As an AMB chapter, you receive National public relations backing and website recognition. Use these tools, templates, and guides to amplify your chapter's story and connect with local media outlets.
Ready-to-customize releases for your major chapter announcements
Announce the opening of your annual midnight basketball season. Customizable for dates, venue, registration, and community partners.
Celebrate and publicize a successful grant award. Builds donor confidence, community visibility, and sponsor interest.
Honor program completers and promote participant outcomes. Great for attracting media coverage and showcasing impact.
Announce the official launch of a new AMB chapter in your city. Introduces leadership, mission, and registration information.
Celebrate a chapter anniversary (5th, 10th, 25th, 40th). Highlights cumulative impact, participants served, and community legacy.
Announce a new organizational or corporate partnership. Acknowledges partner contributions and deepens community trust.
Put the most important information in the first paragraph. Answer who, what, when, where, why.
Most critical facts first, supporting details second, background last. Editors cut from the bottom.
Always include a direct quote from your Chapter Director. Quotes humanize the story and provide attribution.
Press releases should be 300–500 words. Two pages maximum. Use ### to signal the end.
End every release with the same "About AMB" paragraph to ensure consistent organizational description.
Send Tuesday–Thursday, 9–11am local time. Give 2–3 weeks lead for print; 1 week for broadcast; 48 hours for online.
Ready-to-share materials for press, partners, and stakeholders
A media kit (also called a press kit) is a package of promotional materials for journalists, sponsors, and community partners. It gives them the background, facts, quotes, and visuals they need to cover your chapter accurately. Build yours using the components below.
Key facts about the Association of Midnight Basketball — formatted for journalists and partners. Copy, customize with your chapter data, and include in any media or partner outreach.
Use these authorized quotes from Dr. Standifer in press releases, grant narratives, and media pitches.
"The Midnight Basketball League Program™ grew out of a simple idea — if young people have somewhere safe to go during the highest crime hours of the night, lives can be changed. Forty years later, that idea has saved thousands of lives."
— Dr. G. Van Standifer Sr., Founder, Association of Midnight Basketball
"This isn't just about basketball. It's about providing structure, mentorship, and opportunity at the exact moment when young people need it most — between 10 PM and 2 AM."
— Dr. G. Van Standifer Sr., Founder, Association of Midnight Basketball
"Every chapter that joins our network carries forward the legacy of Glenarden — proof that communities can solve their own problems with the right framework and the right people."
— Dr. G. Van Standifer Sr., Founder, Association of Midnight Basketball
"[YOUR DIRECTOR QUOTE — personalize with your chapter's story]"
— [YOUR NAME], Chapter Director, AMB — [YOUR CITY]
A one-page impact summary for media packets, grant reports, and community presentations. Fill in your chapter-specific data.
Platform-by-platform guidance, hashtags, and post templates
Audience: Parents, community stakeholders, funders, ages 30–60
Audience: Young adults 18–34, participants, peer outreach
Audience: Media contacts, policy advocates, journalists, city officials
Audience: Funders, prospective partners, national media
| Day | X / Twitter | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Week preview / Announcement | Motivational graphic | Program reminder |
| Tuesday | Partner spotlight | Behind-the-scenes Story | Community news share |
| Wednesday | Impact stat or testimonial | Participant success (consented) | Mid-week check-in |
| Thursday | Event reminder (weekend games) | Countdown to game night Story | Game night promo |
| Friday | Game night LIVE or recap | Action photos from game night | Live updates 10 PM–2 AM |
| Saturday | Game night LIVE or recap | Highlight Reel post | Live updates 10 PM–2 AM |
| Sunday | Weekly recap + thank-yous | Quote card / reflection | Week in review thread |
TV, radio, and newspaper pitch templates and media contact tools
Build and maintain your chapter's local media contact list. The more complete your list, the faster you can reach press when news happens.
| Outlet Name | Type | Contact Name | Beat/Focus | Phone | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Station/Paper Name] | TV | [Reporter Name] | Community | [email] | [phone] | Covers local nonprofits |
| [Station Name] | Radio | [Host Name] | Urban Affairs | [email] | [phone] | Interested in youth programs |
| [Paper Name] | [Editor Name] | Metro/City Desk | [email] | [phone] | Good for feature stories | |
| [Blog/Site Name] | Online | [Editor Name] | Youth/Education | [email] | [phone] | High local readership |
| Add additional contacts as needed… | ||||||
Short, visual-focused pitch for TV assignment desks. Best sent Monday–Wednesday, 2–4 weeks before your event.
Conversational pitch for community radio programs, morning shows, and local podcasts. Works well for call-in or interview formats.
An embargo means you share information with reporters before it's public, under the agreement they won't publish until a specific date/time. Use embargoes when: (1) you want multiple outlets to cover something simultaneously, (2) you have major funding or partnership announcements, or (3) you're timing a story to an event. Always put "EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE] [TIME]" in bold at the top of any release sent under embargo. Never issue an embargo for routine program announcements.
Your chapter's listing on midnight-basketball.org — how to claim, update, and maximize it
All licensed AMB chapters receive a permanent, searchable listing on the national AMB website. Your listing is visible to media, funders, community partners, and prospective participants searching for Midnight Basketball in their area.
Email compliance@midnight-basketball.org with subject line "Chapter Listing Request — [Your City]". Provide your chapter name, city/state, director name, phone, email, and program schedule.
Send a high-resolution photo (minimum 1200×800px, JPG or PNG) of your team, facility, or game night. This becomes your listing's featured image on the national website.
Describe your chapter's founding, service area, key partners, and unique programs. National staff will review and publish. Use the template below as a starting point.
Chapter listings must be updated annually by January 31st to remain active. Submit updated participant numbers, current director contact, and any program schedule changes.
What to capture, how to release, and how to submit to National
All participants must sign a release before their image or voice can be used in any promotional material, social media post, or media pitch. Use this standard release for all photography and video.
National AMB actively uses chapter photos and videos for the national website, social media, grant applications, and press kits. High-quality chapter content increases the entire network's visibility.
Collect signed releases for all recognizable individuals
Label files: [CHAPTER]-[YYYYMMDD]-[description].[ext]
Upload to your Google Drive folder and share link with compliance@midnight-basketball.org
In your email, note: event type, date, city, photographer name, and consent confirmation
National staff will review and credit your chapter when photos are used publicly
Best of Month Award: Each month, National selects the top 3 chapter photo submissions for featured placement on the homepage and national social media. All submissions are considered.
Facebook Post Templates
🏀 It's GAME NIGHT in [CITY]! Doors open at 10 PM tonight at [VENUE]. All young adults ages [AGE RANGE] are welcome — no charge to play. We'll have basketball, coaches on the court, and life skills workshops. Come through. 🕙
#MidnightBasketball #AMBNetwork #SafeNights #[CityName]Youth
🌟 Meet [FIRST NAME ONLY]. When [he/she/they] first walked through our doors, [BRIEF BACKGROUND WITH PERMISSION]. Today, [he/she/they] [ACHIEVEMENT — e.g., has a job, finished their GED, is coaching]. This is why we do this. 💪
#YouthMatter #AMBNetwork #MidnightBasketball #[City]Strong
🎓 GRADUATION DAY! We are SO proud to celebrate [#] graduates from our [YEAR] program cohort. These young men and women showed up, put in the work, and now they're walking across that stage. Join us [DATE/TIME/LOCATION] to celebrate them! 🧡🖤
#GraduationDay #MidnightBasketball #AMBNetwork #[City]
🙏 Want to keep young people safe in [CITY]? Your gift to AMB — [CITY] Chapter directly supports free programming, certified coaches, and life skills workshops for at-risk youth. Even $25 funds one participant for a full program night. Donate at: paypal.com/ncp/payment/WP5P9LX8RS3FY 🧡
#GiveBack #YouthMatter #MidnightBasketball #AMBNetwork