Charles Village- "One of the Great Places in America"

Anyone who has ever navigated the streets of Baltimore knows when they come upon the center city neighborhood of Charles Village. One can’t help but notice all of the Victorian houses that are painted in quirky colors.

In 1998, Linda Brown Rivelis and Steven Rivelis from Campaign Consultation organized - along with a couple of their neighbors - the “Painted Ladies” campaign, encouraging homeowners and renters to paint their houses in three or more colors. This effort to display a streetscape statement of pride spread quickly throughout the community.

Today, there are over 200 brightly painted homes in the community. Each Painted Lady is a visible commitment to making Charles Village a great place to live, work, learn, and play.

The Painted Ladies campaign, along with several other grass roots initiatives (also backed by Campaign Consultation) - the nation's first residential/business community benefits district, a community parade and festival, and a neighborhood driven PUD (planned unit development) - got results. Crime went down, home ownership went up, civic engagement increased.

In recognition of this urban success story, the American Planning Association recently named Charles Village "one of the Great Places in America." Read more….

The Campaign Consultation team could not be more proud to call Charles Village home.

Give 5

Campaign Consultation and Eye Byte Solutions staff held a combined holiday luncheon at Woodberry Kitchen. In addition to celebrating our businesses and each other as shown by the photos below, staff voted to support the following social profit organizations through the Give 5 (5% of corporate pre-tax profits go toward charitable causes) program of both companies.

Campaign Consultation:

American Visionary Arts Museum

Baltimore Free Store

Baltimore Humane Society

Baltimore Urban Debate League

Brown Memorial Tutoring Program

Cakes for a Cause

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Donors Choose

ERICA

Equality Maryland

Extreme Family Outreach

Firehouse 31

Fusion Partnerships, Inc

Homes for Our Troops

Joseph Richey House

Marian House

Maryland Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank

The Community School

The Innocence Project

Walnut Avenue Women’s Center

Eye Byte Solutions:

Wide Angle Media

Social Media Conference Washington, D.C.

Michelle Bond, VISTA Project Manager and Danielle Ricks, Social Media Specialist of Campaign Consultation augmented our corporate social media knowledge by recently attending the Social Media for Government conference in Washington, DC.

Here are three key "take-aways":

1. Develop a Strategic Plan - Know your mission, your audience and what you want to accomplish in the digital space.

2. Establish a Communications Plan - Use established principles and policies to open the door to new social media tactics and procedures.

3. Take Risks - Because you don’t know what you don’t know, try out various social media strategies and tools. Be fearless and adjust approaches along the way until you get the results that you want.

Danielle Ricks states ...

“The Social Media train is leaving the station. You can jump on board and take the ride or be left behind. But either way, this train is moving forward with or without you so you might as well get on board!”

... good advice to all of us! Please let Campaign Consultation, Inc. know if you would like our help developing your Social Media plan.

A-rabber Enterprise:

Here's a recap. The meeting Monday, accomplished two goals.

1. A strategy to get the horses back on "friendly" turf ... not central city, but at a farm that the A-rabbers trust. So they're not sold off and they can be kept together.

2. To review collection of good ideas that the public has presented with the A-rabbers. They gave the "green light" to about 95% of the ideas.

Ideas are are being capsulated and then will be shared with people interested in helping with business plan to build a sustainable A-rabber program. To goals is to see the A-rabber community as part of the solution for developing Baltimore related to such areas as youth, health, job skills, community gardens -- all delivered in a green way.

Join the A-rabber Campaign!

Social Media For Government Conference in DC

Two of our staff members are attending the Social Media For Government Conference in DC to learn new ways to engage communities using the latest Web 2.0 Technologies. They are getting practical advice on using social media from leading government agencies and organizations including the U.S. Department of Defense, IBM Center for Business and Government and the iQ Solutions, Inc.

"I'm so excited to be here among people who are as passionate about Social Media as I am" said Social Media Specialist, Danielle Ricks. She added, "I've learned a lot already and I'm looking forward to implementing the new tools I've gained". Project Manager Michelle Bond commented, "It's great to see that we are on the right path and inspiring to be with peers who are sharing strategies through collaboration"

Cities of Service Conference is Poppin!

Campaign Consultation is running the Cities of Service Conference sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Funded in part by Citi Foundation, the conference runs tomorrow and Friday in Philadelphia.

Using NYC's experience, Mayor Bloomberg has invited fellow Mayors, businesses and community service experts from across the nation to pool their respective talents. Participants are focusing in on this nation's greatest natural resource ... people who want to give back.

Ideas are poppin (like happy fish in a hatch) on ways to responsibly channel the dynamism of volunteers to resolve entrenched problems like hunger, illiteracy and joblessness.

The goal here is for people to leave with the will, network and support to develop a year long community service plan back home . Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January is a suggested starting point.

Stay tuned ... We're wading in fine, fast moving water here in Philadelphia and it's fine!

A-rabbers Enterprise

We want to thank everyone who has been involved in the A-rabbers Enterprise campaign. We have received some really excellent feedback and are working dilligently to get this process moving forward.

We are assembling the experts to provide the costs associated for land, stable complex, equipment, learning spaces, repair shops, etc. Once we have the costs, we can build the budget which will spawn the proposal for funding.

A draft proposal will be posted and we will be welcoming feedback. The fundraising team will review suggestions and make edits to build the strongest case for support from the funder's perspective.

Then we’ll fundraise, because we need the resources to make the A-rabber Enterprise a reality and serve youth, promote health – all in a green way.

Welcome New Team Members!

Campaign Consultation, Inc. is very pleased to welcome these new employees:

Lorilei A. Barsh, New Business Development Coordinator

We are so excited to be expanding and deepening our New Business Development efforts with the hiring of Lorilei Barsh.

Lorilei comes to us with a strong background in business administration and marketing. Her most recent professional experience was with The Foster Group where she assisted her clients in selling their products and services to various governemnt entities. And, she has significant experience working with GSA schedules.

In addition, she has worked for the Internet Strategy Group, developed a marketing analysis of the Voss Water Company and Starbucks, created commercials for Clear Channel Radio, raised funds for the Wicomico Arts Council, and worked with D.C. United to integreate social networking into their marketing campaigns.

Welcome Lorilei!


Estelle M. Peters, Finance Manager

It is with great joy [and relief] that I get to inform you that we just hired our new Finance/HR/Office Manager -- Estelle Peters. She is a "spot on" fit for the work we do and the culture we embrace. Here are just a few of the reasons why we made the offer:

Over 10 years of experience in affordable housing, community and economic development work. Extensive experience in finance, project management, and contract management.

Over 10 years of experience working for training/technical assistance providers.

More specifically, she has served as ...

Finance & Operations Manager - People's Homesteading Group
Assistant Commissioner - Baltimore City Department of Housing
Program Director - Enterprise Foundation
Project Manager - Struever Bros Eccles & Rouse

Estelle has her degree in Business Management and Administration, is proficient in Excel and Quickbooks, has taken courses with NeighborWorks and on community building, conflict resolution and succession planning.

She will be a tremendous asset to our team and we are confident will help take us to the next level. Welcome, Estelle!

Join the A-rabber Enterprise Campaign

If you are interested in making Baltimore a better place that includes A-rabbers in a campaign to provide

job training skills for our Youth,

locally grown foodstuffs for our collective Health

all wrapped up in a efficient, dynamic delivery system that's Green

Go to www.campaignconsultation.com, click the gear and sign up to lend your support.
Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4312
T. 877.243.2253 x 10
F. 410.243.1024
www.CampaignConsultation.com

What is the A-rabber Enterprise Campaign?

The A-rabber Enterprise campaign is a volunteer action initiative to build a better Baltimore with the focus and help from Youth, Health, Green and A-rab themes.

Phase I (now through February '10):

In order to attract the resources we need a budget which rests on the expertise of designers, planners, builders, curriculum developers, sustainable community, horse husbandry, farmers, etc.

Email me at LBRivelis@Campaign Consultation.com and I'll send you a one page draft of ideas to help stimulate out-of-the-snowdome thinking.

If you like what you see, have some ideas and want to invest some time through February -- if you're fearlessly positive and want to join this action Campaign, let me know. Give me the area(s) that you can be most helpful in for Phase I.

Thanks, Linda

Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4312
T. 877.243.2253 x 10
F. 410.243.1024
http://www.campaignconsultation.com/

Social Media / e-Community Builder Position Filled

This position is filled. Thanks for your interest in Campaign Consultation, Inc.

Idealistic self-starter who can build community and networks by creating, generating and/or sharing stories of what’s going right at the community level in the US. This networker / storyteller will be able to create in-depth reports about national service programs meeting community needs as well as organizing national and regional affinity groups to contribute to peer networks. Must have demonstrable experience in building e-networks to develop leads and generate discussion using social media.

Requirements:

• 2 years reporting/writing experience for e-platforms
• Technical skill in being able to set up and maintain blogs, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Wiki sites
• 2 years experience in engaging and maintaining on-line communities of over 100 participants
• Ability to meet tight deadlines
• Collaborative working style
• Experience with National Service programs preferred
• Community building experience in areas such as community development, fund raising, diversity, issue advocacy, media/marketing, organization development desired
  

Serious candidates should send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to:

Social Media Search Committee
Campaign Consultation, Inc.
2819 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

Success@CampaignConsultation.com

About us

Campaign Consultation, Inc. works with individuals and organizations at local, state, national and international levels to achieve community development, fund raising, diversity utilization, issue advocacy, media & marketing, public policy as well as organizational and business development success. Visit us at http://www.campaignconsultation.com/.

The air here at Web 2.0 Expo ...

Scott Heiferman of MeetUp, pretty much sums up the atmosphere here at this 2.0 gathering in San Francisco ...

Ask not what your country can do for you, but ...

Ask what you can build for other people!
Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4312
T. 877.243.2253 x 10
F. 410.243.1024
www.CampaignConsultation.com

Campaign Consultation at Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco

Finding information, Stephanie Ross is finding the latest cutting edge media.
Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4312
T. 877.243.2253 x 10
F. 410.243.1024
www.CampaignConsultation.com

Campaign Consultation at Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco

Linda Brown Rivelis at work creating ways to bridge 2.0 products to clients' needs.
Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.
2819 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4312
T. 877.243.2253 x 10
F. 410.243.1024
www.CampaignConsultation.com

Final Words on A Productive Journey to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Beijing

So get this -- I land in Baltimore this past Tuesday after my travels to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Beijing followed by some time off in Florida.  What do I see in the hallway exiting the airport?!!! 

 

An ad for Taiwan!  So I've included a picture of the promotion which shows athletes ready to race and says "Taiwan on The Starting Line!" with "Ready Set Go" and "TODAY'S TAIWAN".

 

I am now, forever, joyfully sensitized and captivated by anything or anybody remotely related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing and the rest of China! I stop dead in my tracks to absorb information.

 

Thank you for following this philanthropic delegation journey to these locales.  This will be my final posting on this blog subject.  However, I have also included photos and captions of activities conducted after our 8 hour days of meetings – i.e., eating, shopping, traveling, touring, etc.

 

And for all my new friends halfway around the world, I am very serious ... if any of you are traveling in the US; please include a visit with me and Campaign Consultation.  Until then … best wishes for 2009 celebrated in U.S. on Dec. 31 and in China on Jan. 26!

 

Linda

 

White Dove Society - Beijing

White Dove Society - Beijing, originally uploaded by LBRivelis.

Great group of young people - look at their faces!

Linda Brown Rivelis, CFRE
President
CAMPAIGN CONSULTATION, Inc.