If you spend any time on the third floor of the Communications/Music complex, you’ve probably noticed that things are a lot busier at the Shawn M. Donnelley Center for Nonprofit Communications this semester than during the fall. In fact, if you were around last Thursday, you noticed quite a few unfamiliar faces nibbling a chunk of Brie or pointing at a computer screen displaying “Evolution of a Logo.” And that’s after four months of seeing pretty much nobody in the Donnelley Center.
So what’s going on, you might wonder. And we’re glad you did!
The Donnelley Center has gone through a rebirth of sorts. In 1996 Loyola communications alumna Shawn Donnelley funded the establishment of a center where students could strengthen their professional skills by working with nonprofits in need of strategic materials. We all know that nonprofits operate on a shoestring. Small staffs don’t often include communication professionals, and their budgets doesn’t stretch to provide funds to hire them even as freelancers.
Over the past 15 years the Donnelley Center has developed a solid track record of partnerships with organizations as diverse as the Social Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra, Save Our Cemeteries and Boys Hope.
But the communications world is changing dramatically, and the Donnelley Center needed to reorganize to provide relevant, current and strategic services to the nonprofit community. So, while the doors were shut and the Center was officially “closed” last semester, the staff was diligently redefining its role and expanding its offerings.
Emily Andras, Hedda Asmussen, Caro Avila, Ophelia Battle, Dee Gallagher, Michelle Garcia, Elizabeth Kunzig, Danielle Latimer, Monica Tolosa and Madie Robison (currently studying abroad in Australia) have worked to define the “new” Donnelley Center as a place where “we help nonprofits achieve success through communication.”
Visitors at Thursday’s open house learned that the Center staff can still create unique logos, brochures and T-shirt designs. They can design newsletters and annual reports and websites. But they’re also providing educational opportunities for nonprofits to learn how to help themselves with easy-to-master, inexpensive software programs. They’re adding event planning, media relations and strategic planning to the menu of services. And of course social media is part of the package.
Letting the world know about the Donnelley Center’s expanded services is also a goal. This past Saturday, folks attending the midyear meeting of the National Conference of Bar Foundations learned about the Center when Michelle, Ophelia and Danielle presented “Marketing for Nonprofits: Making Lasting Impressions.”
And the Center’s series of workshops, “The Nonprofit’s Toolkit,” will bring even more awareness. On Feb. 27 the staff will talk about how to fill out applications and grant forms for greater success in “GRANTS: Hammering out the details.” The March 19 workshop will look at presentation software and skills during “PRESENTATION SOFTWARE: Nuts and bolts of presentations.” And April 16′s session will discuss putting social media to work for nonprofit organizations through “SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES: Nailing down your Web image.”
The door is open once more, so stop in and find out how the Donnelley Center is ready for the next 15 years of service to the nonprofit community. You might like it so much you’ll stay. And we’ll put you to work so that you too can “help nonprofits achieve success through communication.”
If you want to keep up with the Donnelley Center’s ongoing educational programs, growing client base and expanding services, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Or email donnelleycenter@loyno.edu for more details.
