$72 Million Deserves Some Noise: Whoop it up for Arts & Culture!

It’s apparent that art and culture enrich a community with diversity - they teach critical thinking, and attract a creative workforce.  Combine these positive societal effects with pure economics, and there is cause for Colorado Springs to celebrate!

Economic analysis by the Cultural Office of the Pikes PeakRegion (COPPeR) shows that art and cultural organizations are an economic engine for El Paso & Teller Counties -responsible for generating:

• 2,168 Full-time equivalent jobs 
• $72 million in annual expenditures 
• $4.3 million in local tax revenue 
• $2.2 million in state tax revenue

COPPeR’s Arts &Economic Prosperity Report was released yesterday by the organization’s Executive Director, Christina McGrath. The press conference, hosted by the newly opened Wyndham Grand Mining Exchange Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs, was well attended and the economic data well received by business, government and arts leaders.

For important detail on how arts and cultural organizations generate positive economic, as well as social, benefits for your community, click here to read COPPeR’s exhaustive, but eloquently designed report. 

The Perfect Social Media Equation For Nonprofits: Content + Partnership = Page Views

There are many reasons I have fun working for the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI): history, science, its unique geographic location, and of course, its nonprofit mission.  


Central to many of these reasons are the amazing people who are attracted to WMMI - visitors, volunteers, and staff. When the people are good, and the mission is important, nonprofits offer the perfect equation for effective social media marketing:


Content + Partnership = Page Views.


Providing entertainment, information and education (the first variable in the equation: Content) that benefits your stakeholders is the foundation of social media marketing success. Given WMMI’s diverse mission, there is no shortage of content. This translates easily to one or more WMMI Facebook posts per day. This keeps you thinking about how your mission is benefiting your stakeholders, provides you the opportunity to be creative, and most importantly from a social media marketing perspective, it keeps your product in your followers Facebook “News Feed.” (*Footnote below pertains to social media “streams.”)

Now, lets talk about the equation's Partnership variable. Stanford Social Innovation Review, in a terrific web article entitled Creating High-Impact Nonprofits, talked about the importance of “building networks of nonprofit allies.”  Of course, in any industry, networking can provide a powerful multiplier when, as Stanford’s Heather McLeod Grant & Leslie R. Crutchfield, put it: “high impact organizations help their peers succeed.”  Or, as Catherine Ryan Hyde stated in the title of her book: “Pay It Forward.” 


In regard to how this pertains to my work at WMMI, I had the opportunity to benefit camp counselors from the Philmont Scout Ranch by teaching them about mining history (don’t get me started about that!) using the museum’s tremendous resources. Because they knew they would be able to utilize this education in their work, and they had a good time touring the museum, the counselors agreed to a fun group photo and to facilitate contact with their organizations marketing staff for a potential social media marketing partnership. 


By recognizing a content opportunity, and working to provide a collaborative relationship (providing a beneficial education product and working to develop an authoritative management contact with a potential partner), I succeeded in generating the following Facebook posts:

The summation of the Perfect Social Media Equation (Content + Partnership = Page Views) is Page Views. I successfully worked on this equation at WMMI to generate over 6,900 views of WMMI’s Facebook Page and propose that you consider how you might use this equation to achieve your social media marketing goals. 

*Footnote: “News Feed” is Facebook’s term for posts you see from your friends, and other “Pages” you’ve “Liked.” Twitter shows you the “Tweets” from those you’ve followed. This posting activity in your social media network can be referred to as “social media stream or feed.” Depending on the social media application you are using (which should be determined by its ROI), you may need to post content more often (but not too often – you don’t want to pollute your followers stream!). An expert I listen too, recommends posting only three successive Tweets, two to four times per day, so your profile picture stands out in your followers Tweeter feed providing content, but not SPAM.

A Summer Reading List – Your Additions Welcome!

(Photo from: JOEL FRIEDLANDER’s Excellent Blog: http://tinyurl.com/7yct92z)

Summer Reading: So Many Books, So Little Time!

Recently, I asked a couple of people I bumped into about their summer reading plans and based on those results, decided to write this quick post:

One of my acquaintances mentioned a reading program from our local library. I love the Pike Peak Library District (Paula Miller, Executive Director and her team do amazing work!), and their All Pikes Peak Read Program (here’s a link that explains PPLD’s annual community reading program for 2012: http://ppld.org/whats-new/all-pikes-peak-reads-2012).

My wife, Julie, just finished “The Year of the Flood” (Margaret Atwood), and we are reading “The Unthinkable” by Amanda Ripley, which is also part of the All Pikes Peak Reads theme of survival. Ripley’s book looks at the psychology and sociology of surviving a disaster and is strangely comforting. I highly recommended it…and changing the batteries in your smoke detector!

Another individual recommended "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. This book has been recommended to me several times by some very thoughtful people, so with this reminder, I’ll make sure it’s on my reading list for this summer!

The third recommendation in my simple survey said: “Baseball in the air and on the pages” in Moneyball, by Michael Lewis. Enough said!

My recommendation goes to Scott Huler’s recent book titled: “On The Grid.” While it’s a nonfiction overview of the critical infrastructure that literally ties us together, it’s humorous with an interesting narrative, so it shouldn’t be disqualified as fun summer read! (If you are interested, here’s a book review I wrote: http://bpossibleproject.blogspot.com/2012/01/obamas-state-of-union-calls-for.html.)

Thanks to those who contributed to my survey and if anyone else would like to add a recommendation, please comment below. 

Turns out, “Mega Millions” was a good bet for me!

Seldom does gambling on the lottery enter my consciousness. I have chosen to take my risks in other gambles. But the run up of the recent “Mega Millions Lottery” jackpot to over half-a-billion dollars captured my attention and I made a bet.

What dreams came of this?

Ruminations creating ridiculous imagery of competitive generosity – “who to leave in and who to leave out.”  Even in the concocted, foggy reality of what could be, my ego begins to create worry and anxiety.

Truly, no matter where you are placed on the “living standard” scale (at least in our bountiful United States), the mind wants to concoct threats to its serenity. Indeed, serenity can only come first. Right Now! Regardless of where you go (or what you have), there you are. Even in dreams.

Turns out my lottery bet was a good investment for me. It helped me to remember that the only real jackpot is in being present.

Thanks for spending your present here.

The Natural Gas Market: Production & Consumption – Keeping Track is Hard!

Keeping track of issues associated with my natural resource utilization is important to me, but it’s time consuming! 


In consuming natural resources, I try to be consistent. 


Well, at least I try to think about the impact of my natural resource utilization. 


Given that, here are some references:


Natural gas is a relatively clean burning hydrocarbon, and we utilize a lot of it to produce the energy we use in home and commercial space and water heating and electricity generation for lighting. 


Industry utilizes natural gas for these energy applications as well, but also uses it as a raw material, or directly in the process of manufacturing products for the market. Products that include the direct use of natural gas include: paper, fabric, plastic, metals, chemicals, anti-freeze, fertilizer, petroleum, stone building materials, clay, glass and pharmaceuticals. 

NaturalGas.org: Uses of Natural Gas (Info on consumption in the United States)  


Specifically, according to the Energy Information Administration, in 2010, End Users in the United States consumed 23,775,388 Million Cubic Feet of natural gas.


Given this, our growing population, and the desire to grow our economy, the market will demand increased natural gas production (Drilling). 


As a matter of fact, President Barack Obama made an important reference to that fact in his 2012 State of the Union speech.  Albany Times Union, Drillers get lift from Obama's State of the Union Speach. 


Of course, by definition, my use of natural resources impacts that environment which will effect you.


Consequently, the government regulates this process. I believe that regulators try to balance the market (my consumption needs, environmental impacts on you, and industry’s economic goals). 


Journalists like Pam Zubeck from the Colorado Springs Independent do a great service to us (and her customers) by keeping us informed about industry, regulators and the elected governmental officials who manage this market. Reading her article, Close-Up,  provides a great example of this process. 


From the reporting in Ms. Zubeck’s latest article, Still In Control, regarding the recent ruling on oil and drilling regulations established by El Paso County and its Commissioners, it looks to me like the market for natural gas (my demand, production, as well as for issues and ideas related to environmental concerns) has been established. 


In other words, the natural gas that I demand will be provided by the market through increased production – drilling. 


I believe I can affect this market in three ways: 


1. Try to be knowledgeable about my natural resource utilization and what it takes to serve my demand. 
2. Vote.
3. And, most importantly, conserve. 


I’m going to turn down the thermostat on my natural gas furnace, and try not to use peak, natural gas generated electricity when I run my microwave, coffee pot, clothes dryer, and electric oven all at once.

Obama’s State of the Union calls for Infrastructure Spending. Huler’s “On The Grid” Explains Why.

Scott Huler’s book, On The Grid (2010, Rodale), should be required reading for every voter in the United States.

I limit it to voters, because they will ultimately determine how our citizenry stays connected – and I mean physically connected.

In a humorous and very readable narrative, Scott overviews the critical infrastructure that literally ties our country together. From land development and geographic information systems, to sewer and water pipelines, roadways, airports, energy and communication systems, On The Grid provides a compelling tour of the importance of our utilities.

While the book is encompassing, and provides intriguing historical references, it is surprisingly compact and technically attainable. After reading it, I appreciate so much more the serious, and critical work (not to mention investment) involved in constructing and maintaining the systems I access by simply dialing a phone number, flicking a switch, or even more basic: flushing my toilet.

Now I am thinking more about what it means to run my garbage disposal, leave my lab top plugged in, and about the men and women I see fixing a broken water main.

Finally, Mr. Huler’s book has made me realize how dependent we are On The Grid and how we’ll never be able to get off it. Consequently, I’m ready to support its maintenance with my vote and tax dollars.

Check out this great On the Grid web site that will help you learn more about your sewer, water, gas, electric, communications and roadway systems:

On the Grid: A Plot of Land, an Average Neighborhood, and the Systems that Make our World Work

Geology Event Accomplishes Nonprofit Goals

I’m confident that events must be a critical part of any nonprofit’s business and marketing plan (See my blog: Meaningful Events Benefit Nonprofits – 7 Reasons Why!). This report explains how the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI) met several of its goals in hosting a Family Exploration Day associated with geology on January 14, 2012.

First: Obviously, geology is directly related to mining, and WMMI presented a terrific educational program related to this part of its mission.  In this picture, Geologist, and long time museum supporter, Steven Veatch relates to visitors with “hands-on” science demonstrations.

(Steven Veatch is prolific in research, publication and education associated with the science of Geology in the Pikes Peak Region. I encourage you all to visit his fascinating blog site: Colorado Earth Science.)


Second: This event allowed WMMI to add value to its beneficiaries. Many members attended, and the event allowed the museum to partner with other nonprofits with similar missions. Here, the Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds (Friends) presented at the museum. This benefits the Friends organization by increasing the exposure of their remote facility, and benefits WMMI through association with a highly credible organization.

Third: This well-managed event provided a profitable revenue stream in ticket sales and it affirmed the financial support WMMI receives form the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society.  Individuals representing the Society were in attendance talking about their organization, doing hands-on demonstrations, and recruiting new members.

By delving into a facet of its mission in new ways, this event provided a diverse revenue stream from normal operations, and allowed WMMI to build and re-enforce key community relationships. This demonstrates a few of the ways nonprofits can achieve a return on investment from successful events.