Updated February 2013

Giving a talk | Using social media | Personal correspondence
 

Five Talents has an incredible story to tell about women's empowerment, community transformation, and discovering one's God-given significance. But we can't do it alone. We need people who can help us relay that story in creative ways.

This digital toolkit is designed to give you – a student, a board member, a business professional, someone who has a heart for the poor – whatever you need to tell our story.

Your participation could be as simple as e-mailing your close friends one of our blog posts and telling them why you love Five Talents. Perhaps you are scheduled to teach a Sunday School class and you need a creative lesson plan. Maybe you're a university student who  wants to be an advocate for Five Talents on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Whatever you're into, we're sure there's a way that you can help us spread the word about our work. Below, you will find just a few examples. Please let us know if you can think of other ways to help us tell our story.

Click here to register your interest as a Five Talents volunteer.

GIVING A TALK

Perhaps you want to give an inspiring talk to a group of business pals or a Sunday School class about the amazing work that Five Talents is doing in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Where do you start?

This standard PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of Five Talents, its mission, philosophy and global reach. You will also find a link to a Sunday School Lesson based on the parable of the five talents. (Right/Ctrl-click on the link, then select "Save As" and choose your destination folder.)

•  PowerPoint
•  Sunday School Lesson

It helps to introduce audience members to a few of the women and men whose lives have been transformed. Here are a few recent stories that we recommend:

• Teresa in South Sudan
• Hotmian in Indonesia
• Adriana in Bolivia (See also this blog post about Adriana)

You also might consider showing a slideshow at the close of your presentation. Or even better – play a short video from our YouTube page. If you will not have Web access and would like a digital copy of a slideshow or video to save on your hard drive, you may download them from our Vimeo page.

• This video about our growing program in Indonesia would be a great one to share.

Sometimes you may only have 30 seconds – and not 30 minutes – to tell Five Talents' story. Here's a description of our work that someone with little or no familiarity with microfinance or microcredit might find helpful:

"Five Talents helps impoverished women and men living in Asia, Africa and Latin America set up micro-businesses that can generate a sustainable income for themselves and their family. The non-profit works in 12 countries, organizing savings and loan groups, providing loan capital, training these group members in basic business skills, and providing opportunities for spiritual support and development through local Christian institutions. This holistic approach ensures that the women and men in the savings and loan groups have a support system that can help them develop their skills, grow their businesses and overcome adversity, like the sudden illness of a family member or the loss of a crop."

Here's a description of our work that someone who has a more advanced understanding of microfinance might find helpful:

"Five Talents understands that giving someone a loan and then a pat on the back just isn't enough to propel that person out of poverty. You need to support that person and provide accountability. You need to help that person develop skills that he or she can use to manage and grow a micro-business. And you need to give that person an opportunity to learn that they have God-given abilities and gifts that they can use on their quest to create a sustainable income. Five Talents partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America with organizations like World Concern and Mothers' Union in order to ensure that this holistic approach is offered to every single group member. What's more, Five Talents tailors each program according to the community's needs. For example, in some areas, we also help to provide literacy training. As a result, every year, a growing network of women and men find themselves better able to provide for their family and thrive as human beings."

 Click here to download a printable copy of the above 30-second "elevator pitches".

If someone approaches you with questions about Five Talents, the following additional resources might prove helpful:

• 2011-2012 Annual Report
•  Infographic: Out of Poverty, Into Business: Savings Groups and Micro-Enterprise in Lietnhom, South Sudan
  
• Infographic: Cycle of Transformation
•  10 Ways to Get Involved
• Frequently Asked Questions (Website link)

USING SOCIAL MEDIA
You might not be a Facebook fiend, but don't let that stop you from using the social network to spread the word about Five Talents. Your friends and acquaintances trust you, so when you say, "Check out the work of Five Talents – one of my favorite international non-profit organizations!", people are listening.

How you can support Five Talents on Facebook:

• "Like" us: Search for "Five Talents International" on Facebook and click the "Like" link on our front page. (Or click on this link and log in to your account.) This action will show up in your friends' news feed and – who knows? – they may in turn "Like" us too.
• Talk about us: Every once in a while, say something nice about Five Talents on your Wall. The best way to do this is to visit the Five Talents Facebook page and "Like" or "Share" a photo or link we have posted to our wall. When you do this, the same photo or link will appear on your wall. You're giving us a HUGE shout-out! We love when that happens.
• Give through Facebook Causes: Make a small donation of $10-$25 via our Causes page and ask your friends – those who can – to give, as well. Some people do this in lieu of asking for a birthday or Christmas gift. It's a great way to show your support for Five Talents!

How you can support Five Talents on Twitter:

• Follow us: If you're on Twitter, make sure you're following @FiveTalents! This is our official Twitter "handle".
• Talk about us: If you decide to mention our work in one of your "tweets" -- short posts of 140 characters or less -- make sure you put the @ symbol before "FiveTalents" (one word). This creates a link and makes it easy for people who are reading your tweets to just click on @FiveTalents and go directly to our Twitter page.
• Share a link: Browse our blog once a week and share your favorites posts on Twitter. Here's how: Paste the link at the end of your "tweet". The link will automatically be shortened, but you can shorten it yourself and track how many people click on it by signing up for Bitly, a free Web service.

If you would like a personal tutorial on how you can use Facebook and Twitter to promote Five Talents, send an e-mail to Charlie Shifflett. He will be happy to show you the ins and outs of social networking.

 Click here to download a printable tip sheet that covers all of Five Talents' social media networks .

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE
Maybe you prefer the art of personal correspondence to giving a talk or using Facebook. Nothing wrong with that – in fact, it might just be the most effective way to promote Five Talents to friends and acquaintances.

Below, you will find printable handouts to supplement your personal appeal:

•  Infographic: Out of Poverty, Into Business: Savings Groups and Micro-Enterprise in Lietnhom, South Sudan
  
• Infographic: Cycle of Transformation
  

If you would prefer to send an e-mail to a list of contacts, please consider including in your note a link to a recent blog post. This is a great way to introduce Five Talents to friends and acquaintances who might never have heard about our work. Make sure you explain why you are recommending a certain blog link/story. Here are links to a few recommended posts:

• A Grandmother’s Tale: Journey Out of Poverty Began on the Bed of a Truck
• Micro-Enterprise Development in Myanmar: 'We Can Do This Ourselves'
• Laying the Groundwork for a Farmers' Cooperative in Kenya: Who Is Teaching Whom?

 Whether you are writing a note, giving a talk or posting a comment about us on Facebook, the most important ingredient in the equation is YOU. We are truly grateful for your support of Five Talents.