How HHICC Can Help Not-For-Profits>

For more information, click on Websites, Newsletters, and Emailing

The Hilton Head Island Computer Club over time has developed a web site that contains information, activities and access to resources that have been accumulated through the years. In addition we bring this web site and current news to our members via email on a weekly basis. Monthly we send an extensive newsletter which contains more detailed articles on a wide variety of computer related subjects. This integrated communications approach is both very efficient and cost effective. This knowledge and experience has been readily shared with many not-for-profit organizations in the community.

For a non profit organization, the HHICC Community Service Outreach Program is both a proactive and reactive community awareness program for organizations that need computer assistance and are struggling with computer help and training. Those not-for-profits may lack specific computer knowledge, mass emailing expertise or web site experience. By analyzing any specific needs, the HHICC seeks out appropriate club volunteers who have some skills and are willing to help share their knowledge and expertise. This Community Service Outreach Program and the HHICC contributions can directly contribute to the efficiency of your not-for-profit organization in the community, and perhaps allow new and even more meaningful activities. Qualifying for this program is easy, simply fill out this application and provide documentation of your eligibility as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and fax to 843 686 4677. More specific details, and any questions can be directed to Ellie Smith, HHICC Community Service Director at n2turtles@hargray.com

Websites
Websites can be very useful to help you market your organization and to communicate to your clients and patrons. The content of the web site comes from you, because you know your organization, your goals, your objectives, your clients and patrons, and you know what your message should be.

- What Can We Do For You?

work with you to secure a domain name and a web hosting provider. The fee will be paid by the organization and can be as low as $60/year.
discuss and develop an initial design, set some guidelines for submissions of content, initially probably as Word documents, with photos in jpg - size and resolution to be determined.
implement the initial design and perform the necessary formatting for the web, including navigation links.

- What You Need to Do!

provide a single contact who is a liaison and is empowered to make decisions about content and appearance.
identify the message of the organization, and identify the content and appearance of the website.
identify the potential web master (perhaps the same initial contact), who eventually will learn from HHICC how to perform routine maintenance and changes.

- When You Need Other Resources!

Other resources will need to be found/hired when the skills that HHICC volunteers bring to the task are exceeded. Usually our volunteers do not have extensive experience with animated or extensive graphics design, forms and database interaction and implementation.

NEWSLETTERS
Newsletters are wonderful way to communicate to your clients and patrons on a regular basis. There are challenges with both the production of the newsletter and emailing the newsletter to the recipients.

- What Can We Do For You?

work with your designated Editor to familiarize him/her with tools to design and layout the newsletter.
perform the necessary formatting for the newsletter, including navigation links where appropriate.
set some guidelines for submissions of content, initially probably as Word documents.
help locate and provide photos in jpg – teaching about size and resolution to be determined.
provide access to and teach Adobe Acrobat Professional for finalizing PDF newsletter layout.

- What You Need to Do!

provide a single contact (Editor) who is empowered to make decisions about content and appearance.
identify the message of the organization and content of each newsletter and a transmittal letter for email distribution, if desired.
if the newsletter is to be emailed, the Editor is responsible for creating and maintaining an electronic mailing list.
work with the Newsletter Editor who will learn from HHICC how to create subsequent issues.
the Editor will learn all of the skills from HHICC Newsletter Editor so as to assume full responsibility for creation of subsequent issues.

EMAILING
Emailing newsletters is extremely effective and cost efficient. What's required is a current and electronic list of email addresses, and a process to implement the mailing. We are all familiar with the issues of spam. To minimize spam, local ISPs have instituted severe restrictions to emailing from Residential Accounts. There are some alternatives, and some of these are discussed by HHICC’s Technical Director Bob Rathke’s Bulk Emailing Basics for Hilton Head Island Organizations. To consider these alternatives, discussions between the not-for-profits and HHICC are encouraged.

- What Can We Do For You?

help you solicit and establish an initial list of email addresses, preferably using MS Excel.
share with you the importance of keeping this list current and up-to-date.
demonstrate and teach the use of email and software to create and implement regular mailings.

- What You Need to Do!

identify a person within your organization to create and maintain the electronic email mailing list.
identify a person who will work with HHICC volunteers to learn how to implement your regular mailings.