About: This is a living page to help PRSSA Chapters with recruitment, fundraising, promotion, speaker meetings and anything else to improve the quality of the organization.

Post your suggestions in the comment box below to be featured on a daily “Have You Tried…” update.

• Have you tried arranging the seats in your speaker meetings in a circle to promote an open forum instead of a lecture format? (7/23/09)
• Have you tried starting off the year with a SWOT analysis meeting, evaluating your Chapter’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? (7/24/09)
• Have you tried a mentoring program for freshman and sophomore Chapter members, using junior and senior members as coaches? (7/25/09)
• Have you tried tapping PR and marketing professors as panel speakers to begin a semester’s speaker circuit, leveraging their influence over potential members in their classes? (7/26/09)
• Have you tried creating local Chapter awards to encourage your members to be proactive and engaging within your organization? (7/27/09)
• Have you tried working with other PRSSA Chapters or National Committee members to co-host Skype meetings, brainstorm fundraising ideas or submit guest blog posts? (7/28/09)
• Have you tried creating a living Chapter history document to help guide future executive boards with similar situations and decisions your current board faced and made? (7/29/09)
• Have you tried coordinating off-campus meetings for special occasions to create a different atmosphere? (7/30/09)
• Have you tried creating a welcome committee to sustain newly recruited members, finding them opportunities for involvement and introducing them to existing members? (7/31/09)
• Have you tried celebrating the birthdays of your members during a monthly social, giving everyone in your Chapter the spotlight throughout the year? (8/1/09)
• Have you tried working with your university’s newspaper to byline a weekly editorial, establishing your Chapter as an opinion leader and beneficial resource. (8/2/09)
• Have you tried creating a Chapter Twitter account to promote local events and announce Chapter news? (8/3/09)
• Have you tried inviting a professional speaker to help members improve their public speaking skills? (8/4/09)
• Have you tried distributing Chapter questionnaires to determine the strengths and weaknesses of members, as well as their interests within the organization? (8/5/09)
• Have you tried working with your university or local PRSA Chapter to help fund a trip to the PRSSA National Conference or National Assembly? (8/6/09)
• Have you tried assigning beneficial homework assignments to members, having them find PR case studies to show the group the next meeting or turning a brainstorm idea into a one-sheeter? (8/7/09)
• Have you tried creating publicity materials for your Chapter, outlining local and national benefits of becoming a member of the Student Society? (8/8/09)
• Have you tried getting familiar with the PRSSA graphic standards guide? (8/9/09)
• Have you tried going on record as an organization regarding hot topics on campus or in the community? (8/10/09)
• Have you tried starting Chapter meetings with icebreakers? (8/11/09)
• Have you tried organizing agency tours for your Chapter, giving members a template score card for their records? (8/12/09)
• Have you tried organizing a fantasy football league or March Madness bracket for your Chapter as a social event? (8/13/09)
• Have you tried challenging the student journalists on campus to some type of annual competition (softball, AP Style quiz, etc.) for the prize of a traveling trophy? (8/14/09)
• Have you tried creating a voting rubric for your Chapter’s National Assembly delegate to use when voting for National Committee members? (8/15/09)
• Have you tried submitting a proven fundraising idea to the Vice President of Chapter Development for national recognition — PRSSA’s FUNdraising Bowl? (8/16/09)