Post edited 2:03 pm – December 15, 2010 by wspademan
Here is the latest version of our Membership Brochure, which is designed to be professionally printed, so that it can bleed to the edges. Here is the latest Membership Agreement form, which can be printed on any color printer, to go inside the brochure.
The major changes to note are as follows:
We are now saying "It's our bank. We decide." rather than "It's your bank. You decide."
"Real democracy. Real money. Real Power." replaces the final lines on the front and back of the brochure. (We are also currently using this phrase on the home page of this website.)
The "As a Common Good Bank Member" section on the inside of the brochure now talks about "you and your neighbors", in order to be consistent with the switch to "we decide" while talking to "you the Common Good Bank member".
Both the brochure and the Membership Agreement form refer now to a "Common Good Economy" and the "Campaign for a Common Good Economy".
The Membership Agreement form asks only for the donation up front. The loan and investment are pledged. The online membership signup will be changed accordingly.
The reasoning behind this is that our most effective membership solicitations have used this type of agreement. In fact they have been ten times as effective as all other solicitations together. We may lose a few people when the time comes to make the loan, due to changed economic circumstances, death, or change of contact information. However, the increased volume of memberships should more than compensate.
The back of the Membership Agreement form gives an approximate time frame for buying stock (mid 2011).
I have incorporated many of your suggestions in the latest version of the brochure. In particular, the front now has some attractive graphics and very little text.
Here is the latest version of our membership brochure — a work in progress….
Comments:
Great job, all. It feels like progress towards a successful capital development campaign.
It has to be simple & expensive to print and handout. The rule is for every 100 handouts, you'll get 1 taker. For every 100 takers, you'll get 1 committer. So you'll need to print 1000 copies before 1 person joins as a member. It shouldn't be more than 1 page, front & back. I agree with 99% of what you're ready to publish.
The primary job will then be to hand it out in droves. I researched printing last year and our group decided to go with http://www.moxicopy.com/. Best printer for ease, cost and green.
Just one small change: Somehow relate that there's a forum at commongoodbank.com. Something like "Have questions? Join the discussion at http://commongoodbank.com/forum/."
I like the suggestions for a new & improved Q&A, posted prominently on the main page as a PDF. Someone should rake through the whole forum for core questions, and our answers. If people want hard copy, they can print it. Or community division organizers can attach it to an email. Networking, networking, networking.
If we include FAQ with the piece we are immediately engendering doubt at the same time that we're trying to make a positive impression. Especially if it is an insert (had to be added later than original – because people had so many questions). Why raise questions that have not or may not concern the individual? Anyone serious enough to consider joining will visit the website where they expect to find a FAQ page to consult, if they so desire. Questions in bold letters are what the individual will notice and remember (e.g." Why is membership so complicated?" or "Why such a low return?") – not the short, necessarily insufficient answers to these important questions. We want the CDO's to handle, in person or on the phone, any important questions that the prospective member has – as they arise. I think we're trying to do too much with something which is meant (I think) to simply reinforce the presentation that they've just been given bv a representative of the project; so that they have something tangible to link back to us that highlights the essence of what we're doing and what we want them to do.
Maybe we should just add this tagline on the last page: Questions? Contact the organizer who gave you this brochure or visit the FAQ page on our website:commongoodbank.com.
I like the cribsheet, have all the CDO's weighed in on it?
Post edited 7:50 am – September 4, 2010 by wspademan
Sarah Noyes says (by email):
I think that the brochure is a good, stand-alone piece, but it should come with more detail. Yes, I'll want to sit someone down and explain the membership program, but I'll also want to send them away with more detailed information.
My comments center more around revising or not including so much about Common Good Finance. The text is SO big picture and I'd like to see more tangibles… I would reexamine these mission and vision statements — give it
more meat instead of it seeming so, so big picture. I respect the
bigger picture, but I'm guessing (since we're still dealing with such an
outdated, backwards banking system that is rarely even mentioned in
economic justice efforts) that most folks won't make the connections
between banking local and "sustainable agriculture and energy systems,
for local self-reliance, for ensuring that everyone has enough to eat, a
home, and satisfying work."what about: organizing communities to launch community-based, democratic economics for the common good of all. At least I have a better idea of what the desired outcome is — this other one is SO open-ended. Its so open, in fact, that its breezy and chilly in here! (grin)
I envision the accompanying materials including a FAQ, which Rick astutely points out should build off what most folks already know.
Post edited 1:37 am – September 4, 2010 by Richard Todd Chinnock
My vote is for keeping the brochure aspect and the membership application as one and the same.
When the brochure is presented I think it should be coupled with some kind of interest that has already been generated through the CDO's message. With the brochure should come the request of membership. The brochure will yet again simply define what the CDO has talked about so that the prospective member sees the cohesion and feel confident about their decision. If at all possible we should plan on having an envelope already made out to CGF that we can seal the brochure and check inside in front the of the founding member.
Edit: In addition, the term "…progressive social change." does not really define in my mind what is happening here. My thinking is "foundational" or perhaps "fundamental" social change would be more accurate. Drawing attention to how this banking model addresses the current economic crisis at it's root cause seems like the most efficacious route to creating an immediate passionate interest in the project to me.
On a more mundane level; my region is primarily a conservative region. I am unsure how the term progressive would play out.
Post edited 11:50 am – September 13, 2010 by wspademan
Here is the latest version of our membership brochure — a work in progress. The brochure should be printed two-sided, then folded in half, to make four small pages. Here is the Membership Agreement Card, designed to be printed two-sided on ivory card stock and sized to fit inside the brochure.
The mission of the brochure (and card) is to present
a succinct, compelling case for the Common Good Bank system,
a clear, single call to action, and
a means to complete that action.
The brochure is intended as a supplement to individual contact — not as a substitute for it. That is, CGB organizers will need to talk to people, not just hand them a brochure.
Let us know what you think! (Note that some of the comments below have already resulted in changes to the brochure.)
Post edited 3:27 pm – September 3, 2010 by wspademan
Rick Replies (by email):
not designed to be left sitting around or to be handed out willy nilly like a leaflet
If we don't want the brochure to be considered like a leaflet, or be casually distributed (which I agree with), why make it appear as one? To my mind, making it a form to complete and mail in suggests this, and at the same time diminishes the seriousness of the commitment. In this regard, the original brochure is superior. Best practice to utilize the brochure would likely be to hand it directly to a prospective member after a brief "elevator pitch." Our expectation should not be that that individual would use it to join or to provide us with their contact information; its function is to provide them with a tool to learn more about us – and and give them the CDO's contact information, for them to recontact him/her if they so desire on their own initiative (the CDO, of course, would endeavor to attain the prospect's info and record it separately). Then also drop all the requests for their info and provide ours: An endorsement quote from someone like Greco, Facebook or Youtube links, Website etc. and the name and contact info for the CDO.
In other words, describe the "tiered contribution plan" (donation, loan, investment), just drop the " I hereby …" and the "I am…" and substitute something like "Founding Members will -" or " as a Founding Member you are asked to …"
Possible solution to the Common Good Bank/Common Good Bank friction, which also has the high merit of retaining what I think is a succinct and effective motto:
At the top of the second page: "Not just another bank or credit union with a social mission … this is a social MISSION with a BANK!"
Drop the heading "About Common Good Finance" and substitute "The MISSION"
Really, that's what's being described here (the mission). Mention at the end of the mission description that Common Good Finance* is the grassroots organization responsible for attracting the support to establish the bank, which will then fulfill the mission.
* this should be the only reference needed to Common Good Finance.
Next, drop the heading "About Common Good Bank" and just say "The BANK" Would suggest the first line to be something to this effect: Unlike a standard credit union or a conventional bank, a Common Gook Bank would synergize the best aspects of each to create a powerful new instrument for social change.
The section that describes the membership plan could be headed:"FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP PLAN" instead of "Membership Agreement." Also, I don't like the phrasing of Common Good-"type" bank – looks like "fine print" and invites doubt about our intent. I understand why but I think the phrase common good banking could be substituted somehow.
In summary, as you recognize, the content of the brochure should be tailored to its intended use, toward which I believe the recommendations here proposed more accurately aligns. Again, the membership agreement form should be a separate form to be signed off on with the CDO present and receiving the check.
Another note: "suffer" is a loaded word, and is coupled with an unnecessary redundancy – economic justice followed by economic injustice. Instead of those suffering I'd consider those seeking economic justice and do some rephrasing to drop economic injustice.
It now says "nonprofit grassroots organization" (instead of "small").
I changed the text a bit to blur the distinction and explain the relation between CGF and CGB. Unfortunately, regulations prohibit us from doing anything as CGB, so if we dropped one entity in the presentation it would have to be CGB, which would be even less ideal, I think.
I also disagree about separating the introduction from the membership form and about giving more written detail. I think ideally we want a single brochure and we want everything to be as simple as possible. This brochure has the bare bones of both the CGB concept and the membership system. It will be up to the organizer to explain both. This brochure is not designed to be left sitting around or to be handed out willy nilly like a leaflet. It is designed as a discussion piece for organizers to use when inviting people to become members. When I set up a meeting with an old engineer friend recently, I asked to meet with him with the express purpose of getting him on board the CGB project. I think that's what we want to do as organizers: be up front about our agenda — for example "How would you like to have lunch with me so I can tell you about this great project I'm working on and see if you want to get involved" or "…see if you want to be a founding member".
Brochure should be an introduction piece only, not a membership form (should not be entitled as such). The tiered program requires explaination and elaboration that only an organizer can provide.
Much of what was dropped from the old brochure should still be included, instead of the overemphasis on how to contribute. Granted, the objective would still be to make that information concise and to exclude some of the more ancillary facets.
The distinction between Common Good Finance and Common Good Bank is unnecessarily confusing to the reader, we should use one or the other in the brochure to identify the project.
Suggested summary and substitute for description of our tiered plan (Building off what people are familiar with, credit unions):
The next big step in the evolution of the credit union concept, common good banking creates a more dynamic alternative with a greatly enhanced capability to seriously challenge the existing banking system. Like credit unions, every common good bank will be member owned – the advantage of this new model will be that individual members will have a much greater influence in their community and society by directly excercising democratic control over the use of their own money, in unison with other concerned citizen members. In order to make this advancement a reality, under existing banking regulations, it is necessary to raise capital just like the banks with whom we will be competing.To accomplish this in as democratic a manner as possible, an extensive grassroots campaign is underway to attract founding members whose contributions collectively will comprise the estimated 10 million dollars needed to be officially chartered by the FDIC.Becoming a founding member could be the single most potent action available to you at this time to address the daunting issues we all face locally, regionally and globally.The financial committment we are asking for includes all three of the following: (1) a donation to fund our national organizing (2) a loan which will immediately benefit communities while simultaneously helping underwrite chartering (3) an investment that will raise the additional capital required. Only the donation will not have a direct future financial return to you personally, although it will be instrumental to our overall success.There are many levels from which you can participate to help us achieve our goals, beginning as low as a total commitment for the three components of only $1150.00 (or really, whatever you can afford). If you are interested, please provide your contact information and a local organizer will follow-up with you. In the meantime, go to our website for more details.
I have additional minor editing suggestions to make that I can cite later (e.g.no need to refer to ourselves as small, as in "small grassroots organization" – our ideas make us BIG.
Post edited 3:15 pm – September 3, 2010 by wspademan
Randy Jones said (by email):
First, I am happy to see the form. It looks great.
I see no language about forgiveability of the loan. If the loan is to be forgiveable, then there must be language about it in the brochure. This demonstrates transparency.
"bank-type" language raises a red flag. We are asking people to put cash on the barrel-head, yet suggesting that their money might not fund "a" Common Good Bank, per se. I believe an asterisk would clarify the issue, if I undersatnd it. That is, *banking regulations require that we do not refer to Common Good Bank as a reality prior to its charter." This also helps to demonstrate transparency.
hope this is helpful. Let me add, I am all for being positive. But I think we err if we allow our enthusiam and desire to succeed to cloud or blurr certain important realities. That is how corporations got their start!
3. I agree. However, we want to avoid footnotes, if possible. We don't want to include anything tricky, if we can avoid it. How about if we rephrase this as investing in "the Common Good Bank system" and "a Common Good financial institution". I think this makes it clear without introducing any new complexity.
2. We intentionally removed "forgivable" because it was misleading. We have no intention of ever asking that the loan be forgiven. Even if a charter is denied, we would still work to start the bank somewhere else. The agreement is accurate as written. However, since we have been talking about a forgivable loan until recently, this is a crucial point to clarify with organizers.
I have two comments re the Membership Form–Ok, three comments
First, I am happy to see the form. It looks great.
2. I see no language about forgiveability of the loan. If the loan is
to be forgiveable, then there must be language about it in the
brochure. This demonstrates transparency.
3. "bank-type" language raises a red flag. We are asking people to put
cash on the barrel-head, yet suggesting that their money might not fund
"a" Common Good Bank, per se. I believe an asterisk would clarify the
issue, if I undersatnd it. That is, *banking regulations require that we do not refer to Common Good Bank as a reality prior to its charter." This also helps to demonstrate transparency.
"hope this is helpful. Let me add, I am all for being positive. But I
think we err if we allow our enthusiam and desire to succeed to cloud or
blurr certain important realities. That is how corporations got their
print page
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