Grants: Communication

Familiarization Tour for WIN

The Task Group proposed to host a media familiarization tour that would expose reporters (both staff and free lancers) to WIN projects and activities. Depending on the media to be reached, WIN might host several tours, one geared to WIN’s work on land use, another geared to nature-based tourism, a third to agriculture. The idea is to package WIN’s projects to make them interesting to the target media audience. The tour could generate stories in a broad array of media. The Task Group has deferred work on the media tour until WIN’s Communication Plan (approved at the 10/27/99 Resource Group meeting) is complete. The Convention and Visitor Bureaus of Bay, Midland and Saginaw Counties hosted a familiarization tour for outdoor writers during August 1999. The project is described under the Water Resources Section.

Development of a professional PowerPoint presentation for WIN

Project complete. The Conservation Fund worked with a professional consultant to develop a Power Point presentation about WIN’s history, structure, projects and activities. The presentation has been put onto CDs and used for a number of purposes, including WIN’s presentation at the National Town Meeting on Sustainability. Overheads, 35mm slides and speakers notes have also been produced from the PowerPoint presentation. WIN has also developed a short video.

WIN Awards Program

The Communications Task Group proposed that WIN sponsor an awards program to recognizes projects and people in the watershed who have contributed to making the region more sustainable. The Task Group has developed criteria for three awards:

Leadership Award — Recognizing community leaders who work with local groups and businesses to improve the economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of communities in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

Local Champion Award — Recognizing individuals and organizations that lead projects which bring together business and local interest groups to improve the economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of communities in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

Future Champion Award — Recognizing youth and youth organizations that lead projects which bring together business and local interest groups to improve the economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of communities in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

Non-WIN members will be encouraged to apply for each award. The Task Group has also developed a process for selecting the recipients, and a recommended form of award (plaque, etc.). None of the project budget has been expended. The Task Group has deferred further work on the awards program until WIN’s Communication Plan (approved at the 10/27/99 Resource Group meeting) is complete.

Name, Logo, Letterhead Development

Project complete. The Communications Task Group (notably Denise Spencer) developed the new name Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network — WIN. You may recall the original working for the network was the Saginaw Bay Watershed Sustainable Communities Initiative. Working with a local firm, the Task Group developed a logo for WIN designed to help establish a public identity or “brand name” for WIN that will improve awareness of our activities, and generate credibility for our projects. The Resource Group approved the name WIN and the logo. Letterhead was also printed.

Background Information Fact Sheet

Project complete. The WIN Fact sheet was developed to provide concise information to potential Resource Group members, civic organizations, and the public about WIN’s history, Mission and Vision Statements, and Guiding Principles. A professional writer was retained to edit and layout the fact sheet.