Overview Lawrence County Council of Community Services 430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16010Phone: 724-654-8370Fax: 724-656-2298 In hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty, Cray Youth & Family Services helps the local community of New Castle, Pa. through proactively engaging the residents and creating positive change. Employee of Cray Youth & Family Services Angie Mohr has taken on a new project that does just that by partnering with the Lawrence County Council of Community Services organization. As defined by its current website, LCCOCS serves as Lawrence County s resource for community planning and action to address health and human needs, bringing diverse organizations and interests together to serve a common need. Through these services, LCCOCS proposes the following mission: to educate and provide information, to promote community improvement in the areas of health, education, welfare, and youth programming and to provide for continuity and coordination among public and voluntary organizations. Mohr and the LCCOCS plans to bring together all local businesses and organizations of New Castle and the surrounding Lawrence County area to form a single resource that residents, who are experiencing difficulties, can use when researching for information, regarding topics such as employment, health care, social services, and other living necessities. LCCOCS plans to launch a complete online directory of all area businesses that can help residents in gaining information on any topic. The LCCOCS organization elects an executive board annually. This board consists of the following positions: president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. In hopes of building up the directory s list of organizations, LCCOCS has recruited approximately 30 businesses and organizations as members. On the third Thursday of each month from September through June, LCCOCS invites all members (and any organizations interested in becoming members) to a luncheon to mingle amongst one another. A spokesperson from each individual organization gives a 30-second advertisement pitch and updates the other organization members about what is going on within that specific organization.
Problem/Solution Despite its definitive mission, LCCOCS has been facing issues with recruiting and retaining members. Local organizations are experiencing conflicts while working together. Many businesses are not sure of the benefits of LCCOCS s program, causing interest in the organization and its new directory plan to diminish. Due to recent budget cuts, organizations may suffer further, if they continue to stand alone and decide against joining forces with other local organizations. Organization recruitment issues aside, the interest level in LCCOCS by community members of New Castle has also become an issue. With little promotion of the LCCOCS and benefits to the community, the council has been unable to reach out to latent communities and, overall, to the community members that may need the services of LCCOCS the most. Goals The goals of this campaign include: to enhance the LCCOCS image, to increase and maintain membership and to project the potential of LCCOCS and its online directory idea as a primary resource for residents of the New Castle and surrounding Lawrence County areas in their search for any information, regarding topics such as employment, health care, social services, and other living necessities. Objectives The following objectives will be set throughout this campaign: to increase the Lawrence County and New Castle areas awareness about LCCOCS and its services by fifty percent within the first year of proposal implementation, to increase attendance at LCCOCS monthly meetings by 50 percent within the first year of the proposal being implemented, to increase LCCOCS membership by 25 percent within the first year of the implementation of the proposal to consistently provide the community with user-friendly and constant means of seeking services of and information about LCCOCS after the launch of its new website and to implement an internship program to help with tasks of the LCCOCS within the first two summer seasons prior to beginning this proposal. Messages Throughout this campaign, LCCOCS wants to communicate to other organizations that by being members, they would not only be helping themselves (i.e., through the gain of networking opportunities and resources through other organizations), but also helping other organizations within the local community that may have similar goals. Some promotional messages may include: Get Connected with the Lawrence County Council of Community Services. This message would be used to recruit new organizations to LCCOCS. It implies a double meaning that organizations should want to join LCCOCS and also that through membership,
organizations have the opportunity to network with others (i.e., businesses and possible consumers) through the LCCOCS organization. Have a Question? Lawrence County Cares! Visit www.lawrencecountycares.org! This message would be used in general advertising for residents in New Castle and the surrounding Lawrence County areas who are unsure of what organization to contact, regarding any situation or problem that they are facing. For example, if a resident is having difficulties paying rent due to unemployment, the resident could visit the LCCOCS website to quickly and efficiently find appropriate organizations that could assist that resident in creating a resume, learning interview skills and finding a job. Tactics for the Present As there are three main publics targeted throughout this campaign proposal, tactics have been separated into the following categories: Organization Member Relations Rebranding the Organization LCCOCS is the current abbreviation for the Lawrence County Council of Community Services. In the focus group, participants responded they felt the abbreviation was quite long and confusing. Furthermore, participants in the focus group indicated they hadn t heard of LCCOCS, but when informed the website for the organization is www.lawrencecountycares.org, they said they had previously used the website. The difference between the council s name and abbreviation, and the website address not only causes confusion but also prevents people in the public from recognizing the importance and impact of LCCOCS. A proposed solution is to refer to the council as LCC, Lawrence County Cares. This would eliminate the confusion, while helping to reinforce the ties between the council and its website. A new design for the LCCOCS logo will add to the aesthetically pleasing and more established look that LCCOCS hopes to promote through their new online directory plan. The logo utilizes the colors and image portrayed in the original logo but in a modernized and fresh way. A sample of a possible logo is attached as APPENDIX I. This logo could be used to enhance the look of any future publications (i.e., a letterhead on any print publications from the organization or brochures, etc.). Modifying Monthly Meetings Currently at meetings, all members take turns announcing upcoming projects, problems and needs, then listen to all other organizations do the same. Though this does allow members an easy way to communicate with others, often times an organization is only interested in what a few other organizations are announcing because of similar services offered or similar goals. By categorizing the various members and attendees with regards to the types of services they offer (i.e., social services, youth services, health care services, employment assistance, drug and alcohol assistance, etc.), a portion of the meeting would be established for those different categories of organizations to meet with each other. These sub-meetings would give those organizations an opportunity for members to collaborate and exchange ideas. In a survey conducted with current members of LCCOCS, almost
half of the respondents indicated they would like to see LCCOCS pursue opportunities for discussion and problem-solving among members. Also, through responses evaluated throughout a focus group of current members and non-members of LCCOCS, it was suggested that membership may be maintained (and perhaps, increased) if LCCOCS were to provide its members with monthly professional speakers. Every year, one member of the LCCOCS is chosen for each month to speak during the LCCOCS meeting. This speaker usually introduces his or her organization and discusses the services that his or her organization provides. Although this speaker may be keeping other organizations up-to-date on his or her individual organization, it has been suggested that the monthly speakers speak on relevant topics that pertain to every member organization. Such topics may include: o social media o guardianship options o profitable fundraising o mandated reporting o furthering community involvement o digital communication o successfully marketing a business o face-to-face communication o brochure, flier and web design o marketing o budgeting tips o leadership o grant writing o motivation and interaction o cultural sensitivity o crisis management A third modification to the monthly meetings would involve the organization to provide a free lunch to its members. Currently, LCCOCS members attend the monthly meeting but must for the meal that the LCCOCS leadership team provides. A free lunch will provide current and potential members with a sort of incentive, encouraging these people to attend the monthly meeting. Distributing Organizational Advisory Letters This specific tactic will assist in the recruitment of latent organizations from the local community and aid in the growth of the LCCOCS organization as a whole. A list of all local organizations that are not members of the LCCOCS will be compiled and then contacted by the LCCOCS through a letter-writing campaign, which will encourage these local organizations to attend the next LCCOCS monthly meeting. A sample is attached as APPENDIX III. Sending Monthly Newsletters Every month, an executive board member from the LCCOCS leadership team will send out a digital newsletter to each member organization via e-mail. Compared to the e-mail blast that the council leadership team has sent out in the past, the new digitalized version provides members with more information that is organized in a clearer fashion. This new monthly newsletter will not only provide members with minutes from the last past meeting, but also will include any requests, potential contributions and/or opportunities and special events of participating organizations that were mentioned at the last meeting. These items will all be classified by organization services (i.e., youth services, employment agencies, healthcare providers). This new restructuring will not only save each organization time (as they can quickly find their agency type and review the information pertaining specifically to them), but it will keep organizations aware of the needs of
other similar organizations in the area (which, overall, can assist in their networking). An example is provided as APPENDIX IV. Enhancing Website Elements As the new website is in the works with the help of a local web designer, several proposed elements will most definitely enhance the effect that this website will have on current and potential members. Previously mentioned elements will include a scrolling bar that reads all upcoming events of the members of LCCOCS, and a red banner at the top of the homepage will showcase the next month s speaker topic. However, despite these homepage features, the rest of website will need to just as aesthetically pleasing and also easily navigated. Creating a Social Media Presence The LCCOCS has no social media channels. A Facebook page or Twitter account would allow for LCCOCS to keep organization members in constant contact without having to contact any of the board members directly. See APPENDIX V for examples of elements that could add to this proposed social media presence. Hosting a Special Event In hopes of turning latent and uninterested publics into aware and interested ones, the Lawrence County Council of Community Services is hosting Community Connection. Community Connection is a day on which all members of the council will gather at a local commonplace and invite the community to learn more about the services that the organizations in their area through a fun, yet beneficial channel. A detailed special event proposal is attached in APPENDIX VI. Community Relations Bettering the Website The in-progress creation of the new LCCOCS website will most definitely increase the community s awareness of what services all members of the LCCOCS can provide. The newer website promises to be more user-friendly and interactive, which has the possibility of drawing in community members who may have not been attracted to the last website. Compared to the current alphabetical organization of the members of the LCCOCS on the website, the new website will categorize each organization by services instead. This will allow for easier navigation for those community members in search of specific services. Initiating Social Media Connections The LCCOCS has no social media connections with the Lawrence County community. With the creation of a Facebook page and a Twitter account comes more impressions on individuals interested in the LCCOCS s services. See APPENDIX V for examples of possible tweets and posts that could engage the community of New Castle and the Lawrence County area. Placing Advertisements The local New Castle area provides its community with The Weekly Bargain Bulletin, a print and online advertiser that does not charge for ad placement. This advertisement placement would include contact information for LCCOCS and its
website address. Not only will this advertisement reach many community members, but it will also save LCCOCS money, as the advertisements in the Bargain Bulletin are free. APPENDIX VII provides an example of a possible advertisement that could be used in a local newspaper like the Bargain Bulletin. Hosting a Special Event In hopes of turning latent and uninterested publics into aware and interested ones, the Lawrence County Council of Community Services is hosting Community Connection. Community Connection is a day on which all members of the council will gather at a local commonplace and invite the community to learn more about the services that the organizations in their area provide, through a fun, yet beneficial channel. Again, a detailed special event proposal is attached in APPENDIX VI. Media Relations Distributing Press Releases Through the release of several press releases throughout the year, the LCCOCS can reach the entire community and more. Press releases sent out by the LCCOCS can pertain to individual organization members accomplishments throughout the year, achievements of LCCOCS as a whole, and any events by LCCOCS or individual organization members. Implementing Social Media Facebook and other social media channels are a rising trend within the world. Through the creation of a Facebook page, LCCOCS has a larger possibility of creating a greater amount of media impressions within the Lawrence County community. Again, APPENDIX V provides basic elements that could be used on a Facebook page and Twitter account. Disseminating Media Kits Media kits will be provided to all local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations of the Lawrence County area. Two media kits can be distributed, one publicizing the LCCOCS organization and a second to publicize a special event that the LCCOCS may be planning to host. The organization s media kit could include: o a press release (example as APPENDIX VIII), o a radio reader (example as APPENDIX IX ) o a fact sheet (example as APPENDIX X) and o a brochure (example as APPENDIX XI). A media kit for a special event, for example the proposed Community Connection event, may include: o a press release (example as APPENDIX XII), o a radio reader (example as APPENDIX XIII), o a fact sheet (example as APPENDIX XIV), o a media advisory (example as APPENDIX XV), o a flyer (example as APPENDIX XVI) and o a full special event proposal (provided as APPENDIX XVII).
Tactics for the Future After implementation of the previously mentioned tactics and with the accumulation of more funds, LCCOCS can plan to implement the following tactics: Augmenting Newspaper Advertisement Placement After gathering more funds, LCCOCS will be able to place ads in more prominent newspapers within their community that may cost money to place. Creating and Distributing Promotional Items As of right now, LCCOCS has no promotional items. Promotional items can be passed out at community events and even at monthly meetings. These items can include: o pens, o note cards and o magnets. Placing Bus/Billboard Advertisements With the availability of money, LCCOCS will be able to expand its advertisement placement and reach out to a larger amount of publics in the area. Adding an Internship Program With LCCOCS executive board members being volunteers, it is sometimes difficult for the board members to find time to take on extra work. If LCCOCS were to develop plans for a summer internship, the intern could begin assisting the executive board members in any aspects needed. An internship program could benefit LCCOCS, as the organization can increase productivity while waiting on possible grant funding. This internship would include fulfilling duties such as: o maintaining social networking sites, o compiling the directory and o contacting possible members and organizations in New Castle and Lawrence County for the recruitment chair. At the end of the internship, the intern would produce a Summary of Activities and a Future Action Plan that would list what he or she did during the internship, who they contacted and how, and recommendations for the next intern. A fall/spring intern would continue maintaining social networking sites, recruiting new members, and produce monthly email newsletter to be distributed to council members.