Vol. 1, Issue 1 October 2008  IN THIS ISSUE NAACP: Delivering Results NAACP in Action In the News IN THE NEWS US News & World Report New York Times Obama Blog Electronic Village New Pittsburgh Courier WJBC-AM Baltimore Sun Carolina Peacemaker SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome New Staff Members!   Steve Hawkins Executive Vice President Roger Vann Vice President for Field Operations and Membership Maxim Thorne Senior Vice President of Development and Communications   Kirk Clay Civic Engagement Toni Fay Development (Centennial year only) Consultants Tom Bacote Civic Engagement Walter Bristol Finance Kim Keating Human Rsources Carla Sims Communications Nicole Hayes Communications Kweli Washington Executive Office STAFF PROMOTIONS Hilary Shelton Vice President Advocacy/Director, Washington Bureau Merlgene Lumley Executive Assistant Executive Office Wendy Hamilton Internal Communications FAREWELL Our thoughts and prayers go to the family of former State Branch President Valerie Woodard who passed on Oct. 3rd.   COMING EVENTS    Election GOTV activities around the country.  Visit naacp.org for details.   _______________ ON THE MOVE! The Communications Department is now located in the Washington Bureau. To reach a member of the team, call 202-463-2940 _______________ Dear Adora, As I close out my first full month on the job as President, I want to take a minute to thank you for your continued support and to present the first edition of NAACP Now!, a monthly newsletter exclusively for NAACP leadership and staff.  It's intended to highlight key accomplishments of the past month and to preview upcoming activities.  Restoring power was a priority in my first few days on the job. From assessing the needs of Hurricane Ike victims to registering thousands of new voters, we made sure that the loss of electrical power did not mean the loss of electoral power for Hurricane victims or anyone else in America. We've also focused on increasing our financial power and stability by engaging present donors, reestablishing relationships with lapsed donors, and cultivating relationships with new ones. Finally, we welcomed several new hires in an effort to restore the capabilities, impact and ultimately the power of the organization. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and I welcome your feedback and suggestions.    Thanks, Ben New School Tools Used to Register Every Last Vote Upload to Upift  - On September 17, we launched Upload 2 Uplift, a voter registration initiative that uses Web 2.0 technology enabling visitors to register online and upload the email addresses of family and friends who are not registered. Upload to Uplift also uses a text message feature to remind registered voters to go to the polls on Election Day. The downloadable widget, located on naacp.org was distributed to units, coalition partners and bloggers for placement on their sites and mentions in blogs. In addition to the online initiative, units conducted traditional voter registration outreach including door-to-door registration, canvassing, walk maps, and special registration events, like the recent Million Voter March in North Carolina. With Upload to Uplift we're combining old school tactics with new school tools. It's a natural extension of our Voter Empowerment programs. Highlights: Field units secured over 25,000 new voter registrations over the past four weeks through door-to-door canvassing, faith partners, special events and other traditional tactics. Over  20,000 additional people registered using the NAACP's new online registration tool.  We increased unique visits to the web site by 3000% in a one month period -- from 840 visitors to 27,090. Secured over 7 million print media impressions from general market and Black Press coverage. Reached over 10 million listeners via several nationally syndicated radio shows including The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Steve Harvey Morning Show, The Mo'Nique Show and The Roland Martin Show. This integrated campaign, lead by Civic Engagement, and coordinated by the Communications team, combined the efforts of several departments, including IT, Development, Field Operations, and Youth and College. This integrated approach makes all the difference and it is my hope that cross-departmental collaborations will be key to magnifying the overall efforts of the Field. NAACP in Action Fundraising Boost. We're pleased to report that $3 million in new funding has been secured and already being put to use in support of our voter empowerment efforts, technology and staffing needs. Many thanks to Atlantic Philanthropies,The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, PowerPAC and an anonymous donor for their generous support. Getting Out the Vote.  Our Youth and College Division takes voter protection and mobilization on the road with their upcoming bus tour. In addition, we will produce Public Service Announcements featuring John Legend, conduct literature drops and send Election Day text message reminders to registered voters. Mortgage Crisis. We have issued statements and called on Congress and the Administration to guarantee that American families are protected as they work through the details of the $700 billion bailout plan. NAACP Warns Against Arbritron Actions. We joined the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters in protest of Arbitron's decision to implement "Portable People Meters" (PPM). The PPM is a new audience measurement system that we believe will undermine the classification of many Adult Urban contemporary radio stations and ultimately impact the viability of all Black radio stations. Approximately 4,000 of our members and online advocates signed a petition to protest  Arbritron's decision. NAACP on the Ground. We dispatched a delegation from HQ to Galveston, Texas to ensure that the rights of African American victims were protected and that they receive equal treatment in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. NAACP Urges Courts to Revisit Davis Case. NAACP leaders urge local and federal courts to grant clemency or commute the death sentence of Troy A. Davis. Morale Boost. Strengthening staff morale is a priority and on September 20, NAACP HQ hosted a Family Picnic. Over 60 staff members, their family and friends attended the event that included food, music and even a moon bounce. In addition, we have established "Over the Hump Wednesday", a weekly dessert reception designed to enhance morale and increase staff productivity. In The News Black Press Exclusive. The Black Press and Black radio helped get the word out about the new online voter registration tool. Hilary Shelton and I conducted two teleconferences with a select group of influential Black bloggers and one with the Black Press resulting in over 200 online and printed stories. So far, the response from the Black Netroots has been very positive. "I no longer question the relevance of the organization," wrote Wayne Hicks from ElectronicVillage.com. Registering Every Last Vote.  Hilary Shelton, Stephanie Brown and I conducted interviews to amplify our voter empowerment message: Register every last vote, verify every last vote, mobilize every last vote, protect every last vote and ensure every last vote is counted. Quotes appeared in Time Magazine, Blackenterprise.com and Jet Magazine. Upload to Uplift PSA on Urban Radio. We produced a :30 Public Service Announcement that was provided to 150 American Urban Radio Network stations at the recent NABOB luncheon. Listen here. Visit the media corner to read some of the articles.