Matching Grant Challenge for Dorchester Food Co-op

The Dorchester Community Food Co-op is approaching the deadline for our matching fund Challenge Grant from the Boston Impact Initiative.

Thanks to many of you, we have raised $2800 toward our goal of $12,500. Now we need to raise the rest--- $9,700 by April 15! If we meet this challenge, we will receive an additional $12,500 from the Boston Impact Initiative and we will have $25,000 to ensure that the co-op can do the pre-development work to move to the next level.

We are meeting with our development partners to finalize site selection for the new co-op. We are very excited about the vision of a whole new 10,000 sq ft "market center" on Bowdoin St. that will include the co-op, as well as complementary businesses, such as a bakery, a fish store, and a bank or credit union.

Chip in $25 or more right now to help make this vision a reality!

Our goal for this co-op is far more than just a source of food. With your support we will also work to create a hub for community gatherings and build a model green community- and worker-owned business. We are tired of hearing that inner city visions are unrealistic! You may have noticed a recent Boston Globe article that talks about many new supermarkets with natural food being built in the Boston area, and you may have ALSO noticed that Dorchester--Boston's largest neighborhood-- is not included in any of these plans! We need to build our OWN store that brings us economic opportunities and community control over our food choices.

Please act now and help us meet this fundraising challenge. With your continued backing for the Dorchester Community Food Coop, we will show that commitment and hard work can make this dream come true in a diverse urban setting.

To Donate on Line: dotcommcoop.wordpress.com 
Look for the Donate Now icon!

Donations of $100 or more are tax deductible if made by check payable to our fiscal sponsor, the Coop Fund of New England. All checks should be mailed to Dorchester Community Food Coop, PO Box 240231, Dorchester, MA 02124

With gratitude for your partnership,

Jenny Silverman and the Board of the Dorchester Community Food Coop
Jhana Senxian, Bing Broderick, Davida Andelman, Rosanne Foley, Sharon Higgins, Jennie Msall, Lynn Murray, Samantha Tan, Joel Wool

RFP: Web & Communications Systems Design

Request for Proposal: Web & Communications Systems Design
Cooperative Development Institute

Overview:
The Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) is the Northeast's Center for Cooperative Business Development. A 501(c)3 founded in 1994, CDI's mission is to build a cooperative economy in New England and New York through direct business assistance, education, and networking. We are looking for a consultant to develop a communication and marketing strategy and set up our web, email, social media, and other systems so that we can easily and effectively communicate with our stakeholders and the public about the work we do, the services we offer, and the cooperative economy in our region.

Scope of Work:

• Design and style guide (including graphics) that matches CDI logo for use on website and emails
• Consultation on which strategies to employ, which host & CMS to use (we want something that is easy to use and maintain)
• Setup of website CMS, social media, print, email systems that market CDI services
• Help with setup and maintenance of article/post indexing, using the tags we have been using for the CDI blog
• Migration of relevant content from existing site, offline documents to the new framework
• Basic training on structure of website – how to enter content so we can keep it up to date
• Set-up and training on tracking analytics
• Availability for ongoing check-ins
• Estimated cost of project: between $5,000 and $8,000

Skills:

• Website design and setup, Vertical Response (the email system that we use), Salesforce (our relationship database)
• Demonstrated experience with web design that has a marketing purpose

Timeline:
Work to be completed within three months of starting contract.

The successful proposal will demonstrate strategic insight about the current web and social media presence of CDI (see www.cdi.coop) and recommendations for change, and will include examples of relevant work. Please send proposals to info@cdi.coop by April 29.