Wondering whether you should go to River Rally? Read on to learn
more from two of our featured speakers who bring practical tools to
your work on water.
The first interview with Eric Eckl, Director
of Water Words That Work, speaks about his forthcoming sessions on
better ways to communicate watershed protection. Wendy Wilson, Director
of Organizational Development for River Network, discusses about
effective strategies to engage people and raise funds.
Eric Eckl wants to help River Rally participants kick the "habit of preaching to the eco-choir"
Q: What is your Water Words That Work session really about?
Eric
Eckl: It's a wakeup call about how all our efforts are compromised by
our habit of preaching to the eco-choir - and a step-by-step guide for
kicking that habit.
People will learn a four-step method for
preparing written and verbal presentations that are effective with
every day citizens, instead of just their peers.
Q: How will this help groups struggling with limited funding and declining volunteerism?
Eric Eckl: The point of the Water Words That Work method is to expand those resources!!! Organizations that use the Water Words That Work method in their fundraising will generally raise more money from first time donors than those that don't use the method. Organizations that use the Water Words That Work method in their volunteer recruitment efforts will recruit more first-time volunteers than those that don't use the method. That's the whole point of it.
Q: Why is this session important?
Eric Eckl: If tough times have got you down, this session should pick up your spirits. It's explicitly designed to be inspiring and encouraging, and make you feel great about the important work that you do. The session should renew their faith in themselves and the importance of their work, and help them experience more success and less frustration in their efforts to bring new people into the fold.
Q: Tell us about your work with watershed groups
Eric Eckl: I have been working closely with watershed associations for about 8 years now...all told, I have spent the last 11 years working with local groups of citizens working to save some special place in nature. Everything else I ever tried just felt like something to pay the bills.
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end
Wendy Wilson, Director of Organizational Development, River Network will lead two sessions at River Rally aimed at better engaging citizens into water work and the essentials of fundraising.
Q: What will people learn in your sessions?
Wendy
Wilson: Leaders need to have networks of volunteers to call upon, be
inspired by, and lead! We will evaluate where in your organization you
have opportunities to build your human capital and reach more deeply
into your community.
This session will help you set your
personal goals and a plan of action to get more people engaged. There
are ways to set up your operations so that you don't burn out.
Q: What will people learn in your session on building a fundraising plan? What specific tools or practices will they learn to empower them to go back?
Wendy Wilson: Do you know where you want to be 3 years from now
financially? How should you get there? We can answer a lot of the
little questions that stand in the way of you being able to answer the
big ones.
There is no shortage of good watershed and
conservation projects - too many groups spend their precious time
planning good projects that are never implemented because they didn't
have a fundraising plan.
Q: Seriously, can fundraising be fun?
Wendy Wilson: Totally! Funny hats are definitely involved. It's a
great way build an organization of dedicated, committed, engaged
volunteer leaders. Capture what is unique about what you do - splashy -
funny - or even ridiculous - people always want to participate if it's
fun and tastes good.
No one can predict the success of your
efforts but fund raising can be a lot easier with a reasonable plan. It
is always a lot to manage - but it can be fun if the logistics don't
wear you down.
Q: What is your personal experience working with groups on this issue?
Wendy Wilson: I've built several successful organizations from the
ground up and then left them to grow without me. I think that is the
goal for leaders.
I've worked as a volunteer for, leader in, and
consultant to dozens of watershed groups for over two decades. At River
Network we train hundreds of groups each year at the National River
Rally and through direct consulting and assistance. As a result I think
groups are more stable and well prepared to tackle the important
organizational and programmatic issues they face.
end
About River Rally
River Rally is an "opportunity to share, learn, network, re-energize, celebrate, and join forces" with a hundred or more of your fellow watershed protectors!
Held September 29 to October 1 in Devon, Alberta, there will be a
variety of sessions helping groups who are working on water issues to
communicate more effectively, raise money, leverage more resources, and
engage citizens into their work. River Rally 2009 is hosted by Alberta
Ecotrust Foundation and Petro-Canada in collaboration with Water
Matters, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, and Alberta Stewardship
Network.
Registration: $140
Who should attend?
Anyone working on watershed protection in Alberta is welcome, including:Water Leaders — Staff and volunteers from Watershed Stewardship groups (stream, lake, river and wetland groups), government agencies, NGOs, and companies working on watershed management, stewardship, and protection within Alberta.
Water Practitioners — Individuals who would like to join a growing learning community of citizens interested in water issues within Alberta.
Water Learners — Professionals, students, and citizens from all corners and watersheds in Alberta who want to engage in collective creativity and intelligence in order to achieve better cooperation and results.
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