor their congregation’s online activity led to a discussion about how church youth have embraced Web 2.0. Mees shared that the teens in his church bring their computers and use Google to check facts during youth bible study. The teens are also using Facebook groups to communicate events and to “go deeper” using the discussion features.

After the official program ended, many of the attendees stayed to engage the panelists in additional questions and discussions. There was a tremendous amount of passion around the topic of using social media to share the message of the churches. At my small church, Grace Fellowship Church of San Andreas, we recently created a Facebook Page. We are hoping this outreach tool helps us to better connect with our community. How is your church using social media?

Social Media Club brings together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. The Sacramento chapter was founded in March of 2009 by local users of social media. Free events are held on the third Tuesday of each month. "Social Media for the Social Good" is the topic of the November 17 event hosted by Sacramento State College of Continuing Education from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Local non profits River City Food Bank, CARES and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will share how they are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities. For information about the Sacramento Social Media Club, join their groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter.

About the author: Laura Good is a member of the all volunteer leadership team for Sacramento Social Media Club. Follow her on Twitter at @goodlaura. She is also director of programs and operations for SARTA.

Cosumnes River College Hosts SHAREfair

2009-10-29T05:18:14Z

On November 18-19, 2009, Cosumnes River College will host the second-annual SHAREfair. This event highlights community service and philanthropy. On the 18th, students have the opportunity to hear from non-profit and social service leaders to learn about the benefits of giving time, money, and talent to local efforts.

On the 19th, as part of the fair, students will get information from local organizations seeking enthusiastic and intelligent volunteers (or employees) for long-term, short-term, or permanent assignments.

Also, SHAREfair organizers will conduct campus-wide drives for canned foods, clothing, hygiene items/toiletries, and school supplies to deliver to local groups.

The CRC Social Responsibility Committee is organizing this effort and is seeking participation from community groups and volunteers who can tout the benefits of being actively engaged in non-profit and social service efforts. If you or your organization would like more information about how to showcase your group, share your volunteering story, or participate in the drives, please contact the organizers at sharefair2009@yahoo.com.