All communications should be anchored by core messages

1. All communications should be anchored by core messages

2. Nine elements of core messages • Mission statement – why do you exist? (the “why,” not the “what.”) • Vision statement – what will the world look like if you are successful? • Purpose Statement – detail the focus of your work • Problem Statement – what is the main problem you are trying to solve? • Program Descriptions – how and what do you do? • Audiences – identify key target markets that your communications will focus on reaching and influencing • Desired Attributes – how do you wish to be perceived? • Attribute Description (brand “pillars”) -- select four or five most important attributes. What do they mean to you? • Linking Brand Pillars to Audience -- Describe how each brand pillar benefits each one of your key audiences.

3. Mission statement – why do you exist? (the “why,” not the “what.”) We exist to secure/protect forever the rural lands that are at the core of our region’s identity – the elements of the “sense of place” that makes the Upper Valley unique and special. Current official mission statement: The Upper Valley Land Trust helps people conserve land forever. We work with individuals and communities to protect the land that supports the ecological health and vitality of our region. UVLT stands committed to the stewardship of conserved lands for the benefit of present and future generations.

4. Vision statement – what will the world look like if you are successful? The Upper Valley will be a place with robust and diverse open space, vibrant natural areas and a healthy rural character, a place where residents enjoy and benefit from special places without a sense of impending risk, a place where residents feel a personal connection to and a sense of stewardship for land as an essential aspect of community life. Land will be set aside for parks and trails; water supplies and fragile ecological areas will be protected; “working” land will support agricultural production, Christmas trees, maple syrup, and timber harvesting; residents will hike and paddle, birdwatch, hunt, and teach their children about nature.

5. Purpose Statement – what is your organization’s purpose? detail the focus of your work The Upper Valley Land Trust helps people conserve land. We engage people in the vision and process of land conservation and in the stewardship of conserved lands. UVLT provides conservation leadership, strategies and practical assistance to permanently protect the working farms, forested ridges, wildlife habitat, trails and scenic landscapes that surround residential areas and commercial centers, helping Upper Valley residents secure the mixture of land uses so critical to the region’s vitality and identity. We work with local conservation commissions and volunteer groups to identify and prioritize land conservation opportunities; we provide assistance and technical information to landowners; we devise and enforce permanent restrictions to conserve key properties forever.

6. Problem Statement – what is the main problem you are trying to solve? The Upper Valley stands at a critical juncture. The region’s thriving economy and excellent quality of life stand to increase the region’s population by 25% over the next two decades. Growth threatens the rural landscapes and open spaces that make the Upper Valley such a desirable place to live and work. Now is the time to protect the special places residents cherish, because many of today’s conservation opportunities will not come again.

7. Program Descriptions – how and what do you do? • Empower, motivate, inspire and educate people to conserve land through voluntary actions. • Engage private and public support to carry out conservation transactions; encourage civic participation in conservation strategies and priorities. • Monitor and enforce conservation protections on permanently-conserved parcels of land