I’m still not sure what “branding” is, but I do know that it matters. According to The Oregonian, my campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Oregon—although ultimately unsuccessful—was good at it. In its profile piece on me, the paper said:

“Win or lose, Novick has created a political brand for himself. His political ads have gone viral on the Internet and you can’t go to a Democratic event without seeing people wearing ‘votehook.com’ buttons.”

Now, again, we lost, so apparently branding isn’t everything. But I think it’s fair to say that we did better than expected. As a first-time candidate running against the speaker of the State House, I was outspent by roughly 2-to-1, and lost 45 percent to 42 percent. Compared to other recent “progressive underdog vs. moneyed establishment candidate” Northwest races, that’s not bad. In 2000, Maria Cantwell outspent progressive underdog Deborah Senn in Washington’s Senate primary by about 2-to-1—and won the race by an even larger margin.

What kind of brand did we create, and how did it relate to my substantive positions? Well, like thousands of other candidates before me, I ran as a “different kind of politician” who wasn’t going to play “politics as usual.” My version of being “different” and “unusual” consisted of being a plainspoken, truth-telling progressive sort who wasn’t going to pretend we can have everything for nothing.

We also had four ads—“To tell the truth,” “Beer with Steve,” “Pull the plug” and an endorsement ad—the first two emphasizing the “different” angle by playing on my physical uniqueness: I’m 4 feet 9 inches tall with a left hand made of stainless steel.

“To tell the truth” followed the form of an old TV show, with three guys reciting biographical details (Steve fighting polluters, etc.) and pretending to be me, followed by me in person (in a shot that emphasized my shortness) saying, “I don’t look like a typical politician, but I won’t act like one either. I will fight for the little guy.”

We ran $60,000 worth of that ad—a pittance in a statewide race—in January, four months before the vote (way before most campaigns would start advertising). It served our purpose of jump-starting the campaign, generating a pile of earned media coverage (including a front-page story in The Oregonian) and establishing the brand. And it won us the early lead in the polls—although, with both candidates largely unknown, the vast majority was still undecided.

These ads emphasized my “brand” as a different kind of politician. And on the campaign trail, I talked about the rich people I’d met who were willing to pay Social Security taxes on all their income, the doctors who were willing to make less money. I talked about the power company that successfully encouraged conservation by putting smiley faces on the electric bills of households that used less electricity than average.

We have good reason to think that we did best among the people who paid the closest attention to the race. For example, we won most of the newspaper endorsements—unusual for the nonestablishment candidate against a legislative leader.

But of course, a large number of voters don’t obsessively read or watch political news: They learn about candidates through advertising. So we had to convey the guts of what I was saying in 30-second ads.

So, in the end, what worked and what didn’t? Well, we won in Portland. We won in Benton County, which is largely Corvallis, a relatively affluent college town. We won a notably liberal coastal county. We lost everywhere else.

Clearly a huge financial advantage is hard to overcome. We had to focus most of our resources on the Portland market, which is the biggest and most expensive. We didn’t have much left over for the Eugene market—and we got killed there, even though Eugene’s a liberal place and I grew up in that county. Nor did we put much into the Medford/Ashland market. As a result, we lost Ashland, even though ideologically and temperamentally that liberal enclave should have been ours.

But we successfully identified me as a “different” candidate. I wasn’t just a generic Democrat against another generic Democrat. I was the little guy with a left hook who promised to be different. We did better than you’d normally expect if you were outspent 2-to-1. Normally, if you’re drowned in money, you’re drowned in votes, too.

We ran a campaign that did about as well as it could among newspaper readers and people who were just really ready for something different. What we failed to do was let issue-oriented (rather than personality-oriented) voters who DON’T read the paper all the time know how much I cared about the issues that matter to them.
So the bottom line is: Branding matters. Humor helps. Not every consumer responds to the same message.

And money matters too.

I traveled to Washington, D.C., last week for an advocacy conference that included two days of whirlwind visits to Capitol Hill, meeting with nearly 25 members of Congress.

These MoCs, (Members of Congress) from red and blue states alike had many issues of concern in common and lots of interesting things to share.

• Change is needed, coming and going to be historic! Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) said it best. “Sometimes you don’t know when you are making history. But this year, we know that in 30–40 years we will look back at this [November] vote, and it will tell us what our country is all about and where we are going for the next 200.”

• Renewable energy is a hot topic on the Hill. Many members of Congress—particularly those from Washington, Montana and Ohio—feel renewable energy must be a huge focus to help decrease our energy dependence on foreign oil while creating U.S. jobs. Check out the new movie Fields of Fuel that just recently won the People’s Choice Award from Sundance Film Festival. (Think a younger-generation, cutting-edge Michael Moore on the environment, with guest clips of our own Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee.)

• We are paying for it through the nose, with no tissues in stock! The Iraq war is costing us, by some estimates, $1 billion a day. Think veterans’ mental and physical health and debt payments for the next 100 years!

All the while, I kept thinking about how what I was hearing applied to our local community and Pyramid clients.

• The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, which provides free fresh produce in public schools, in the Farm Bill might be expanded.
• Title VII that trains nurses and doctors to work in diverse communities needs more funding.
• “Our country has a sick care system, not a healthcare system. Let’s focus resources on prevention and wellness,” as urged by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).
• From treatment in military courts to privacy at medical facilities, women in the military need better response and protection related to sexual assault. Thanks to Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) for their work to make it happen.
• And so much more…

Whatever issues you might follow, just remember that “democracy is a contact sport,” as Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS) likes to say. Get your helmets on …

The start of the new year is the start of the college financial aid season. A simple truth about college is that the more resources students can access, the more likely they are to pursue and complete a college education. Financial aid alone does not guarantee college success. However, it is a significant factor in increasing access and opportunity to the college experience.

At Pyramid, we work with several clients that assist students in underserved and underrepresented communities. Our clients encourage students to pursue and complete a college education. However, in the midst of the ongoing encouragement, students and families may still have a pervasive sense of doubt as to whether or not they can really make college happen. Often, the most daunting task is convincing students and families that they will be able to acquire the resources to pay for college.

As you consider how to engage students and families in conversations about college, be prepared to counter the myths they may have about financial aid.

Myth 1: Millions of dollars in financial aid go unclaimed.
Based on a study conducted over 10 years ago that noted the number of unused corporate tuition benefit dollars, this myth is damaging in that it over-promises and under-delivers financial resources. It did not measure unused federal and state funds. Historically, both federal and state funds are exhausted each academic year. Within these funds there is a very small percentage of awards that remain unused by the recipient during the academic year.

Myth 2: There are tons of scholarships available to students.
The number of private scholarships has increased dramatically in the last 30 years. However, the criteria for scholarships have changed little. Most scholarships are geared toward high-performing students pursuing four-year degrees. Private scholarships that are not awarded often have criteria that limit the eligibility pool or have poor outreach plans that result in limited applicant pools. It can be frustrating for good students to find scholarships for which they are eligible to apply.

Myth 3: My parents make too much money for me to get financial aid.
It is more accurate to say that eligible students do not apply for financial aid and, as a result, miss out on a significant amount of federal and state dollars for college. Students who might not qualify for federal resources should still complete federal financial aid forms because they may be eligible for school-based financial aid. Schools use the information provided in the federal form.

Myth 4: My grades are not good enough to get financial aid.
Some financial aid is merit-based while other financial aid is need-based. Federal student aid is need-based financial aid. The only academic requirement of federal student aid is that students maintain a 2.0 GPA once they are in college. The 2.0 GPA is the same requirement that most colleges have in order to remain enrolled.

Now that the financial aid season has officially begun, work to help debunk the myths and encourage the students in your life to apply for financial aid!

AARP
Alliance for Education
Antioch College
Approve 67 Referendum
Arts Corps
Austin Foundation
Bertschi School
Business Partnership for Early Learning
CASA Latina
Center for Wooden Boats
Children’s Trust of Washington
Climate Solutions
College Savings Network
College Spark
College Success Foundation
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Delorie Johnson
FaithTrust
Foss Waterway
Friends of Oregon
Friends of Youth
Gael Tarleton for Port Commissioner
Glaser Foundation
Grantmakers for Education
Henry M. Jackson
Higher Education Coordinating Board
Improving Chronic Illness Care
Institute for Children’s Environmental Health
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
KnowHow2Go
KUOW
Lakeside School
Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs
Medina Foundation
Metafore
Metro Business Recycling
MOHAI
NELA
Northwest Immigrant Rights
Not One More Acre
On the Boards
Oregon Department of Education
Oregon PTA
Pacific Rivers
Pacific Science Center
Partnership for Learning
Pearl Jam
Pike Place Market Centennial
Pinchot Institute
Plymouth Healing Communities
Portland Schools Foundation
Rainier Scholars
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Sealaska
Seattle Aquarium
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Channel
SEIU
Shunpike
Social Venture Partners
Stand for Children
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Talaris
Technology Access Foundation
The Seattle Foundation
TheFilmSchool
Thrive by Five
Treehouse
Trust for Public Land
United Indians of All Tribes
United Ways of Washington
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Washington Dental Service
Washington State Arts Commission
Washington State Historical Society
Washington Technology Center
Woodland Park Zoo
YMCA of Greater Seattle

Gathering people together to make change happen is what Pyramid events are all about. Helping to throw a huge bash to raise funds for the Pacific Science Center, producing a concert to celebrate the Pike Place Market’s centennial or coordinating SAM Olympic Sculpture Park’s Grand Opening—all these projects have two things in common: a great audience and a great cause.

There is no one secret to creating a successful event. The truth of the matter is that event work is all about the details, and details take time! These simple steps can help you navigate the daunting process of creating a memorable event—and then getting people in the door.

Step 1: Decide what you want
First and foremost, exactly what do you want to get out of your event? Are you raising money? Generating awareness of an issue? Motivating people to do something? Once you’re sure of your goals, you’ll be able to create a streamlined vision for all that follows. From this preliminary work, you can turn that vision into reality—all the way from messaging and materials to style and content.

Step 2: Do your homework
Next comes development of your event framework. Research the best possible partners, speakers, presenters, entertainers and emcees for your event. Talk to others about what’s worked for them. This step can also include the creative development of your event brand: Start gathering imaginative ideas for your event’s look and feel while staying focused on your key messages.

Step 3: Location, location, location
Explore different venue options! Hold your auction on stage in a theater, have your reception in an urban park, host your cocktail party on the roof of a fantastic building. There are plenty of venues off the beaten path that can add charm and energy to what could be an otherwise run-of-the-mill event.

Step 4: Create something unique
The program you develop for your event should be in line with your goals (see step 1!)—but it should also be interesting, motivating and should drive your audience to action. For example, to celebrate the Pike Place Market centennial, Pyramid produced Market Party, a concert at the Market attended by over 10,000 Seattleites. Alongside a unique roster of amazing Seattle talent, we assembled a headliner band, The Iconics, made up of Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Chris Ballew (Presidents), John Roderick (The Long Winters) and many more. We asked these artists to play only Seattle-centered songs and to include various Seattle personalities as special guests. The result was a once-in-a-lifetime concert that Seattle won’t soon forget. Creating unique and thoughtful programs like this can take time and energy, but they are worth it.

Step 5: Get your people there!
You can have a great program in a spectacular venue with the best of everything, but your audience will not attend on its own. Your audience outreach begins with your planning process—this should never be a last- minute thought. And there‘s no secret formula to filling the room other than good, old-fashioned human communication.

The key to generating a buzz? Get out there and talk up what you’re doing! If you’re not excited, why should anyone else be? Remind your board members to do their outreach. Create a host committee and stay connected to them so they stay motivated. Connect online by creating a MySpace page for your event. Reach out to community leaders and key contacts to get them on board. Don’t stop talking up your event!

While consultants and event coordinators can help your organization develop a clear event vision, an effective event brand, a great program and rock-solid logistics, there is one thing that only you can do successfully. Only your team can get your network to attend.

So, what’s the long and short of a successful event? Be creative, think big—and get on the phone!

Eight million children in the United States have no health care coverage.

None. When they’re sick or injured, they either go to the emergency room or don’t get any care at all. Yes, this is happening in America!

For years the Republican-controlled Congress and the White House refused to provide coverage to children whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid coverage, but not enough to purchase their own insurance. When kids fall through these gaping holes in the U.S. health care “system,” we all lose.

Here in Washington state, we’ve been providing health care coverage for these kids anyway. Bully for us. Shame on the Republicans who also refused to provide any relief for Washington taxpayers who have been rightfully paying for coverage for these children.

At last, Aug. 1, (despite the truly baffling threat of a veto by the President) the newly Democratically controlled U.S. House voted to extend health care coverage to 5 million of these children by boosting taxes on cigarettes. A fair trade if there ever was one, I’d say.

But Congressman Dave Reichert voted to prevent it, as did Cathy McMorris and Doc Hastings. Do they think it’s okay that kids can’t see a doctor? Do they like what cigarettes have done to our families? I dunno – it’s a head-scratcher. But what’s clear is that they voted to leave America’s kids (and Washington’s taxpayers) in the ditch. They didn’t want to help either Washington taxpayers or the millions and millions of kids across the country who can’t see a doctor when they need to. It’s sickening, really.

I predict that this brain-cramp of a vote will play a major role in Reichert’s defeat next year when he runs for reelection. Anyone who votes to deny health care coverage to America’s children doesn’t represent American families, particularly the tens of thousands who live in his suburban and rural King and Pierce Counties district.

Thanks to Congressmen Inslee, Baird, Dicks, Larsen and McDermott for the doing the right, if obvious, thing for our kids!

A little collaboration goes a long way. And when you’re an organization with limited funds, teamwork is priceless.

Of course, everybody wants the dream project that gets dream results. But how do you get it? With so many different tastes and constraints affecting every project, how does one actually make it happen?

On the Boards (OtB) aced it in the branding and messaging work they completed with Pyramid last April. In their approach and their diligence, the OtB staff really put our consulting time to work for their mid-sized organization—and ended up leaving some mighty lessons in their wake.

LESSON 1: The Baseline
Enough cannot be said about starting a project with everyone on the same page. When we asked OtB to provide us with some of their old materials and language, they came back with a huge, meticulously organized binder full of everything from flyers to brochures, office forms to programs. Before their project even got started, they put in the work to prepare for it. This effort was enormously helpful in letting their Pyramid team know where they were, what they liked and what they wanted to accomplish. That binder was used constantly throughout six months of work—and here in the office we’re considering having it bronzed.

LESSON 2: The Dialogue
Figuring out who you are as an organization and how you’re going to express that requires dialogue, a bit of back and forth to hone in on the very essence of what you do and why it matters. The folks from OtB understood this kind of exchange on a very fundamental level, which made it possible for them to provide productive direction and feedback with each new draft or design concept we showed them. They were not only able to identify specifically what they wanted from each deliverable, they also fueled the creative fire by contributing ideas, not just their likes and dislikes. Meanwhile, they trusted that their Pyramid team was working to understand their organization (and trying to help them understand it too) through the revision and review process. As a result, the whole team functioned optimally—and with contagious enthusiasm.

LESSON 3: The Flexibility
When doing creative work, an open mind is essential. OtB came in thinking anything was possible. Over the course of their work with Pyramid, they sorted through their preferences, individually and as an organization, all the while welcoming new suggestions and ideas. This approach led to a very generative environment full of possibilities, and ultimately yielded a vibrant new brand, precise messaging and a very detailed style guide that even superhero consultants could not produce alone. By engaging deeply and candidly, OtB got more bang for their buck than they could have imagined.

Wonky though it may seem to some, the state legislative session that ended April 22 is going to make a real difference for Washington state and its residents, not to mention Pyramid’s clients, many of whom championed budget requests or policy changes this year and won.

• Climate Solutions helped Washington state become a leader in reducing fossil fuel consumption that will reduce global warming and enhance the clean energy industry.
• NARAL fought for a sex education bill that will now require schools to teach sex education and provide medically accurate and comprehensive information about sexual health.
• The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle secured capital funds to increase security at secular, Jewish human service agencies throughout Puget Sound.
• The Washington State Budget & Policy Center’s research findings played a decisive role in convincing the legislature to hold off on re-imposing an inequitable property tax initiative.

These achievements prove that nonprofits can have a major impact on our communities by having a major impact on our government. They prove that advocacy creates change. Consider the positive impacts of this year’s legislative decisions:

• 100,000+ additional kids will receive health care coverage.
• 9,700 more students will be able to enroll in higher education.
• More funding will support immigrants transitioning to citizenship and preparing to enter the workforce.
• Same-sex couples will have rights to hospital visitation, organ donation authorization and inheritance when there is no will.
• Washington state will become the second state to have paid family leave (up to five weeks) to care for a new child or adopted children.
• Statewide carbon emissions will be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, 75% of 1990 levels by 2035 and 50% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Your organization might not be directly engaged in advocacy right now, but—directly or indirectly—advocacy could be an important tool for accomplishing your mission. Ultimately every nonprofit in our community is affected by legislative decisions like these because they improve the world in which we live.

Tips for nonprofits on navigating the “in-kind” relationship.

As an nonprofit staffer, it’s your job to get stuff for free. These pro-bono gems can range from doughnuts to design services or they may come to you as large-scale projects that impact the core efforts of your organization.

No matter the size or scope, these welcome contributions (and the relationships that sustain them) help support and grow your organization. Unfortunately, such sought after professional favors often end in disappointment—and they can leave you and your organization at the whim of your well-intentioned donor.

I know you’ve been there: The board member who forgets to invite 20 people the year’s biggest fundraiser? The caterer who serves beef tartar at your vegan gala? Or, how about when the brochure that took two years to materialize…returns from the printer with your organization’s name spelled wrong!

These things happen, not because your donor is a jerk, but simply because these generous entrepreneurs don’t always approach a pro-bono project the same as they would a paying gig. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to encourage a professional relationship and ensure a successful outcome.

1. Find out the exact monetary value of the pro-bono product or service being offered. Businesses and individuals who agree to do things for free can be carried away by the feel-good momentum of their offer and may not take the time to consider the implications of the commitment they’re making. You’ll be doing everyone a favor by placing a dollar value on the goods or services you’re receiving. And, since that free lunch we’ve all heard about is never free, you can establish, at the outset, exactly how the donor will be recognized for their philanthropic efforts.
2. Ask for a scope of work. A scope of work is a detailed list of services and deliverables – a must have for anyone who values clarity and efficiency. This outline will function as a blueprint for what needs to be accomplished and will also help you to prioritize project goals and requirements. Additionally, this document will solidify expectations and objectives for internal stakeholders and decision makers.
3. Ask for a timeline. Whether it’s a simple postcard or a year-long audit of your strategic plan, YOU MUST HAVE A TIMELINE. Sure, the timeline can shift, but you and your donor should agree on a few important milestones BEFORE any work begins.
4. Last, but not least, get it all in writing. While it would certainly be over-kill to request the above paperwork for a few dozen doughnuts, it is absolutely essential that you have documentation to fall back on when you’re dealing with multiple deadlines and deliverables. If your project includes proprietary information or assets, then you should have a contract too.

While these measures might seem heavy-handed as you attempt to solicit valuable expertise from busy professionals, a business-like approach will benefit everyone in the long run. If your benevolent donor is hesitant to provide dates or details for the services they are offering, you may want to weigh your priorities and reconsider the relationship altogether. Remember, the best things are accomplished when both parties understand the true value of what’s at stake.

RSS, a technology that makes it easy to gather and share information from the web, found its foothold in 2006—with heavy use in news sites, blogs and social bookmarking sites. In 2007, the average internet user will have more opportunities to take advantage of this very useful technology. For the nonprofit and progressive organizations we service at Pyramid, that means new opportunities to reach beyond the boundaries of your own website and marketing materials. Read the rest of this entry »