Outreach is the key to the success and growth of any organization. Without it, you cannot grow, recruit, learn and educate. In short, it is the lifeline of any group.

1. Introductions
   1. Go around the room. Name and area and org. affiliations if any.
   2. What brought you here?
2. Why is outreach important?
   1. Can’t survive without it. Stay small, look inward not outward.
   2. Membership growth
   3. Financial support (transcripts, fundraising, special events)
   4. Share experiences and learn from other org’s.
   5. Find mentors, learning from the experience of our own Leather Community.
   6. Education
3. Is outreach limited to the city or town we live in?
   1. Silly question you say? Importance of local org’s
   2. Importance of regional support. Car caravans to go to each other’s events (BTS car pools to events, LSM same when going to other cities)
   3. Importance of national events, networking, LLC
   4. International support, Canada (big leather community), Europe (Herve, 1998 International Drummer, German events, Holland) international press coverage
4. So now that we know it is important (otherwise why would we be here), how do we DO it?
   1. Outreach to your communities:
   2. LLC—networking
   3. Discussion groups—asking for contact information or email addresses. Ex: Kinky girls—I asked if anyone knew how to contact certain people. I explained my purpose. Our leather leadership is very responsive. SM activists list.
   4. Websites—wealth of information. Go to sites. Ask if your organization can add their links. Lolita’s P&P, Leather Journal, websites that have listings of local organizations, or the links of the individual org’s.
   5. Advertising on the web boards…Women of Leather 17. Annoucements on the lists D4L, KG, etc.
   6. Invite speakers from other org’s. Let them present their points of view. Show diversity in your choices. Ex: Matrix, SM and Spirituality forum
   7. Participating in other org. meetings. Showing your support.
   8. Books to have. Queer Press Guide and Black Book. Pass around and discuss.
   9. Press Coverage—community calendars, call and introduce yourself, offer to come in for a meeting so they can get to know you, writing newspaper articles, writing a Leather column.
   10. Setting up tables at local events/ pride marches/local leather events. Sharing tables with other organizations.
       1. Example of the Bike Stop … setting up tables, offering us space.
   11. Keep an eye out on the press that announces local events. Ex: PrideFest ad in the gay press, now we are doing a Leather forum at PrideFest. This is a big opening as they have never historically welcomed the Leather Community.
   12. Invitations to parties where networking is key. Sounds odd? Ou have nothing to lose by asking. Give examples.
   13. Asking for cosponsorship. Ex: SM and Law forum
   14. Getting to know people, how to be introduced. Be respectful.
       
       
5. Outreach and Membership Growth
   1. Prompt answering of email. Answering personally and not with form letter.
   2. Encouraging people to help … "just ask"
   3. Picking people up to take to your events
6. Closing—reaching out to others. You need to support them as well. As you grow, you go out and ask for that support. You network, you help others as well. Go to their events, be a member.

Good luck!

Web Questions - Email our Webmaster