Dear Center for Michigan and Michigan's Defining Moment Leader:
As far as John Bebow, A. J. Jones, Kathy Power and all of us are concerned, it's an especially good time to give thanks for all your good work to support The Center and to get the Michigan's Defining Moment campaign off the ground.
As we go into the holiday season, here's a progress report:
Michigan's Defining Moment Community Conversations:
We originally planned to have around 80 conversations, distributed around the state according as population by region. So far, approximately 650 people have participated, substantially more than we expected. We expect that by the time the first round of conversations has ended, we'll have held closer to 100, plus more than 300 people having taken part on line. Participants have been gratifyingly diverse, with many young people involved.
Our capable partner, Public Sector Consultants, has developed a methodology that enables notes from the conversation scribes to be rolled up into a summary that reasonably represents overall conclusions and preferences. We'll use that summary to prepare a preliminary report of results from the first round of conversations. We expect to release that report shortly after the first of the year.
We'll spend the early part of 2008 preparing the materials and logistics for the second round of community conversations, which will take place in the spring and hopefully include the same people as participated in the first round. The format will be much the same, but discussion will focus more tightly on refining ideas about how best to achieve the shared vision for Michigan that emerged in conversations this fall and in examining the policy and spending trade-offs that will be required.
Following the second round of conversations, we'll be preparing a substantial report on a new agenda for a new Michigan, which will be released publicly (possibly early fall, 2008) and constitute the subject for statewide gatherings we expect to hold in the fall/winter. We also hope to make that agenda a main subject for the series of debates we hope to sponsor going into the November election.
Leadership:
We need to clarify the relationship between The Center for Michigan and the Michigan's Defining Moment campaign. The Center is the core organization; it holds a 501(c)3 designation from the IRS; and it is advised by the Steering Committee. The Michigan's Defining Moment campaign was started by The Center, but is now a tub on its own bottom, with its own written governance charter and group of governing Co-Chairs.
The MDM campaign cannot succeed if it's regarded as just a one-man band. Five of us have come forward to join Phil Power as Co-Chairs in governing the campaign:
Paul Hillegonds, Senior Vice President of DTE and former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
Mark Murray, President, Meijer, Inc., and President Emeritus of Grand Valley State University
Glenda Price, President Emerita of Marygrove University
Marilyn Shlack, President of Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Doug Rothwell, President of Detroit Renaissance
S. Martin Taylor, former Executive Vice President of DTE and head of S. M. Taylor and Associates.
The Center for Michigan is fortunate to have a number of equally distinguished Michigan leaders as members of our Steering Committee. You'll find the list on our website, www.thecenterformichigan.net.
Center for Michigan Newsletter:
John Bebow's Center for Michigan newsletter is proving a big hit, with many people telling us it's the best (and liveliest) policy document in Michigan, very well written, with lots of material you simply cannot find elsewhere. From a standing start early this year, around 2,800 people are now on the email distribution list. And this has been done without spamming.
We urge you to take 20-30 names and addresses from your contact file and forward the newsletter to your friends and colleagues with a note urging them to subscribe. Such "viral marketing" is an important way to increase the numbers of Michiganians reading the newsletter. A majority of people we asked in community conversations say they learned about The Center and the Michigan's Defining Moment campaign through the newsletter and the web, so marketing in this way fits consumer preferences.
Center for Michigan Website:
The website was redesigned earlier this fall. It features a much livelier and more visually appealing format, complete with lots of pictures and opportunities for interaction. People can post their comments and opinions on the blog, respond to Phil Power's column, and access material that John links to his essays.
The site also promotes the Envision Michigan story contest, which encourages people to submit their essays (or photos, poems, whatever) about why they love Michigan. We offer lots of nice prizes for winners, provided by our sponsors: Absolute Michigan, Boyne USA, Crystal Mountain, The Grand Hotel, Meijer, President's Council of State Universities of Michigan, and Thunder Bay Resorts. The contest is designed to bring emotion into a campaign that needs to avoid falling into the trap of wonks talking to other wonks, thereby sailing above the heads of most people. The website also makes it easy for people to sign up to get the newsletter and even to donate to The Center.
Metrics for the website are very encouraging. Average daily visits from March, 2006 through September, 2007 are 149, with an average of 385 page views. This October, we averaged 259 visits (up 74%!) and 876 page views (up 128%!).
Budget and Fund-Raising:
Our budget for the Michigan's Defining Moment campaign from now through the end of 2010 is $2.5 million. Phil Power has pledged $750,000 through the Power Foundation, so we have a long way to go to reach our financial goals.
Thankfully, we are receiving significant support from both the corporate sector and the philanthropic community. To date, we've received generous contributions or pledges totaling $335,000 as of this date. Contributors include: DTE Foundation; Meijer, Inc.; AT&T; Davenport University; Stryker Corporation; and the Van Dusen Family Fund. We deeply appreciate this support from both the philanthropic and business communities.
Added to the Power Foundation's pledge, all this means that to date we have commitments totaling $1,085,000. To meet our overall budget, we need to raise another $1.415 million, so we're not quite half way there. But we have submitted many proposals which are pending, especially to the great Michigan foundations. And we're optimistic at hearing good news as the months go by.
Press Coverage:
We have received a fair amount of very favorable press coverage, both news stories and editorials, including Nolan Finley's column in the Sunday Detroit News, editorials in the Lansing State Journal and Crain's Detroit Business, and background pieces from various newspapers. (To view the text, just click the link).
Legislative Dinners:
We are hoping to nurture a gathering of lawmakers from both parties and both legislative houses that might in time form a "transformation caucus." Pat Harrington, our lobbyist, and Ken Sikkema, an associate at Public Sector Consultants, have interviewed around two dozen legislators, most of whom expressed interest in sitting down to confidential, off the record dinners. We've held two so far, with six legislators attending. All expressed great interest in the project and are urging us to continue.
We're scheduling other dinners beginning with December 5th. If you'd like to attend, just let me know.
Evidence of Traction:
We're getting lots of anecdotal evidence that our efforts are beginning to take hold. Phil Power has been asked to speak to around dozen events over the past four months, with more invitations coming in regularly. In Lansing, people are beginning to talk about the Michigan's Defining Moment campaign as an effort that has significant prospect of actually making a difference statewide. Regional economic development groups like Detroit Renaissance, West Michigan Strategic Alliance and Southwest Michigan First are working with us to develop a statewide policy architecture that facilitates their regional work. And individuals are beginning to write to us, expressing support, inquiring about places at community conversations and volunteering help.
None of this would have been possible without your leadership. Building a citizens movement from the ground up is hard work, takes a long time and requires lots of patience. But it's the only way to build a solid, lasting movement. Your involvement with this is essential, and something for which every person in Michigan should give thanks.
With our very best wishes for a new Michigan,
