Sometimes when we talk about success stories, we pick one story and share it.  This Energy Efficiency Awareness Month we want to go big picture! We are going to share a bit about why they are so important to notice and just how to share them. First off, let’s start with what a success story is.

Success stories run the gamut and are widely varied. They can be the joy a weatherization recipient experiences when they see their home completed or a workforce program (see our last blog) that offers job skills to community members, grows the local economy and strengthens the weatherization workforce. It could be an outreach initiative launched to raise awareness of local services, a strong partnership, or new policies that build efficiencies into existing systems. Success stories are all around us and they are crucial to our work.

Success stories tell the story of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and in doing so build awareness, increase political currency, cement the networks credibility, boost job satisfaction and employee motivation, and in turn paves the way for future successes.  Success stories increase the visibility of the network and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. They help educate our allies on the Hill about how policy decisions impact the program. Success stories make people excited to be a part of this network and nurture innovation and creativity; truly success stories are worth their weight in gold!

Yet, for all they are worth they can be so hard to notice!  Calendars are already packed with work.  As the network mobilizes to take on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) it can be hard to seek out success stories. We recognize the sticky wicket this is and want to make finding and elevating success stories as easy as possible for you. Check out our pro tips below!

Technology is your friend ?

Use social media to quickly elevate successes. Include hashtags and @ to highlight the post. Hashtags to include: #Weatherization, #EnergyEfficiency, and #WAP.  Be sure to tag national partners, state offices, elected officials and more.

Record short interviews about success stories using an online platform – this can be used to write up a success story or simply memorializing it.

Create a success story portal on your website that allows for both written and video recording submissions. Limit required submittal information required to increase submissions.

Leverage your network by building distribution lists for email and social media to create consistency and decrease redundancies. Include state communications entities, subgrantees and state offices around the country who can lift your message up and learn from your work.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Better to know a little bit about many successes and be able to follow up in the future than to fall victim to analysis paralysis.

Prioritize critical information

• Who is involved? (Client, agency, state office, staff)
• Where? (State, territory, local community, etc.)
• When? (Include timeline information, ex: policies unchanged for 12 years, now updated.)
• Why? What was the problem?
• What was the solution?
• Is there data?
• Visuals!

Offer thanks to anyone who highlights a success – save a draft letter of gratitude in your email with any questions or follow up directions to send.