The Lumpkin Family Foundation is an east central Illinois foundation providing support through grants to nonprofit organizations working towards innovation and long-term improvements in the environment, health, education and the arts.  The organization is focused on the special needs of small and rural communities to leverage additional resources and enhance local philanthropy.

The Lumpkin Family Foundation has also created an online community space and virtual resource center connecting the good work that nonprofits do in east central Illinois with the Good Works Connect website.

Omni looks forward to working closely with this impressive organization so fully dedicated to building on their legacy of community involvement.

At Omni, we like to refer to clients’ marketing programs as their ‘tool box’. There are many tools you can use, but just as you would not use a hammer when a screwdriver is needed, neither do all marketing tools work for all clients or all situation.

You have to determine what each tool is used for and what result you want from it. And you have to understand how the tools work – there is passive marketing and aggressive marketing. Some marketing simply creates under the radar buzz (a poster in your store’s window), some marketing efforts shout at you (TV or Radio Ads), some just want to be friends (Facebook).

Know what you want to achieve, what is possible with the media you have chosen to deliver the message, and how you want your target audience to react. But then there is that measurement issue… senior decision makers want to know if the dollars going out translate into dollars coming in to the company – ROI.

With a specific time-sensitive event, such as a clearance sale this weekend only, you can measure the effectiveness of your advertising by how many people visit your store and asking them how they heard about the sale. That is an easy way to measure, although not 100% accurate – many times it is the layering effect of multiple media channels and the one that is recalled may just have been the last one seen. Most marketers would cringe to hear the reason a customer came in was because of the giant inflatable monster at the store entrance!

But social media is different. First you have to accept social media is not a direct means to simply sell – it is designed to create a conversation and become a brand builder for your organization. It is an ideal way to show your service to customers. Ultimately, those actions will reap benefits, much like the top-notch greeter or receptionist who makes every visitor feel like royalty. Those are marketing moments you can build on that are part of the toolbox, but they are not the only tool.

Social media is not the same as traditional forms of marketing; the process for engagement and contact is different. But, it still is highly valuable in how it can develop new opportunities and new loyal customers, it just takes time.

If you use social media with the expectation of making a sale or generating a qualified direct lead, it can seem counter-productive. However, if you understand how to fold social media into a marketing toolbox and use this tool for the specific purpose of creating a connection with your customers, it will build your foundation and your brand.

W. Allan Shears: Electrically Powered Pill Crusher
Jardogs, LLCC: Patient Kiosk
Dr. Schneider and Dr. Hwang: Wikiphen
Dr. Om Jha: STUC-OM
Jack Milbourn: Tru-Balance

These five finalists will present their innovative ideas for healthcare improvement at the final competition on June 9, 2010 to be held at 4:30 p.m. at the LLCC Capital City Training Center. The event is open to the public. A winner will be selected and will receive a cash prize of $15,000. The runner-up will receive an $8,000 cash prize and the remaining finalists will each receive $1,000.

For more information visit the Project Innovation website at http://www.sangamonprojectinnovation.com/press/Media%20Release_Finalists.pdf.

Moore worked previously as the Marketing and Promotions Director at Capitol Radio Group and holds a bachelor degree in communications from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She serves as an ambassador for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and also as a board member for the Kidzeum of Health and Science. Moore loves to cook, travel and spend free time with her animal shelter rescue dog Woody.

Lincoln College

The Behrends philosophy of charity was instilled early in childhood through the teachings of the Lutheran Church.  Bernie and his older sister Anna were raised by their widowed mother and grandfather to help others when possible through service to their church and the public.   They were taught to view their contributions as a privilege that would ultimately strengthen society as a whole.  Blessed by success and prosperity as adults, Bernie and Anna have sustained these fundamental Christian principles through consistent and generous donations to their alma mater, Lincoln College, hoping the recipients of their charity will someday “pay it back” by helping others as well.

Bernie was born in Lincoln, Illinois on July 27, 1921 and received his primary and secondary education through the Lincoln public school system.  After being honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1946 following three years of active duty during World War II, he was allowed to pursue his post-secondary education through financial assistance provided by the GI Bill of Rights.  Bernie attended Lincoln College from 1946 through 1948 and upon graduation continued his studies at Bradley University in Peoria from 1948 to 1950.  He graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor of science in general engineering and worked the next thirty-two years as a civil engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation until his retirement in 1982.

While successfully advancing in his profession, Bernie put into practice the charitable lessons of his youth and began helping others by volunteering his time and talents in numerous capacities.  First he served for six years as vice president of Immanuel Lutheran Church and treasurer of their building committee until 1963.  During the Vietnam War, Bernie worked as a member of the Logan County Selective Service Board.  He then was assigned to the board of trustees at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital from 1967 until 1973, followed by an eight year stint as a member of the Logan County Election Board.  Finally in 1992, Bernie was elected to the board of trustees at Lincoln College, an educational appointment that he holds in high regard to this day.  As if this impressive record of service isn’t enough, Bernie is also a lifetime member of a long list of admirable organizations, including The American Legion, Forty and Eight, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks #914, Lincoln Masonic Lodge, Springfield Consistory, Ansar Shrine, Logan County Shrine and the Legion of Honor.

From his position on the board of trustees at Lincoln College, Bernie Behrends has worked to provide financial assistance for needy, worthy and qualified high school graduates from Logan County who wish to better themselves through a quality education at Lincoln College.  In 1998 with the support of his sister Anna, Bernie established the Anna and Bernard Behrends Endowed Scholarship Fund, allowing more than forty students to attend college since its inception.   In 2002 Bernie was instrumental in founding the Nurses in Training, Logan County Voiture 985 of the Forty et Eight Scholarship.  To date this program has helped over 150 students pursue an education in the field of nursing.  So great are Bernie and Anna’s contributions that the new admissions building on the Lincoln College campus was dedicated in their honor in 2002 and is now known as the Anna K. and Bernard E. Behrends Admissions Building at Lincoln College.

Bernard “Bernie” Behrends continues his legacy of educational service to Lincoln and the surrounding community with no apparent signs of slowing.  When pressed to explain why he and his sister Anna have dedicated their lives and resources to the educational pursuits of college students in need, he responds simply with conviction, “Education is what’s important!  We knew we could do more to help others, the whole point in life is to help people.”  Honest Abe would undoubtedly agree.

Congratulations to Laura after many years of dedicated service to Omni!