CyberGrants



The Walmart Foundation continues to support initiatives focused on providing access to safe, healthy food, creating career opportunities and strengthening communities—all in an effort to enable sustainable impact for people to live better everywhere. As we support nonprofit organizations across the globe, we look to our grantees to help share our impact through external (news releases, events) and internal (Walmart, organization-branded) channels.

We have compiled these best practices from previous grantees and encourage you to use this as a guide to help communicate the Foundation’s investment and the important work we are doing together to improve lives. We’ve also developed several template materials that you can customize for your announcements.

General Communication Strategy Suggestions

In advance and working with your Walmart Foundation grant manager, grantees should consider:

• Developing a straight-forward, robust communications plan including:

|Goals |Online tactics, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. |

|Key audiences |Thought leader communications |

|Key messages |Employee communications |

|Media strategy | PR tactics that will sustain the news following an initial announcement (celebrating key |

| |milestones, impact, etc.) |

• Creating a platform for the announcement to increase news value:

|Speaking engagements, conferences, etc. |Organization meeting/event |Media roundtables/briefings |

|News conference in the key market |New study/research to increase news value | |

|Tactics and Descriptions |

Media Outreach

Organizations can take messages about their programs to millions of people via the news media by developing a media outreach plan to announce a grant from the Walmart Foundation.

Examples of tactics included in successful media outreach planning/execution:

• News Materials: News releases, media alerts and fact sheets developed by the grantee and approved by the Walmart Foundation should position grants from the Foundation as timely support for programs that address an important national or local need/issue. If your funding is from the Walmart Foundation, be sure to reference “the Walmart Foundation” in all press materials, not “Walmart.” Language should reflect our shared goals and the impact we intend to have on people’s lives. Whenever possible, use anecdotal stories, anticipated or actual outcomes and/ or statistics about the issue we are working to solve. If you would like to include a quote from the Walmart Foundation in a news release, please send a request to your grant manager. If appropriate, Walmart will write a quote for your use.

|Tactics and Descriptions (Continued) |

Media Outreach Continued

• Reference the following template media materials that you can customize for your announcement:

o News Release

o Q&A

o Fact Sheet

o Social Media Posts

o Media Alert

o Media Talking Posts

o Event Run-of-Show

o Event Checklist

• National Media Outreach: Pitch the grant and its relevance to national news outlets, such as the Associated Press, USA Today and national philanthropy trades. Send all news materials to your Walmart Foundation contact who can then vet the information through Walmart’s approval process.

• Local Media Outreach: Pitch the grant and its relevance to local print and broadcast media outlets, including local TV morning shows and talk radio programs. This is particularly successful if your grant is national but will impact local communities. Local outreach should include messaging from the national release that is tailored for the local market.

• News Conferences: Planning news conferences to announce grants that include local elected officials, community members who will benefit from the grant, Walmart representatives and leaders from the nonprofit organization. These conferences should be held when there are strong local media angles and visuals for broadcast media.

• Approval Process: The Walmart Foundation needs to approve media materials, including documents being posted online such as blogs. Send materials for approval to your grant manager and wmfoundation@. Approval can take up to two weeks.

Online Engagement

Social engagement is an important tactic in ensuring that audiences who prefer online channels are aware of grants from the Walmart Foundation, and that the information is more easily found via search engines.

• Social Media Outreach:

o Twitter: The Walmart Foundation has a Twitter presence via the handle @walmartgiving. Consider following us and sending a tweet to our account, and we’d be happy to let our followers know about our partnership. Tweets could include a thank you to the Walmart Foundation, a brief description of the program funded or a link to a related news story.

|Tactics and Descriptions (Continued) |

o Facebook: Walmart has a presence on Facebook and our “fans” appreciate hearing about our Foundation work. If your organization is on Facebook, you can engage with us by including us in your status update or writing on our wall, for example. Our page is walmart. Please consider becoming a “fan” of us there and encouraging your constituents to visit as well.

o YouTube: Walmart Community hosts videos about the Walmart Foundation, and we invite you to tag us in posts about your grant program. You can find us at user/WalmartCommunity.

o Pinterest: Walmart is active on Pinterest at Walmart. We encourage you to share photos of your grant program or media event and tag Walmart in your posts.

• Blogger Outreach: Share announcements with philanthropy and nonprofit bloggers with the request that they include mention on their blogs. Also consider outreach to bloggers who cover topics in your industry (education, environment, workforce development, hunger relief, etc.).

• Grantee websites: Adding information about the grant to your internal and external websites can generate awareness of our partnership and the impact that grant will have in the community. Also, videos can tell the story about how your organization is working in the community. Link to on your site as a resource for information about Walmart’s and the Walmart Foundation’s giving.

Speaking Engagements

Speeches that mention grants from the Walmart Foundation and the impact those funds will have in the community ensure that appropriate audiences are aware of timely support from the Walmart Foundation for programs that address an important need/issue.

• Inviting Walmart: When appropriate, grantees should invite Walmart Foundation representative to join them at these speaking engagements

• Reporting Back: Grantees should be sure that their Walmart Foundation contact is aware of speaking engagements in which the organization will mention grants from the Walmart Foundation.

Thought Leader Outreach

Communications about grants from the Walmart Foundation to elected officials, academics and other community leaders who are important to the nonprofit assures that thought leaders are aware of your organization and programs. These communications also reiterate timely support from the Walmart Foundation for programs that address an important need/issue.

Written Feedback

Letters from a nonprofit’s executive leadership, local chapters and those benefitting from the Walmart Foundation grant should communicate the impact that the funds are having on the organization and community. Providing this feedback to the Walmart Foundation leadership makes a difference.

Awards

When appropriate, grantees should consider the Walmart Foundation for awards that recognize corporate funders for their commitment to addressing important national or local needs/issues.

|Tactics and Descriptions (Continued) |

Annual Reports

When appropriate, grantees should include mention of the grant from the Walmart Foundation in annual reports. Grantees should be sure that their Walmart Foundation contact receives a copy of the annual report.

Internal Communications

Grantees should consider ensuring that their employees are aware of the grant from the Walmart Foundation by sharing news materials with staff and including mention of the grant in internal communications.

|Leveraging Walmart Foundation Channels |

Walmart Foundation Channels

This section will help us learn about and celebrate the impact your organization has on individuals and the communities it serves in a more real-time format. As an esteemed partner, we want to share your efforts in the form of personalized feature and news stories through Walmart’s various internal and external communications channels. With 2.2 million associates worldwide; 1.4 million nationally and 800,000 internationally, Walmart has the tools to provide an increase in awareness and action for your organization. By providing the necessary information to wmfounation@, Walmart Foundation’s Strategic Engagement team can better determine if it’s necessary to follow up and build a story.

Whether you’re highlighting an individual, group or community, please provide the following:

• Background of the individuals needs as it pertains to the services they are receiving

• Services or programs that the individual is receiving/participating in

• Impact that the services provided by the organization has or will have on the individual

• Quote(s) from individual or related person to show the value of the program

• Provide quote(s) from a team member or related person to show the value of the program

|Leveraging Walmart Foundation Channels (Continued) |

Naming

Incorporating “Walmart” or Walmart Foundation into the name of programs being supported by the Walmart Foundation helps ensure that those being served and others recognize Walmart Foundation whenever the program is referred to by name (this should be considered for national program and regrants). Speak to your grant manager about past examples and suggestions.

General Signage/Logo Placement

Grantees should consider acknowledging support from the Walmart Foundation on their website and in any publications related to the grant/program. The Walmart Foundation and its logo should be considered for the following:

• Event signage

• Annual reports and/or newsletters

• Presentation checks

• Nonprofit’s website

• Posters, publications, invitations, pamphlets, etc.

• Apparel or uniforms (shirts, jackets, hats, etc.)

• Vehicles, tents, banners, and other large/visible objects if purchased with grant money from the Walmart Foundation

• “SWAG” products or grab bags, takeaways (e.g. pens, water bottles)

|Leveraging Walmart Foundation Channels (Continued) |

Walmart logo usage guidelines:

The Walmart logo (without the “Save Money. Live Better” tagline) should be used for any logo placement opportunities relating to any grants awarded through the Walmart Foundation. When the logo appears on a white background, use our primary Walmart medium blue and yellow:

Walmart medium blue Walmart yellow

C:89 M:43 Y:0 K:0 C:0 M:29 Y:91 K:0

R:26 G:117 B:207 R:253 G:187 B:48

• Always maintain clear space around the Walmart logo to protect it from distracting graphics or typography.

• Measure clear space around the logo by the height of the "r" in Walmart for vertical space, and the width of the "r" for horizontal space.

• For the spark symbol, measure clear space by half of the height of one spoke. Never allow typography or other elements to "invade" the logo or the symbol.

Never reproduce the logo - smaller than 3/4" wide, measured from the "W" to the right side edge of the spark

Never reproduce the spark - smaller than 1/8" wide, measured from one edge of the spark to the other

Advertising

Grantees should consider including the Walmart Foundation and its logo in advertisements that thank donors for helping in their efforts. The Walmart Foundation may have generic pillar-specific ads that can be placed in publications. Please contact your grant manager to discuss.

Results and Reporting

Grantees should share their communications plans with their Walmart Foundation grant manager and keep them apprised of results in real-time and at the conclusion of your announcement. As you conduct media outreach, track coverage in a comprehensive report that captures all stories secured, and includes placement numbers and total audience reach. For online engagement, develop a report that provides a thorough overview of the social media posts published by your organization, media, key influencers, and you constituents, and tracks placement numbers and overall engagement (i.e. retweets, shares, likes, etc.) as appropriate.

Send media coverage reports, summaries and impact story ideas to your grant manager and wmfoundation@. There will be a section on the Walmart Foundation Annual Report template to share this information.

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Example: The Children’s Foundation of ABC helps provide nutritious meals and cooking lessons to low-income families. Sally Jones, a recipient, recently shared her story with us.

Sally is a single mother of two children, and has limited food resources for her family. She enrolled in our Healthy Families nutrition education program and participated in two courses. Through the program, Sally has learned skills to help her cook healthier meals at home. She has also attended a nutrition workshop where she increased her knowledge of nutrition and healthy food and learned how she can save $200 a year on her grocery bill. Sally now encourages her friends and relatives to participate in the program.

Sally shared the following quote with us:

“Without the Healthy Families program, I don’t know where I would be. It has helped me change the eating habits of my kids and they are both eating more fruits and veggies. I am able to stretch our food budget further and now know which foods to choose at my local grocery store. I can’t wait for the next class!”

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