Social Media Success...or Failures? Your stories wanted!

We need your help!  Community Connect users have been asking us for advice on social media ... and we thought who better to get the answer from than you!

Social media is now the number one activity on the web but for many getting started is daunting.  It can also be tough to work out how to use social media to your best advantage.

In our last newsletter we hightlighted the Social Media Marketing story which is in the Community Connect Resources section and this has been a great start for many.  But we want your personal experiences.

Our latest Community Connect discussion asks for your comments, questions, stories (both good and bad) and advice on social media.  So click here and take part in the conversation!

Need advice? Or have an idea that needs a jump start?

Get help from the Community Connect community.

You can spark a discussion or debate on the Community Connect website by submitting a discussion topic.  Over the last few months we have had topics on issues such as the Christchurch earthquake and its impact on volunteers, school funding and how to get young people volunteering.

So tell us what you want to talk about!  If you have a topic you would like discussed, or an issue you would like to get some feedback on, suggest a discussion topic here.

Looking for something to get you out of the house?

What about a mountain bike challenge at the Kuriheka Mountain Bike Challenge & Fun Run and Walk.  It's on this weekend just south of Oamaru to raise funds for Scotts Own Sea Scouts.

Or you could head along to Palmerston North's Regent on Broadway to hear top talent at a combined concert with the Manawatu Youth Orchestra, Wellington Youth Sinfonietta and Hawke's Bay Youth Orchestra, which is on 22 May. 

For a bit more culture a bit further north, what about having a laugh at the comedy Four Flat Whites in Italy, being performed by the 16th Avenue Theatre in Tauranga, starting on 1 June. 

And something for the diary...

Get you winter woollies ready and then strip them off at the St Clair Surf Life Saving Club's annual Polar Plunge on Saturday 19 June.

These are just some of the fantastic, volunteer-run events being promoted through the Community Connect Events Calendar.  Click here to check out what's on in your neighbourhood.

Get your volunteers on our home page!

Do you have an upcoming event you want to promote?

Or a fab photo of your volunteers at work?

Just send us a photo and your events and activities can be promoted through the Community Connect Home Page.  It's a great chance to profile your organisation, showcase your achievements and publicise your upcoming events. 

Just click here to email us a photo, and don't forget to tell us the details of what it's about! 

Want to Make Money? Check this out.

Brand new on the Community Connect website is an article full of links to hundreds of fundraising ideas and resources.  The new article, Fundraising - Getting Started, includes information on putting together your fundraising plan and finding the best idea to meet your fundraising goals.

We know fundraising is a constant battle but you don't have to do it alone. There is heaps of online advice to make the job easier.

The Resources section at TrustPower Community Connect offers information, advice and links to resources on all sorts of issues facing the voluntary sector, including Making Money.  In this section is also an article described as 'gold' by one of our Community Connect users - A Funders Perspective on Funding Applications.

So grab a cuppa and check it out!

Join Us On Facebook

Want to know who won the latest TrustPower Community Awards?

Or when a new article or discussion is started on the TrustPower Community Connect website?

Just follow us on Facebook and you'll be the first to know!

Join the TrustPower Community and we'll keep you in touch with all our regional Community Awards so you know when nominations open, close and who the winners are.  You'll also see photos from our Awards events and other community activities, as well as updates on what's happening at Community Connect.

Just go to www.facebook.com/trustpower and be part of the TrustPower community online!

This newsletter is published by CommunityConnect.co.nz. TrustPower Community Connect provides an online space for New Zealand's voluntary groups and organisations. It provides a place to connect with other organisations, search for resources and discuss topics and even promote events.

Copyright 2010 TrustPower Community Connect. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

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Private Bag 12023 Tauranga Mail Centre, Tauranga, 3143

Contact: enquiries@communityconnect.co.nz
or call 0800 87 11 11, press 0 and ask to speak to Community Relations.