Online Contest Opportunities Explored

NFPW is looking into ways to make the contest more efficient and easier for members to use.

During the April board meeting, we participated in a webinar with one firm that offers online contests. We expect to review two more firms during the fall board meeting.

We know there will be a learning curve, and we expect to provide training and build in time for the transition. No date has been set for when we'd move to an online contest, although we would hope that by 2013 we would be holding the contest online.

Karen Galanaugh, APR, who was contest director from 2007-2009 researched online contests. "At that time, the cost was prohibitive for the organization," she said. "But now technology has improved and affordable options and methods abound."

Christy Welch, a member from Iowa, is the person at her newspaper responsible for submitting entries into the annual online contest for the Iowa Newspaper Association. She noted, "The process, once learned, is not that difficult."

Lisa Beaudry, who entered NFPW's contest for the first time was surprised that there was not an electronic submission. She noted that, like many members, she was forced to pay to overnight her entries to meet the deadline.

An online contest saves money not only for members, but also for affiliates and NFPW. The goal is to offer the online contest to all affiliates and NFPW to gain the greatest savings and efficiencies.

Additional information will be shared in the coming months. If you have comments, please submit them to NFPW President Cynthia Price at mysterydiva@comcast.net or to Contest Director Gwen Woolf at gwenwoolf@hotmail.com.