The PR Girl

Good morning, Yahoo! Don’t let me down.

A mom talks about telling her and her husband’s family and friends about the diagnosis of their son’s Down syndrome, and how they reacted. She concludes by remarking that most of her apprehension about family and friends negative reactions was not the reality, and instead received mostly support and acceptance.

[View Video Blog Post]

See more videos at http://downsyndromeforreel.com/wordpress.com.

A mom describes her teen son’s positive and enlightened reaction to seeing and being around older individuals with Down syndrome at the National Down Syndrome Congress conference.

[View Video Blog]

More videos at Down Syndrome for Reel, a video blog of real accounts from real people about living with Down syndrome.

Job Opportunity: Manager of Digital Communications

About FARE

Formed in 2012 as a result of a merger between the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI), FARE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to food allergy research and education with the mission of ensuring the safety and inclusion of individuals with food allergies while relentlessly seeking a cure. Food allergies are potentially life-threatening and affect as many as 15 million people in the United States, including one in 13 children. FARE funds world-class research that advances treatment and understanding of food allergies, provides evidence-based education and resources, undertakes advocacy at all levels of government, and increases awareness of food allergies as a serious public health issue. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org.

Position Description

The Manager of Digital Communications is a hands-on digital generalist who will be responsible for managing FARE’s websites, online fundraising platforms and social media accounts. With support from the communications team, the Manager of Digital Communication will plan, develop and implement strategy, content and design for the organization’s digital and social platforms. This position will work closely with team members throughout the organization to help ensure all online content is mission-driven and evidence-based. With the recent completion of the merger between FAAN and FAI, the Manager of Digital Communications will be a critical team member in the launch of FARE’s new websites and rebranded digital platforms. This position will report to the Vice President of Communications.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic plans for website content and social media platforms in partnership with members of the communications department
• Work with VP of Communications and the development department to develop plans and design for online fundraising platforms and e-marketing materials
• Manage all technical aspects of the websites, online marketing platforms and e-marketing tools; execute design and development across the organization’s online platforms
• Develop thoughtful, well-written content consistent with established, evidence-based messaging
• Manage day-to-day updates to the website and social media platforms; work with members of the communications department to monitor online discussions about food allergies and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and topics of interest
• As one of the primary online “faces” of the organization, be proactive, professional, approachable and responsive with online community members and ensure social platforms live up to our commitment to be evidence-based and mission-driven
• Employ SEO best practices and work with team members to incorporate these into all content developed for the web
• Track and report on website, e-marketing/e-communications and social media metrics
• Make strategic recommendations to communications team on ways to provide increased value to our active online community and enhance community engagement

·         Project coordination and management for digital launches

·         Work with the VP of Communications to develop a social media policy

Qualifications

·         Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of web design, development and programming experience, preferably in a nonprofit environment

·         Experience creating database-driven websites using any of the following web programming and design technologies: HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, PHP, Flash, Dreamweaver

·         Demonstrated experience in designing and programming within the Sphere platform

·         Knowledge of and experience with Blackbaud’s NetCommunty Grow CMS preferred

·         Experience with strategy and day-to-day management of nonprofit social media platforms

·         Strong written and verbal communications skills

·         Ability to juggle multiple projects at once, prioritize and manage expectations

·         Commitment to quality and excellence in online communications

·         Integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven and self-directed

·         A team player, who can work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people within a collegial, yet demanding, work environment

·         Strong work ethic, common sense and a sense of humor are essential

·         Friendly and willing to learn, with an overall great attitude

To Apply

Send resume and work samples to vbrown@foodallergy.org.

The last paragraph from the New York Times Bits of Business Technology blog post “Twitter Learns a Lesson”:

“Eric Wemple, blogging for The Washington Post, notes the whole controversy could have been avoided. (British newspaper reporter for The Independent Guy) Adams told him, “If NBC wasn’t so arrogant and had called me up on Friday afternoon and said, ‘Look, old boy, we consider this private information, and would you delete this tweet,” Mr. Adams likely would have complied.”

There’s a lesson we can all learn from this fiasco: communicate directly with your adversary, and whatever disagreement likely won’t blow up in your face.

Read the full story.

Here is my PLEA that you all take 5 minutes in the next couple of days and contact your senator and ask them to cosponsor the ABLE Act.

For those who don’t already know, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) would establish tax-exempt 529 accounts for our family members with Down syndrome (or other disabilities). The money in these 529 accounts would give these individuals the ability to save for education, medical expenses, job training, community-based supports, etc., and reduce their dependency on public benefits.

THIS IS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT COULD DRASTICALLY AFFECT THE WAY WE PLAN AND SAVE FOR OUR CHILDRENS’ FUTURES.

The ABLE Act currently has 166 cosponsors in the House and 22 cosponsors in the Senate… but we still need more cosponsors to help us pass the bill. You can help us reach over 200 cosponsors in the House and 35 cosponsors in the Senate by July 31 (August Recess)! 

Please take a few moments and make a call, send an email, and/or set up a meeting with your Senators and Representative to discuss the ABLE Act TODAY. It only takes a few minutes and makes a huge difference!

Click on the links (House and Senate) to find out if your Members of Congress have cosponsored the ABLE Act. NDSS has three easy ways to contact your Senators and Representatives:

1)      Call (here) - using our call-in template

2)      Write (here) - using our email template

3)      Meet (here)  - to set up a meeting with your Senators and Representatives

For more information about the ABLE Act, please use the following resources:

ABLE Act one-pager

The ABLE Act - The 112th Congress

ABLE Act Gains Support from 49 National, State, and Local Advocacy Organizations

When Linda Jay Geldens attended a computer conference and saw an internal newsletter on a table at the back of the room, she cringed when she saw it riddled with typos.

She circled all the mistakes in red and made an appointment to talk with the newsletter’s editor.

As she slid the heavily edited newsletter onto his desk, she said brashly, “You need me.”

He agreed and hired her immediately. For more than a year, she edited the newsletter for the company, Apple.

Do you wait for business to come to you? Or do you come right out and ask for clients like Linda does?

She finds clients other clever ways, which she explains in this blog post.

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe athttp://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”