Tips for Newspapers

Great sources for your local coverage of Make A Difference Day: Search our DAYtaBANK for local action. Get the national roundup story and day-of celebrity photos.

Make the most of Make A Difference Day

Generate editorial coverage
Your readers' participation in Make A Difference Day provides a rich source for editorials, issue-related stories, columns and profiles.
Before Make A Difference Day, run stories about important needs in your community.
Report on community groups that are trying to find solutions to these problems.
Report on specific plans for Make A Difference Day, and cover the events on the day they occur.
Profile Make A Difference Day participants and those who benefit from projects.
See publicity ideas for a heads up on what your readers may ask you to do.

Inspire and involve readers
Use Make A Difference Day as a catalyst to call your readers to action.
Encourage readers to help solve local problems through Make A Difference Day projects.
Refer readers to a volunteer center or United Way branch in your area.
Alert readers to a way to honor 9/11 victims.

Enhance newspaper's profile
Use Make A Difference Day to increase your presence in the community and strengthen relationships with readers and advertisers.
Sponsor a worthwhile community project and invite readers to take part.
Enlist current and potential advertisers as co-sponsors; ask them to donate materials, food or facilities.

Celebrate local heroes
Make A Difference Day provides an opportunity to cover readers who make a positive difference in your community.
USA WEEKEND automatically honors one project from your area. The project and your newspaper will be listed in the special Make A Difference Day annual awards issue of USA WEEKEND each April. You'll receive a personalized certificate to present or mail to your local honoree.
A project from your area may be selected as one of 10 national honorees to receive $10,000 from Paul Newman and Newman's Own.
Create your own Make A Difference Day award in addition to the national honors.

Tell your readers
A total of $100,000 in donations is available for local charities of participants. Let your readers know they are eligible to get funds for community needs.

Key Dates for Papers

August
USA WEEKEND announces Make A Difference Day to our readers. Newspapers may run entry forms at any time and begin local coverage of volunteer needs. Visit the Web site to search for local projects.
October 28, 2006
Make A Difference Day.
February 2007
If your area has a national honoree, we will contact you.
First week in April 2007
Newspapers receive information about local honoree(s) as well as original entries from your area.
April 13-15, 2007
Newspapers may honor local honoree(s). USA WEEKEND's special Make A Difference Day issue lists your local honoree(s) and profiles national honorees.

Report using the Web
Keep in mind that the Make A Difference DAYtaBANK (www.makeadifferenceday.com, hosted by MindShares.org) will list thousands of projects across the country. Search for local participants by zip code or word. Use the project ideas in a how-to story to help your readers make local changes.