Project Resources for Clubs
Awesome Community Projects Fundraising Events
Do you ever wonder what it would take for your Club to do that cool project you saw photos of online? Why reinvent the wheel? This will be your one stop spot for Clubs in our District to share ideas about:
- Community projects and fundraisers
- Advertising posters for events and programs
- Tips about what works and what to avoid and
- Who to contact if you have questions.
Please share your information and resources about programs and successful events you do at your Club. We are all stronger working together. Plus did you know there is already a project library available from Optimist International?
Please share your project information! Send your information about your events by email :
- include any special facts about the event in your email
- include any posters or flyers (please save them with your Club location as the first word in the file name facts about the event)
- please email everything to Vicki Mains at vminss@gmail.com to get your information added to the site.
Below there are photo albums of program flyers and event posters. The description of each one will tell you the name of the Club where it originates. They are posted as photo format, but are available as Word documents, so they can be easily edited or customized for your club to use. Club Tip: when it comes to the design of posters, tickets etc. for events, if you have a JOI Club or other youth contacts in your community such as community colleges, let them know what you are looking for in terms of all of the details you want on the poster and ask them to design one for you. Many youth excel in digital design and some may even be able to use this for credit as a school art or design project and use as part of their portfolio.
“Public Relations is extremely important, and being able to use it in the right way means everything. You have to market your success.” – Lee Haney
CLUB PUBLIC RELATIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
Public Relations
In today’s world there are so many more means to publicize who we are as Optimists and Optimist Clubs. Still valid means are traditional media tools like Press Releases to local newspapers and other publications, as well as Public Service Announcements for radio. Social Media tools combined with a powerful website for more information grab attention of an online, mobile society. Remember: “A picture is worth a 1,000 words; a video is worth 1,000,000.” So always have a camera or a smart phone available.
Traditional Media
Press Releases
Traditional media sources like newspapers and to some degree television are accustomed to receiving standard Press Release formats about news and upcoming events. More information about working with print resources and Press Releases available for many of the Optimist International programs that Optimist Clubs can use.
Public Service Announcements
Radio stations in Canada are mandated to dedicate a certain percentage of their air time to Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for non-profits and charities. Here are some very useful PSAs from Optimist International. You can listen to them right there on the website. Submit the high quality to radio stations. The ones with local tags tell you how many seconds you can ask the radio station to record for you as a custom message which you provide to them in print. Here is a list of Ontario Radio Stations by location. Note that college and universities also have radio stations.
Brochures and Promotions
All Optimists should have an Optimist brochure or business card handy for when you meet that person who be a great new member.
Websites and Social Media
Websites
A website is today’s non-profit organization credibility checker. It is at the top of the information chain, providing detailed info about your Club, what you do, your events and how to join at a minimum. Also don’t forget to add your website to other community websites and resource lists.
Facebook is the quick reach out to the public who may know nothing about Optimism. It’s all about photos, videos and memes (pictures of short messages). However, it is very easy to create a Facebook page. So people rely on the links to the website to measure credibility, The real power in Facebook is in getting people to take action, i.e. driving people to your website to sign up for an event or join your club. Here is a link to great Memes to use on Facebook for Optimist Clubs: Optimist Club Memes
You have about 20 seconds to make an impression online
RESOURCES FOR OPTIMIST CLUB WEBSITES
In newspapers they called it “above the fold” – that prime real estate at the top half of the first page. On a website, it’s that first screen on the home page. Clean and clear, with use of color in a good quality photo as the banner, coupled with engaging text will guide the public’s decision whether to stay or go. It’s called “bouncing” and the decision happens in seconds.
PHOTOS AND BANNERS
The use of clear, crisp photos and banners, showing happy, participating members having an impact in your community – working with children and youth, leaves a permanent mental image with the public and potential new members about what an Optimist Club does.
Use the best quality camera you have to take photos. Note that photos do not always need to be centered. In actual fact, one of the basic guidelines of good photography is the Rule of Thirds. Imagine your photo as being divided into thirds vertically and horizontally. The photos above demonstrate this and the one in the middle above shows with the red crosses where people tend to focus. For some reason, people view things better on those grid lines than they do in the center. So try and use this as a guideline when taking or editing photos.
You can also edit your photos before putting them on your website using tools like Adobe Photoshop Express, to change the brightness and contrast, use filters, and crop photos. The best way to learn how to use it, is to take some photos and experiment with what you can do with them.
Remember the visual look of your website, forms the initial impression of your Club, entices people to stay and learn more or leave.
EASY TO NAVIGATE. RESPONSIVE. ENGAGING.
Make sure your website has easy to use and clear menus, an important part of the user experience.
It’s all about first impressions. Does your website look inviting? Is it crisp, clear and modern? Is it easy to find your way around the menu? These are the key factors. Make information easy to find. Also keep it updated with news for return visitors considering joining your Club. If it is slow to respond it will seem dated to the users. Remember, websites are like self-service. People are forming their own opinions from what you are showing them. Keep the tone light and informal. If you want to attract new members, and younger members, your website needs to POP!
Some quick tips about VIDEOS:
- Google loves video. When it searches the web for new content it looks for video first. So if you want your website to come at the top of the list in a search, add some video. There are quite a few you can use on the Optimist International YouTube site about the Oratorical contest, Junior Golf and even a cool video version of the Optimist Creed.
- Keep videos you create short – 2 to 3 minutes maximum. Post your original videos on YouTube and then embed them using the link into your webpage.
Finally, never forget that your website is your credibility – particularly to parents. Anyone can create a Facebook page – a good website requires much more commitment. Be sure to include a page about Optimist International with links, to further enhance your Club’s credibility to people who are not familiar with Optimism. Also be sure to take advantage of Directories available at Public Libraries and Town/City resources to list your Optimist Club, your website and contact information.