Thank you to everyone who could attend the inaugural MichWomen meeting last night! Here's how it went and the next steps.
This is all new, so I greatly appreciate your time, interest, and patience as we create a roadmap for the organization. I have a better sense of my role and what we need to do to jump-start this initiative since we talked.👍
My biggest takeaway is that you understand and are on board with MichWomen's 501c4 status. The goal is to develop this into a high-value, professional, and functioning organization.
I just listened to Thomas Brenner, founder of the War Horse, a nonprofit newsroom focusing on military journalism. He talked about how he bootstrapped his organization. It's inspiring!
The next step is to solidify the mission and vision statements, goals and objectives, and map out what 2025 will look like and how we will achieve it. That sounds huge, I know, but we have a great start already, and I do this for clients all the time. We got this!
Here is a survey for you to share feedback on our brand identity. (Not sure what "Brand Identity" means? Here's an overview.)
TAKE THE BRAND SURVEY NOW >> https://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/zyjrNwJe
Next Steps
- Fill out the survey this week. ← You
- Competitor analysis. Due date: Before the next meeting ← Lisa T.
- Draft an About page for team review, feedback, and approval (mission, vision, values). At the meeting, I discussed workshopping it, but it will be better for me to draft a starting point and then get feedback. I'm on it! Due date: Before the next meeting ← Krista
- Create an agenda and schedule for our next meeting after we get time feedback from the survey. I intend to have one more meeting before Thanksgiving. Looking at the 25th or 26th. It's impossible to create a time that will work for everyone all the time, so come when you can! Due date: ASAP ← Krista
Meeting Recap (AI generated)
Meeting Purpose
Inaugural meeting to discuss forming a women's coalition in Michigan focused on civic engagement and community initiatives.
Key Takeaways
- Krista Moon has established a 501(c)(4) organization as a foundation for the coalition
- Group aims to be action-oriented, focusing on local issues affecting women and families
- Next steps include refining mission/vision, determining structure, and planning content strategy
Topics
Organization Structure and Status
- Krista has set up a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization named "Michigan Women"
- EIN and bank account established
- Basic website created
- Initial board members in place (family members)
- Open to adjusting name and structure based on group input
Vision and Mission Discussion
- Focus on local issues affecting women and families in Michigan communities
- Aim to provide factual information and facilitate respectful dialogue
- Potential areas of focus:
- Civic education and engagement
- Combating misinformation
- Empowering women in leadership roles
- Addressing issues that impact women and families (everyone, pretty much!)
Content and Communication Strategy
- Utilize website, social media, and email for outreach
- Potential content ideas:
- Blog posts on local government activities
- Interviews with community leaders
- Educational content on civic processes
- Themed content campaigns (30-45 days per topic)
Membership and Participation
- Various levels of involvement discussed:
- Steering committee members
- Content creators
- General members/followers
- Potential for future membership fees, but focus on providing value first
Meeting Structure
- Consensus that weekly meetings may be too frequent
- Next meeting to focus on refining mission/vision and brand identity
- Survey to be sent out to determine best meeting times and gather input on mission/values
Next Steps
- Krista to send follow-up email with meeting recap
- Create and distribute survey for member input on mission, values, and meeting preferences
- Schedule next workshop to finalize mission/vision and develop action plan -- After the meeting Krista decided to draft it in then get feedback vs. doing a workshop.
- Lisa to research similar organizations for competitive analysis
- Members to consider potential topics and themes for future focus