Spitfire Presents: 2012 Webinar Series for Nonprofits and Foundations

Spitfire Strategies is pleased to announce its 2012 webinar series – with even more robust, low-cost training options than our successful 2011 series . Interested in mastering one of Spitfire's proven communication tools this year? How about teaching your staff to create better PowerPoint presentations or tell more compelling stories? Take a look at our 2012 lineup and note all the opportunities to bolster your organization's communications capacity. The series kicks off February 14 with a webinar on Spitfire's signature Smart Chart™ communications planning tool. Make this the year you commit to getting the most out of your resources by giving staff the tools and training they need to use communications to create a greater impact.

Center for Commmunity Progress Tagline Becomes Legislative Goal

Spitfire helped create a name and tagline for a new organization, the Center for Community Progress, focused on revitalizing vacant lots and buildings in communities across the country. The tagline, “Turning Vacant Spaces into Vibrant Places,” has become a touchstone in the Center’s communications and a rallying cry in their policy efforts. This summer, Gov. Cuomo signed the New York Land Bank Act and the tagline was written into the bill as the goal of the legislation. A similar mention is included in pending legislation in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions Makes Strides

Thanks to members of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, 24 of the top 30 North American grocery companies are working to improve the sustainability of the seafood they sell. That’s good news for seafood lovers and the health of our oceans. Spitfire provides facilitation support and internal and external communications counsel to the Alliance – read more here.

NCADP’s Efforts Supported by New Poll Citing Increased Opposition to Death Penalty

A recent Gallup poll found 35% of those polled oppose the death penalty — the highest opposition since March 1972. Commenting on the findings in a USA Today article, Diann Rust-Tierney, head of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and recent Spitfire Executive Training Program participant, notes, “People see cases like these where they just can't square the executions with a common sense of fairness. There's been a steady erosion in confidence in the system as more and more people sentenced to death have had their cases overturned."

Words That Work

Strategist and pollster Frank Luntz, author of Words That Work, delivered a provocative presentation at a recent session of Spitfire’s Executive Training Program. Luntz offered participants tips for breaking down the powerful emotions that drive people and offered up strong words that social change organizations can use to inspire their audiences to take action.

Tweet Justice!

Seattle-based nonprofit Reel Grrls’ recent tweet criticizing the move of former FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker over to Comcast immediately brought on a harsh penalty – Comcast decided to withhold ,000 in funds that the group had planned to use for a teen summer film camp. Spitfire jumped in to help Reel Grrls shine a spotlight on Comcast’s abuse of power and the resulting local and national media response led Comcast to quickly apologize for the move and offer to restore funding.