For the last several months, the editors of the ngo.pl portal have been meeting NGOs from all over Poland. During these meetings, we tell about the portal, advise how to use it to promote the organizations, where to look for advice and funds. We also ask what should be changed in the portal, what the organizations need and what would help them operate in a more efficient and effective way. We are halfway through the list of planned meetings but we already know that they will give us, the ngo.pl editorial office, very valuable and inspiring experience.
The idea of the meetings with local NGOs was born at the beginning of the year. We started implementing it in April 2014. In cooperation with the Act Locally Centers, the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland we had the day-long seminars on communication and promotion as well as presented the ngo.pl functionalities.
So far we have visited Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Zawiercie, Dobre Miasto and Sandomierz. The seminars were participated by almost 100 people! We wouldn’t succeed without the help of the Act Locally Centers – The “Europe and We Association” (Grodzisk Mazowiecki), the „Warmia Nook” Local Action Group (Dobre Miasto), the Center for Local Initiatives (Zawiercie), and the Center for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship (Sandomierz). The seminars took the form of several-hour meetings with the active participation of the audience.
„From the very beginning we assumed that the meetings shouldn’t be in the form of a presentation or a workshop. We wanted to learn the opinions on the portal of those who use it on everyday basis. We usually communicate with them via emails and we wanted to meet them personally, talk to them, tell them about us but also listen to their opinions and ideas,” says Dorota Setniewska of the ngo.pl, one of those who conducted the seminars.
Such form of meetings was praised by their participants. They shared their opinions and thoughts openly. We have learned that they value the tutorial and the information on competitions most. And it turned out that only a few people knew that we have an advanced fund browser! Presenting complicated formal and legal issues in a simple, easy form of infographics, films and instructions was assessed positively. Sometimes during the meetings people mentioned topics which for us were inspiration for new texts. For example, during the workshop part on promotion the issue of use of photos and protection of image arrived and it turned out that there is a need for easy practical tutorial on this topic. We dealt with it when we came back and we created the text “Photos of people. How to avoid troubles”.
When planning changes to the portal, we will take into account all comments made by the participants of the seminars. We are going to have next meetings – four more by the end of the year but we will certainly think of continuing the initiative next year.
The seminars have been organized as part of the “Support for NGOs” Program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation by the ngo.pl portal in cooperation with the Polish-American Freedom Foundation , the “Act Locally” Program funder and the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland, the Program Manager.
