Presentation made at the Valley Regional Congress (05/30/2009) regarding outreach best practices and the work currently underway by the Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.

1. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Supporting our 2009 Projects & the development
of a community greening strategy
Sustainability Committee
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council

2. Working with the Community
• With whom do you need to build consensus with on
specific issues?
• Who are the current stakeholders already engaged with
the issue?
• What partnerships will give you access to a broader
stakeholder base?
• How do you leverage these resources to have the
greatest impact?

3. Working with Planners (among others)
• Implementation
S strengths
• Initiative
W weaknesses
• Transparency
O opportunities
• Coordination
T threats
• Facilitation
• Survey
• Demographic Data
• Maps and Figures
• Tables and Charts
• Interviews
• Literature Review
Winner of the 2009 Planning
• etc. Excellence Award for Grassroots
Initiative – LA Section of the
American Planning Association

4. Working with Designers (among others)
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) Accredited Professional
• Associate member, American Institute of
Architects (AIA)
• Works for AECOM Design at 5th and Flower
• Lives Downtown
• Elected to Downtown Los Angeles
Neighborhood Council in June 2008 (2 years)
• Working towards license in architecture
Ashley Zarella, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA
Director, Area-wide Work-force, Private Sector
Chair, Sustainability Committee

5. Mission Statement
•Result of an ongoing discussion of
community interests
– How do you define sustainability?
– What interests do you have regarding sustainability?
– What sustainability-focused projects could we undertake as a
committee supported by the Neighborhood Council?
– How do we create a culture of sustainability?

6. Mission Statement
The Sustainability Committee is dedicated to
empowering the downtown community to create a
culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase
accessibility to existing programs and services
through outreach and public education. We will
identify and create opportunities for new
programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban
center.

7. Who?
Committee membership
Natalia Aguilar (Volunteer)
Alex Brideau (Resident & Workforce)
Dorian Dudley (Business)
Gunnar Hand, AICP (NC Director, Workforce – LA County)
Jane Kim, AIA (Workforce)
Dawna Nolan (NC Director, Artist)
Nicole Nowacki (Workforce)
Stanley Michaels (NC Director, Resident)
Jennifer Regan (Resident & Workforce, Public Vice Chair)
Pamela Tuttle (Workforce)
Brady Westwater (NC Director, Arts, Cultural & Educational Interests)
Ashley Zarella, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA (NC Director, Workforce – AECOM Design)

8. How?
•Education
– What issues are important to the Sustainability
Committee?
•Outreach
– How do we share this information with our
community?
•Advocacy
– What else can we do for our neighborhood?
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

9. Introduction to partnership
opportunities
•AIA Sustainable Design Assessment
Team Grant ($15K+$5K community match)
•Launch of 2009 Sustainability Projects
•Nomination of Public Vice Chair,
Jennifer Regan (AEG, Manager Sustainability Programs)
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

10. 2009 Projects
•Livability:
Urban Beautification & Living Solutions
We will work to facilitate a vibrant downtown Los Angeles with clean streets,
natural shade, accessible public amenities, and green space. We will work
with the community to create opportunities for rooftop gardens and citywide
composting to enhance the benefits of living in a dense urban environment.
– Project 1: Rooftop Edible & Composting Containers
– Project 2: Tree Planting
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

11. 2009 Projects
•Affordability:
Equity Now and For the Future
We will identify affordable solutions for the workplace, home and shared
public space so all members of the community may benefit from more
environmentally-friendly options. We will highlight existing cost-saving rebate
and assistance programs, increase awareness and encourage participation
through outreach. We will identify programs that could incorporate assistance
provisions so we can advocate for greater inclusion of our community.
– Project 3: Increase Participation in Cost-Saving Efficiency Programs:
Energy & Water Focus
– Project 4: Increase Participation in City & Private Recycling and Food
Waste Programs
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

12. 2009 Projects
•Efficiency: Resource Efficiency and the
Efficient Use of Resources
We will work with the community as we transition toward the more efficient
use of natural resources (water, waste, energy, land, materials, and
transportation) by advocating for increased participation and utilization of
existing programs and community resources.
– Project 5: Online Toolkit of Existing Resources
– Project 6: Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

13. 2009 Projects
•Empowerment:
Representing our Community as a
Knowledgeable and Inclusive Voice
We will engage Downtown stakeholders, including those not traditionally
included, to get the community’s feedback and best understand how we can
help meet our long term goals for a sustainable urban neighborhood. We will
advocate on behalf of our community to call attention to current needs with
potential solutions. We will work with community partners and local
government on their future sustainability efforts.
– Project 7: Event and Education Programming & Calendar
– Project 8: Green Living Program
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

14. Committee Structure
•Community of Volunteers
•NC-Elected Board Chair
•Public Vice Chair
•Sustainability Committee Members
•Project Team Leaders
•Project Teams

15. What?
•Education
– How do we engage the community through public
education?
•Outreach
– Who do we reach when we want to raise awareness
about a particular issue or service?
•Advocacy
– How do we represent our diverse stakeholder base
to other parts of the community and city?
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

16. How?
•Defining Outreach Tools
– How do we reach our stakeholders?
Different tools for different issues; similar tools for multiple issues
– What tools do we need to reach each stakeholder group?
Mix of media – electronic and paper
– Does the frequency of our contact inform how we communicate
with stakeholders?
Different formats will serve different needs
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

17. Who?
•Defining Our Audience
– Stakeholders represented by the Neighborhood Council
Residents, Business Owners, Workforce, Social Service Providers,
Arts & Educational Interests, Homeless, etc.
– Stakeholders not yet engaged by the Neighborhood Council
Relate to stakeholders on issues of importance and encourage
participation with relevant projects.
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

18. Sustainability Committee
•Community Partners
– We have identified eight (8) projects for 2009 and recognize the
need for community partnership for successful implementation.
– We acknowledge the need for a larger network of contacts within
the community – from individual stakeholders to businesses to
nonprofits and other institutions to support both our long-term and
short-term community sustainability goals.
•Staying Relevant
– Creating relevance through ongoing engagement with the
community.
– Foster a relationship with the community as a knowledgeable and
inclusive voice that represents the needs of the community.

19. Outreach Tools
•Executive Summary
•Emails
•Calendar
•Advocacy Report
•Press Release / Public Service
Announcement
•Community / Membership

20. Outreach Tools
•Executive Summary
– Create an overview of committee work including project updates
– Develop regular, short paragraphs that adapt well to various media
– Potentially expand routine communications to other newsletters
with this accessible format
Frequency: Monthly

21. Outreach Tools
•Emails
– Provide an efficient, low-cost outreach solution
– Management of email lists is key to success and audience (spam)
– Access to cluttered inboxes – message clear and simple
– Use marketing best practices
Frequency: As needed / Regularly

22. Outreach Tools
•Calendar
– Increase accessibility by creating publicized opportunities for
engagement beyond regular committee and Board meetings
– Create network of information-sharing: don’t recreate the wheel;
use existing resources when possible
– Partner with other community organizations and stakeholders
Frequency: Ongoing

23. Outreach Tools
•Advocacy Report
– Publicize a routine overview of advocacy efforts by the
Sustainability Committee and Neighborhood Council
– Provide transparency through regular reporting
– Engage stakeholders who do not attend meetings
Frequency: Quarterly with ongoing online tracking

24. Outreach Tools
•Press Release / Public Service
Announcements
– Use especially for special events
– Develop templates to streamline workflow
– Create opportunities to engage a broader stakeholder base
through partnership and participation
– Provide outreach tools to facilitate even greater reach
Frequency: Daily – make it part of your routine

25. Outreach Tools
•Community and Membership
– Empower your community and membership to take on roles of
their choice
– Develop templates to streamline workflow
– Create opportunities to engage a broader stakeholder base
through partnership and participation
– Provide outreach tools to committee members and others to
facilitate even greater reach in person
Frequency: Daily – make it part of your routine

26. Defining Our Audience
•How the tools are used
– What is the message?
– How many people are you trying to reach?
– What is your distribution capacity?
– How can this tool expand your outreach? (e.g. forward email)

27. Reaching Our Audience
•What tools are most effective?
– For events versus ongoing reports
– For issue-specific information
– For stakeholder-specific impact
– For the NC board
– For the community

28. Borrow, test, confirm
•Create tools for access and ease
– Outreach bin with content to support in-person events
– Create network of resources for ongoing supply of outreach
materials
– Utilize outreach tools (such as postcards, business cards) where
the format lends itself to easy distribution by the current
membership

29. Borrow, test, confirm
•Establish network of partners and
hosts
– Create relationships with local businesses and other stakeholder
interests who can provide support through partnership (e.g. host a
meeting)
– Establish new community connections that will enhance our
visibility by creating membership overlap and participation (e.g.
AIA Newsletter)

30. Borrow, test, confirm
•Develop templates for project
management and communication
– EDUCATION: Template for calendar information
(responsibility of project leaders and chairs)
– OUTREACH: Template for monthly project update
(responsibility of project leader)
– ADVOCACY: Template for letters of support and advocacy
(responsibility of chairs)

31. Templates
•INSERT LETTER / PROJECT TEMPLATES
FOR APPROVAL

32. Network for Distribution
•Membership
– Create formats for quick, easy distribution by membership
– Develop a secondary list of contacts for additional distribution
through membership
•Extend to new groups
– Identify new relationships by understanding membership
– Develop information-sharing relationships with other groups and
organizations with existing networks
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.

33. Distribution
•INSERT LIST FOR APPROVAL
• Business Improvement Districts
• Institutions
• Issue-Focused Nonprofits
• Media
• Private Sector
• Public Sector
• Stakeholder Group-Focused Nonprofits
We are dedicated to empowering the downtown community to create a culture of sustainability.
We will work with the community to increase accessibility to existing programs and services through outreach and
public education. We will identify and create opportunities for new programming and partnerships to meet our goals
for a more livable, affordable, and efficient urban center.