EXPERIENCE IT! AHVRP Upcoming Webinar on Marketing Your Volunteer Program
from AHVRP
Basic marketing concepts are critical in developing a viable, dynamic plan to promote your volunteer program and recruit volunteers. This session explains how business principles apply to volunteer marketing and the benefits of market research.

Learn what elements comprise the 4 P’s of marketing and how to incorporate them into your strategic plan. You will participate in developing a step-by-step marketing plan utilizing a template designed exclusively for volunteer programs. All this coming up on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009.

For more information, visit our site; registration information can be found here. Don't miss it! More

Using Online Video: Broadcast Your Cause
from Idealist
Does your organization have a compelling story to tell? Are you looking for effective ways to make more tangible connections to your supporters, volunteers and donors? Do you want to increase the power of your messaging, but don't have the funds to launch expensive outreach campaigns? Online video has emerged as a powerful way for organizations to reach people in the twenty-first century – and nonprofits are no exception. More

The Four Words Volunteers Hate to Hear: "Oh, By the Way…"
from Volunteer Power
Lauren was recruited to work as a helper for her daughters' girl's club. As a parent she felt obligated and really wanted to help. Lauren went to the first meeting and said, "What do you want me to do?" The leader handed her a huge manual and said, "Oh, by the way, we ask all volunteer leaders to read this." Lauren took it home and started to read it when the phone rang. The leader said, "Oh, by the way, we are giving a test on the manual. We want all our leaders to know the philosophy and what we expect from our volunteers." More

Reinventing the Floor Plan to Boost Customer Loyalty
from Integrated Solutions for Retailers
As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But where, you might ask? In several cases, the answer lies in those under-utilized areas of the floor often outfitted with discounted merchandise that shoppers must pass through on their way to the “real” shopping destination. Call it Proprietary Pop-up. Traditionally found in specialty stores, these themed displays will soon be popping up in mass merchandisers. More

The Importance of Retail Merchandising
from Melanie McIntosh via The Sideroad
Recently, the author of this article was told that merchandising and display are frivolous extra expenses for the small business owner who is just starting up. The implication was that expenses such as marketing, rent, inventory, utilities, staffing, etc. are 'serious' expenses, while merchandising and display are 'frills.' She couldn't disagree more. More

Monogram Mania
from Gift Shop Magazine
The enormous rise in popularity of monogrammed products is not surprising to people from many pockets in the South where the art has long been a way of life. "Monogramming has always been a staple in the southern regions of our country," says Karen K. Hugenberg, the executive director of Monograms America, Inc. based in Houston. Hugenberg adds that in the Deep South pretty much everything has always been monogrammed - from bed linens, to handkerchiefs, to table cloths, napkins and even, yes, undergarments. More

2009 AHVRP Annual Conference Distinguishing Our Profession, Discovering Our Spirit Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa Phoenix, AZ August 27-30, 2009 Website: www.todaysvolunteer.org For a full conference brochure, click here.