In December, we offered our members a simple deal: Renew by the end of the year, and you'll be entered to win a trip from the fabulous folks at VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations.
We put the name of every organization that renewed before December 1 into a vase, and Mary Lauran did the honors of selecting a winner.
We are delighted to announce that the winner of a $2,300 bicycling or walking vacation from VBT is…
Leading up to the 2014 Advocacy Awards on Monday, March 3 in Washington, DC, we’re using our blog to spotlight the nominees who are in the running.
Today, let’s take a look at nominees for Business Advocate of the Year.
This award goes to a business, corporation or corporate employee who have constantly championed the cause of bicycling and walking advocacy. The time, money, and energy they have invested are evidence of their commitment to promoting bicycling and walking for healthier communities and sustainable transportation choices.
Leading up to the 2014 Advocacy Awards on Monday, March 3 in Washington, DC, we’re using our blog to spotlight the nominees who are in the running.
Today, let’s take a look at nominees for Advocate of the Year.
This award goes to an individual leader at a bicycling and/or walking advocacy organization who has shown tireless commitment to promoting active transportation at the state and/or local level. This person goes above and beyond the call of duty to transform his/her state/community into a great place for active transportation His or her time, knowledge, creativity, and commitment are the highest standard of excellence exemplifying a role model for peers.
This year, 10 exceptional advocates reached the final nomination stage for consideration by a panel of judges from throughout the biking & walking advocacy world. No use lobbying, though—the winner has already been decided! Join us at the Alliance Advocacy Awards ceremony on March 3 in DC, presented by Bicycling Magazine, to find out who will take home the trophy.
Wendy Landman is a creative leader for pedestrians, well-known throughout Massachusetts as the Executive Director of WalkBoston. In 2013, Wendy was appointed to the Transition Team of the new Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh and served on the committee to produce Boston’s new Complete Streets plan. She continues her membership on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board, working closely with state officials to set goals and implement progress for walking. And at the national level, Wendy has served as an active board member of America Walks and acts as an inspiration and mentor for advocates around the country. She tirelessly works the halls of the State House, the living rooms of individuals, and boardrooms of corporations – all in the interest of serving walkers in the urban, suburban and rural communities of Massachusetts.
Nominated by: Dorothea Hass, Stacey Beuttell, Brendan Kearney and Bob Sloane
Leading up to the 2014 Advocacy Awards on Monday, March 3 in Washington, DC, we’re using our blog to spotlight the nominees who are in the running.
Today, let’s take a look at nominees for Advocacy Organization of the Year.
This award goes to a bicycling and/or walking advocacy organization who, in the past year, made significant progress. Their leaders have worked tirelessly together to grow and strengthen their organization and fulfill their mission. The proof of their efforts is in the growth of their capacity and programs and the victories they have achieved for biking and walking in their state/community.
This year, 10 stellar groups reached the final nomination stage for consideration by a panel of judges from throughout the biking & walking advocacy world. No use lobbying -- the winner has already been decided! Join us at the Alliance Advocacy Awards ceremony on March 3 in DC, presented by Bicycling Magazine, to find out who will take home the trophy.
Bike Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
This Rust Belt advocacy organization has plenty to crow about. In 2013, Bike Cleveland executed new programming to boost biking, including a head-to-head National Bike Challenge against Pittsburgh, neighborhood outreach through bike fix-a-thons and light giveaways, and seven Bike to Work Day events. The organization oversaw significant policy victories: advocates won a countywide Complete Streets policy as well as local three foot passing and anti-harassment laws. In addition, Cleveland’s bike lanes increased by over 20% in 2013 alone and installed five new bike parking corrals — all thanks in part to Bike Cleveland’s efforts.
Leading up to the 2014 Advocacy Awards on Monday, March 3 in Washington, DC, we’re using our blog to spotlight the nominees who are in the running.
Today, let’s take a look at nominees for the Winning Campaign of the Year Award. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 3 in DC, presented by Bicycling Magazine.
This award goes to an organization for a winning campaign, in the last year, which has had the biggest impact for bicycling and walking. Their victory will dramatically increase biking and walking in their state/community or will dramatically shift the way that biking and walking are considered.
Transportation Alternatives: Citi Bike gets rolling
Their behind-the-scenes work might not have made major headlines. But for anyone familiar with the transportation advocacy world in New York City, it was obvious that Transportation Alternatives was a huge reason Citi Bike got off the ground. From research to lobbying to grassroots organizing, the behemoth New York City advocacy organization worked for years on the successful campaign to make bikeshare a reality and a success.
Leading up to the 2014 Advocacy Awards on Monday, March 3 in Washington, DC, we’re using our blog to spotlight the nominees who are in the running.
Today, let’s take a look at nominees for the Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award. The winner will be announced at the Advocacy Awards ceremony on March 3 in DC, presented by Bicycling Magazine.
This award commemorates Susie Stephens, one of the Alliance’s founders and an enduring inspiration for many members of the bicycle and pedestrian movement. The honor goes to an individual who carries on Susie’s passion for advocating for bicycling as a fun and economical means of transportation, as well as creating a safe biking and walking environment for all.
Jess Mathews
As an advocate with Consider Biking, Jess has worked diligently to bring bicycling to women of all ages. She co-founded the Ohio Women's Bicycling Summit and leads monthly 2 Wheels and Heels rides. Jess presented an inspiring talk at TEDxColumbus on women as "The Indicator Species" in bicycling.
Excitement is mounting for the 2014 Alliance Advocacy Awards. Voting wraps up at midnight eastern time for the Bicycling Magazine People’s Choice Award (go vote!), and Alliance staff are busy tallying votes from our illustrious panel of Awards judges for the remaining categories.
That’s right: there is an Academy behind the Oscars of biking and walking advocacy.
So you've got a handle on Facebook and Twitter. But what comes next?
Yesterday, the League of American Bicyclists and Alliance for Biking & Walking hosted a webinar on "what comes next," focusing on Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and Vine. This was the third in a series of webinars the League and Alliance have teamed up on, looking at using social media to spread your messages and bolster your campaigns. (If you missed our first two, don't worry -- you can review Facebook 101 and Twitter 101.)
Yesterday, we provided a basic overview of these four social media platforms that can be used to help expand your advocacy. You can watch the full webinar recording below and view the slides here (PDF).
We had a great turnout during our hour-long program, and we weren't able to address all of your questions. Below I've segmented out each of the platforms, looking at demographics and analysis tools, which many of you were curious about.
Instagram
Demographics: Skews young (primarily 18-29), female and urban. Details.
Analytics: Check out Statigram. Mary Lauran recommends this handy, third-party tool to keep track of your key metrics on Instagram.
Tumblr
Demographics: Gender split is near equal, the main age group is young (18-29), and most users live in urban areas. Details. Tumblr users also spend a ton of time on the site -- even more than those on Facebook.
Analytics: Numblr offers a great overview of your page, including a post-type-breakdown and your most popular post.
Pinterest
Demographics: Pinterest is overwhelmingly used by women more than men, and these users are primarily ages 30-49. The spread across urban-suburban-rural environments is nearly equal. Details.
Analytics: Pinterest gives the option of creating a Business account, which includes built-in web analytics. Check it out.
Demographics: There is little demographic data on Vine, which was launched by Twitter almost exactly a year ago. Anecdotally, Mary Lauran and I would agree the Vine user group is likely younger, late teens to early 20s. Early data suggests it skeys slightly more female and quite young (average age around 20 years old).
Analytics: You can generate reports with Simply Measured based on your Vine posts on Twitter.
Given that 20% of global internet users are on Twitter, there are almost definitely people in your area who are tweeting about biking and walking issues. And if your advocacy organization doesn't have a Twitter presence, you're missing out on opportunities to join those conversations.
But if you're not sure how to start tweeting, don't fret — we've got you covered.
Yesterday, the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists hosted "Twitter 101," the second in a series of webinars focused on using social media as a way to connect with your consituency and bolster your campaigns. We drilled down into the basics of tweeting — wait, what IS a tweet anyway? — and discussed how to begin building up a network of online supporters.
If you missed the session, check out the slides (PDF) and the recording in the video below.
During the webinar, we had the chance for some great Q&A. Thanks to everybody who tuned in live and asked great questions! There were some issues were weren't able to address in our allotted time, so here are some quick follow-up items.
First, you can definitely connect Twitter and Facebook. Here's Twitter's guide on how to push all of your tweets to your personal Facebook profile or to a page you manage, and here's Facebook's tool for pushing your Facebook posts to a Twitter account.
That said, I would argue that it's actually best not to link your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Here's why. Twitter and Facebook are very different social networks, with different norms and sets of etiquette. On Twitter, brevity is key, and multiple posts per day are the norm. On Facebook, the image rules, longer posts are A-OK, and folks may get annoyed by a barrage of posts in a single day. Your tweets will likely look out of place on Facebook, and the same is true for the reverse. So I recommend updating the two accounts separately, provided you have the time and staff resources to do so.
This post looks great on Facebook...
...but looks like an unfinished thought on Twitter.
And, for what it's worth, here's how I would have modified the original content for a tweet:
Also, you can tweet from a mobile phone even if you don't have a smartphone. It's as simple as sending a text message. Here's Twitter's guide to tweeting via text.
Effective fundraising to support advocacy efforts is vitally important for a well-run advocacy organization. From testing smart email campaigns to leveraging social media to employing new crowdfunding tools, Alliance organizations can use many methods and approaches to boost online fundraising.
On a recent Alliance Mutual Aid Call, experts in online fundraising recommended great methods and digital tools to fund biking and walking advocacy organizations' work and projects.
To get in the loop, check out the tip sheet below.
In December, we offered our members a simple deal: Renew by the end of the year, and you'll be entered to win a trip from the fabulous folks at 
Leading up to the 2014
