December 3, 2020 – How to Leverage National Mentoring Month

Resources from the Virtual Coffee:

• Video Recording of Presentation from Heather Coyne and Josie Sepel – LINK
• PowerPoint of Heather and Josie’s presentation – LINK
• National Mentoring Summit – LINK
• National Mentoring Month Website (Updated!) – LINK
  • Public Official Outreach & Advocacy Toolkit – LINK
  • Media Outreach Toolkit – LINK
  • Corporate Engagement Toolkit – LINK
• Fund development resources shared by National:
  • Giving Tuesday toolkit (adapt for NMM) – LINK
  • Prospect Research Primer – LINK
  • Noza Prospect Research Workbook – LINK

Notes from Breakout Rooms:

Ideas for Engaging in NMM:

• Reached out to program sites and asked them to do something for their mentors (take out for a coffee, have mentees write cards for them, made magnets for them with mentees) – appreciation is the big focus
• Social media posts/campaign to ask for donations
• Just did first virtual online fundraiser – YouTube video (20 minute event) – featured parents, matches, celebrity mentors (Sen. Bennett, local celebs) – cut it down and carry this over into NMM – LINK (thank you Paul Plvan and BBBS of SW CO for sharing!)
• Usually do a mentor celebration dinner – free event (275 people attended last year) – postponing this year. Instead, scheduled with local newspaper – 4 weeks of coverage to spotlight partners; include mentor testimonial about how they’re adapting to COVID
• Mentor appreciation award – post on social media in January
• Kids do Thank Your Mentor posters – put them together into photo book to give to mentors
• Host an event: game night for mentors (trivia, scavenger hunts)
  • Sidekick
  • Goosechase
• Use spinning wheel for giveaways – LINK
• Mentee made a film about mentoring, interviewed mentors/mentees
• Mentor Virtual Coffee – appreciation
• Reach out to government leaders – ask them to do proclamation (NOTE: MENTOR Colorado is doing this with Governor Polis; please reach out to your local reps and mayors!)
• Mentor Appreciation photo with mentors and mentees each holding signs: mentee holds a sign: “I matter” and mentor holds a sign that says “they matter to me”
• Virtual event with professional athletes promoting mentoring
• Partnering with local paper and local tv news station to create awareness content.
• Postcard campaign where mentors each get a mailed thank you letter from staff/mentee. 
• Video Campaign to increase awareness/participation. Sent out to network. Theme: “I am a Mentor”
• Proclamations, try to increase advocacy
• Highlight mentor and matches in the local newspaper to attract volunteers
• Flock yards with Flamingos for fundraiser
• Volunteer voices (Jan newsletter) Mentor appreciation theme, site specific mentor appreciation, mentor testimonials advertised, “dreamers” testimonial, Mentor Circles to increase awareness and volunteers
• Contact Denver community media for help on video campaigns
  • Contact Kevin Vidal for help: kevinvidal@gmail.com

Things that would be helpful/questions/requests

• Can National MENTOR send us the NMM postcards (like they used to)?
• Fund-development materials See link above for links in the Resource section!
• How can programs create some teamwork locally/regionally?
• Where can I find the proclamation templates (both the template for the government AND the email template for how to solicit our elected officials)? See link above for Advocacy Toolkit link in the Resource section!