7-17-2017 NEUAC Board Notes
This is a copy of Katrina’s Board Notes sent via email
Board Notes
In this edition (ctrl+click to jump to any section):
From the Desk of the Executive Director
2018 Conference Call for Presentations
Public Policy and Advocacy Update
From the Desk of the Executive Director
Two important milestones have passed since our last Board Member Notes – NEUAC hosted its 2017 Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, and I completed my first year as the Executive Director. It has been a privilege to serve the organization for the past year.
Overall, the conference successfully met its goals to bring together energy assistance professionals from across the country, with 48 states and the District of Columbia represented and a small number of international guests.
Registration improved from last year from 571 registrants to approximately 610 registrants.
Conference evaluations thus far have been largely positive, and word of mouth also has been complementary of the content in breakout sessions, regional discussions, the senior panel, the cocktail party, and other aspects of the conference program.
Preparations for the conference in Phoenix are already underway. You may receive an email regarding volunteering to lead or participate on a specific track. The experts on our board help to make the content of our conference top-notch. Thank you to those who participate.
Below, please find some additional notes/reminders:
Call for Presentations, NEUAC 2018 Conference in Phoenix
Phone your friends — it’s already time to give NEUAC your ideas to present at the 2018 conference. Presentation proposals are due September 1 – please make sure your staff, associates, friends, and cohorts have their proposal submitted for consideration. We want to hear from you. Click here to submit your proposal for the 2018 NEUAC Annual Conference.
The House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee formally passed their appropriations bill yesterday with $3.39 billion included for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This funding level is consistent with last year and is considered a victory during these challenging times, politically.
NEUAC also is gearing up for LIHEAP Action Month, discussed in more detail below.
LIHEAP Action Month activities will be taking place for the month of August. In addition to the traditional offerings in the NEUAC tool kit, there are a few new initiatives, most designed to connect policymakers with families and individuals who benefit from LIHEAP in order to demonstrate the impact of the program to those in authority. Some examples:
1. #postcardproject: NEUAC will provide a template for a postcard that can be made available at the local level to clients served by LIHEAP. The postcard may be used to thank supporters of the program or tell the story of a recipient of LIHEAP, starting with the words “#SaveLIHEAP because…” These can be mailed directly to district offices. We then request that agencies post to twitter the number of postcards they mail during the month of August with #postcardproject. How many postcards can YOUR state produce?
2. LIHEAP Home Coloring Pages: A template for a coloring page has been developed to share with local agencies where the artist is asked to draw their home. Uses for this tool include a local coloring contest with a Head Start or preschool classroom. Display the art at your local agency, take a photo and tweet it to @theNEUAC.
3. A 31-day social media and idea calendar will be made available that has pre-populated social media posts and ideas for each day in August. Members can right-click, save and repost each day in their own social media accounts. Miss a day? No worries, there is no harm in catching up with two posts the next day!
Please share with NEUAC the activities for your state. We are building a repository of plans for Action Month at www.SaveLIHEAP.org as a reference. Thanks – let’s make this Action Month big!
Agency Goals Achieved: One Year Milestones
v Successfully transitioned to offices in Arlington, VA in the Washington D.C. Metro area, giving the organization improved visibility and access to policymakers
v A total of more than 50 new organizations have been added to the NEUAC member roster as of the time of this report, representing an increase of more than 30%
v ponsorship funding improved by approximately 26%
v LIHEAP Action Day exceeded attendance expectations with more than 120 participants
v State Teams were established with the idea of providing year-round education and advocacy and developing partnerships between non-profits and utility companies
v A regional approach was layered on the state team approach to provide broad support and encourage conversations that are climate-centric or regional by nature
v A national working group was formed with NEUAC at the helm to coordinate and disseminate information and encourage consistency in messaging amongst federal partners
v The All-Parties Letter in support of LIHEAP garnered support from all 50 states and at least one U.S. Territory, totaling 1,293 signatures by interested organizations.
v Increase in presence on social media – in some cases, more than 1000% increase in engagement
v Additions to the website put information in the hands of our members who need it in real time, including www.saveLIHEAP.org, the NEUAC Insider Page, the state team leaders hub, and more
v Implementation of NEUAC Policy Updates to keep members notified when key events occur “inside the outerbelt”
v Implementation of bi-weekly NEUAC Board Notes to keep board members informed of important dates, deadlines and news
v Implementation of NEUAC Member News as a regular communication device between NEUAC and members
v Monthly conference calls with Lauren Christopher and staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and NEUAC were initiated to better improve coordination of efforts
v Peer-to-Peer requests for information were created and used to facilitate sharing of best practices and networking amongst NEUAC members
v Educational introduction to NEUAC implemented to orient new members to the organization
v Presentation highlighting realities of poverty and populations served by utility assistance programs developed and delivered to key stakeholders, investor-owned gas company legislative staff
v Underspent compared to the budget for 2017 by reducing costs across categories and utilizing existing talent and resources from board members to improve the visibility and engagement of the organization
Way to grow, NEUAC!
NEUAC has slated two webinars with identical content for 7/20 and 7/28 to discuss with State Team Leaders their plans for LIHEAP Action Month and to share the NEUAC toolkit and the new initiatives with the group. We are asking State Team Leaders to help lead the charge during this important month for their home states, encouraging and supporting educational and awareness activities for LIHEAP.
(All times are EST, calls use NEUAC conference line (515) 739-1020, Code: 971971# unless otherwise noted)
To add your event or committee meeting, email kmetzler@neuac.org
July 20: 2:00 p.m. Webinar Option 1, State Team Leaders, Action Day Prep
July 27: 11:00 a.m. Webinar Option 2, State Team Leaders, Action Day Prep
August 1:
August 1: 3:00 p.m. Conference Co-Chairs Call
August 2: 3:00 p.m. Public Policy and Advocacy Committee Call
August 3: 1:00 p.m. NEUAC All-Chairs Call
August 9: 11:00 a.m. Membership Committee Call
August 10: 2:00 p.m. Executive Committee Call
September 12: NEUAC Board Meeting in Phoenix, AZ
September 13: Planning Meeting in Phoenix, AZ
November 5-6: NEUAC Board Meeting hosted by Washington Gas, Washington D.C.
June 25, 2018: Pre-Conference Sessions
June 26-28, 2018: NEUAC 2018 Annual Conference
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