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Durney hyre welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio i’m the aptly named host of the show, tony martignetti where we’re always talking about big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. Last week, we talked about going beyond google, we had gourmet prospect research on a goulash budget. My guest then was maria simple, and she shared strategies to get to know your current donors better and find new ones. Also, last week, everlasting endowment techniques to keep your endowment safe and invested, right? I hope you’re cfo and bored. I was listening to my guest, kathleen rittereiser this week, we’re talking back. Office blunders stop squandering money on your back office costs my gift my guest, jeff marston, will share techniques to save big on supplies, insurance, phone, energy, furniture and all your back office needs, and i’ll also be joined by claire meyerhoff, your five minute program super streamlined events that keep your audience is informed, engaged and awake. Claire is a marketing specialist for non-profits and has a lot of expertise in promoting and producing programs and events for non-profits between the two guests, it’ll be tony’s take two, i’m going to remind you again this week. Like i did last week, the irs says you’re non-profit status may be at risk. More about that in tony’s, take two, and also i want to share with you something pretty exciting. This show is going to be partnering with the chronicle of philanthropy to do podcasting at the national conference on philanthropic planning that conferences next week. We won’t have the audio from that for a couple of weeks. So that’s, not next week’s show, but we are partnering with the chronicle to bring you that this week, it’s again, back off his blunders and your five minute program, all of that. After this break, please stay with us. Talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. 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Hyre hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com welcome back on tony martignetti, the host of tony martignetti non-profit radio. I’m joined now by jeff marston. Jeff is the president of resource centers for management, and before founding the resource center’s, he was the first housing division director of the volunteers of america in new york city. He also has management and planning consulting experience throughout the u s and in saudi arabia, including two stints with booz allen and hamilton. So clearly you can see that his background is in non-profits and the corporate consulting area. So he brings that for-profit and corporate experience to our small and non-profit small and midsize non-profit audience, and i’m very pleased that jeffs practice brings him to the studio today. Welcome, jeff. Good to be here, tony. Pleasure to have you. We want to talk about saving money for small and midsize non-profits on the in the back office. Let’s, start with something that i think is a pretty substantial budget item for a lot of organizations, maybe all that that are able to even offer it. Health insurance. What suggestions do you have around health insurance and tony, i very much recommend that non-profits when they’re taking a look. At cost reduction. Start with health insurance because is usually the biggest item second teo salaries and wages so one of the critical issues in dealing with health insurance is never just renew your policy don’t just blindly say it’s another year, let’s, go let’s, continue where we’ve been, ok, what should we be doing instead? First of all, for smaller agencies and and small is fifty and under is that, uh, there are only six providers insurance providers in the state that will will deal with these small, smaller organizations in which state of your friends in new york’s, new york and the critical issue is to work with your broker, and you must pull your broker in as a consultant and is an adviser on dh that’s that advice applies regardless of where you’re located in any of the fifty states have this sort of consulting relationship with your broker exactly, and if you don’t get a new broker, they want your business and they will provide consulting services, advisory services work with you and if they’re not change brokers. And what sort of advice should you expect from this kind of a consulting relationship from your broker? Is a consultant. Two or three of the key issues are one. Do we have the right structure? There’s, the traditional structure of health insurance and where you have a relatively low deductibles and you have the other kind, the h r a h s a great deductible if we have to stop you. And in this show, we have jargon jail. Okay? And i’m the warden of jargon jail. I hate to put you in there, but it’ll be of a temporary stay. Please tell us what h r a and the other acronym of mean, but i can’t tell you with h r a stands for but h s a r a health savings account. Okay, they’re also known is high deductible accounts. You should at least talk to your broker about whether or not those structures that makes sense for your agency. And if they don’t know or they refuse to talk about it, get a new broker. Okay, thankyou. Your sentence in jargon jail is commuted. Okay, thank you very much temporarily. I hate okay now. Go ahead. Another thing is that since there are relatively few insurance companies in any state, do not go shopping for health insurance every year because the insurance companies will know you will get a bad reputation, and since their costs in the first year of serving you are much higher because they have to sign you up, they have to do all the data processing, et cetera you’re going you’re you’re going to get a negative image, so you want to stay you want to get into a situation where you stay with health provider for at least two or three years, unless they’re provide terrible service on dh, maybe you’re changing plans or benefit levels within that provider, but your advice is stay with the same provider whatever plan you’re into, correct thie other thing i would say about health insurance is that seriously, consider wellness programs, especially if you’re a larger agency and your broker and your health care providers should be able to work with you on that so your people use fewer health care services and therefore your premiums have a chance of going down and in just a minute or so we have left before a break, you’re going to be looking for your broker consultant to be advising you on the suitability. Well, you know, the suitability for your agency and what the wellness plans are that they should be, that you should be looking at absolutely which part of it is a professionalism? Part of it is the personality of the person. The other is are they the right size broker for you? If you have fifteen hundred employees, you don’t want a one person shop broker, and conversely, you’ve got fifteen employees. You don’t want to have one of the world’s five biggest brokers because they’re not going to care about you. My guest is jeff marston, and we’re talking back office blenders, saving you money on all kinds of back office costs on tony martignetti, the host of tony martignetti non-profit radio. We’re going to take a break. Please stay with us co-branding dick, dick tooting, getting thinking things, you’re listening to the talking alternate network, get in. Cubine hi, i’m new york state senator joe a dabo. I will be hosting a Job fair on friday, november 12 at aqueduct racetrack in queens, contending into three p m, we will have over one hundred companies looking for qualified workers. They’re all to be lectures on jobs, try to jeez and networking. So come and bring plenty of resumes and join me on friday, november twelve at aqueduct racetrack for a Job fair, intending m 23, p m. For more information, please call pete in my district office at seven one eight seven three eight one one one one altum. I really need to take better care of myself. If only i had someone to help me with my lifestyle. I feel like giving up. Is this you mind over matter, health and fitness can help. If you’re expecting an epiphany, chances are it’s not happening. Mind over matter, health and fitness could help you get back on track or start a new life and fitness. Join joshua margolis, fitness expert two one two eight sixty five nine to nine xero. Or visit w w w died mind over matter. N y c dot com are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com. We look forward to serving you. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. E-giving thinking. Dick tooting. Getting thinking things geever no. Welcome back. I’m joined by jeff marston, president of resource centers for management. Jeff another a sizable portion of probably most of our audience is budget is office space office leasing. Most of our audience does not own a building. What about saving money around office leases? What advice do you have? It is a major area where people can save money. In the biggest blunder in the office leasing area is to not get your own broker. Everybody who has purchased a house. Ah, condo. A coop gone out and gotten their own real estate broker. And the sellers have their own real estate brokers. Yes, certainly. Every building owner has a broker right in commercial real estate, you never want to talk to the person whose name is on the building. The broker whose name is on the building that working for the landlord, you need to go and find a tenant only breaker. Who will work for you? This will save you money in the negotiations, and it will not cost you extra money. That landlord is going to pay a commission. When a transaction happens, he can either pay all of it to his own broker. Or he can split it in half and pay half to his broker and have to your broker. So this consulting advice does not cost you any money. So all right, so this non-profit does not pay for this broken relationship. And there are so many variables in a commercial lease on dh that doesn’t only apply in a big city, but there’s all kinds of chargebacks and emergency clauses, and how to get out of the lease and all kinds of contingencies. It’s. I think it’s just too complex for a non broker, non lawyer toe to figure out. And i’m not going to go in to a bunch of the details. But i would say to other things, first of all, because of all those details, do not rely on even the best real estate attorney, because the real estate attorney is not necessarily up on the market in terms of vacancy rates, costs of the give backs and he will make it happen, but a broker is the one that knows what the market is, so you need a good real estate attorney do not rely just on your real estate attorney to be your brokering represented the second thing is take advantage of the market today it is a buyer’s lee sir’s market, and it is very likely that if you have less than five years left in your lease, even if you love your building and want to stay, this is a good time to explore extending your lease, renegotiating your lease and so take advantage of the market. Ah, broker is going to know what the market is and be able to give you the good advice. I’ve often heard the advice that even if you intend to stay, it’s it’s valuable to go out into the marketplace, as you’re suggesting, because you can use the marketplace as leverage for re negotiating your release in the current space? Absolutely, and with today’s market with the vacancy rates hyre if a landlord loses a tenant, it is much more likely that they’re going to have vacant space for um, or extended period of time than, say, five years ago when ten a day left you clean it up, knocked down a wall paint put in new carpeting and three weeks later tenant he moves in that’s not the way it works, so landlords are much more interested in keeping good tenants. Um, what about phones and internet service and that’s something that every non-profit has what’s the what’s, the marketplace like there in terms of trying to save some money for them? Well, there’s good news and bad news on this we have the good news is that everyone, whether it’s, it’s, your home or your or your business of your non-profit has been saving millions and billions of dollars over the last twenty five years as a as a t and t was broken up, and new competitors have come in. And so we’ve all been saving an incredible amount of money. Therefore, i would recommend that someone ah non-profit not take a look at telephone and internet connections as a high priority area for cost reduction because so many contradictions have already been squeezed out of the market buy-in just because of of with market trends. I think that the first place to start within that area is in your data, not on your voice communications, and there was a lot more competition in the the line charges between communication hubs and you knows we’re starting to get technical, but they’re okay if you get too technical, put george in jail, but go ahead. But on the data side, ah, most non-profits are less sophisticated in that area and the in the market there was more competition buy-in in that area than there is over on the voice side. Okay? And on the voice side, i know that there are consultants who will work on a contingency basis. Now, i do understand your caveat that this is not a place to look maybe first or even second for cost, because we’ve already we’re all enjoying the savings and we all pay unlimited. We’ll pay a flat fee, probably for unlimited service, but if someone wanted to look at it, the phone side, there are these consultants to work on a contingency, right? And we’ll review your bill. Yes, there are, they’re two kinds of consultants, and they’re two different perspectives. There are certain consultants that will do an audit of your past bills and see whether you’ve been overcharged charge for things that weren’t in your contract and there’s a basically a fifty fifty contingency situation. Usually, if you have not, if you’ve either never had an audit or you have not had an audit in the last three or four years. It’s reasonable to consider it. Okay. The other kind of consultant is looking at the future and they probably will not charge a contingency. They they will get paid by the phone company the way an insurance broker is on a residual basis so you won’t have to pay for this service. They they will show you how to save money. And then you will just pay the phone company what you pay and the phone company will pay them a residual commission. And for these look back phone consultants. When you say it’s a contingency fee basis, that means if they save you money and i guess if they actually get your money back from previous errors, omissions, whatever mistakes they get fifty percent and you keep fifty percent that’s. Correct. There should be no other fees. Ah, no other exchange of money. And this sort of assignment, unless they actually save it and get it back correct and let’s look sort of expand from phone internet and look att utilities a little more generally. What way? Be talking about gas and electric, primarily gas and electric in some in some areas also a fuel oil. I know this is getting really boring. People start to glass over when you talk about when you, when you think about your utility bills, if you are paying them directly as opposed to paying them is part of your lease. This is an area where there is a whole new market, and in new york, they’re called s coz ceo energy supply companies. They are state regulated. They are approved by your local utility. Tell you’re afraid of george in jail again. I’m a quick learner, tony. By the way, my guest is jeff marston and he’s, the president of resource centers for management. We’re talking about backoffice blunders, saving you money in the back office. And, of course, i interrupted you. Jeff let’s, talk more about those energy service companies. Okay. Basically, they are legitimate. As they said, their their their their state monitored it. Is a legitimate organized market, and anyone can save sixty seven percent on their total utility bill now gas and electricity and ah also, most customers now have the opportunity to enter into a fixed price contract, and especially if you are interested as a non-profit of you were interested in budget certainty over a specific period of time. These energy supply companies can now offer you a fixed price for a year. Two years, three years. You you may save money. You may you made not save money because of the market goes down significantly. But if you are comfortable with where the market is today and you want that budget certainty then this is now offered to you through this this new energy supply company idea. And how do you find the energy supply companies? The s goes in your area, wherever you are in the us. Well, there are there two basic ways. One is you. Give me a call at eight, six, six two seven seven, eight, six, six xero or you go to the website of your local utility of or of your state public service commission and of do a little do a little seeking on. And you will find the names and contact information for all of those. The vast majority ofthe states that have decoupled supply from distribution in the energy business are located from the district of columbia to maine. Oh, okay, it’s, atlantic seaboard, the mid atlantic. Yeah, admit atlantic and new england. If you’re listening to us and in denver or minneapolis or or new orleans, your states are are not are not doing that yet. So so so outside the area from maine to washington d c you’re saying it’s pretty much just you work with the supplier that that is state authorized? Correct? There aren’t thes energy service companies s coz that’s? Correct? Let me also add that if you want to go broader than our discussion, i have something from jeff. The file name is cutting costs and it’s ah it’s from a workshop that he did on cost management strategies. He was the facilitator and i have it up on my block now that’s at mpg a dv dot com you click the media tab and you’ll find the file under today’s show date the october eighth and the fire was called cutting costs that is provided to our listeners from jeff. I want to thank him for giving us that resource. What else? Sounds like you might have more, more, more advice around utilities? How? Well, let me ask you specifically, how often should you be going into the marketplace to compare what you’re paying now with what you could be paying is that every year, every couple of years, how is that good question? Completely different from the health care area it’s. Completely different competitive situation. There are in new york state. There are about twenty five, cos it’s much more of a commodity. So basically, if you’re staying with a variable month to month kind of cost once a year, you should seriously reconsider. If you enter into a contract one, two or three years, then you, about three months before your contract terminates. You get back with the company or your broker, and and you take a look at it. But it’s much more of a of a commodity situation. It’s interesting. There are different areas of savings where you should be into the marketplace, um, or or less frequently, definitely. And this gets back into using your broker. Your provider? Your vendor as a consultant and finding out what the market is in terms of your relationship to the market in terms of buying and going out forbidden that sort of thing, so they will tell you, and it changes from subject matter to subject matter and it’s really up to you to broaden your relationship with your broker, tio, this consultative advisory role that you’re suggesting in whatever area we’re talking about, right? And you should not you should not feel hesitant to do that. People want to get they want to get your business, and they are able to provide these services and in tougher economic times they’re increasingly willing, and therefore you don’t have to staff up or it’s it’s there for the asking. One other thing on energy we’ve talked about buying energy for less thie other is using less energy. New york state has a subsidy for energy audits by third party funds to do an audit of your facility, so the state will help you pay for the others. And, uh, the cost of the audit is certainly less than a thousand dollars, and as i said, it’s, a third party, a situation it’s not done by a lighting engineering company, and so they’re going. Teo recommend all kinds of lighting situation thes air companies with with contracts with the state, and they will take a look at the physical plant and all your equipment and that sort of thing and give you give you a report, that’s the other side that’s the other side of the utility area where you may be able to save money. Certainly over the next a five year period, for example, and for our listeners that might be outside new york, that could be something that they should look for. Also, if even if there isn’t a state subsidy but the energy audit, maybe money worth spending because you can save the cost of the audit over several years in the future? Yes, and it’s, much more likely that this state subsidized program exists in in new york than it does anyplace else, given the level of expenditures in new york, my my warning for people is that they that is very possible that they could find the right consultant and they might find a affirm that is in the biz is in one segment of the business. Of lighting or h, v, c or some other area. But if you have a good heart to heart discussion with them about, we want to see everything, not just your specialty. You it may very well be worthwhile. Tohave it done. We have about a minute and a half left. Jeff, i’d like to look at the ah, the sort of more mundane actually have about a minute left office supplies off of everybody spending money on paper, paper clips, staples are their savings that can be wrenched out of this. Yes couple of rules of thumb never buy office supplies from a company that has retail stores. Really? Retail stores are expensive, and even though you’re buying over the internet, you’re paying for the retail store. So staples, office depot, although they recommend they are major companies that are lower, lower crossed so let’s, just focus on that because we only have a little time left in thirty seconds or so. What what’s the alternative if we’re not going to buy from staples, office depot, et cetera, where should we go? Well, ah, i have a favorite company and i don’t think we should i don’t think i should promote them, but if people want to talk to me about that, i can, i can do that off the air this is an area that most companies that they have not gone out for bid in the last twelve months can save fifteen to twenty five percent. Jeff again, if people would like to reach you what’s what’s the phone number or the e mail one okay, i’m old fashioned. Give me a call. Toll free number is eight, six, six, two, seven, seven, eight, six, six. Xero. My guest has been jeff marston, president of resource centers for management. I hope you got valuable back office blunder avoidance tips after this break going, toby tony’s, take two and then i’ll be joined by claire meyerhoff, where we’re talking about your five minute event. Super streamlined events to keep your audiences informed, engaged and awake. This is tony martignetti non-profit radio stay with us talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Hi, i’m new york state senator joe a dabo. I will be hosting a Job fair on friday, november 12 and aqueduct racetrack in queens, contending into three p m we will have over one hundred companies looking for qualified workers. They’re all to be lectures on jobs, try to jeez and networking. So come and bring plenty of resumes and join me on friday, november twelve at aqueduct racetrack for a Job fair from 10 a m to three p m. For more information, please call pete in my district office at seven one eight seven three eight one one one one altum are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications? Then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com way look forward to serving you. Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com dafs talking alternative radio twenty four hyre. Durney welcome back, i’m tony martignetti jeff marston left us a little bit hanging there because he sort of teased us, he said. Don’t use the brick and mortar stores because their overhead is so high and he has a provider that he strongly recommends for office supplies. I am going to post his recommendation on our facebook fan page, so when you go to facebook, then you just search tony martignetti non-profit radio you’ll go to the fan page and very shortly after this show, you’ll see what store he recommends. Four office supplies saving big money from the sort of big brick and mortar stores it’s tony’s take two time roughly thirty two minutes after the hour, and i’m goingto remind you, as i did last week, that the i r s has something you should be paying attention to your non-profit status could be at risk. I’m reading from a press release of theirs from this summer small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax exempt status because they failed to file required returns for two thousand seven, two thousand eight and two thousand nine can preserve their status by filing returns by october fifteenth of two. Thousand ten under a onetime relief program that gives you a week. So you go to the irs dahna dot gov site, and they have a list of non-profits that are at risk? Um, i can save you having to navigate through their sight because on my blogged at m p g a d v dot com there’s an irs widget, and you click on that widget, it will lead you directly to the list of non-profits that, the internal revenue service has said are at risk for losing their non profit status because of not having filed in the over the past three years. So at the blogged click the widget, you can see the list if you’re not in a non-profit but if you know people in non-profits you might want to send them to that widget so that they can read the list and see what organizations are at risk of losing non-profit status, i’d hate for you to not be able to listen to tony martignetti non-profit radio. I mean, how can you listen to the show if you’re not a non-profit if you lose your tax exempt status, you can’t listen to this show that’s. Probably the biggest consequence of letting this happen, and i also want to tell you that i’m pretty excited to be partnering with the chronicle of philanthropy at the national conference on philanthropic planning next week. It’s down in orlando, florida, the chronicle and tony martignetti non-profit radio are going to partner to produce podcasts, we’re going to be interviewing speakers off line and then offering those interviews for you on this show. And of course, the chronicle of philanthropy will also host those interviews on their site. So that’s ah, that’s pretty cool, we’re ah, we’re partnering with ah pretty well known media outlet very pleased to be doing that, and we’ll be bringing those interviews to you later this month or or early in november. I’m now joined by claire meyerhoff. Claire is a marketing specialist for non-profits we’re going to be talking about your five minute program, super streamlined events that keep your audiences informed, engaged and awake. Clare is a marketing specialist who works with fundraisers and nonprofit organizations she’s, a former broadcast journalist with lots of acronym big acronyms, cbs radio, x m and cnn and during those stints, she covered lots of events either. Covered or attended hundreds of non-profit events, she combines that experience with her production skills to help non-profits design and execute programs that are entertaining, informative and concise. And we’re going to be talking a lot about concise because the topic is your five minute program. I’m very glad that claire’s work is her to the show today. Claire, welcome. Thanks, tony, thanks so much for having me. Because this is a great forum to share with the non-profit audience about events which are so so important. Yes, i’m pleased to have you back. Claire’s, a repeat guest and also the creative producer for tony martignetti non-profit radio. Claire, i think organizations don’t pay enough attention to planning their their events. Their program. What advice do you have? Well, i think that in my in my little a world where i where i come up with little acronyms for things, the little names for things i’ve just come up with this is i was waiting to come on and that’s that i think the event and specifically the program portion of the event is the final frontier of fund-raising you could see me, you can see why claire is the creative producer of this show she’s waiting on hold to join the show and she comes up with final frontier fund-raising please go ahead elaborate. Sorry, it’s it’s the final frontier of fund-raising is what’s what’s. The first step of fund-raising is just is just the ask the simple ask, you know your son is raising money for jump rope for hard, and he goes to the next door neighbor, and says, would you support may and that’s an easy one, right? Because that’s the neighbor and it’s, not for very much money. So that’s that’s a pretty easy ask so that’s, sort of the first frontier of fund-raising and then we go, you know, down the line for very sophisticated asked, and even, you know, planned giving and thank you, she she mentions plan giving say so dear to my heart. Yes, the more sophisticated, you know, that’s sort of a ah, deep frontier of fund-raising it’s a long time before you get that donor to the point where they’re goingto do a bequest, our charitable gift, a new innovation so there’s all these different levels of the ask and fund-raising and when you put on a fundraising event that is the time of year where you’re celebrating your organization, you’re having fun with it, you’re inviting all these different people to come. They bought a ticket for thirty dollars, seventy five dollars, one hundred fifty dollars, six hundred dollars, depending on where you are and how fancy your event is. So now these people have come and they’re all dressed up and you spend a lot of time on the food and the orders and the decorations. And should we have balloons, or should we have four kids? And what should the place look like? Should we have strolling singers and acrobats running around our event hall? So it’s it’s very events are very labor intensive, my my event supremely labor intensive and then when i found from working with non profit organisations, is that the program part of the event is almost an afterthought. It’s something that happens maybe the week before or even i’ve seen it the day before, where they say okay, well, who’s going to get up and speak and what are we going say and who’s going to say what? And the program is really one of the most is more important than the little shrimp order bs that you serve or if you’re going to have caviar or little tiny hot dogs, it’s much more important what you actually say to your donor’s while you’re up there on a stage and you have their undivided, hopefully attention. So that’s, why it’s so very important this is an opportunity for you to speak to donors, whether they’re long time dedicated donors or they are that donor’s guests at the event. So let’s say you have someone they’ve been coming to your event for ten years, and they are very good supporters. They’re in your hair in your special circle, they give, you know, twenty five hundred dollars a year and they are very important donors to you, and they have brought their friend, their neighbor, who they would like to introduce to your organization. So this is your chance to speak. Can not only your dedicated donors, but also your your new donors, your potential donors, potential friends of your organization so it’s really, really important it’s almost more important to me than just about anything else, except perhaps the auction if you’re going to have an auction, okay, so that’s really important? So pure, so clearly now the program people, you are on stage, you’re on the air, you know, let’s say your you know, a newscaster and you have five minutes or ten minutes to talk to your audience. What do you tell them? You tell them the most important news of the day or things that you think your particular audience is interested in learning about so that they don’t shut you off or turn you off. So think about your guests as viewers that are watching your little show about your organization, and so you’re recommending claire the five the five minute programmes you want, you want the program to be more important than whether the bunting matches the flowers clearly and you have the really the five minute program tell us about what buy-in organization should be doing at this gala in just five minutes. Well, there’s, a lot that you could do in five minutes and you have these people and they’re usually sitting there right there, the round tables in this big room at the d’hotel, and they’re sitting there and what i like to say is that your guests, our donors and guests and friends they’re not hostages, they’re not a hostage for the next five minutes, ten minutes a half hour to your speakers and your program, they’re your guests and they could just get up and leave, but they’re much, much too polite to do that. So your goal is to keep them engaged and keep them informed and keep them entertained. And i think that that’s the perfect way say it and so what’s, your first step is you want to, you know, welcome that you want to greet them. That’s easy to do, you don’t have to say a whole lot to greet them. You don’t have to go on and on with the greeting you just simply, you know, thank everybody for being there. So that’s, the most important part is to thank everyone several times, just as you would thank a donor several different ways of, you know, a good donor. You would thank um, several different ways you’d call them you send them a note, you didn’t fight them to a little event. You thank them in a lot of different ways, whereas whereas we’re as we’re developing the program, who should be the key speaker, who should? Be the first one up to say thank you. Well, the first one option to say thank you should be really quote the host of the event whoever that person is that was kind of the most important person in bringing all these people together. So let’s just say this particular year you have a local person who’s very well loved. Maybe you have the local ah weathercaster from the tv station whose daughter has really benefited from your after school program that you’ve been running for years. And she’s decided this year to step up from doing something kind of simple to being the chair of the event. So let’s just say she’s been very, you know, she’s been key in planning this event and that’s why people are there, she should be the person that should get up and thank everybody, not the executive director of the organization. So it should be that key person that people are going toe really appreciate them getting up and saying thank you. So think, really think about and not just go to the default like, oh, we should have, you know, our event chair or we should have our executive director get up, speak. So it could be you know, anybody that you think is that person that everybody that’s in the room would be interested in having them thank them. So come up, come up with who that person is, and and that person kind of plays the role of the host. And this is a simple little roll of just keeping keeping things moving along because it is a little program. It’s a little show. Just like when you watch jay leno, he is the host. He keeps the show moving along. Yes, the band plays. Yes, the guests come on and talk. Yes, there’s. Some other there’s a singer performing or something like that. But jay leno was the host that he keeps things moving, so appoint someone the host i can think of another host isn’t. Isn’t there another host you might like to use as an example host of ah, a radio show, perhaps, who keeps things moving along and has guests and they come in and is there possibly another example besides jay leno? Oh, what a coincidence. Oh, thanks. Carry great non-profit radio show on the planet. As far as i know, i didn’t ask you to say that part thank tony, keep things moving along and he did besides what the show is going to be like, and he keeps things moving along and make people feel welcome. And most importantly, tony martignetti is a radio host. What he wants to do is keep people entertained and engaged and informed and staying show on dh claire, i have to tell you, just clear to my role we just have about ninety seconds before the break and you had just explained who the the first guests should be. The main host should be thanking everybody in just a ninety seconds til we have before a break what should come after that person in your five minute program? Well, in my five minute program, i could probably do that. I’ll run the whole program down for you in ninety seconds, and i’ll do it head into the brakes. So your first thing is someone greet, greet the crowd. The next thing is they tell them why they’re they’re so tell them something important about what’s going on right now that they might not know about. So you know you’re here because because this year we’re launching this major endeavor where we want to, you know, we serve fifteen schools now, and by this time next year we hope to be in every school in the county and that that takes a lot to do that. So tell them something very important. Give them some news about why they’re there and why it’s important then the next thing that you khun dio is is simply give someone a gift and that’s my favorite way tio, to build a program around the gift say it’s an after school program and you have a teacher in the program who’s really done fantastically she’s done wonderfully. And her dream is tio, you know, take the kids, ice skating or something and do these different things for the kids. But she needs a certain amount of money to do it that’s outside of the normal budget. So this is a great way to honor this person. Plus explain a little bit more about your mission. So you can say, you know, we have our guest of honor tonight is, you know, mary katherine stewart. And she is the director of such a program. And she’s been here for twenty years. And she’s done extraordinary work, and we would like to say thank you to her tonight. Then she comes up and you say, and we have a gift for you, mary, catherine and it’s, something that she doesn’t know about. You know, we know that you’ve been dying to take the kids to the brand new skating rink, so here is a gift certificate from the skating rink. They’ve agreed to do this and that, and the other thing, and where we have to leave it there, we have to leave it there. We’re gonna take a break, and we’ll pick it up after giving a gift. This is this is you did have get you more than ninety seconds. My guest is clear, meyerhoff taking over the show, she’s, a marketing specialist for non-profits. Please stay with us. You couldn’t do anything, including getting thinking things, you’re listening to the talking alternative network, get in. Nothing. You could. Is your marriage in trouble? Are you considering divorce? Hello, i’m lawrence bloom, a family law attorney in new york and new jersey. No one is happier than the day their divorce is final. My firm can help you. We take the nasty out of the divorce process and make people happy. Police call a set two one, two nine six, four, three, five zero two for a free consultation. That’s lawrence h bloom two, one two, nine, six, four, three five zero two. We make people happy. Durney is lack of capital or credit keeping you up at night? The show me. 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We’re in the midst of the five minute program with my guest, claire meyerhoff of marketing specialist for non-profits and claire, we were so far have covered the greeting, why we’re gathered, give a gift, what are the other elements? Just briefly of your five minute program and they will dive into a little detail? Well, the other elements of the five minute program are basically what you feel like you absolutely have to include so that’s where, you know, you’ve decided that while we have our board chair is retiring this year, we need to honor him or we have a new director. We need to have him speak, he has to speak. If he doesn’t speak, you know the world will collapse and that’s that’s what’s really important with the program is to completely tryto limit the number of people that are getting up in speaking. And then the next challenge is to limit the amount of time that they are speaking. So if you could give people something to do rather than just give them this open ended, we would like you to speak that’s your first step in in controlling on that’s something to do was probably give a gift. Let’s, let’s, explore that. There are two things i definitely want to dive into e-giving the gift and sharing your timeline, but let’s talk giving the gift what do you mean by that? Well, in the giving the gift is this is a way for you to do a numerous things with one simple gesture, one simple action, and that is you can have the, you know, the giver of the gift could be an important person, so let’s, just say you have a new executive director and it’s important to introduce him to your crowd, but you don’t really want him to speak for ten minutes and give his resume and his vision for the future because you’re going to bore your audience with that. Yes, so instead you can have your new executive director give that gift to the woman that has done a great job for your after school program for the last twenty years. So this is where you if you have an honoree, in other words, you’re saying this is this would be a great opportunity to honor that honoree by having that the special person give a gift. To the honoree, is that what you’re talking about? Exactly? It gives everybody like something to do, as opposed to just an open end, and we would like you to speak or we’re going to give you this award, so please get up and speak for a half an hour and for assault also tears. So if you have this honoree that’s, a way to introduce them, so you let’s just say it’s, the new executive director, and and she has come from, you know, let’s, just say you’re in st louis and she’s come from new york city, and she used to run some big organization and now she’s with you and and you want to let people know that so that you introduce her? You say we’d like to introduce our very new executive director she’s part of all our exciting plans for the future and she’s come from new york and she’s done this and she’s done that and it’s a better way to do it rather than have the person talk about them selves, because when people talk about themselves, it’s one of two things it’s either they you know, go on and on and on. To tell you how great they are or their humble like hopefully most people are and they don’t like talking about themselves. A lot of people have said they really don’t like talking about myself, so let someone else do it. And in this case, it’s your host of your event so they can say we have our new executive director. I’d like you to introduce her to you, she’s come from new york, where she ran this, that and the other thing and we’re so excited to have we could not possibly dream of ever having a wonderful person like this here in st louis helping our organization. And we’re gonna we’re gonna put her right to work by announcing who our honoree is this year. So then you’re you’re first honoree. Really? Your new executive director gets up and then they know all they have to do is say, oh, thanks for saying that night i’m so happy to be here in st louis. I love it here already and there’s so many great people here, and i’m gonna tell you about one of them right now. And that’s mary katherine stewart, who is our executive, you know? Our director of our programs and is doing it for twenty years not such a great job, we have a gift for you. This is exciting, you know, trip, you can take your kids on whatever it is you give her, and then the executive director gives the gift to your other honored person. Now all your other honored person has to do is say thank you for the gift you have to say anything else and look at the things you’ve done now in a very short period of time for your audience, your donors, you’re dedicated donors and your potential donors, your new friend, they see that you have great people working for you. They see that you’re very generous and that you have your act together, that you went out and got a gift for this person, that you could afford to do that. But you’re not dying in this economy, like so many people are cutting back, you actually went out and got a gift for this person kapin the gift has something to do with another sponsor. So in this case, i’ve come up with this skating rink where thie person, the honoree is going. To take her kids from her program. And so now that skate rink gets a nice big thank you in front of the whole crowd of people so used now brought in another spot, sir, and you, you’ve highlighted somebody else. We have a right and a small amount of time you’ve said, thank you. And you’ve also explained a little bit more about your mission. The gift should have something to do with the mission. We have to move on to the next topic i want you to share your ideas on, and that is you alluded to it the value of the timeline, but we just have about thirty seconds. Claire what’s what’s the value of the timeline and who should we be sharing it with? Well, a value of the timeline is that it keeps everybody on schedule, so someone needs to be appointed a producer of an event, and that should be someone with experience doing something like that. They don’t have to be a professional producer, but just someone that knows how to make the trains run on time. And everybody knows somebody like that. And you say we have five minutes. How are we? Gonna fill that up and they come, they just do a little run down timeline. This is what happens, you know, from the you know, the first minutes of the second minute, second minute of the third, fourth, fifth boom and if you try to make it five minutes on paper in reality, it might be about ten minutes long. We have to wait. We have to stop there. I’m sure there’s also value in sharing that timeline with the people who are going to speak so that they see you speak for one minute you’re on for two minutes, and all of this adds up to your five minute program super streamlined events. My guest has been clear meyerhoff marketing specialist for non-profits you can contact claire through my for the facebook page on the website because she’s, the creative producer, and that’s the way to reach her if you’d like more information on her five minute program. I also want to thank my previous guest, jeff marston, the creative producer of sony martignetti non-profit radio claire, of course, our line producer sam liebowitz, our facebook and social media, of course, as always, by regina walton of organic social. Media, this is tony martignetti non-profit radio. Join us next friday, one p, m eastern. Pretending to do, you’re listening to the talking, alternate network, waiting to get in. Nothing. You could. I really need to take better care of myself if only i had someone to help me with my lifestyle. I feel like giving up dahna is this you mind over matter, health and fitness can help. If you’re expecting an epiphany, chances are it’s not happening. Mind over matter, health and fitness could help you get back on track or start a new life and fitness. Join joshua margolis, fitness expert two one two eight sixty five nine to nine xero. Or visit w w w died mind over matter. N y c dot com wolber this is tony martignetti aptly named host of tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent technology fund-raising compliance, social media, small and medium non-profits have needs in all these areas. My guests are expert in all these areas and mohr. Tony martignetti non-profit radio fridays, one to two eastern on talking alternative broadcasting hi, i’m new york state senator joe a dabo i will be hosting a Job fair on friday, november 12 at aqueduct racetrack in queens, contending into three p m we will have over one hundred companies looking for qualified workers. They’re all to be lectures on jobs. Try to jeez and networking. So come and bring plenty of resumes and join me on friday, november twelfth at aqueduct racetrack for a Job fair from 10 a m to three p m for more information, please call pete in my district office at seven one eight seven three eight one one one one. Dahna are you stuck in your business or career? Trying to take your business to the next level and it keeps hitting a wall. This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root. Cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Duitz