Big Brothers Big Sisters
Of Central Indiana
April 14, 2006
Research Report
Candice Behnke, Andrea Wolschleger Kat Moffat, Andrea Parrott, Nick Schetzsle, Megan O’Rourke
I. Executive Summary:
Initially, BBBSCI operated as two separate organizations. In 1970 Big Brothers of Greater Indianapolis was established to provide male guidance to boys in need. When the Indiana Youth Service Bureau released a study that demonstrated a similar need for girls in the community, Big Sisters of Central Indiana was organized in 1974. The boards of both organizations agreed that it was in the best interest of the boys and girls served in central Indiana to combine the agencies on June 19, 2001. As a result, on January 15, 2002, the agencies legally merged. Essentially, the organization has not implemented any form of marketing since the merge in 2002.
At this time, BBBSCI is looking to create a marketing plan in order to increase the number of volunteers and the amount of donations. Currently, there are 300 children on the “waiting to be served” list. There is an extreme need to pull in volunteers to mentor these children. Likewise, BBBSCI is in need of additional funding in order to grow and serve more youth. BBBSCI has established a long-term goal of serving 5,882 youth by 2010. Five on-going goals have been created to assist in accomplishing the long-term goal. Those goals are:
· Expand services to girls and boys through the growth of site-based mentoring
· Enhance delivery and effectiveness of programs through the combined talents and resources of our committed staffs
· Expand funding through our ability to provide a larger menu of giving options
· Increase recruitment by building partnerships and a larger menu of volunteer opportunities
· Deliver stronger service for families through our ability to streamline intake and other processes
In order to prepare a sound marketing strategy, sufficient research must be gathered to analyze and interpret. This was achieved through analyzing a detailed case study, organizing a focus group, conducting in-depth interviews, and randomly giving a questionnaire to citizens within the serving area of BBBSCI.
From the eleven case studies examined, several valuable suggestions for possible campaign strategies are noted. Mentioned first was the idea of using local celebrities to endorse the program. Also, BBBSCI might consider partnering with local companies to host events and thus increase public awareness.
The focus group demonstrated the individuals’ belief that BBBSCI needs to promote all of their programs more heavily by specifically implementing a marketing campaign. Mixers and info sessions proved to be the most effective means for drawing in volunteers and mentors through the use of testimonials and success stories. The group also agreed that pulling volunteers in for short-term commitments is the key in establishing long-term commitments.
A majority of the findings in regard to donation efforts was extracted from the in-depth interviews. Several suggested approaching donors with a specific result of their donation or setting up a ‘Matchmaker’ program. Working with media outlets to increase overall exposure was mentioned frequently.
Conclusion: Future planning and programming should include various elements of the previously mentioned key findings; in particular, by increasing program awareness through success stories and testimonials. This will appeal to both volunteer and donation efforts.
II. Background:
Sondra Forester, Vice President of Development at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) has requested our assistance in developing and generating a marketing plan. Essentially, the organization has not implemented any form of marketing since 2002. She has provided us with 5 key messages that serve as a springboard on which we will base our research, objectives, programming, and evaluation.
It is our responsibility to communicate these messages (and other messages developed through our planning) in order to recruit more volunteers and raise more money. The first step in the process is to collect an adequate amount of background research, beginning with information about the client/organization (BBBSCI). From there it is important to gather and study information regarding the problem and the audience research.
Initially, BBBSCI operated as two separate organizations. In 1970 Big Brothers of Greater Indianapolis was established to provide male guidance to boys in need. When the Indiana Youth Service Bureau released a study that demonstrated a similar need for girls in the community, Big Sisters of Central Indiana was organized in 1974. Nearly 15,000 boys and girls were assisted within the next 30 years. The boards of both organizations agreed that it was in the best interest of the boys and girls served in central Indiana to combine the agencies on June 19, 2001. So, on January 15, 2002, the agencies legally merged.
The merge created a need to restructure and organize the newly established agency. A mission statement was created to bring the purposes of both agencies together. BBBSCI’s mission currently reads: “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana develops mentors committed to helping boys and girls grow into the next generation of caring, confident, and competent adults“. They have also developed guiding principles to keep its employees, volunteers, participants and the community of the same page. The three guiding principles state:
· Our programs and services are built on nationally recognized research and practices.
· Our programs honor and value the wide range of developmental needs of boys and girls as well as the diversity of their communities.
· We serve as many boys and girls as possible, ensuring the quality and excellence of our programs“.
Based on the mission and guiding principles, BBBSCI has created several programs that revolve around “at-risk” girls and boys in central Indiana. BBBSCI serves Marion County and the seven surrounding counties: Hamilton, Boone, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby, and Hancock. There are six site-based programs: Experience Corps, M-Power!, W.E. Connect, YES, Bank One Academy, and Dream Catchers; three community-based programs: Big Brother/ Big Sister/ Big Couple, Fever Friends, and Mentoring Children of Promise; and one short-term program: Big For A Day. These programs entail services that assist boys and girls based on their developmental and gender needs.
Many organizations within central Indiana exist to serve the same or similar services as BBBSCI. To name a few, there are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, and East Tenth United Methodist Children & Youth Center. While these organizations are separate entities, they all seek to serve the same purpose- helping the youth of central Indiana. BBBSCI stands apart from other mentoring programs because of the structured and rigid criteria followed in matching mentors with “at-risk” children. Professional social workers attempt to create matches that are safe and fit the child’s needs.
Occasionally, television and radio stations within central Indiana will insert a plug for BBBSCI. Other media exposure includes an article in an academic journal titled Educational Leadership. The article featured the benefits of mentoring youth. There have also been two articles in the Indianapolis Star. The first briefly mentioned the location of the agency. The other discusses crucial funding cuts for volunteer programs, specifically BBBSCI. Several articles in the Indianapolis Business Journal mentions the programs, volunteer needs and expansion plans of BBBSCI.
BBBSCI has established a long-term goal of serving 5,882 youth by 2010. Approximately 1,800 youth were served in 2005. Five on-going goals have been created to assist in accomplishing the long-term goal. Those goals are:
· Expand services to girls and boys through the growth of site-based mentoring
· Enhance delivery and effectiveness of programs through the combined talents and resources of our committed staffs
· Expand funding through our ability to provide a larger menu of giving options
· Increase recruitment by building partnerships and a larger menu of volunteer opportunities
· Deliver stronger service for families through our ability to streamline intake and other processes
BBBSCI currently operates on a working budget of approximately $2.4 million. During the last fiscal year, BBBSCI generated revenue (special events, grants from government agencies, public support, other) over expenses (program services, support services, payment to BBBS of America) of $16,201. To back a mentoring relationship, it costs the agency from $1,000 to $1500. United Way provides a third of BBBSCI’s funding.
There are 29 employees working under Tim Boruff, Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors consists of nine individuals on the Executive Committee and 24 members. The Big Brothers Foundation Board of Directors holds 15 member positions. Other resources include the approximate 2000 annual volunteers, 35 grant partners, 12 program partners and several local elementary and secondary schools, and 12 Big for a Day partners.
After completing the first part of the research phase, it is necessary to continue searching for more information pertinent to this organization’s problem and its audience research.
According Sondra Forester, there are currently 300 classified at-risk children that are waiting for mentors in central Indiana alone. It is evident that more volunteers are needed. The other problem BBBSCI is dealing with is not having enough money to cover the costs of mentor programs and awareness efforts. If more monetary donations were present through grants and private/corporate donors, there may be more of a chance to help fund mentoring events and costs.
Ms. Forester believes that the best way to create more mentors is to make the community aware of the need for them and the best way to create more funds is by fundraising. They are continually applying for grants but there are a plethora of nonprofits in the Indianapolis community and only so many grants available. Because of this, the purpose of our campaign will be to research the needs and wants of both BBBSCI and the Indianapolis community. This will to lead the campaign in the right direction by understanding why people chose to volunteer and donate. From here, we may be able to implement public relations programming that will meet the needs of the community and BBBSCI.
According to the website of BBBSCI (
www.bbbsci.org) and Mrs. Stacy Lozer (her mother was a founder of Big Sisters before Big Brothers and Big Sisters merged and she has worked with BBBSCI for over 15 years), in the past and currently there have been partnerships to create fundraising events. Sometimes these events were successful and sometimes the events cause financial drain. When this happens the only party that receives benefit is the sponsor, not BBBSCI. Currently, BBBSCI has paired up with H&R Block for a fundraiser that helps people prepare their taxes, with some of the proceeds going to BBBSCI. Also, BBBSCI just completed a fundraiser that was titled, “Make the Magic Happen.” These are examples of current fundraising events that have proven to be successful in not only creating awareness of the organization, but also in raising money. These could become annual events or used as a starting block for brainstorming sessions in the future.
According to Mrs. Lozer, along with the previous listed efforts BBBSCI has worked hard to bring back past donors and volunteers through mixers or events that have “reunion” themes. They believe donor relations are important because these donors believe in the cause of BBBSCI. However, because these since relationships are important, donor information is completely confidential and gathering their contact information may be difficult.
Although there hasn’t been much media exposure in the past few years, BBBSCI has been able to publicize events and programs through the use of direct mail, mass emails, and word of mouth. Mrs. Lozer commented that advertising is often difficult for a not-for-profit because they want to use money for the organization, not to advertise. This is why BBBSCI has turned to simpler methods and has especially relied on guerilla tactics, such as word of mouth. The organization has also worked to gain more support through volunteers and donors by utilizing the BBBSCI Speakers Bureau, where Bigs and Littles attend local civic/social groups to help spread awareness.
Knowing this information will help when preparing initial research for the campaign. It provides direction that will allow us to focus in on volunteers and donors. From here it is important to examine and study the main audience of BBBS.
Within audience research, specific publics will be focused on in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) campaign. These publics will be evaluated based on their importance to the organization, demographics, consumer participation and household spending.
The two main publics that will be focused on during this campaign will be volunteers and financial donors. The volunteers targeted will be both men and women ages 18 to 40 years old. The donors will be men and women ages 40 to 60 years of age. This range would target the typical working businessman or businesswoman. They would be at a good age to be financially secure and able to give back to the community. If they personally are not, it is likely the company they are employed by will be willing to donate to a non-profit with the extra tax break as a bonus. Both of these publics are important to BBBS because of the critical role they play in the success of the program. Because this campaign will be the first presented within the past three years, the focus will be on financial donors and maintaining those vital relationships, and letting the them know their importance to BBBSCI. These two targets will be discussed more in depth in the following paragraphs with information taken from the Lifestyle Market Analyst.
This campaign will be focused in the Indianapolis area and the research will reflect this demographic. Indianapolis ranks number 25 out of 210 markets within the U.S. (LMA). There are approximately 1.04 million households within the city (LMA). The consumers include the following top 10 ranked pastimes: bible/devotional reading, home video games, grandchildren, watching sports on TV, buy pre-recorded videos, gold, collectibles/collections, own a dog, own a cat and flower gardening (LMA). These pastimes will be taken into consideration when recruiting volunteers for creating an interest in BBBSCI. In addition, by specifically using their interests listed by their demographic we can target these volunteers.
More specifically, 11.6 percent of Indianapolis participates in community or civic activities (LMA). This information will help target our volunteer publics and analyze how much of an audience is already participating and has an interest in volunteering. Approximately 47.7 percent of Indianapolis citizens donate to charitable causes, thus displaying the amount of people that have an interest in helping not-for-profit organizations (LMA).
Additionally, 20.4 percent of the Indianapolis population has a household income of $50,000 to $74,000 (LMA). Comparing age groups, the volunteer publics between the ages of 18 and 34, 9.5 percent make less than $30,000. The donor public between the ages of 45 and 64, 7.5 percent make less than $30,000 (LMA). Based on the research, the majority of volunteers will either be in high school or college and not focusing on making money, but furthering their education and building their résumé’s prior to entering college or the job market.
However, according to the Household Spending Guide, cash contributions are increasing. In 2000, 1.22 million people gave some kind of cash contribution (Household). In 2001, that number increased to 1.25 million (Household). When looking at income for age groups 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, they make the most at $70,000 or more annually (Household). Not only is this a good public for personal income, but also for corporate and business related contributions from which the publics are employed. Professional or technical occupations represent approximately 26 percent of the Indianapolis population (LMA). Therefore, the same age group that is targeted for personal contributions can also be targeted as business contributions.
In 2001, people all over the United States contributed an average of $170.07 per quarter to charities (OOHS). This spending by product and service was ranked by most money spent to least money spent. The campaign needs to focus on targeting the donors expense traits and pull people’s spending from those similar spending categories to cash contributions.
With all of the research combined, the BBBS campaign will focus on two, specific narrowed publics. Within those publics, demographics and household spending will narrow the target publics even further. The information and research will make the campaign specific and reach the target publics demonstrated to make the campaign as effective as possible. With this adequate amount of information, the key messages can be finalized and implemented according to the established goals.
III. Study Method 1:
In order to begin the study of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI), the group chose to utilize the Case Study approach to public relations research, which seeks to understand how better to conduct a future campaign for an organization by better understanding the past. We reviewed studies and analyzed examples of programs conducted by other organizations that are similar in structure, have a comparable problem or opportunity or are working toward a similar cause or goal as the organization.
In the Case Study analysis for BBBSCI, three main types of literature and media were examined. These included the websites of five organizations with similar problems or opportunities to BBBSCI, three relevant articles from applied public relations journals newspapers or books, and three articles from peer reviewed scholarly research journals. By using these different types of sources, we were able to study cases and histories of organizations and campaigns executed on both a national and local level. The benefit of researching via the Internet is that all information is very current – in some cases up to the minute. In these cases it is important to know our sources are valid, since anyone can publish information on the web, truth and fact cannot be taken for granted. By researching peer reviewed scholarly research journals, we were able to overcome this problem. These examples were widely known and documented. The downside of scholarly research is that the ideas presented are merely theories. By studying applied public relations journals, we were able to bypass this problem. By looking at these three types of cases, we could more clearly form a hypothesis regarding what research should be done and what programs should be conducted.
IV. Research Findings for Study 1:
As described in the previous section, three types of case study research were undergone in order to better understand how other companies in the community solved similar problems to those of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI). This insight will help to form future research and campaign suggestions for BBBSCI.
The first type of case study research undertaken was conducted by examining the websites of five organizations with problems and opportunities similar to those facing BBBSCI. MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership is an example of a successful program. It not only runs its own mentoring organization through a program at Harvard College, it also facilitates and aids mentoring institutions across the U.S. In order to create greater recognition for volunteers, its programs as well as mentoring in general, it has created the Who Mentored You? Program, National Mentoring Month (January) as well as Thank Your Mentor Day (January 25). Public service announcements to create awareness for these events were recorded by a wide array of celebrities who have had mentors in their lives including: Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, John Glenn, Cal Ripken, Jr., Oprah Winfrey and others. It has also created a tie-in website. Some (most) of these celebrities are baby-boomers, which helps to reach people in that age group.
Another successful youth mentoring organization that has used name-recognition to its benefit is the Boys and Girls Club of America. It has chosen to associate itself with successful companies rather than celebrities. On its website it lists 37 different major national companies with which they have partnered. Not only does this provide positive associations with already established, trusted brands but it also provides access to the resources of the companies themselves. These resources can be many things, ranging from the companies’ products or services to the employees who give their time or become mentors themselves. How better to reach responsible adults than by encouraging participation through their work and how better to cheaply and efficiently spread that message than through the Internet?
YouthFriends, a nationally recognized school-based mentoring program, takes the strategy of partnering with companies and gives it a twist. Since the official mentoring activities of YouthFriends occur only on school grounds and during school hours, it is hard for companies to sponsor or hold events. However, all participants (both youth and mentors) are given Rewards and Recognition (R&R) Cards. These cards give holders special privileges and discounts at local businesses and events. These range from discounts for theatre tickets and free bowling games to four dollars off of oil changes. Many encourage the development an unofficial mentor-student relationship outside of a school setting, and provide special recognition throughout the community for those involved.
Friends of the Children is also an at-risk youth-mentoring program. It deals with companies, has a website and needs adults just like the previously described organizations but it does so in a different fashion. They do not send open solicitations for volunteer mentors, rather they hire professional mentors, or Friends, and form partnerships with existing mentor organizations. In this way, it can assure that each child is paired with the exact mentor to fit his or her needs. They get their message across by contacting and helping to develop promising and already successful organizations, building trust and partnerships as they go.
Finally, Youth Mentoring Connection is an organization with many programs similar to those previously discussed – school site mentoring, youth center programs and life-skills seminars. However, it offers an additional innovative mentor service aimed at recruiting adult mentors. This is the Work Site Mentoring Program. In this program, Youth Mentoring Connection brings youth to the mentors’ places of work. Doing so not only allows the at-risk youth to have an adult role model, but also allows them to get a taste of the workplace and various professions therein. It also allows the mentors to share something that is important to them with someone who is important to them, and at the same time not have to take much time out of their busy days.
Researching and doing case studies on the Internet is a fast way to obtain up to date knowledge. However, not every company offers a website. The companies that have websites often have only outlines or summaries of their programs with little, if any analysis. In the second form of research completed, the study of applied public relations journals, newspapers and magazines, students were able to examine cases that, although perhaps not as up to date as the Internet articles, were fairly current and analyzed in greater depth.
For example, in the Aug. 2005 issue of Public Relations Tactics, there was an article about one of the most successful non-profit organizations, Ronald McDonald House. This organization is similar to BBBSCI in that it has local chapters operating independently throughout the United States connected by a large national company. The Ronald McDonald House in Omaha, Nebraska, was looking to find a way to increase funds and raise public awareness of the organization as a local operation as opposed to a less significant part of a national chain. The solution to its problem, as Kevin Warneke, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House in Omaha said, “Charities need a hook, an angle or even a gimmick to help them spread the word about their work and the people they serve” (Warneke, 2005). The article referenced other organizations that have developed their own gimmick to spread the word and raise funds like Salvation Army with its bells and red buckets, the U.S. Forest Service with Smokey the Bear and The Lance Armstrong Foundation with its yellow “livestrong” bracelets. The Ronald McDonald House decided to start recycling aluminum can tabs and developed them as its unique hook, encouraging businesses, schools and community organizations to collect tabs and donate them to the Omaha Ronald McDonald House. Through the recycling of tabs the Ronald McDonald House increased its media coverage and awareness in the Omaha area and now can be associated with recycling can tabs. This campaign was so successful for the Omaha chapter that many other branches across the U.S. adopted the program to use in their respective cities.
The April 2000 issue of Public Relations Tactics featured an article describing a publicity campaign undergone by the United States Department of Defense aimed at a problem also faced by the BBBSCI. According to Secretary of Defense William Cohen, "The Pentagon finds it increasingly difficult to attract its required quota of volunteers” (Star Power, 2000). To solve this problem, a campaign was undergone that made use of celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts and their endorsements to help recruit. Cohen’s hoped that young Americans, soon to be adult Americans, who usually pay attention to celebrities’ endorsements, would become interested and volunteer. Although this program is still in process, early feedback and evaluation has been quite positive.
An article from The Times Leader explains how non-profits should spread the word about their organizations if they expect to increase funds or recruit volunteers. The author of the article feels it is important for non-profits to brag about their services. Being outspoken with their messages to news media and the community will position these organizations to contend for grants and recruit helpers. Executive Director of the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations Joe Geiger said, “While they think they're not supposed to be braggarts, they're missing the mark,” (Jones, 2005). BBBSCI could be missing the proverbial mark. It might be able to use this approach to a great extent because of the large number of positive things it has to say about itself. BBBSCI is ranked 13th out of 400 big organizations nationwide for its successful matching of youth, fiscal responsibility and professional staff. They can use that type of statistic and exposure to recruit more volunteers and help in fundraising efforts.
Analyzing applied public relations articles can be very helpful to the beginnings of research and a campaign. Applied cases can show researchers the pros and cons of many various programs without actually having to execute the programs. But in order to tie the case study research together, one more element is needed. In specific, peer-reviewed scholarly research examines theories, message approaches and studies of public relations practices. The executions of programs are unified by theory so that students can more easily apply the method to their own case. In the case of BBBSCI, researchers reviewed a total of three peer-reviewed scholarly research articles.
The first article, “Being Volunteered? The Impact of Social Participation and Pro-social Attitudes on Volunteering” discusses the impact of volunteerism on high school seniors, who were then re-interviewed in their twenties and thirties to distinguish patterns of social attitudes and volunteerism traits. The study argues that young people should be involved early on in volunteerism in order to cultivate ties to various organizations and the community. The research provides data that shows definite correlations between community service, social participation and pro-social attitudes (attitudes such as tolerance, acceptance, active citizenship and involvement in politics) (Janoksi, Musick, Wilson). In the case of BBBSCI, they can use this information to their benefit. The BBBSCI chapter might consider more aggressively promoting their Youth for Excellence and Success, which gives high school students a chance to mentor elementary school and junior high school students and give back to the community. Creating awareness of the YES program and teaching students in high school the importance of an organization like BBBSCI will, according to the theory presented in the article, foster a lifelong commitment to the organization.
The second article, taken from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, is a review of a speech given right after the 9/11 attacks. The speech, delivered by President Bush, asked the American people for a commitment to volunteerism and helping the community. The article suggests the events of 9/11 as a catalyst for the American people to become involved. Mentioned specifically were the AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and National Senior Service Corps as various outlets for service and volunteerism. The piece also touches on something discussed in the previous article, the possibility of creating a mandatory service component for high school students. Many administrators and government officials believe that service and volunteering should be a major component in young adult lives. President Bush also hopes for the required commitment of youth, perhaps even to the extent of two years, with the intended outcome being lifelong giving, whether in monetary donations or time. (Wilhelm, Williams) This article reiterates that by starting children early on community service, their commitment will continue throughout their lifetime and they will hopefully become lifelong supporters of non-profit organizations. Perhaps BBBSCI should consider a program in which current Littles mentor younger children.
The final article describes fundraising and the trend of general increase of monetary donations from the American public. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, many national charities saw increases in monetary contributions. The United Way is one of the largest recipients of aid and donations, managing to raise over $3 billion. The article discusses how recent hurricanes are a major factor in the recent influx of donations, as the article was written shortly after the Katrina disaster. As an indirect result of this increase in giving, organizations like the YMCA, American Red Cross and others received a great deal of unexpected support from the American people.
However, some non-profit organizations did not fare as well. Organizations that work with children especially saw little increase or no increase in monetary donations in 2005 and so far in 2006. For the BBBSCI, this means even more work must be done to ensure the future success of the organization. Creative ways to fundraise and gain corporate support, as well as using money effectively for programs will help ensure that future children in the Indianapolis area can become successful community members. Partnering with other local businesses and organizations to sponsor events that utilize resources in the Indianapolis area could possibly help garner interest in the organization and raise more money for the BBBSCI’s cause. An annual fund campaign would also help raise funds and awareness in the community of fiscally being able to have events and programs that will get the BBBSCI name out in the Indianapolis area in a positive light.
In conclusion, the BBBSCI could very well benefit from adapting some of the methods used by the eleven aforementioned cases. If not by directly copying their programs, then perhaps by drawing from the theories and ideas behind them. As described in the web-based articles, perhaps it could enlist some adult celebrities or opinion leaders to be spokespeople. The Indiana Fever and the Indianapolis Indians might be good sources for these types of celebrities, as they already sponsor programs with BBBSCI. Also, if they obtain spokespeople from these two organizations, perhaps players from the Indianapolis Colts or Pacers would be more likely to speak on BBBSCI’s behalf. Or BBBSCI could partner with local companies to hold events, recruit workers, or offer rewards. It may even consider developing a new branch of its programs and create a job shadow mentor program. BBBSCI could also draw beneficial ideas from the applied cases described above. For example Ronald McDonald House’s notion of coming up with something unique to set its organization apart from others - and in return have gained public awareness and raised a lot of money. From the peer reviewed scholarly research, BBBSCI might consider more intensely exploiting younger mentors. These people are energetic and enthusiastic, and if one catches them at a young age, they are more likely to want to continue volunteering in the future. Considering more public events might be beneficial, in order to raise public awareness in a time when attention is turned more toward disaster aid philanthropies.
By understanding and combining cases from the Internet, peer reviewed scholarly articles and applied public relations pieces, researchers can create a springboard for the focus of future research. Eventually these foundations, after more in-depth analysis, ideally become campaigns. In the next phase of research, students used their knowledge of the case studies in order to design and implement a focus group session.
Summary:
From the eleven case studies examined, the researchers could take several valuable suggestions as to possible campaign strategies. First, the idea of using local celebrities to endorse the program – an idea that was reiterated in several case study articles. Also, the BBBSCI might consider partnering with local companies to create events and thus wider public recognition or to more extensively develop their high school mentoring program in order to create more lifelong commitments.
V. Study Method 2:
For the second form of research, a focus group was conducted with either people affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) or current volunteers.
The focus group was conducted on a Monday night at 7 p.m. Seven people were recruited from a master list made available by Sondra Forrester of people who had been on the BBBSCI board at one point, current volunteers for BBBSCI and volunteers for other organizations. These people were either emailed or called by one of the group members to participate.
The room was in Jordan Hall and the set up was basic. The participants were seated in a “U” shape with the moderators sitting at the top of the “U”. The tape recorders were placed on opposite ends of the room to ensure for the maximum gathering of audio information. The clock in the room was also covered.
The format was very relaxed. Each participant seemed very comfortable during discussion. The moderators followed the discussion guide for the first half an hour and then began to modify the questions to fit in the hour time slot allotted. The participants made very good points and had significant contributions to the conversation. Each member contributed something to the conversation that another member may not have thought to add or was unaware.
The focus group was conducted with two group members moderating and one group member taking notes. It lasted approximately one hour.
The participants provided very useful information. They explained what worked and what did not work from their experiences and perspectives. It was surprising to see how knowledgeable the participants were and how much they contributed to the conversation. Valuable data was received.
VI. Research Findings for Study 2:
Conclusions: Icebreaker
When asked to share their most valuable experience in the volunteering, participants separated volunteer experiences into two categories, work and personal. Participants were motivated to volunteer by a feeling of the need to give back to the community, especially in regard to helping underprivileged youth.
When describing volunteering in the workplace, whether required or otherwise, participants focused more heavily on the personal benefits they gained through the experience than on the benefits their work had on others. For example, one participant described her work on the PRSA board as meaningful because “because I’ve been able to jump into things or manage things that I would not have been able to do on my day-to-day job.” Another participant mentioned an experience as a volunteer for a class at Ball State University, “I was involved in a program called Excellence in Leadership and we did quite a bit of volunteer work.” Although that volunteer work may have been for the community, the emphasis is on personal development and resume building.
Participants also described volunteer experiences undergone because of a personal belief. Some participants volunteered because of religious convictions. For example, one simply stated, “My most meaningful volunteer work was in my church.”
Other participants volunteered because of a personal belief in a cause. “I think as you go forward in your careers - I was a single parent for 8 ½ years and I had three sons but now I have seven grandsons so its non-stop … you need to give back to your community, that’s the point you have to understand. I understand what it is to make sure that individuals that don’t have an opportunity get an opportunity,” said one participant.
Participants came to the consensus that although these personal volunteer experiences were undergone with the community’s benefit in mind, there was a certain amount of personal gain. According to one participant, “personally my most meaningful experience is I think that I have a little sister and honestly sometimes I think she helps me more than I help her. Just through day-to-day issues and just learning about things that maybe I went through when I was her age and helping her talk through things.” The participant volunteered in order to mentor a child, with the youth’s benefit in mind. In the process, the participant cultivated a relationship.
The topic of mentoring with BBBSCI came up several times in the discussion of meaningful volunteer experiences. Participants who were mentors in the program tended to stay longer than the required minimum of one year, “My little brother and I have been hanging out for going on three years. It’s been really good,” said one group member. In response to this comment, another participant commented about her own relationship with her little sister, “we have been matched for going on four years and she has really grown up in that amount of time. I just had dinner with her before I came here! So it’s sort of perfect!”
Participants tended to separate their work sponsored volunteering from their personal volunteering. There were several main motivations to volunteer including a requirement for work, personal advancement, religious convictions or belief in a cause. Those who volunteered as mentors at BBBSCI tended to stay with their Littles longer than the required one-year commitment.
Conclusions: Attitudes
When asked to discuss their attitudes toward BBBSCI, participants agreed that it was generally successful, but there were several main ways in which they thought it could be more so, especially in regard to the public’s perception of its brand and image. These included the need for a greater awareness of the various types of program BBBSCI offers and people it serves, the need to quell lingering feelings of turmoil and disorder after the merger of Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the need for more opportunities for already participating members to recruit their friends and acquaintances.
Many participants agreed that in some ways BBBSCI was very successful, but also that there was still much room for improvement. One participant commented, “There’s so many different ways you can be successful.” Another agreed, and added, “Although they’re seeing incredible success there’s still more that can be done.”
One area in which participants thought BBBSCI could improve is in its advertising campaigns. As one participant said, “I think I’ve been to different cities and I’ve seen outdoor billboards for BB/BS and I think its recognizable in that sense – people know that it exists.” However there was a sense that although people were aware of the program, they did not have a deep understanding of what BBBSCI actually did or had to offer. There was an agreement that television could be a powerful medium through which to convey this information, “I think that if people are sitting at home and they see a 60 second spot on TV on the benefits of a program like that I think they may be more inclined to want to participate. A lot of things people take for granted. …. There are many levels of appreciation. [It would be helpful] to see how the program actually benefits the kids and to see what it means to them,” said one participant.
The mention of television advertising brought participants to the idea of testimonies in advertising. This reminded one participant of a strategy used by another youth helping not for profit organization, “I think an example BB/BS could use is for example in Dance Marathon they had somebody bring in a tape of kids from Riley Children’s hospital and they showed testimonies of kids and we actually received stories in the mail about similar experiences, and I think that motivated a lot of people to do something about the cause.” Participants decided that testimonials of Bigs and Littles could be very effective in demonstrating what BBBSCI has to offer. “Video clips of kids in the program would be really powerful,” concluded one participant.
The discussion over testimonial commercials led one participant to make the following remark: “I can’t think of a time where the organization (BBBSCI) put me in a situation where I could talk to someone who was either kind of interested, or maybe somehow fits a profile.” Many participants mentioned similar feelings – they would like more structured opportunities to recommend their experiences to those who might be interested. The idea that “word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to publicize an organization,” was mentioned several times. Ideas for Big promotion activities included, “Have a mixer night or something like that,” such as the one recently held at Jillian’s, and “onsite programming within companies and during the work day (lunch) whatever, [in an effort] to get more professionals involved.”
Participants expressed a sense of duty to do what they could to support and promote BBBSCI. “That’s sort of incumbent upon all of us I think that as volunteers too, to take that on and feel committed to the organization and wanting to bring other people that can be part of that,” said one group member.
When asked how participants thought the general public viewed BBBSCI, some participants expressed a general feeling of unease over the merger between Big Brothers and Big Sisters, “I think that there’s a lot of talk about the combining and there’s been a lot of internal turnover and a lot of change and I sometimes think that it (BBBSCI) could be stronger if there wasn’t so much internal stuff going on.”
Other participants disagreed. As one stated, “well I think we’ve worked through all of that, but we were probably one of the last states to go through that. There was the thought process that when the boys and girls matched up the girls somehow lost out, and I don’t know where that came from.” Whether or not they agreed regarding the tumultuousness of the merger, participants agreed that BBBSCI would be well advised to publicly address the rumors.
Moderators then prompted the focus group members to discuss ways in which BBBSCI might motivate more adults to volunteer. One main idea that emerged focused on awareness. For example, one participant commented, “Being a Big is not a huge time commitment.” Another agreed, and added “it would motivate more people to be Bigs if they knew more about how much of an impact volunteers had on the kids.”
Participants thought BBBSCI could improve itself by running ads featuring testimonials, dealing publicly with its image of inner turmoil, providing more opportunities for current Bigs to recruit and reach out to potential volunteers and to make clear to the public the consequences of volunteering.
Conclusions on Behavior:
When asked to discuss their past behaviors and experiences regarding BBBSCI, participants reported that they had made positive comments about the organization to their peers, and that they attended events beyond their required twice monthly Big/Little meeting.
Participants stated that they regularly discussed their Littles with their friends and families. One participant added, “My family knows my Little by her first name.” Others agreed and said their friends and family were “supportive and encouraging.” Participants reported that they attended BBBSCI events beyond their required twice per month Big/Little meeting. All agreed that they attended from at least “one per month,” to “sometimes bi-weekly.”
According to participants their experiences with discussing their Littles with their peers were positive. They also attended more than the minimum required BBBSCI events.
Conclusions: General Awareness
Participants strongly voiced their desire to give back to the community as the reason they decided to volunteer. One stated, “I think for me it was just making sure you give back to the community. It comes from the heart and you have to understand that you do have to give back.” Others supported this desire with family tradition and other influences throughout their lives. For example, one participant said, “I felt I had multiple mentors in my life to help me get to where I was and I thought it is time for me to give back to someone else.” Another mentioned, “You feel selfish when you don’t give back.”
When asked how often they volunteer, participants provided a wide range of time commitments. One found the time to be insignificant by stating, “In this town you can find a lot of opportunities to volunteer. For me it’s almost continuous.” Others volunteered once or twice a month. A lady said, “During the summer, I’m in a program that’s Monday through Friday.”
The participants were asked to list the groups at which they volunteer. BBBSCI, Circle K, Riley Hospital, DARE, Indiana School for the Blind, Hawthorne Center, Habitat for Humanity, Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation, College Mentors for Kids, Community Centers of Indianapolis, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Martin Luther King Center were among the ones mentioned.
There was a balance between actively seeking and being sought after when committing to volunteer opportunities. One said that he became involved with BBBSCI after attending an event called “Big For a Night.” A gentleman spoke of his experience by saying, “Actually, I was put on a golf outing that benefited that charity (The Down Syndrome Foundation).” Several others mentioned a requirement to fulfill community service hours for a class or job.
Time constraints dominated the discussion about obstacles faced when deciding to volunteer. One individual said, “We have so many folks at the foundation level that want to do something but then you call them and its like ‘well, I’m booked for the next month’. People want to do something, but it’s constantly an issue of time.” Another obstacle was that of financial obligations. “I think there are two options, work or volunteer,” one participant remarked. The issue of membership dues was also touched upon. Someone added, “I think another common hurdle to membership is not knowing someone else that’s in the organization.” Another factor mentioned was the amount of competition among the non-profit organizations. A lady commented by saying, “You feel like you can’t do them all. You’re so overwhelmed by it.”
Defining a child that is “at risk” was a challenge for the group. One individual noted, “I think there are some precursors, but really every child needs things in their life no matter what kind of family they came from, or environment, or community or whatever the case may be. So really at any given time, any child can be at risk.” When asked, the group agreed that half of the children in central Indiana are labeled “at-risk”.
The group was asked to list all the non-profit organizations in Indianapolis that serve children that are “at-risk”. They created the following list: Children’s Bureau, Kaleidoscope, BBBSCI, Boys and Girls Club, CMFK, MLK Foundation. One participant commented when asked how they heard of the organizations mentioned and how much they knew about them. “One of the potential problems that you run into is this overlap, same cause and same area.” He went on to speak about the competition among these groups and the collision that makes it difficult to focus on the goal of serving those “at-risk”.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most, the group was asked how much they knew about BBBSCI. The responses were as follows: five, eight, eight, two, two or three, eight, and eight. The last individual shared a story about a luncheon hosted at BBBSCI. He said, “There were probably about 40 of us in a room and they gave a presentation (about BBBSCI) and I was probably about one of two people in the room that had any idea of what it was about.”
Overall, it seems that BBBSCI does not actively seek mentors. Rather, it appears that individuals stumble upon this opportunity. “Through work,” “a gal in my class,” through the Jaycees,” and “through the Indians” were among the responses when asked how BBBSCI gets information to potential mentors.
Publicity efforts for BBBSCI that the participants had seen included: brochures, TV ads, e-mails, and newsletters. It is important to mention that the e-mails and newsletters were mentioned because the focus group participants are active mentors. The group referred to Max & Erma’s, H&R Block and Arby’s as corporate sponsors of BBBSCI.
It seems that the name, BBBSCI, is well known throughout the eight counties it serves; however, its purpose and programs are not well known. The group discussed how much they felt the citizens of those eight counties knew about BBBSCI and its programs. “I’d say on a scale of 1-10, under five,” someone stated. Another said, “I’d say it’s a recognizable name, but its programs, they might not know. I think that it’s understanding what they do and how it’s different than these other organizations that’s probably the bigger hurdle.” Many felt that the initial idea of mentoring a child for years was an overwhelming thought. “One of the big hurdles of getting people in the door is understanding how that’s going to work and how it’s going to be comfortable,” said one of the participants. “I think the scariest thing about BBBSCI is the time commitment,” another added. Several mentioned bringing volunteers in through the programs, which require less time commitment. By increasing the awareness of these programs, they feel that more people would be attracted to BBBSCI.
VII. Study Method 3:
For the second form of qualitative research, in-depth interviews were conducted. After completing the focus group research, the interviewees were chosen. The research discovered that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana needs a way to target and maintain donors, while maintaining a feeling of locality throughout central Indiana. Targeting individuals and representatives of companies throughout central Indiana who have donated to organization in the past seemed like the best way to go.
All the individuals interviewed had a few things in common. They all either had ties with Big Brothers Bog Sisters of Central Indiana, they were donors or they had served on a youth helping organization board. The other interviews took place with individuals representing companies like Simon Property Group, the Indianapolis Colts and the Indianapolis Indians.
Most of the interviews were structured and took place in person. The interviews that took place in person tended to run past 20 minutes because there was more time to answer the questions. There tended to be more detail in the answers of the in-person interviews as well as side conversations. On the average these interviews lasted about 20-25 minutes.
There were a few phone interviews conducted. These seemed to be more effective than the in person interviews and contained less side conversation. These answers were more straightforward and to the point. The last few interviews were conducted by email for convenience purposes to the interviewee. Everyone who conducted the interview through email said they spent between 15 and 25 minutes on the survey because they wanted to give detailed and honest answers.
There were a total of ten people interviewed that responded with useful information to help with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana campaign. Overall, the interviews conducted were structured and lasted anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
VIII. Research Findings for Study 3:
The ten interviewees were community members and leaders and Board members of BBBSCI. These interviews gave greater insight and depth to what the focus group had uncovered, and we discovered a few interesting pieces of information that we will be able to utilize in the future. Each interviewee was asked similar questions, some were not employed if the respondent already had an affiliation with BBBSCI. Below are some of the topics covered, and the responses we received from our interviewees.
Why they help:
One interviewee said, “My greatest satisfaction comes in using my skills in helping an organization achieve and maintain its goals.
Community organizations feel they are doing something good for the community and it strengthening community relations. The representative said, “We donate to help groups raise money for a good cause, the added bonus is a little extra mention in the community.”
On Donating to BBBSCI:
Most people that we spoke with are aware of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and most had given money or time to the organization. A few of the men and women interviewed were Foundation Board members or Board of Director members.
One interviewee said, when speaking of BBBSCI, “An investment in our community’s youth is an investment in our community’s future. An investment in BBBSCI is not only an investment in our community’s youth but also is an investment in the adults who give the invaluable one-on-one caring, nurturing, mentoring time to their matched “Little.” The fact that BBBSCI works with youth will help them as a means to receive donations. By allowing “Donors [to] have exposure to the kids, [and] learn the story of the kids, it will “Tug at their heart cords.”
Another interviewee said, (when asked about donating) “I would and I have. I have heard about them through newspapers and articles, not recently though. I chose to donate to them because as an educator I am happy to donate to a group that deals with youth. It’s a big plus.One person mentioned, “The more BBBS makes a name for themselves, the more people will trust that their money is going to a good cause. Another option is that they could go to groups and ask for help, for example, Kiwanis pairs with certain groups for fundraisers. BBBS has never come to Kiwanis as long as I have been part of them. That would help to gain a sense of being local. Groups like Boys and Girls Club and Scouts have both utilized us.”
For another person interviewed, “BBBSCI is a wonderful organization and is so grateful for anything. I truly believe in their mission and what they are trying to accomplish within the community. I will continue to donate items to them, and will encourage volunteerism for their organization. Because they are so thankful, I will continue to do great things for them.”
One respondent said, “BBBSCI is a well-recognized, established organization that has impacted many lives throughout Indiana. We understand the important role that BBBSCI has in our community, and as a member of the community, we want to support the efforts of BBBSCI.”
Finally, personal stories are also important in helping BBBSCI to relaying their message. A previous mentor and donor said, “Brand awareness about what they do and how they do it. Sell impact factors and numbers…what has BBBSCI done in numbers and impact. Personal pleas…what better to hear the impact in the words of a ‘little’?”
Why do people donate to the organizations they do, and how can BBBSCI raise more money?The interview respondents were asked a variety of questions regarding donation experiences. The ten people or organizations that took part in the in-depth interviews are all very active in donating to non-profit organizations. All of which donate to several different non-profit organizations whether it is money, time, gifts, or talent.
The respondents all provided good insight for what BBBSCI can do to encourage more people to donate to their organization. BBBSCI is known around the area and they need to reinforce what they do in the community and how they are shaping the future of local youth.
The types of non-profit organizations among the respondents were similar, they all felt as though every organization serves a good cause but local organizations are most important. Many feel that youth serving non-profits are important because children are the future. They also want to know that their donations are going to directly impact the cause and how their donations are going to be distributed.
One respondent said, “There are a lot of young kids that are in need of someone or something and if they don’t receive that they will get lost in the crowd.”
An active donor said, “I want to know what percent is spent locally and on the cause versus administration costs.”
Another respondent said, “If I’m not too familiar with the organization I want to know how much is going towards administration.”
A board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) said, “First and foremost is…Is it an organization that, for whatever reason, either I or someone close to me is involved in. The rest depends on what is being asked for (i.e. services: 1) Do I have skills that are needed. 2) Do I have the time to meet the needs? 3) Who is asking me, etc? The criteria would change upon each request (board position, money, expertise, advice, chairing an event, etc.)”
One respondent had a variety of answers to help BBBSCI. “If you are talking about money, I suggest you approach donors with a specific result of their donation (like the fund-a-need at the auction: X$$ fills a backpack: x$$ sends a match to whatever, etc. etc.). I also suggest the “Matchmaker” program be re-visited wherein a donor actually sponsors a match for x$$ and a mid-year report is sent (not using names but putting a human touch on the donation), etc. Another possibility would be to re-initiate the corporate Community Partnerships wherein corporations would help with sponsoring, events, sending volunteers, supplying in-kind services, needs, etc. as case-managers see the needs arise. Basically, give “life” to the contribution.
According to another interviewee, “They (BBBSCI) could market better, focus on the support of youth, par with other groups/organizations, ask for support from other groups/organizations, and work on a program that provides scholarships on a local level. That may help with the idea of being a local entity.”
One respondent spoke of fiscal accountability. They said, “People like to know where their money is going, so providing potential donors with facts and information on the impact that BBBSCI is having in the community may help bring in additional support. In addition, personal testimonies from individuals whose lives have been impacted by the organization may also provide motivation for people to support BBBSCI.”
Creating awareness:
Respondents were also asked questions about interviewees’ awareness of BBBSCI. For the Board members, there was already a relationship, and their thoughts, though different from an outside perspective, still give insight to what they think is needed. Respondents not affiliated with BBBSCI were asked their familiarity with the organization to see what kinds of responses would be given. All answers, are given from a view of increasing donation, but can be related to marketing BBBSCI as well.
Below is a list of ideas from various interview sessions:
Get the word out on what BBBSCI does in the community.
More PR- work with local media to get your events, message and information out.
Volunteer to participate on public radio, local morning shows etc.
Align yourself with another charity for an event and share the responsibilities and funding raised. Get more support from corporate.
More publicity regarding what BBBSCI does for the youth, personal stories.
Brand awareness about what BBBSCI does and how they do it. Sell impact factors and numbers… what has BBBSCI done in #’s and impact.
Personal pleas… what better than to hear the impact in the words of a “little”
Get personal…share the success stories
Have those active share their “circles” to share the story
Continue positive press opportunities
Keep events like the Auction affordable to those who the organization needs most as volunteers/donors (younger 25-30+ year olds)
Personal stories are also key in helping BBBSCI to relaying their message, according to a Board member. By giving those stories, and showing the community how meaningful that relationship becomes, it would help get people to listen to what the commercials were saying.
Finally, one respondent commented, “They could market better, focus on the support of youth, pair with other groups/organizations, ask for support from other groups/organizations, and work on a program that provides scholarships on a local level. That may help with the idea of being a local entity.”
How they pick organizations to donate to:
Some responses included the following excerpts:
“I want to feel like I have a choice, but I like knowing what projects are out there and what needs exist. I guess it’s ok if they seek me out if it is something local and there is a definite need.” “I do prefer that speakers for organizations seek me out whether through a speaker’s bureau, talking to an event at a Kiwanis meeting. I do not prefer email/flyers unless it catches my eye, or else I just throw it away.”
“Percentage spent locally on the cause. The amount spent on administration. Does the cause personally impact me?”
“Typically we make decisions based on programs we are familiar with (either through work or personal involvement) and/or are referrals from close friends and family.
One community organization said they are very open to donating tickets and souvenirs to non-profit organizations. “There isn’t a cap on how many tickets can be donated. When booking groups for Thursday Night Fundraisers, it’s important to partner with non-profit organizations that have the resources to sell tickets. That is why the larger, non-profit groups are targeted for this specific fundraising program. Groups must sell a minimum of 200 tickets to participate in the program, which oftentimes can be quite cumbersome for smaller organizations.”
Why they wouldn’t donate:
During the interview, respondents were also asked for hypothetical reasons or ideas they would not donate to BBBSCI, or any non-profit organization.
One respondent mentioned that maybe, “Donors do not understand all the services they provide and how funding is allocated.”
Another comment, one that was repeated in a couple of the interviews was, “If more money was going to administrative costs that to the actual organization. But that would involve some investigating on the part of the donor.”
Other possible reasons not to donate: If it was a personal/financial challenge, If the organization drastically changed their mission/vision, and finally, not realizing the difference between BBBS and BBBSCI.
The importance of organizations that reach at-risk youth:
One interviewee noted, “The future of tomorrow begins with our youth. Positive role models are so important, and I fear that many adults fail to realize the importance of this. I will continue to seek out ways to give to at-risk youth with the Indianapolis community.”
A board member for the BBBSCI chapter said, “It is important to donate to these organizations because otherwise the organizations will go belly up and services won’t go towards helping the youth that really need it.”
How to reach potential donors:
One interviewee said, “I would encourage donors to look at the positive side of donating. Sometimes, financial donations aren’t the best option, but you should challenge donors to think of ways to contribute that help increase their presence within the community. Non-profit groups are often so grateful for any type of donation that they willingly advertise for free. Thus, a donation can go a long way.”
Another commented that mailings are efficient and effective.One interviewee spoke of, “Events that ‘broaden the base,’ auctions with affordable ticket prices, unique events (previews/ sponsored events etc…) where donating fits the event and the ‘perk.’
One board member spoke of the website, and possibly utilizing it as a marketing tool that can also be used for donors. “An online donation form would be helpful, but that the website itself isn’t enough to draw people there. If the website could be improved then it would be an effective marketing tool.”
General Comments: One interviewee said “There should be a synergy of contributing, and that there should be more staff on hand to effectively handle all aspects of the organization’s future. I believe that exposing people to basic facts about BBBSCI and relating that first hand experience to audiences will bring people into the organization and hopefully get them to volunteer or donate. Making sure the students on the waiting list get Bigs in the program will allow them greater opportunities later on in life.”
One board member comment, “They (BBBSCI) aren’t doing anything wrong, but things could be improved. A marketing/grassroots campaign would greatly help their cause of trying to gain more mentors. New ideas getting thrown around and trying to create something different would allow penetration into the minds of many Indianapolis residents. There are so many great organizations though; that it’s important to focus on what BBBSCI has to offer in order to gain volunteers and donations.”
Finally, another class group is currently working with INShape Indiana. An interviewee made an interesting correlation between the two organizations. “I am a strong supporter of the INShape Indiana program, and the fact that the government is taking an active role in encouraging people of all ages to get fit. I would like to incorporate that into my role as Community Relations Manager for a professional sports organization. If would like to encourage adults/parents to take an active role in the lives of children- whether it be their own, or simply as a mentor. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and any way that we can encourage adults to get out and be more active, and be positive roles models- children should follow their lead. Getting families out to a baseball game, being outdoors, not in front of a TV, is something so simple. The BBBSCI “Homerun Heroes” program is just a stepping-stone to what we can accomplish.”
IX. Study Method 4:
For the third form of research, 150 random phone surveys were conducted throughout central Indiana.
The survey was intended to ask awareness, attitude, and behavioral questions in regards to volunteering and donating to nonprofit organizations that work with youth. There was a special emphasis on questions regarding at-risk youth and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, not the national organization but the local organization.
All participants for the phone survey needed to be at least 18 years of age. From there respondents were asked if they had volunteered or donated to help screen and decide where we would take them next through the survey. If they had not volunteered or donate, we asked them how likely they would be to do so in the future. The survey continued on asking questions about volunteering and donating. Depending on their experience with either donating or volunteering, they answered different questions pertaining to the appropriate topic.
The survey concluded with demographic questions consisting of: age, marital status, number of children and highest level of education. By asking these questions, demographic information was obtained and helped when it came to categorizing the different areas concerned.
The numbers were chosen randomly and the prefixes were obtained through Indianapolis’ phone company. The prefixes were chosen to try and reach all seven counties that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana reaches. Six counties were within the area code and two were chosen in Marian County. If prefixes had to be changed due to non-working numbers, they were changed within the same area if possible.
The response rate was very low. The phone surveys averaged around ten pages each to accomplish 25 completed surveys. Overall, we were able to obtain the information we needed despite the long time commitment and difficulty getting a person on the phone and willing to commit to the survey.
X. Research Findings Study 4:
Characteristics of Sample:
We conducted a random-digit telephone survey of 150 people in the Indianapolis area, and 38% were male and 62% were female. Most of the respondents had a high school education (48%) and only 22.3% had graduated college. The average age was 46.7 years old. On average the respondents thought 33.8% of children in the Indianapolis area are considered at-risk. They also estimated an average 26.4% of citizens in the Indianapolis area volunteered for a non-profit organization in the last year. 73.3% (N = 110) said they have donated to a non-profit organization, and of that percentage the respondents donate to 3.4 (SD = 2.15) non-profit organizations a year, with a range from 0-12. Also, 62.7% (N = 94) of the sample said they have volunteered for a non-profit organization or done some community service in the past. When volunteering 37.9% (N = 36) of the respondents prefer a short-term commitment, 23.2% indicated they preferred a regular commitment, 21.1% preferred a long-term commitment, and 17.9% preferred a one-time commitment.
Reasons to volunteer and donate:
In this section of the survey, respondents were asked a series of questions and could choose more than one answer. Therefore, the numbers represented in the following section will not equal 100%. When choosing to volunteer for a non-profit organization that works with at-risk youth, 45% of the respondents volunteer because they believe in the cause, 25% feel they can make a difference and 38% provided reasons other than what was listed on the survey. When choosing to donate 43% of the respondents donate to help kids and 31% believe in the cause. 17% feel their donation can make a difference while only 2% find it enjoyable.
Prefer to receive information about volunteer and donor opportunities:
Respondents were asked twelve different options of where they preferred to receive information about volunteer and donor opportunities. Respondents preferred word of mouth (89.5%), family (89.5%) and friends (89.5%) the most, while email (33.7%) and browsing websites (34.7%) were not as popular. Respondents answered similarly when asked about donor opportunities. Again, word of mouth (89%), family (92.7%) and friends (91.7%) were the top choices. At place of worship (76.1) and from child’s school (60.2%) were also places they would prefer to receive donor information.
Factors when looking to volunteer or donate:
Many of the factors people give for volunteering are related to the factors that contribute to their donating behavior. The popularity of an organization (or how well known it is) contributes both to donating and volunteering decisions (r = .858, p < .001)as well as commitment expectations (r = .909, p <.001). Other factors considered important in volunteer choices were, believing in the cause (M = 4.8, SD = .45) and the type of organization (M = 4.0, SD = 1.30). Important factors in donating were: believe in the cause (M = 4.7, SD = .78) and a good percentage goes to the cause (M = 4.6, SD = .88).
Awareness of local youth serving non-profit organizations:
Respondents were asked to list, without prompting, any local non-profit organization that serves youth in Indianapolis. The top organizations were the Boys and Girls Club (18%), YMCA (15.4%), and Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts (12.7%). Several other organizations were mentioned including United Way (12%) and Big Brothers Big Sisters (10.7%). When the respondents were asked if they had ever heard of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana 81.3% (N = 91) said yes. Of those respondents, 43% heard of BBBSCI on television and 38.5% from family/friend. When asked why BBBSCI is not well known 74.1% (N = 20) said it is because they don’t have enough exposure.
Volunteer and Donating concerning BBBSCI:
Of those who had volunteered for organizations in the past, 4.6% of respondents had previously volunteered for BBBSCI and 83.3% (N = 5) thought the experience was positive. 10.8% had previously donated to BBBSCI and 73.3% (N = 10) thought that it was a positive experience. As series of statements concerning volunteering, donating, and if BBBSCI does a good job serving youth were read to the respondents, who were then asked to indicate their degree of agreement with each one. The responses were based on a Likert scale, ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1). The average likelihood for volunteering with BBBSCI in the future was 2.9 (SD = 1.02). The likelihood for the respondents to donate to BBBSCI in the future had an average of 3.4 (SD = .96) and when asked if BBBSCI does a good job of serving youth the average was 3.97 (SD = .64). To see what BBBSCI could do to involve more people in volunteering respondents were asked if they had any ideas. The majority said they could use more advertising (58.6%). The respondents also mentioned several things that were listed on the survey (48%).
XI. Discussion:
In total, we used a variety of methods to discern the information we needed to create an effective campaign for BBBSCI. When researching similar organizations, websites, case studies and scholarly articles, a plethora of information was found that could be used for BBBSCI’s benefit. Organizations we studied utilize local and national celebrities to create awareness of their organization and build their volunteer base. Another organization used a gimmick to set themselves apart from other local non-profits, while still others use reward and incentive systems to reinforce the good works of the people involved. In looking at scholarly articles, we found that getting young people involved at early age will foster a sense of community and plant a desire to give back to the people around them and create a love of non-profit organizations.
From our research in the focus group, we have established that the people of Indianapolis care about those less fortunate than themselves. Throughout our research, one thing is constant-that organizations serving the youth of Indianapolis are a vital part to our community, and are needed to give at risk youth a chance of becoming a fully functional member of society. The focus group allowed us to speak with volunteers, whether that be through BBBSCI or otherwise, and we were able to gather that volunteering gives them personal benefit. They are able to “…give back to your community, that’s the point you have to understand. I understand what it is to make sure that individuals that don’t have an opportunity get an opportunity,” according to one participant. Financial and time constraints were discussed as well: “People want to do something, but it’s constantly an issue of time.” Another obstacle was that of financial obligations. “I think there are two options, work or volunteer,” which will be two major hurdles the BBBSCI will need to overcome to complete their goals. Finally, marketing and advertising was also discussed in the focus group, and members agreed that, “BBBSCI could improve its advertising in the community, through television commercials and personal testimonials from people in the program. “Video clips of kids in the program would be really powerful,” concluded one participant.
When speaking with Sondra Forester in the very beginning of the semester, she saw a need for more volunteers and an opportunity to raise more money for helping BBBSCI further their cause of helping the youth of Indianapolis. Our next block of research came from in depth interviews from community members and board members. These people were able to give further insight into the non-profit environment of Indianapolis, and how BBBSCI fits into that environment. They had a great many ideas on how to market BBBSCI more effectively, how to create more awareness of what BBBSCI does for the community, and how to raise more money. Personal testimonies as an advertising strategy were again touched on, because of the impact they can have on Indianapolis residents. One interviewee said, “They (BBBSCI) could market better, focus on the support of youth, par with other groups/organizations, ask for support from other groups/organizations, and work on a program that provides scholarships on a local level. That may help with the idea of being a local entity.” Many valuable responses were recorded to gain the knowledge of community leaders and board members.
While we found a majority of people are familiar with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters name, the local chapter has yet to really establish an identity for themselves, distinguishing themselves as a major organization in Indianapolis. Creating this image for themselves will give them a “local” feel, which many residents of Indianapolis believe is important when choosing organizations to donate their money as discovered in the survey, the fourth and final aspect of our research.
Finally, we surveyed 150 random Indianapolis residents. This was the most interesting of all the data collected, because it gave us the ability to see what people with no affiliation and who have possibly never heard of BBBSCI, how BBBSCI is viewed in the community. Those surveyed were asked a variety of questions regarding donating and volunteering habits, and there were some conclusions that we will be able to utilize in our campaign. Respondents were asked how they prefer to receive information regarding \ volunteer opportunities, and 89.5 % of those surveyed said word of mouth and talking with family and friends were the most preferred ways of receiving information regarding volunteering. For donating, these numbers grew, as word of mouth (89%), family (92.7%) and friends (91.7%) were again the top three ways to receive information. Finally, one more statistic that should be noted is that popularity of an organization is a major factor in Indianapolis residents’ decisions regarding donating and volunteering. This is good for BBBSCI, because 81.3% of respondents have heard of BBBSCI, and can be recognized by people in the community.
Our research was done as conclusively as possible, making sure we covered various aspects of BBBSCI’s publics. We talked with BBBSCI volunteers, Board Members, community members and people who no affiliation from all over central Indiana (all counties which BBBSCI serves) with the organization to ensure we were looking at our situation from all views. Hopefully we have a broad range of responses and experiences that will allow the campaign we create to be as effective as possible. This being said, some limitations might be that we did not speak with all board members, or a vast majority of volunteers, so our research from well-versed members of our public might not be as complete. However, the information we did receive from volunteers and Board members has been invaluable, and given us a much-needed view of the organization, which is similar between most of those members.
XII. Situation Analysis:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana has requested assistance in developing a marketing strategy. No efforts of this kind have been made since 2002. The organization wishes to increase its number of volunteers and bring in more donations. There is a lot of pressure to accomplish this in order to continue their efforts and reach more children. The number of children requiring these services is growing and BBBSCI needs to find a way to keep up with the demand.
Based on the four methods of research, volunteer and donation related issues were supported by similar key findings. There was an overwhelming amount of encouragement for the use of success stories and testimonials from the youth. Many felt that this form of personal interaction greatly affects individuals’ attitude and behavior when being asked to volunteer or donate. For volunteering efforts, increasing the awareness of short-term commitment volunteer opportunities at BBBSCI in order to pull in more volunteers to commit long-term was among the most favorable findings. Partnering with other groups and organizations to host an event and increase overall awareness backed a majority of the findings in respect to donation efforts.
The primary challenge facing BBBSCI is the availability of funds to support these endeavors. Another challenge is overcoming the public image of inner turmoil within BBBSCI.
Should BBBSCI not find a means to increase the number of volunteers and bring in more donations, the organization will not be able to reach those children of need within the community.
XIII. Preliminary identification of publics:
The three main publics that will be focused on during this campaign will be volunteers, financial donors and the media. The volunteers targeted will be both men and women ages 18 to 40 years old. This audience will be influenced by the effect that they will have on BBBSCI participants whether it be current volunteers or the “littles”.
The donors will be men and women ages 35 to 60 years of age. This range would target the typical working person. They would be at a good age to have their finances in order, as well as have a want to give back to their community. Over 70% of our survey respondents donate to non-profit organizations, with the average number of organizations being around three. We found that although targeting older business people might be beneficial because they might have a higher income, there are still many Indianapolis residents who give what they can to numerous organizations, and that’s important when considering donating. For BBBSCI, every bit is going to be able to help them create programs and events that will serve the youth of Indianapolis, accomplishing the goals they have set out for themselves.
The media will be the third public. By using WISH TV, WTHR and the Indianapolis Star as the three main outlets, the messages will reach a wide range of people. Media kits, brochures and press releases will be the controlled media used, but only as a supplement to what we create in our campaign. These types of media will then be distributed to outlets for publication. While much of our research points to media as an outlet for spreading awareness for BBBSCI, we also realize the importance of word of mouth and family and friends when creating a “buzz” for BBBSCI, and do not want to lessen that meaning.
All three of these publics are important to BBBS because of the critical role they play in the success and of the program. Because this campaign will be the first one presented within the past three years, we understand the importance of creating and effective campaign that will elicit a positive response that will gather more donations and build the volunteer base. However, we have also learned from research that partnerships and working with other community organizations can also be effective in spreading awareness of our organization. Through that, these too can be outlets for BBBSCI to co-sponsor, partner with or work with in some way to reach new groups of people previously untapped.
XIV. Summary:
We can conclude that the research we have completed has given us a complete and effective means to start our campaign. After discussions with community members, volunteers, board members and residents of Indianapolis, we have pulled information regarding donating and volunteering habits, and what BBBSCI can do to create processes that will allow them to effectively gather a volunteer base and raise more money, which is our goal for the BBBSCI campaign. We can derive three impact objectives from our research, and utilize those objectives as a means to start and effective and productive campaign. The first impact objective comes from research done in the survey. We would like to see an increase of unaided recall of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters name/knowledge of the organization, specifically BBBSCI. The second impact objective is also taken from research completed in the survey. Within this data, survey respondents were asked if they had volunteered for BBBSCI before, poor response indicates a need to improve.The third impact objective is derived from one of the key messages that says, “Expand our funding through our ability to provide a larger menu of giving options.” Within our survey, we asked respondents their likelihood of donating to BBBSCI in the future, on a scale of 1-5. The average response was a 3.4, as well as respondents agreeing that BBBSCI does a good job of serving youth. (a 3.97 score)
1. To increase unaided recall of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Indiana’s name and organization among Indianapolis residents from 10.7% to 15% within a two year time frame.
2. To increase volunteers for BBBSCI in the Indianapolis and surrounding areas from 4.6% to 6% in the next two years.
3. To build community approval of BBBSCI, as to increase the number of donors and donations throughout the Indianapolis area, and increase the likelihood that Indianapolis residents, aware of BBBSCI, will have a desire to help at risk youth in the community. This attitude change will occur within a two-year time frame.
