What organization is UTSA Today talking about? PRSSA is who they are talking about! Check out the article by clicking on the link below.
By the way, the article was written by our very own vice president Rolando Gonzalez!
My Comm Week Experience
Written by:
Sharon Daniel
Fundraising
Did you know that 75% of all families give in the United States?! Hopefully, by you learning the steps to being an effective fundraiser will be motivating enough to not being afraid to ask. There will be times were you will be told “no,” but just by you being knowledgeable and confident enough to ask makes asking so worth it. Just remember the “no” can mean not at this time, or that there’s simply no money to give at the moment. Special guest speakers Jim Eskin and Michael Bacon talked about how to be behind a successful fundraiser. Michael Bacon put it into perspective when he said you have to “check your ego at the door, because it’s not about you, it is about the mission and funds that you raise.” I am happy to share some knowledge that I learned with you, so hopefully when you go on your own fundraising mission, you will have a solid game plan!
What to expect:
-People don’t give unless asked.
-Donors’ might donate a small amount at first to see what you will do with it, before they give a bigger gift. You have no control of donations of donors.
-Not everyone will donate.
Planning your ask:
What do we know?
-The list of donors.
-Amount received.
Where are you going to ask?
-Best places are in a person’s home or office, not at a restaurant because it is in an uncontrolled environment (waiter coming through).
How are you going to ask?
-Face to face is the best, phone call if you met and spoken to the person already.
-Don’t tell of the discussion over the phone. If you say to the donor that you need the “practice your sing and dance,” chances are they will not say “no.”
-Most likely there will be a gate keeper; it is helpful to have a friend of the donor to call so the call will go through.
-Set an appointment with the clear purpose of sharing a gift proposal, no surprises!
-Get as many people a part of the donors goals that also support your mission to back you up when you ask for a donation (ex. Staff members, peer volunteers, board members), so that it will give more reason for the donor to say “yes.”
-Offer if anyone would like to be there (spouse? CPA?), so everyone is there at once.
-Summarize and ask for the steps next taken, like “how do you feel about me calling you in (X) months for a donation of (X) amount?” or “can we count on you for a gift of (X)?”
Materials you need:
-Specific proposal with cost estimates or benefits noted, like of the donors target audience is also the audience you will be serving.
-Tell a case for support, like a story (ex. of family we served).
-Financial or fundraising progress report. Donors want to know who else donates. Note: Ask for part of but not the whole amount of something.
Things to remember:
-Don’t judge a book by its cover. You never know who your next donor will be.
-Be conversational.
-Practice in the mirror.
-Always have a plan B.
It dawned on me that this advice was not just beneficial for fundraising purposes but can also be applied to your own personal life. As a tip, Michael Bacon said when you go into someone’s house and you are asked “would you like a glass of water?” you should say “yes.” That way when you ask for a sum instead of twiddling your fingers while waiting for a response, to give yourself something to do “you can pick up your glass and take a long sip or water!” Also, keep in mind that listening is prudent; it is 75% of the work while the other 25% is you leading the conversation. By being an effective listener, you will be able to shape your proposal to better fit the donors’ interest and ethics, which will help you gain their trust. Hopefully this information helps you build the confidence to ask and helps you plan a successful fundraising. Good luck in your ventures!
My Shadow Day Experience
Written by: Ariana Bocanegra
I had an amazing time shadowing Rebecca Fontenot, editor in chief of San Antonio Magazine. What was so amazing about this shadow day was that I was able to learn about 2 industries in one day: the magazine industry and the broadcast industry.
Broadcast: Rebecca appeared on the San Antonio Living show produced by WOAI to promote the April issue of San Antonio Magazine. We sat behind the scenes of the production. We saw the preparations made before each segment of the show was videotaped. There was all sorts of commotion as everyone prepared to go on air, but once the show was on air, everyone was quiet and focused in the background.
Magazine: I had no idea how much work goes into publishing a magazine. There are four account executives who sell ad space to companies who might be interested in reaching the San Antonio Magazine readers as customers. There is a graphic designer who designs the layout of pages and all images that go into the magazine. They have a photojournalist who takes pictures that are needed for an issue. They have a circulation and marketing manager who attempts to increase the number of subscribers to the magazine by making events and using other marketing techniques. The editor in chief and the assistant decide what goes in the magazine and what gets taken out. They are the filter for the message that the magazine wants to voice. There are also freelance writers and photographers who contribute to the magazine whenever it is needed.
Overall, I had a very interesting experience and I wanted to share what I learned about the magazine and broadcast industry!
Night With the Pros Guests
As many of you may know one of PRSSA’s biggest events, Night With the Pros, is right around the corner. We hope you all are as excited as we are to meet this deiverse group of professionals. To better prepare you for the event Tanya has created a flier with all the head shots and bios for each professional. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 6pm in UC Ballroom 2! Do not forget to bring your resumes and a notepad to take notes. Dress is business casual!
Red Ventures Workshop/Social
Red ventures will be having a workshop/social on April 18th. To attend members need to RSVP to prssa.utsa@gmail.com by April 12th at 5pm. Also, because there will be alcohol at the social we need for members to RSVP with their date of birth confirming that they will be 21 by April 18th.
Don’t miss out on this great networking opportunity so RSVP today!
Night With the Pros: 2nd Pro Bio and Head Shot
Having a love of fashion since she was a child, Cynthia Chapa, knew that the fashion industry was something that she wanted to be a part of. Cynthia graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word in 2000, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fashion Merchandising Cum Laude. Since her college years, Cynthia has served as a Merchandise Manager and produced many fashion shows for stores such as : Dillards, Gap and Ann Taylor. Cynthia shared her experience and knowledge about the fashion industry with students at the International Academy of Design and Technology, where she worked as the Department Chair for the Fashion Department for 5 years. Since serving as the Department Chair, Cynthia produced close to 40 fashion shows for the students at IADT, and helped the department to earn the Fashion Rising Star Award in the Education Category for SA Fashion Week 2010. Cynthia served as Co-Regional Director for Fashion Group International of San Antonio, and was a key person in initiating San Antonio’s Fashion Week. Last year, she served as Director for SA Fashion Week 2011, and received the Fashion Rising Star Award in the category of Fashion Advocate during SA Fashion Week 2011. Cynthia is a contributing fashion writer for the blog, “Fashionably San Antonio,” and the website “Popular Hispanics,” and frequently appears on Great Day SA and Fox News 35 Morning Show as a fashion personality. Cynthia received her Masters Degree in December 2010 concentrating in Organizational Development and continues to lead the fashion community is San Antonio as well as now serving as the Community Relations Manager for IADT.
Night With the Pros: 1st Pro Bio and Head Shot
Anthony Pedrotti
I graduated from University of Texas at San Antonio in December of 2006 with a Marketing degree. I started working for my parents who own a catering company and venue in 2007. Well I had always worked with them on and off again through college, but I began full-time sales in 2007. I have run through a couple of marketing campaigns with them and increased web presence. I reach out to local and national clients on a daily basis. I also sell the events to the end client and attend almost every event. Our sales do fluctuate with the economy. I truly love putting all of these events together and then seeing them come to life.
**Attention Members**
Below is a list of important dates:
March 25-29 – Communication Week
March 26 – Twitter Chat, 8:00pm
April 3 – PR Committee Meeting, JPL Lobby, 6:45pm
April 4 – PRSA Luncheon, The Bright Shawl 819 Augusta St, 11:30
April 10 – Night With The Pros, UC Ballroom 2, 6:00pm
April 12 – Chapter Social, Main Event, Time TBA
April 17 – Webinar meeting, 6:00pm
April 18 – Red Ventures, Detail to come, RSVP required
April 20 – San Antonio Aids Foundation’s Day of Caring, 9am-1pm
April 20 – PRSSA mixer w/ UT Austin, St. Edwards and Texas State, Floating the river, More details to come
May 10 – Banquet, Brio at La Cantera, Details to come
If you have any questions about any of the meetings or events please feel free to contact an officer. If you need any of our emails, they are located on a flier on our bulletin board located in the MH building.
Making A Difference During Spring Break
While some students are spending their time floating the river for spring break, PRSSA was spending their time volunteering to a great cause. Meals on Wheels is an organization that thrives with the help of volunteers. During spring break regular volunteers go home leaving a shortage of people to cover routes. Students from around San Antonio stepped up to fill that shortage. PRSSA was amongst those students. For a chance to see this chapter in action click on the link below. Way to go above and beyond PRSSA!
Spring 2013 Executive Board
On December 6, 2012 the new executive board for PRSSA, UTSA chapter was announced at our winter banquet. Below you will find the names with their positions and emails for each executive board member.
Delisi Duarte – President – president.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Rolando Gonzalez – Vice President – vicepresident.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Jacqueline Rodriguez – Secretary – prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Alex Erazo – Treasurer – treasurer.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Fernanda Cantu – Director of Membership – membership.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Jaylon Brinkley – Director of Fundraising – fundraising.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Christian Navarrete – Director of Public Relations – pr.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Tanya Balderas – Director of Events – events.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
Roger Cardenas – Director of Unity PR – firmdirector.unitypr.prssa@gmail.com
Michelle Greene – Historian/Webmaster – historian.prssa.utsa@gmail.com
If you need to contact any of the e-board members please do so at their respective emails.
We look forward to continuing in our predecessors’ paths and making spring 2013 another successful semester for PRSSA!
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