PowerPoint Guidelines
For WAC Employees
Watershed Agricultural Council
Walton, NY
Last Updated April 23, 2010
Outreach & Communications Department
Introduction
• When applicable, use a slide to take care of
housekeeping business at beginning of
presentation. (i.e., location of bathrooms,
surveys to be collected, etc.)
• Acknowledge and thank your partners/host
for the opportunity to present .
• Introduce yourself, your qualifications and the
program/topic to be discussed.
• Outline your key presentation points to come.
• Let’s get started!
EXAMPLE
Housekeeping
• Thanks to Andy Hubbard and the Watershed
Agricultural Council for this opportunity to
share tips, tricks and guidelines to PowerPoint
presentations with our staff.
• Feel free to ask questions at any time.
• Provide feedback or improvements to this
presentation by emailing
taracollins@nycwatershed.org.
• These are simply “guidelines” to PowerPoint
presentations; ask for help if you need it.
EXAMPLE
Speaker: Tara Collins*
• WAC Communications Director
• Walton, NY office
• Outreach & Communications Department
here to help you with your visual, electronic ,
print and media needs
• B.A. - Communications Mass Media
(Professional Writing minor)
College of New Jersey
• Freelance writer for more than 25 years
* Use this slide to reinforce your credibility by providing background about yourself. You may also provide
background on the WAC program/topic you’re presenting.
EXAMPLE
Key Points
PowerPoint Guidelines For WAC Employees
• The organization’s suggested approach to
PowerPoint presentations
• Discussion of presentation layout
o Logo use
o Slide titles
o Slide formats
o Presentation examples and templates
EXAMPLE
Slide Titles
Minimum of 8 Slides:
1. Title
2. Housekeeping
3. Program/Speaker Introduction
4. Key Points
5. Content Slides (1-45)
6. Recap Key Points
7. Funder Acknowledgement
8. Final Slide with Contact Information
Slide Formats – Title Page
Presentation Title
Group Being Addressed
Presentation Location
Date
Your Name & Title
WAC Program (if applicable)
PowerPoint Guidelines
For WAC Employees
Watershed Agricultural Council
Walton, NY
April 15, 2009
Tara Collins, Communications Director
Outreach & Communications Department
EXAMPLE
Slide Formats – Logos
• The WAC logo should appear on every page,
where possible, either in the upper right or
lower right corner of slide.
• A logo on every other slide is also appropriate.
• Keep logo consistently in same spot from slide
to slide.
EXAMPLE
Slide Formats – General
• Use 3-5 bullets per page.
• Keep font size large.
• A slide represents 1-5 minutes
of talking time.
• Presentations may run 5-50 slides.
EXAMPLE
Slide Formats – Backgrounds
If you use images
coloring…
Use images to attract and keep people’s
attention, but not distract from your message.
Slide Formats – Backgrounds
Place an image in a background mode by right
clicking Format Picture > left click Recolor > left
click Color Modes > Make your selection.
Images should enhance what you are saying,
not compete for the audience’s attention.
EXAMPLE
Slide Formats – Text
• Use fonts appropriate to your program.
Calibri (sans serif) and Adobe Garamond Pro
(serif) are options. For a program example:
Pure Catskills uses Broadway
and Century Gothic fonts.
• Use no more than two fonts.
• Use no more than three font sizes such as
o Headlines in 44 point
o Body text in 32 point
o Footnotes and sources in 12 point*
* In total, you will have six possible type styles to access (3 Calibri, 3 Garamond).
Slide Formats – Text
• Provide adequate contrast. Use dark
lettering/text on light backgrounds (black
print on yellow)
• Or light lettering on dark backgrounds (white
lettering on navy).
• Consider how the color and text look within
the frame and on the slide.
• Keep slides visually interesting but consistent .
• View your slide on the Big Screen!
Slide Presentation – Content
• Multiple slides fill the bulk of your PowerPoint
presentation.
• Cluster key points and supporting facts.
• Don’t put too much on a page.
• Use slide content
to keep your
presentation
on track.
Slide Presentation –
Summarize Key Presentation Points
• People have a short attention
span and usually remember
three key points.
• Use one slide to reiterate
those points; this is your
“Call to Action.”
• Keep it simple .
Key Point Summary
• Use background, text, color and
images to enhance your
presentation ~ but not overrun it!
• Keep it visually consistent,
simple, clean and easy to read.
• ALWAYS have someone
proofread your PowerPoint –
Mistakes are BIGGER on screen.
• Don’t be bashful ~ Ask for help!
EXAMPLE
The Watershed Agricultural Council
is funded in part by:
along with other federal, foundation and private sources.
The WAC is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
EXAMPLE
Our Mission
For more information:
Andy Hubbard, Watershed Forester
East of Hudson Program
(914) 962-6335, ext. 12
ahubbard@nycwatershed.org
Or visit our website:
EXAMPLE
PowerPoint Slide Order
Your topic and audience will dictate how you arrange and
order the slides. Here is a suggested presentation order:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Title
Housekeeping
WAC Program Introduction/Speaker qualifications
Key Points to Cover
Content Slides/Bulk of Presentation
Key Point Summary
Funder Acknowledgement
Final Slide with Your Contact Information
Optional: Mission statement
Checklist for WAC PowerPoints
•
•
•
•
View on the Big Screen
Ask someone else to proof
Get final approval of Program Manager
Email final approved version to
Communications Director for inclusion on the
WAC intranet for others to access
• Thank You!
Additional Logos