Two Days - Monday & Tuesday
Changing a Culture: First Things First Community Organizing
Certification
Julie Baumgardner, MS, CFLE, Rozario
Slack, Dmin
Jennifer Baker, PhD, Bob Ruthazer, CFLE, Bill Seabrook
This institute is for anyone
working to create a community marriage
initiative.
Learn how to implement educational, collaborative, media-savvy
strategies to
change attitudes and behavior and reverse the epidemic of family
breakdown.
Keys to creative partnerships and collaborations will be discussed
along with
strategies for getting started including: coalition building,
research, fundraising,
and effectively marketing your initiative. Upon completion of
the institute you
will receive a certificate in community organizing.
About the
Institute
In this two-day institute, the
country's Community Healthy Marriage Initiative
pioneers
and experts will share their experiences - what's worked in their
communities
plus their advice for avoiding pitfalls. First Things First (Chattanooga,
TN),
Ozarks Marriage Matters
(Springfield, MO) and First Things First Richmond (Richmond,
VA)
will share what they've learned about fundraising, collaborative
partnerships with secular and
faith-based organizations, evaluation and outcome measures, working
with local, state and
federal government, cost-effective marketing, working with diverse
populations, and creating
community buy-in. They will share a variety of key strategies
they have implemented -- what
works and challenges to over come. Ask your questions. Take part in
discussions and
brainstorming sessions.
You'll will leave with a
took-kit full of ideas to equip professionals and citizens
with the
skills and knowledge they need to strengthen marriage, reduce
divorce and out-of-wedlock
pregnancies and with step-by-step guidelines for starting and
maintaining a grassroots
initiative in your community. Those who complete this
institute will receive a certificate
in community organizing.
Materials:
Participants will receive a CD how- to manual complete with sample
strategic and fund
development plans, initiative work plans, communication and
publication ideas, web templates, and more.
Agenda:
All sessions will be interactive with plenty of time for questions.
Participants will
have the opportunity to work with highly experienced facilitators
to develop
personalized plans.
Day 1
Explanation of a CHMI
Establishing and Staying True to your
Vision, Mission and Goals
Starting a CHMI – What You Need to
Know
- Getting Started
- Building a Coalition
- Baseline Research
Marketing Your CHMI
Working with the Media
Building Strategic Alliances
Day 2
Group Discussion
Fundraising Strategies
Building a Strategic Plan
Developing Your Plan
Incorporating Marriage into Fatherhood Programs
African American Marriage Initiatives
Teaching Relationship Skills to Youth
Premarital Education
Developing Websites
One of the reasons the California State Healthy Marriage Initiative
has
advanced in our understanding of
capacity building is directly linked
to the First Things First
training institute. Their understanding and
agressive
model is sure to raise the
capacity of any organization, either Faith or
Community
Based. - Pastor Dion
Evans, Chairman California State Healthy Marriage Initiative
Getting a Community Healthy
Marriage Initiative started from the bottom up can
seem like a daunting task. Where
does one begin? Who should be involved?
What about getting the word out
to others and finding funding? Attending the First
Things
First (FTF) training helped me
get answers to these questions and develop strategies
to
plan, implement and nurture a
CHMI in our area. It gave me the
opportunity to receive input from
FTF staff, as well as others who had begun
CHMIs in different regions of the
country. The program was loaded with helpful
information and practical
suggestions, which we were able to implement
immediately!
- Jennifer Baker, PsyD, LMFT, Springfield, Missouri
For more information about First Things First visit our website at
www.firstthings.org
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