STEW-MAP Recruitment Letters

Correspondences

STEW-MAP

The following are examples of outreach correspondences to use with the STEW-MAP project. Outreach needs to be customized based on how the person’s contact information is obtained. In some cases, partner organizations would actually send the letter or email on behalf of the STEW-MAP research team. This is done so that the letter is received from an organization with which the recipient already has a relationship. It also allows some customization based on characteristics of the recipients (for example, an organization that supports local community gardening efforts might customize the text for gardeners). In all cases, these customizations would be only minor wording changes.

Introductory Postcard or Email

Dear Eco-Steward:

If you are a gardener, park advocate, beach cleaner, environmentalist, eco-educator, or community organizer – we need your help to put your group on the map!

We are in the process of developing the first-ever comprehensive map of civic stewardship groups working throughout the city. The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) will create a publicly available database and map of stewardship groups. Right now we are starting with you.

Don’t let your hard work go unrecognized.

Over the next year, researchers from the US Forest Service and [other main project partners] will work to collect information about where and how environmental stewards are working throughout the city. Please look forward to receiving a survey from us within the next two weeks. The survey will arrive through your email, however if you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the survey, please contact us at: [CONTACT INFORMATION].

We are excited to invite you to participate in this important and ground-breaking project. Once you receive the survey we are asking that you take the time to complete and return it as soon as you possibly can.

Para una versión en español, favor de email: [email address]

Sincerely,

The STEW-MAP team

OMB Control Number: 0596-NEW

OMB Control Number: 0596-NEW

Email or Letter with Survey Link

Dear [Partnership or Coalition] Member(s)

About two weeks ago you received a [postcard or email] asking you to participate in the Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP). Today we are sending you the URL so that you can complete the survey as soon as possible.

Survey URL here

If your group does any work on behalf of the environment (community gardening, ecological restoration, monitoring, advocacy, environmental education, or other activities), we want to hear from you! The information in this survey will be used by our STEW-MAP team to develop a publicly available, online database of stewardship organizations working on environmental projects throughout the city. This will be the first of its kind in this city – and we are starting with you.

Once open, the survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. This is completely voluntary and you are not required to respond to a collection of information from a federal agency unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The Control Number for this collection is: 0596-NEW. All responses are completely anonymous and we will never publicly connect your organization with any responses. If you are not able to finish the survey at one time, you can start now and complete as much as you can. You can save your work and return later. We would like to have your survey completed within the next two weeks.

If you have any questions about this survey or would like more information, please contact a member of the STEW-MAP team at (email address here).

Sincerely,

STEW-MAP Team

OMB Control Number: 0596-NEW

Follow-up Email for someone who hasn’t completed the survey after 2 weeks:

Dear Eco-Steward,

This is such a busy time of year for everyone who cares about the environment. We understand how valuable your time is and hope that you can find about 30 minutes to complete the STEW-MAP survey for your group.

We need information from groups like yours so that we can get a well-rounded picture of who is doing environmental stewardship work in our city. The survey can be found at:

[Survey URL]

If you are not able to finish the survey at one time, you can start now and complete as much as you can. You can save your work and return later.

Thank you in advance for contributing to the STEW-MAP project by completing the survey. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

[STEW-MAP team]

[contact information]

Optional follow-up, thank you message for someone who filled out the survey but said no to being on the online map

Hello [Partnership or Coalition] Member(s)

On behalf of the Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project, I would like to thank you for completing the Stew-MAP survey for your organization. At one point in the survey, you indicated that you did not wish to be included on the stewardship map. If you have reconsidered and would like to add your organization to the map, please log back into your survey and you will be able to view or update your previous responses. If you would like to log back in, please use the following steps:

1. Use the following link to access the survey [URL Here]

2. In the box, at the bottom of the welcome page enter your email address exactly as you provided it on the survey (the email used to send you this note)

3. Click the “Continue” button

4. On the next screen, click on the link for your organization

5. Use the navigation buttons at the bottom of each page until you reach the following question “Does your group/organization wish to be on the online stewardship map?"

Click "Yes” and your group will be added to the online map.

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Signature

Email address

OMB Control Number: 0596-NEW

Optional follow-up, thank you message for someone who started to fill out the survey but did not complete it

Hello, XXX.  Thank you for starting the Stew-MAP survey for [group name]. You can see yourself on the online stewardship map at [URL]. We know that your time is valuable and hope that you can find the time to complete the survey in the next few weeks. We need information from groups like yours so that we can get a well-rounded picture of who is doing environmental stewardship work in our city.

Please follow these steps to log back into the survey to answer skipped questions or update your previous responses:

1. Go to the bottom of the welcome page [URL]

2. In the box, enter your email address exactly as you provided it on the survey (the email used to send you this note)

3. Click the “Continue” button

4. Click on the link for your organization on the next screen

5. Page through the survey using the navigation buttons at the bottom of each page.

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Signature

Email address