The Explanation in Day by Day

Thank you to those who responded to my request in the last entry. Your input was helpful. So. Here’s the story and why I wanted your input before explaining.

I started and run a non-profit that reaches out to young adults, ages 17 through 35. In a meeting early on, it was decided that, in addition to individual donations, we would seek out grant money from various foundations. Years ago, I helped with writing a grant, but that was writing on topics I knew and that I had played a very minor part so I warned the group that I would need lots of help. That hasn’t happened to a large degree, although I HAVE had some direction.

So I wrote two grants, both of which, while deemed worthy, were turned down. That did not surprise me. Even though both were well-written, there were weak spots. Some of the foundations look for different things in different years, so I am going to try again. Some grants take several tries. Still, I could use some help, especially in the terminology department.

I’ve also jumped through hoops to qualify for orientation acceptance to a matching funds challenge, which will be held next fall. I attend the orientation at the end of this month.

The church decided to hold a festival that strives to be all-inclusive to all sorts of groups…and that includes the LGBT community, pagans, Buddhists, atheists, and anybody else who wants to come. There will be children’s programs for part of the day, moving to the older kids in the afternoon and adults in the evening. There will be various bands playing throughout the day and evening (which ends at 9 PM). I’ll tell you more about that at a later date…I think we’re in for some heavy criticism from other churches, but I also think what we’re doing is right.

The festival will include booths in three different areas: “Social Awareness”, “Art & Music”, and “Spirituality”. Our group will be in “Social Awareness”.

So I needed something to draw passers-by in. I suggested conversation and a brochure that visitors could take with them. The group liked that. I said I’d write a brochure and see what I could come up with. My VP stressed that we needed to be clearer on our mission.

So on top of the upcoming orientation, I had to figure out a brochure. What you read took me a full afternoon. I listed comments that had been made in the past. I googled “millennial misconceptions”, read articles, and used some of them (in my own words…I NEVER plagiarize!) in my list of questions. I wrote and rewrote the questions and responses to sound less harsh (even though the people who have posed some of those questions to me have minced no words). The questions were intended to draw people into a conversation, then I could put a brochure in their hands, saying the answers could be found in there.

When I finished the rough draft (that you read yesterday), I sent it to my VP and our coordinator and asked them to look them over and let me know what they thought. They gave no response, so I went into last week’s meeting thinking they liked it.

Long story short, I left feeling blindsided after one woman (who is always criticizing) said it was awful and too negative. VP and coordinator didn’t say anything at first and then they were suddenly accepting her statement as fact: “Well, instead of using questions that send a negative message, let’s use charts and figures, such as ‘the average millennial income is , the average millennial college debt is , and the lowest rent in this county is $1200. With numbers like this, how can a millennial make ends meet?’“

I felt blindsided, but I don’t think that was their intention. So I handed it over to the woman who criticized it and VP, but I also sent VP and coordinator an e-mail.

I told them that I did not feel the questions had negative overtones, aside from the fact that millennials usually ARE viewed negatively. I reminded them that VP had stressed that our message was not clear, so the brochure wording was geared in that direction: the who, what, when, where, why of our mission. I explained the “misconceptions” section was to address the negative comments made to me in the past about “helping millennials”, as well as a google search of Millennial misconceptions. I reminded them that the brochure is to be a take away publication, meant to be read in full later, but I’m okay with deleting the questions part.

I told them I’d run it by my fellow writers at my journal site to get a feel for how it would be viewed by strangers. That’s where you came in. Thanks! I thought the suggestions of naming sources as well as the advice to rephrase the questions of “Do Millennials…” to “Do you feel that…” were fabulous, so particular thanks go to firebabe, Green Thumb, and Gypsywynd! I also liked Cloudlet’s suggestion to change the banner wording to “Lending a Helping Hand to Working Millennials.” The other comments were helpful, as well. It gave me a feel for various reactions.

Based on the feedback from you, I suggested we keep the front and back pages and eliminate the inside pages, replacing it with VP’s statistics (so it will be a fast and easy read).

This is like starting another business, which I’ve already done. I think I must be a masochist.