Communications Toolbox
Community Toolbox
Includes how-to guides on working with the media, writing press releases, op-ed pieces, and public service announcements, holding a press conference, and more from UCLA Center for Change & Community. Materials en Espanol.
Communications Primer
The Communications Primer contains eight essential components of an effective strategy. Visit this site to learn how a grassroots advocacy group uses communications to advance its cause. Contains step-by-step guide with information universal to any subject.
Communications Helps
Making Connections Top 10 Tips:
Creating Successful Communications
Designing an Effective Newsletter
Producing a Successful Newsletter
Promoting Your Event
Using Events for Effective Outreach
Cost-cutting Communications Options
Communications Resources for Making Connections Resident Groups
Using Strategic Communications to Support Families
Making Communications Connections
"A Guide to Making and using Videos at Making Connections Sites," DVD instructional booklet, helps novice videographers use this media to advance their work. Contact info@makingconnectionsdm.org 282-3561.
Tips on writing an effective letter to the editor
Tips on using radio call-in shows to get out key messages
Des Moines Media
Local media contacts
Framing Messages
Strategic Frame Analysis. Learn what it is and how to use this approach to communications research and practice that pays attention to the public's deeply held worldviews and widely held assumptions, from FrameWorks Institute.
Campaign for Community Values Toolkit. Provides ideas, advice, and resources for advancing community values concepts. Includes a range of practical tools, strategies, background information, and examples of how to infuse communications opportunities with community values themes.
J-Lab: Institute for Interactive Journalism
J-Lab Institute for Interactive Journalism helps news organizations and citizens use new information ideas and innovative computer technologies to develop new ways for people to engage in critical public policy issues.
It spotlights dynamic news experiences and helps to develop interactive news ideas that not only educate people about public affairs but also invites their participation.
J-Learning: A How-to for Community Journalism
J-Learning helps individuals, civic groups and school groups jumpstart their own community media projects. It contains training helps in web site creation, HTML, page design and use of photos, audio, video, animation, surveys and databases. It also offer tips on advertising, fundraising and e-commerce to help sustain these community efforts.
Step-by-step instructions for shooting, editing, and publishing online videos that can be watched and subscribed to by millions of people.
Details the bedrock foundations of journalism to help citizen reporters master the fundamentals of the craft in a networked age. Using interviews of citizen media publishers, the site fleshes out the core values and tenets of quality journalism at the grassroots level.
United States Postal Service
This site offers a wealth of information related to creating and mailing communications items like postcards and letters. While geared primarily to businesses and organizations that do a lot of direct mail, The Direct Mail Toolbox contains direct mail designs and templates you may download and use as well as design, writing, and printing tips. The section An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations tells about the different types of mail rates.
