Maryland Non-Profits Show Promising Numbers

By Mitchell Schmale

A study released this week unveiled some promising numbers for Maryland-based nonprofits. A report by Maryland Nonprofits showed that the state added more than 22,200 nonprofit jobs from 2004 – 2009. Even more promising, numbers revealed that Maryland nonprofits grew employment by 2% in 2009, which was just slightly lower than the year before.

The study was good news for not only the State of Maryland, but for the nonprofit sector, which was able to show growth during a very difficult economic time – even if it was modest growth. Our team at Maroon PR is proud to work with a wide variety of recognized and well respected local and national nonprofits serving various constituents. We do our best on a daily basis to help share their message through the media, showcase their ongoing efforts to serve and help others, and ultimately help in their fundraising efforts by growing awareness around each nonprofit’s work and mission.

It’s good to see that nonprofits of all sizes continue be an important part of our economy, both nationally and right here in our backyard in Maryland. The report showed that nonprofits in Maryland employ more than 255,400 people. Hopefully, that number will continue to rise as the entire sector rebounds from the economic downturn and works harder than ever for corporate and public financial support. In the meantime, our team at Maroon PR looks forward to working harder than ever to help drive growth for our nonprofit clients.

Mitchell Schmale is Vice President at Maroon PR. Contact him at Mitchell@MaroonPR.com.

Dining Out with Your Dog?

By Andrea Kunicky

How would you feel about having your furry little friend accompany you to lunch or dinner outside on a restaurant’s patio?

Well, many in the area now are attempting for a bill to go before the General Assembly that would free Maryland to join in with Florida, California and Minnesota in allowing dining outside with your dog.

Delegate Dan K. Morhaim of Baltimore County is sponsoring the “Dining Out Growth Act of 2011.” He told the Baltimore Sun that the law would give a much-needed boost to the state’s restaurant industry, which has had a tough go of it in the recent economic downturn.

“Frankly, anything that develops economic activity right now is good,” Morhaim told the Sun. “Now when people are outside and walking their dogs, they’ll walk by a place where they’d like to stop and eat. But they won’t because they can’t.”

Many of the local restaurants in the area already welcome dogs, but hundreds more do not because of the state health code violations.

Tomorrow, the dining bill will be discussed at a hearing before the House of Delegates and the Government Operations Committee. According to the Sun, the proposal has the support of many Maryland restaurants, the Humane Society of the United States and the Maryland Health Department. If passed, the law would take effect in October.

So, what does everyone think about this hot button topic in the area? Personally, I am an avid dog lover and would be all for having our four legged friends out for a meal with their owner. But, in the end, the owner should know if the dog is well behaved enough to sit for an hour or two to eat, and to be cognizant of the others around them. I couldn’t see myself enjoying dinner on a patio to only be disrupted by a barking dog throughout my meal.

This will be interesting to see where this bill goes and if we can get more restaurants in the area to approve of this act, because ultimately, it could help their establishments grow more and increase their awareness and exposure to others in the community.


Andrea Kunicky is an Account Executive at Maroon PR. Contact her at Andrea@MaroonPR.com

Robert Ehrlich Effectively using Social Media in Political Campaign

By Mitchell Schmale

Back on June 14, 2010, I blogged about the 2010 gubernatorial race in Maryland and how both candidates are planning to use social media platforms, such as FaceBook and Twitter, to share their political views and deliver their campaign messages directly to voters.

On July 1, the simmering social media campaign kicked into high-gear as Republican candidate Robert Ehrlich made the long awaited announcement of his running mate in former Maryland Secretary of State Mary Kane. Ehrlich’s choice for his Lieutenant Governor may not have surprised many political analysts, but the way he made the announcement certainly did.

Ehrlich did not make the announcement at a press conference outside the State House in Annapolis or standing in front of his campaign headquarters or some other traditional campaign spot we have all come to expect in political races. Instead, he made the announcement via a You Tube video posted on his FaceBook page at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30.

The timing and method of his announcement had political pundits buzzing and also re-examining the possibilities and strategies behind the use of social media in the campaign. By using FaceBook as his chosen outlet to share his news, Ehrlich made his supporters in his social media network feel connected and important to their candidate. They were getting the news first and saw a real benefit to being connected to Ehrlich via Facebook. It also provided Ehrlich an inexpensive forum to share his campaign announcement and receive initial grassroots feedback to plan for next steps.

The announcement helped pump up fans on Ehrlich’s Facebook early in the race and build a greater network for future announcements and campaigning. Since the June 30 announcement, Ehrlich has grown his fans on Facebook by roughly 6,000 people to nearly 33,000 compared to his rival Governor Martin O’Malley’s more than 12,000.

Finally, the timing at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night was carefully orchestrated to make the announcement breaking news for 11 p.m. TV news networks across the state that night, as well as the top story the next morning during drive time.

I am sure we will see more announcements, as well as direct responses to various future campaign ads on both sides shared via social media forums as the race plays out through the coming months. Additionally, supporters and undecided voters alike will also see the benefit of following one or both candidates online to receive unedited and unfiltered campaign messages as they make their choice in November. The race is on…

Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Maroon PR's Corporate Division. Contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.

Maryland Governor Election Heavily Relying on Social Media

By Mitchell Schmale

As the race for governor begins to heat up in Maryland during the summer months, there will be a new political battleground in the 2010 gubernatorial race: the world of social media.

Republican challenger and former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich and current Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley are both planning to share their political platforms and take their messages directly to voters across the state through active social media campaigns including Facebook and Twitter. Both candidates are currently working to grow their respective social media sites as they add followers and fans. The plan for both is that their arsenal of social media tools will be primed and ready to be maximized in the fall as the campaign heads down the stretch.

The 2008 presidential election made history by utilizing social media platforms to help share messages and reach voters, but this is new territory for the governor’s race in Maryland. Social media platforms were not a major part of the campaign strategy in 2006 for the governor’s race. But, the social media world has evolved quickly since then and is now a force to be reckoned with in the world of politics. It’s a free way to share messages with supporters, volunteers and potential voters during a fast-paced campaign when every day counts and during a time when political fundraising for candidates in a sluggish economy will be tougher than ever.

It’s always interesting to watch a hotly contested gubernatorial race play out in print, radio and TV over the life of a campaign. In Maryland, we can now we can add social media to the political battlefield. Let the campaigning begin.

Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Maroon PR's Corporate Division. Contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.