Publishing Comes Easy to a Small Nonprofit

Mission Statement: To empower people with disabilities with the tools to enable self-sufficiency

Question 1: The Before: What was the challenge, issue or problem your organization was facing? Or, what was the opportunity you were not able to take advantage of before you put a technology solution in place?; Answer: 1. Our total budget for the calendar year is $108,000, so obviously we must be prudent in how we spend the money. We wanted a brochure to distribute throughout the community. Our research showed that the cost of using a printer to design and print the brochures was prohibitive. None of our staff had done any design work, let alone mock-up a brochure. We needed to find another solution to this issue.

Question 2: What Microsoft software have you used/are you using in your organization to more effectively engage your beneficiaries, donors and/or volunteers and/or to make a difference in your community?; Answer: Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 (Includes any of the following: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, and Word); Other:

Question 3: The After: How have these Microsoft products allowed you to engage your stakeholders more efficiently or effectively to make a difference in your community?; Answer: 3. We found out that, yes, staff could design a tri-fold brochure, get it onto the computer, and print it out. We did it with Microsoft Publisher. Not only were we able to design our core brochure, but we were able to make great business cards. Our brochures are now prominently displayed in our partners’ offices; we pass them out at presentations, and send them in response to mail inquiries. Making business cards are a snap, are especially fun when we produce them on a color printer. Microsoft Publisher has helped us to reach more people in many ways. What’s more with Microsoft Office Picture Manager we could easily add pictures to our brochures.

Question 4: What about these products (the features or the way you used them) made them particularly helpful in enabling your organization to expand and improve upon its community impact?; Answer: 4. Publisher helped us to design our brochures and business cards so they look professionally done. Getting the word out is a multi-faceted process which includes partners supporting our efforts. With willing partners, and tools such as a tri-fold brochure, our organization reached more people and more organizations whose clients could use our services. We have our Microsoft Publisher brochures in over 100 other agencies’ offices, distributed them to over 5,000 people with disabilities, and have serve 917 clients just this year…and, we came under budget by using Publisher instead of a professional printer.

Question 5: Please provide any examples, stories or data that illustrate the difference the use of Microsoft software has enabled you to make (i.e., # of new clients reached, new program added, increased dollars raised, increased volunteers, etc.; Answer: 5. We get several calls a week because someone has picked up one of brochures and wants to know more. We have raised $7,238 at fundraising events where our brochures were circulated. People pass on our brochures to others, both potential clients, and new partners. The results of this tri-fold brochure have been outstanding for us, and it’s all due to Microsoft Publisher, the software that made this public relations project feasible for our budget.

Microsoft Technology For Good Contest