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A Quick Word With??is our ongoing series?in which?people from foundations of all sizes and types?tell us about themselves, their work and where they draw their inspiration. ?This installment features?Roberta King, Vice President, PR and Marketing, Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
An interesting communications project you are engaged in right now?
Planning and implementation of a new communication strategy to connect with new audiences (younger and super engaged Grand Rapidians). If successful, we?ll be better positioned in a relationship with the super-engaged people when they?re of the age and financial position to establish funds.
When you were 13 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A wildlife manager. I was seriously into Girl Scouting. I?m still handy with a jackknife.
Is the foundation into new media?
About 30 percent of our time is spent on new media. Our website is our workhorse, our communication strategy is focused on sending traffic to it. We use Facebook and Twitter to do that.
I love a good communication plan, write one every year and follow it as best we can. Keeps my adult ADD in check.
Your undergraduate major?
Journalism. I wanted to switch to English in my senior year, but my parents who were paying the tuition bill put the kibosh on that idea.
You write about running, road racing and interesting local events in The Rapidian. How did that come about?
My writing for The Rapidian is my only volunteer work at present. Because it is a Community Foundation funded project, we want to see it succeed. My contribution of content, along with our marketing, helps do that. Mostly I do it for fun.
Do you evaluate foundation communications effectiveness?
We evaluate via donor response, both in donations and traffic created for our development counterparts. We also evaluate web analytics and social media traffic to determine message reach and reaction.
Last significant improvement you made to your website?
The mobile version of our website was the last big thing, it wasn?t that big of a deal (easy and inexpensive) but the payoff has been impressive.
Your favorite underappreciated journalist?
Wade Goodwyn from NPR. He does some of the best and most compelling reporting on America?s worst stories. His Texas regional beat seems to drop mayhem in his lap and he covers it with calm and dignity And he has a wonderful voice.
Your site?s multimedia section has lots of video and podcasts created in partnership with local public media. How has that enhanced GRCF?s communications work?
All that new media stuff keeps me out of trouble.
What is your favorite communications tool that you think more foundation folks should be taking advantage of?
I?m a big fan Google Analytics, the depth of information is amazing.
When was the last time you learned something important from a communications colleague?
Our PR Specialist Amanda St. Pierre is one of my best teachers. Even though I?m the ?boss? she?s always out discovering new stuff and we?re implementing it.
Your favorite non-professional, non-general news blog?
Kristen Tennant?s Halfway to Normal. She writes thoughtfully and carefully about belief, culture and love.
Has your foundation ever publicly talked about a failure?
We folded on an education reform leadership initiative a few years ago, the model for reform we had in mind just wasn?t working. A few good things came from it and some still exist?so all wasn?t lost. We?ve?always said we like to innovate and experiment?that has the inherent risk of failure.
Does your foundation blog?
Our president, Diana Sieger, has had a blog on our website for more than five years. It gives her a voice and a platform to talk about a wide variety of issues, most of which are related to the Foundation or the community. It makes her more visible and accessible.
The last policy-oriented/big-picture book you read?
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. We need changes in public policy to slow environmental degradation and until we have the political will to change, we?ll see more catastrophes.
Another foundation whose communications work you admire?
Baltimore, Winnipeg, Denver and Maine Community Foundations all seem to have it together with message, materials and audience knowledge. The Knight Foundation rocks, but because I?m a grantee I?m prone to say that. I love what Arcus does, too.
Do you have a novel deep down inside you?
Not a novel, but I?m nearly done writing a creative nonfiction book (memoir of sorts). I expect to wrap it up by summer.
A Quick Word With? is edited by Michael Hamill Remaley, Vice President of Communications & Public Policy,?Philanthropy New York, and a frequent Communications Network contributor.
If you?d like to suggest someone for a future profile, please use?this form.
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Source: http://www.comnetwork.org/robertaking/
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