Horizon Blogging Incentives


Blogging for Results in Horizons!!
“How to Tell Your Community’s Story and Gain Impressive Incentives”

Blogger Tips:

  • Blog often and short rather than rarely and long
  • Involve others by teaching them how to blog
  • Have conversations and tell lots of stories

Incentives:

Blogging will be our form of assessment and measurement of success from now until June 30, 2008. That means blogging is not an option, but HOW in-depth your blog goes will be up to you. If you meet all the criteria stated below, we promise you the following “goods”:

  • Baseline Blog – All communities are required to complete the minimums under the baseline as part of the requirements by the Northwest Area Foundation.
  • Above & Beyond Blog - Communities reaching these goals will receive a an all-purpose black & white printer or photo printer.
  • Shoot for the Stars Blog – Reaching these goals entitles your community to a new laptop or desktop computer

Incentive Technology agreement:

  • By accepting or receiving any or all of these items (digital camera, printer, and/or laptop), you agree to the following terms:
  • 1. These items belong to your community. They are not the property of the Horizons Chairperson or other individual committee members or participants of the Horizons project.
  • 2. They must be kept in a public location that can be monitored during day time hours and locked during non-business hours (i.e. city office or public library).
  • 3. They are free to be used by your citizens.
  • 4. Your community must identify to the NDSU Horizons staff the public location where these items will be stored by the completion of the Horizons project – June 30, 2008.
  • 5. Your community assumes the maintenance and liability for any/all of these items that are received by your community upon the conclusion of the Horizons project – June 30, 2008.

BLOG REQUIREMENTS

Baseline Blog

  • By Feb. 1, 2008 there must be at least one blog post for each of the 12 categories on the “Community Progress on Outcomes” grid.
  • We must see that a community blogger has added at least one post per month through the completion of the Horizons project on June 30, 2008.

(A camera has already been purchased for each community to get you started and is yours to keep in the community. These baseline items though are the bare minimum requirements by the Northwest Area Foundation that we must follow for evaluation on this segment of Horizons.)

Above & Beyond Blog

  • By Feb. 1, 2008, there must be at least two blog posts for each of the 12 categories on the “Community Progress on Outcomes” grid.
  • We must see that a community blogger has added at least two posts per month through the completion of the Horizons project on June 30, 2008.
  • At least three new bloggers from the community are added as users and are making contributions to the blog (totaling 4 bloggers)
  • Blog includes quotes, stories, and photos or video that describe progress towards community visions and goals.
  • There is evidence of at least two conversations with others on the blog.

Shoot for the Stars Blog

  • By Feb. 1, 2008, there must be at least three blog posts for each of the 12 categories on the “Community Progress on Outcomes” grid.
  • We must see that a community blogger has added at least four posts per month through the completion of the Horizons project on June 30, 2008.
  • At least five new bloggers from the community are added as users and are making contributions to the blog (totaling 6 bloggers)
  • Blog includes quotes, stories, and photos or video that describe progress towards community visions and goals.
  • There is evidence of at least two conversations with others on the blog.
  • You have connected by blog to at least 3 other Horizons communities.
  • Blog has been used to recognize people or organizations for their Horizons work.
  • There are at least 2 links on blog to other websites.

Choose your level and create the best blog you can create for your community!!