Group+2+Grantmakers+for+Effective+Organizations


 * Grantmakers for Effective Organizations **


 * Contact Person:** Evan Trowbridge, Communications and Media Assistant
 * Phone:** 202-898-0317
 * Email:** trowbridge@geofunders.org
 * Executive Director:** Kathleen Enright
 * Communications Director:** Lori Bartczak
 * Social Media Staff:** Evan Trowbridge


 * Baseline **


 * CWRF Overall Level:** Walk
 * Overall Score:** 2
 * Detailed Score:**[]
 * Burning Questions To Be Answered**: While our number of social media followers continues to steadily increase, are we really reaching our core audience of grantmakers effectively? How can GEO better engage with other organizations on social media while working with limited time to devote to monitoring others' updates on social media?


 * Measurement Indicators [Crawl=1, Walk=2, Run=3, Fly=4]**
 * Data-Informed:** 2
 * Tools:** 2
 * Sense-Making:** 2


 * Social Media Presence **

Blog: While we don't have a blog on our website, our CEO, Kathleen Enright, contributes to the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-p-enright/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grantmakers.for.Effective.Organizations Fans: 1545 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/smartergrantmaking Subscribers: 8935 Views: 42 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/geofunders Followers: 3951 Hashtags: GEOgrantsmart, GEOcofund, LearnTogether, 30DaysOfCoFunding

// What area of practice do you want to improve and how could that be part of your action learning project? // Focusing on better build-up and sustained communication around GEO's resource releases Focus on consistent messaging Develop strategic ways to incorporate GEO staff voices in communications. Identify how to strategically use three new opportunities:
 * Questions and reflections from orientation:**
 * 1) New video/multimedia capabilities
 * 2) LinkedIn Group
 * 3) Huffington Post blog

// What small measurement project would help your organization create a measurement habit? // Having a regular, in-person review of Comm. Department reports to hear what others value and to interpret data together. Harness collective creativity.


 * Session One notes:**

Goal, Audience, Cost, Benchmark, Metrics, Tool, Insight
 * The Seven Simple Steps of Measurement: **

1) Understand background 2) Assemble your team 3) Meeting: discuss success/failure 4) Brainstorm 5) Vote/Play money
 * Meeting to Agree on Goal and Audiences **

Questions to ask: When will you have a meeting? What will you discuss? How to get consensus? Did you have a meeting to discuss the pilot? What happened?


 * Quick Take-Aways: **

Very focused projects are the most effective

Use survey to learn about audiences on different channels


 * Questions from today: **

Does anyone have experience collecting and analyzing data from LinkedIn?

What are valuable metrics to measure for a membership-based organization?


 * Session Two Notes: **

**Questions to ask:** Are we currently tracking this metric? Can it be easily and quickly captures or exported into a spreadsheet?

Deadlines: Upload a description Action Learning Project by March 7.


 * Action Learning Project:** New LinkedIn Group


 * Linked Group Project
 * Discussion with staff and board. Members of the board expressed that LinkedIn was something that appeals to them, especially to share practices.
 * Danielle and Evan had it on their plates – not a pressing issue.
 * Created public group, didn’t really support
 * Started a private LinkedIn, invited more dedicated members and engage people

Already existing: GEO List – one of the staff members condenses the answers on the web site. Very successful initiative and get constant feedback. # of comments # of members that participate that haven’t participated on the listserv # of summaries from discussion on LinkedIn shared on the GEO list || # of posts by staff where members contribute or comment Screen captures of examples || All to develop a baseline and learn if using a LinkedIn private group is a good channel for accomplishing the above goals.
 * **Goal ** || **KPI ** ||
 * To share best practices, knowledge, news, and timely resource links (blog posts, studies, etc) between members || # of posts by members of the groups
 * To increase engagement between staff and members before or after face-to-face conferences and other offline events || # of comment threads where is a direct exchange between staff and members

Questions


 * Is there a different audience or a segment of members that doesn’t not participate on Listserv that might be more comfortable using LinkedIn?
 * Will participating on LinkedIn generate a different type and more informal type of sharing of resources such as blog posts, etc.? Is that what GEO members want to do?
 * Can the LinkedIn help facilitate more engagement between staff and members?
 * What’s required to do that?

Can the listserv and LinkedIn Group co-exist or synergistic?

Audience


 * Who uses the listserv?
 * Who is using LinkedIn?

Design LinkedIn Group


 * Inviting them to participate
 * Shared in Feb. newsletter – a little blurb (a few joined)
 * “A new LinkedIn group to share come join us”
 * Be transparent about the experiment
 * Social proofing
 * Link to Webinar – grab chat – post question on LinkedIn – tell people after webinar it is being discussed.

Benchmarking Find one or two other groups on LinkedIn – that are public/private that are foundation people – look at the number of members, and the activity.

Next Step: When I have measures, I have to design a dashboard (excel spreadsheet) and method for screen capturing and documenting.

Send Resources on managing LinkedIn Groups