By Sara Kangas

Earlier this month, NACD launched a Members Only section of our website rife with resources to help districts and state/territory associations with their day-to-day operations.

Additional materials are available for districts/associations that have paid dues for NACD’s 2018 Fiscal Year (FY18), which runs from October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018. Instructions for accessing this section are available by clicking here, along with a troubleshooting guide at the bottom of the page.

Although all of the resources available in the Members Only section are useful tools to help increase your district or state/territory association’s daily operational efficacy, you may find these five documents especially helpful:

1. NACD’s 2017 Policy Book – This comprehensive document includes NACD’s policy positions as of February 2017, as adopted by the NACD Board of Directors. NACD’s policy development is a grassroots process, developed through a system of graduated representation, usually beginning with local conservation districts.

2. Conservation District Guide – How to Recruit Board Members – This guide was adapted from a 2003 NACD publication entitled “Conservation District Board Member Recruitment and Community Outreach Guide.” This overview document and worksheet is available both as a fillable PDF and as a Word document to help you craft a board member recruitment strategy for your district and its specific needs. You will also learn how to identify your district’s needs, prioritize desired qualities and expertise in district board members, and develop a recruitment prospectus and job description for board members.

3. Media Relations 101 – Tell your district’s or association’s story far and wide by following this guide to building and maintaining relationships with members of the media. This document includes insights on how to handle media requests for interview and comment, how to give a great interview that garners support and not trouble, how to go “off the record” in the right way, how to get reporters to call you, and how to keep reporters coming back.

4. Fun Ways to Fundraise – “Fun Ways to Fundraise” is a comprehensive guide to fundraising activities for conservation districts, state/territory associations, and other groups looking for fun, effective ways to raise money. This document is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation highlighting fundraising techniques discussed in “Fun Ways to Fundraise.

5. Parliamentary Procedure: A Quick Reference Guide for Conservation District Officials – Running efficient and effective meetings is challenging. To help conservation districts improve the quality of their meetings and make sure they are orderly, fair, and concise, NACD has developed this one-page fact sheet on parliamentary procedure.

A full list of resources available in the Members Only section is accessible here. New materials are added monthly – do you have any suggestions? Let us know!

Sara Kangas is NACD’s communications and operations coordinator. She can be reached at sara-kangas[at]nacdnet.org.

Tags: members only