Minnesota

You may be saying, “We had a great turnout at our visioning event, but we didn’t quite reach our benchmark. What can we do?” Here are a few ideas to surpass the hurdle.

1. Welcome others to get involved. Invite interested friends and neighbors to the follow-up meeting that is scheduled in your community.
2. Become an ambassador. Carry around copies of the vision and have people sign the back to say they support the vision.
3. Post the vision around the community. In public areas (businesses, schools, restaurants, etc.), make a poster of the vision. Include pictures of the evening, if possible. On the poster, or nearby, have a place where people can sign in support of the vision.
4. Create an online survey. Use an online tool, such as “surveymonkey.com” (see the New York Mills blog site for an example) where people can share their thoughts and leave their information to get involved.
5. Create a paper survey (or use a paper version of your online survey). Have the surveys available where the vision posters are posted, bring the surveys to your other community meetings, or have copies available at the grocery store.
6. Use your networks. Bring a copy of the vision along to your other community meetings (even to church) and have community members sign the back.
7. Media. In a newspaper article about the vision, include information for how people can get involved (or where they can take a survey).
8. Cable TV. Post your vision on community TV. Include a link to a survey or contact information for how people can get involved.
9. Go door knocking. Bring your kids and visit the neighbors. Have them sign the survey and ask if they would like to attend the next meeting with you.
10. Attend a school event. Ask if you can read the vision at half time or hand out copies of the vision for people to read and sign.

Whatever you do, make sure you keep track of the names of the community members you have talked to and pass them along to your local organizer and your community coordinator.

Good luck and have fun! Remember, it is not about the number, it is about achieving the vision.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 at 11:31 am and is filed under 07. Leadership: Action. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.