Children’s Advocacy Center of Lowndes County, Inc. (CAC): Marketing Plan

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Childrens Advocacy Center of Lowndes County,
Inc. (CAC) Marketing Plan

• Meg Giddings

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I. CAC Mission Statement

• The Childrens Advocacy Center of Lowndes County
  is a community resource center created to
  minimize the trauma of child victims of sexual
  abuse and physical abuse by responding to their
  immediate and long term needs in a
  child-friendly, safe environment. A
  multi-disciplinary team approach involving
  representatives from the medical community, child
  protective services, law enforcement,
  prosecutions, and mental health will provide
  investigation, assessment, and treatment of these
  children and their families and maximize
  prosecution of those who commit crimes against
  children. The Childrens Advocacy Center will
  also meet the communitys needs in the area of
  education and prevention of child abuse.
• (Source Childrens Advocacy Center
  General Information Brochure)

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II. CAC Objectives

• Facilitate healing for child victims and their
  non-offending family members.
• Increase the number of child abuse disclosures
  and maximize referrals for the childs wellbeing
• Reduce the number of interviews conducted with a
  child when a disclosure is made
• Increase the number of medical exams conducted in
  a timely manner
• To coordinate investigative, prosecutorial,
  medical and mental health services for child
  victims
• Increase rate of successful prosecutions and
  convictions
• Prevent child abuse.

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III. Organizational Culture

• Four Employees Total
• 1. Executive Director
• 2. Therapist
• 3. Case Manager
• 4. Office Manager
• B. Board of Directors consisting of 30 members
• Divided into several committees including
  Personnel, Building and Grounds, Grants, etc.

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Organizational Culture cont.

• C. Volunteer Training Program
• Consists of individual and other-agency referrals
  
• Requires criminal background check,
  fingerprinting, etc.
• D. Interns
• One graduate student is placed twice per year
• Assist with therapy, volunteer training, etc.

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IV. Population Served

• Any child victim of physical and/or sexual abuse
  allegations may be current or in the past
• Children under age 17 who are able to communicate
  verbally so set minimum age exists
• The non-offending family members of child victims
• Residents of Lowndes, Brooks, Berrian, Cook, and
  Echols counties
• Community members and organizations seeking to
  learn more about child abuse prevention and
  education

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V. Competitive Environment

• Local Level multiple 501-(c)3 agencies
• Agencies serving similar populations (i.e.,
  domestic violence victims, after school programs)
• Agencies currently providing services to our
  clients (e.g., drug treatment programs, shelter
  programs)
• Highly supportive and generous community, but
  many organizations compete for the same funding
  locally (private donations, United Way)

• 2) Regional/State New CACs have/are opening in
  SW Georgia (Thomasville, Tifton, Moultrie,
  Douglas) and state level funding must be shared
  by all CACs in region
• Agencies with similar missions or serving similar
  populations are a source of competition for
  state/federal grants

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VI. CAC Strengths and Weaknesses

• Strengths
• Strong and active board of directors
• Reputation for excellence in services to the
  community
• Very active in community events
• A group of donors who give consistently each year
• Successful, popular, and unique fundraisers held
  annually
• First Capital Campaign has been highly successful

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VI. Strengths and Weaknesses cont.

• Weaknesses
• No structured giving program aside from Capital
  Campaign
• Organized fundraisers appeal to a limited number
  of participants
• Lacks a well-defined program for maintaining
  relationships with regular donors
• Functions with skeleton crew staff, but current
  budget constraints dont allow for significant
  expansion
• Often partnerships with other nonprofits in the
  area are relied too heavily upon

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VII. Threats and Opportunities

• Threats
• Diversion of funding to neighboring CACs has
  forced a reevaluation of current and future
  budgets
• New nonprofit organizations entering the area are
  competing for private donations to the CAC
• Current marketing is limited to word of mouth and
  specific fundraising for specific CAC needs
• New and innovative fundraising methods utilized
  by other nonprofits overshadow tried and true CAC
  methods
• Over-reliance on funding from other organizations
  which may be experiencing a reduction in revenues

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Threats and Opportunities cont.

• Opportunities
• Local, private-sector organizations are
  expressing interest in the CAC mission
• Many private individuals interested in becoming
  involved in the CAC mission
• Consistent community interest in participating in
  fundraising events
• Local media are highly supportive and responsive
  to CAC needs

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VIII. Current Marketing Approaches

• Community Involvement CAC participates in many
  events to promote name recognition and to fulfill
  the education and advocacy portion of the mission
  statement
• PR events, community appearances
• Capital Campaign CACs first orchestrated and
  designed marketing campaign designed to fund the
  mortgage associated with purchasing a new
  facility
• CAC Fundraisers Organized completely, or in part
  by the CAC staff and/or board of directors
• The CAC is often a beneficiary of other events,
  but these are specific to the CAC

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Current Marketing Plan cont.

• D. Donations are identified by amounts known as
  Levels of Giving.
• Aside from identifying levels donors are not
  identified in any other manner (unless giving to
  the Capital Campaign)
• Marketing via other nonprofits is relied upon due
  to established relationships and dependency on
  each others services
• Donations in the form of tangible goods (e.g.,
  toys, blank video tapes, office supplies, snacks
  and drinks for the kids) are encouraged because
  it allows for application of current funds to
  other necessary areas

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Current Marketing Plan cont.

• G. Volunteer Program volunteers are gathered
  through word of mouth is no formal recruitment
  process
• Trainings held quarterly
• Limited opportunities for volunteers
• Volunteer hours necessary to meet grant
  stipulations
• Confidentiality and safety of volunteers,
  clients, and staff are essential and protected

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IX. Suggested Marketing Plan

• Campaign Focus the community
• Campaign Goals
• A) Facilitate the organizational objectives and
  goals for serving clients and the community
• B) Increase overall community support of the CAC
• C) Increase financial contributions from private
  companies, organizations, and private individuals

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A) Facilitate Current CAC Objectives and Goals

• Although currently able to meet established goals
  and objectives, implementing a new marketing plan
  will allow for expansion of current
  objectives/goals
• Aim to expand community resource provision and
  community education
• Develop community education curricula targeting
  specific population sub-groups (i.e., teenagers,
  children, womens groups, social service groups,
  etc.)
• Diversify groups approached to provide programs
  for
• Expand and extend community education programs to
  organizations outside the immediate county

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• Benefits of pre-established curricula
• A standard of information is communicated to all
  groups
• Important information regarding the CAC will be
  guaranteed to be included
• Benefits of diversification
• Currently, public relations events are generally
  1) geared towards children/families or 2) social
  service clubs and organizations
• Expanding to other groups including a variety of
  age groups will increase community awareness of
  the CAC and will therefore accomplish many
  objectives
• Benefits of expanding to other areas
• Currently Lowndes County is the primary recipient
  of community education
• Providing education to surrounding counties will
  promote donations from other counties as well as
  assist in promoting the objectives and goals of
  the CAC in the surrounding areas

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B) Increase community support of the CAC

• 1. Develop and implement fundraisers with a wider
  appeal
• Golf Tournaments, Fundraising dinners, CAC Arrest
  events
• Will appeal to a larger segment of the community
• Will allow more to participate
• Create more revenue for the CAC
• Actively involve surrounding counties in
  fundraising events

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• 2. Increase and formalize partnerships with
  private organizations in the community
• Media establish a direct contact and contact
  method will all local media outlets
• Will benefit the organization through increased
  coverage, reaching a larger geographic area and
  wider audience, bringing more attention to the
  mission, increasing agency visibility, and
  potentially donations
• Fiscal Partners formalizing private
  organizations who provide substantial support for
  the CAC
• Organizations contributing will be recognized as
  partners or friends of the CAC
• Creating business memberships equivalent to
  sponsorship will provide the CAC with additional
  support, added public confidence in CAC services,
  and will create a philanthropic reputation for
  the business or corporation
• Will be important for the CAC to negotiate with
  businesses on a case by case basis to ensure
  agency integrity

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• 3)Develop and implement an Annual Giving campaign
  
• Will promote giving from year to year
• Will promote community involvement in the CAC
  mission and the future of the organization
• After several years, will allow the CAC to make
  necessary budgetary changes
• 4) Adapt the current levels of giving into
  membership levels
• Membership will be on an annual basis, in
  conjunction with the Annual Giving Campaign
• Will promote individual giving on an annual basis
  benefiting the CAC budget
• Will create a sense of individual involvement
  in the CAC

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C) Increase Donations

• Private Companies
• Develop a comprehensive campaign to identify
  companies contributing in the past as well as
  those who have not.
• Create a partnership program based on exchange of
  services
• Organizations providing support and sponsorship
  for the CAC and CAC events will receive public
  recognition through the media and through public
  appearances
• The organization will also publicize its support
  and endorsement of the CAC
• Create a new board committee to oversee seeking
  out individual membership in these organizations
  through presentations and collateral contacts
• Creates a human side for a large corporation
  and also brings a spotlight to the community
  involvement of local businesses. Allows the CAC
  financial support and also increases public
  awareness.

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• 2) Private Individuals
• Launch a comprehensive campaign to reach new and
  previously untapped resources by identifying
  local organization memberships which have not
  been approached or who have not given in the past
• Create a new board committee to oversee seeking
  out individual membership in these organizations
  through presentations and collateral contacts
• Evaluate specific ages, races, etc. which have
  not been approached or marketed to in the past
  and develop a plan in which these groups may be
  targeted