Training at the Workshop
scholarships and cancellation policies | success stories | subscribe to the media guide | tips | resources | contact us | all events
|
|||||||||
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |||
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
||||
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|||
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
|||
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
|||
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
This is not the future — social media is how we communicate, raise money and fill events now. Build your strategy, policy and calendar. Learn how to be effective with your messages, without it taking all your time. Three-part social media bootcamp for beginners. Learn More
Nov. 9 | Google Analytics for Communications
If you’ve never used Google Analytics, learn it now. This is an effectively tool to tell your story to funders, supporters and your organization. Learn the great Google Analytics tools that can work for you. Learn More
Nov. 12 | Developing Your Communications Plans
Preparation is the key to communications. Get on track with a plan, a strategy and a path to success. That’s effective communications. Learn More
Nov. 19 | Storytelling with Impact
How do we move people to action? We tell them a story that connects to their heart. You have those stories in your organization, we will help you find them and hone your skills to use them effectively. Learn More
Dec. 9 & Dec. 16 | Advanced Social Media Workshop
Do you need better numbers on Twitter? Or more engagement on Facebook? How’s that Instagram account doing? Move your organization’s social media to the higher level. This 2-day advanced social media course will each you key strategies, apps and analytics to allow you to be more effective in less time. Learn More
Jan. 9 | Advocacy Forward: Leadership strategies for achieving impact with advocacy
Jan 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, & Feb. 17 | Professional media relations workshop
Feb. 24. | L.I.F.T. (A workshop on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter)
Mar. 2, Mar. 9, & Mar. 16 | Spring social media bootcamp (Intermediate Training)
Mar. 23 | The power of pitching the media
Apr. 20 | A workshop on Search Engine Optimization
Apr. 27, & May. 4 | Spokesperson workshop
May 11 | Digital storytelling
May 18 | Storytelling with Impact

There are no webinars currently scheduled.
Learn to tell your stories better, using all the tools of communications, advocacy, outreach, and marketing, such as: media relations, using new media/technology, developing print materials, planning strategy, holding events, and other types of public relations. We are known for:
- Hands-on, practical training
- Emphasis on how to create compelling stories to increase visibility among media,funders and other audiences
- Providing tools to integrate Web 2.0 and social media into your communications and fundraising efforts
- Leading workshops that honor the ways adults learn, are interactive, and engaging
- Providing handouts you can use, not put on a shelf
Learn more about real people’s successes using what they learned from us by viewing some recent success stories.
Our workshops are for nonprofit & for-profit communicators–staff and volunteers responsible for telling their organizations’ stories. They come from grassroots and community organizations, arts groups, hospitals and universities, social-service agencies, philanthropy, and other types of nonprofit.
If you are in corporate communications or at a for-profit PR firm, we encourage you to visit the sites of our colleagues in PR, such as Ragan Communications, the Publicity Club of Chicago, PRNewswire, or the Public Relations Society of America.
We are half grant-funded and the rest of our revenue comes from selling workshops, trainings, and our Chicago-market media guide, Getting On Air, On-line, & Into Print to other nonprofits.
This allows us to keep the costs of our workshops at a fraction of the price of equivalent sessions in the private sector. Workshop prices take into account fees for our trainers (typically much-reduced from what they typically charge as a service to the nonprofit community), other fixed costs such as serving coffee, water, and meals during workshops.
Scholarships are always available to organizations with budgets under $100,000—please view our Scholarship Policy. You may also want to check the details of our Cancellation Policy.
We are happy to provide custom sessions that respond to specific needs or to reinforce core messages at your organization.
Organizations we have worked with recently include ACCESS, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Latinos Progresando, Local Initiatives Support Corp., Michigan Nonprofit Association, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Progressive Technology Project, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
To learn more about our custom training view our services and contact Maggie Walker (maggie@newstips.org), or call us: 312-369-6400.
Unless noted elsewhere, our trainings take place at Columbia College Chicago at 33 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL.
Walk-in Location:
Community Media Workshop
at Columbia College Chicago
33 E. Congress Parkway
Suite 610H
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: 312-369-6400
Fax: 312-369-6404
Email: cmw@newstips.org
Mailing Address:
Community Media Workshop
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605