Executive Summary

Campaign Definition * “Bridgepointe to Success” campaign is aimed to build partnerships with local higher education institutions, to offer students life skills training and college preparation advice.

Research * Research into life skills training and college preparatory institutions revealed that Bridgepointe is unique in its mission to bridge cultural gaps through education.

Kick-off Event * The campaign kick-off will take place at the Open House event on February 1, 2013.

Event Participants * Four universities and colleges will be present at the event to introduce Bridgepointe students to their programs.

Program Details * Participating programs will cover architecture design, arts, business, engineering, and nursing fields. * Personnel from the admissions offices of the respective colleges will be involved in this initiative and offer advice and information packets at the event.

Program Enrollment * The life skills training program will be offered to a limited number of students at first. * After the evaluation of the success of this training program, the life skills classes can be offered to all interested children participating in Bridgepointe programs.

Vision for the Future * Our vision for the future is that Bridgepointe will build additional partnerships with other local universities and colleges to expand this program further.

Table of Contents

MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN | p. 5 | Problem Definition | p. 5 | Positioning and Resource Considerations | p. 5 | * Background | p. 5 | * Situation Analysis and Positioning Statement | p. 6 | * Research | p. 11 | * Time, Money, Personnel | p.14 | Target Publics | | Goals and Objectives | | Message | | Strategies and Tactics | | I. Backgrounder | | II. Fact Sheet | | III. Press Release - Campaign Event | | IV. Pitch Letter - Campaign Event | | V. Social Networking Promotion | | VI. Community Event | | Timeline | | Budget | | Measurement and Evaluation Strategies | | Conclusion and Summary | | References | | Appendix: CAMPAIGN MATERIALS | |

MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

Problem Definition
Bridgepointe wants to seize new opportunities for partnerships between Detroit and suburban schools. An expansion of Bridgepointe’s partner network will solidify the organization’s position as a local leader in bridging the gap between communities with different resources and varying academic, social, and extracurricular opportunities. This campaign will explore how forming partnerships with local colleges and universities can provide new educational opportunities for the children of Bridgepointe, preparing them for professional careers in life from early childhood.

Positioning and Resource Considerations
Background

Bridgepointe is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect school children of metropolitan Detroit area by erasing the gap between the city and suburban students, providing educational and basic needs services. Founded in 1998, the organization grew to “partner with 24 public and faith-based suburban schools” by the end of 2012 (http://www.bridgepointenonprofit.org). The organization recruits the help of hundreds of volunteers and relies on the generous support of the local businesses and community and school partners. Bridgepointe holds educational and activities sessions for its children with the help of many teachers and volunteers. It also takes care of needy families by supplying them with “Life Essentials” packages that are generously donated and assembled by the community and volunteers. Bridgepointe holds its annual Christmas event to bring together children and their families, teachers, volunteers, donors and community leaders, sharing the spirit of the holidays and reaffirming the important mission of the organization.

Situation Analysis and Positioning Statement
Bridgepointe is known as a local nonprofit organization whose main goal is to connect children from the suburban and Detroit city areas, and to provide social and financial support to the local families in need. The organization offers a unique opportunity for the children of different backgrounds to explore cross-cultural elements of their environment through education and other group activities. The organization was built by a small group of educators who now want to help their organization expand in order to make an impactful change in its future direction.

Bridgepointe cannot continue operating under the assumption that it is another small nonprofit who depends heavily on its network of donors and volunteers. It currently offers services to 2,500 students, and the number of students keeps growing. Bridgepointe needs to dedicate additional resources to recreate its public relations image through social media and to connect with organizations, universities, houses of worship, and other entities that have similar goals.

Positioning Statement
Bridgepointe needs to bring additional clarity to its public image by creating a positioning statement that truly reflects the purpose of the organization. The existing slogan, “We bring together school children from city and suburb,” is vague and does not explain that the main purpose of the organization is to help those in need, regardless of where they live. We propose the new positioning statement, “Bridging the gap to educate, inspire and empower,” to be the essential message of this campaign.

Mission Statement
The organization does not have a clearly defined, concise mission statement highlighted on its website. Its mission description states that Bridgepointe is “a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educate, inspire and empower the children of Detroit and its surrounding suburbs through direct personal experiences and living relationships. We are committed to encouraging the personal growth of teachers, students, and volunteers by connecting school children from the city and suburbs of Detroit. As members of these communities come together to achieve a common goal, we hope to unlock the potential of the children while opening the door to cultural understanding. With the help of volunteers and partners, we organize a variety of social, educational, and life enhancing events each year while also providing life essentials to the metro Detroit community” (http://www.bridgepointenonprofit.org). This lengthy mission description may have been appropriate for the early stages of the organization’s operations. However, as time moves on and many opportunities for social media networking and partnerships with colleges and universities arise, a fresh mission statement will be needed to describe clearly the importance of erasing the cultural and social disparities that exist between the children of Bridgepointe community.

A new mission statement needs to convey that the organization’s main goal is to fight poverty through education and giving. However, it should appear that the effort is genuine and does not put pressure on the community members to donate. Rather, the organization believes that the true spirit of giving lies in anonymous donations, as opposed to the exploitation of donors. We suggest a new mission statement, “Through community partnerships and education, Bridgepointe is dedicated to erasing poverty and illiteracy, the two cultural barriers which know no city boundaries,” that would capture the spirit of the organization.

SWOT Analysis
The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis table below summarizes the key factors affecting the organization’s current position. Internal Factors | External Factors | Strengths | * Strategic presence in Detroit metropolitan area * Reliable network of volunteers * Generous donors * Good reputation * Proven track record | Opportunities | * Build partnerships with local colleges and universities * Offer early childhood career and professional growth preparation sessions * Involve admissions offices of higher education institutions to provide information * Engage professional grant writers * Build support through social media networking | Weaknesses | * Revenues highly dependent on donors * Limited facilities * Limited exposure through social networking * Outdated website and lack of social media presence * Reputation is not well established | Threats | * Economic instability in the aftermath of the great recession * Growing poverty makes organization spread too thin * College preparation programs are already established in the area * Other charitable organizations compete for donors * Unable to tap into social media scene |
The internal factors affecting the organization can be considered as both strengths and weaknesses. The organization’s strategic location in the Detroit metropolitan area creates the perfect opportunity for expansion through word-of-mouth and social media involvement. However, the organization needs to have dedicated public relations staff to run its social media marketing. The program can be further expanded through the reliable network of hundreds of volunteers who can be mobilized to address issues that can arise unexpectedly (like helping a family who lost everything after a fire), or to put together an event that requires a lot of advanced planning. The organization has been very successful in securing local sponsorships from small businesses, schools, charitable organizations, houses of worship, and individuals. Much of the success of the Bridgepointe programs depends on its good reputation. The organization should be able to capitalize on its good reputation by expanding its reach through social media, updating its website, securing additional partnerships and eventually expanding its facilities.

Several external factors create opportunities and threats for the organization. Many college preparation programs and charitable organizations are already established in the area. Those organizations compete for funding and are dealing with similar economic issues in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis. As a result, organizations like Bridgepointe are barely able to keep up with the needs of the population where poverty is growing rapidly.

Bridgepointe believes in erasing poverty by exposing the stigma about Detroit citizens being affected by the growing poverty more so than the suburban population. Bridgepointe helps people regardless of how close they are to Detroit. We see many opportunities for helping Bridgepointe through building partnerships with the local higher education institutions. Helping the children learn and be connected to the universities from the early childhood will help them gain the education necessary to fight poverty and the existing cultural stigmas. The universities can also partner with Bridgepointe to write grants to support the organization’s operations. Professional grant writing partnership can become an invaluable element of this initiative.

Problem Statement
The following problem statement for Bridgepointe can have a dual impact on the organization’s future. It will first develop an attainable goal of reaching local colleges and universities, and it will also address the need for organization’s financial expansion.

Bridgepointe will contact two higher education institutions from the suburbs (Lawrence Technological University and Walsh College) and two from the city of Detroit (University of Detroit Mercy and Wayne State University) to form educational partnership opportunities that will help the children build professional skills. Once the partnerships are secured, the organization will then work with these entities to support this educational initiative through grant writing, and will search for other external funders who specialize in funding projects of this nature.

Research

We concentrated our research on charitable organizations and college preparation programs which compete with Bridgepointe directly or indirectly. The two main charitable organizations in the area are the Eastern Michigan Division of the Salvation Army and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. We found several university preparation programs in the state of Michigan, particularly in Southeast Michigan, whose information was useful for benchmarking. We collected information on those programs and institutions to assess their main educational focus, analyze their mission statements and obtain enrollment numbers.

Charitable Organizations
The Eastern Michigan Division of the Salvation Army helps at-risk children and their parents (http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_emi.nsf). However, it does not provide educational services to those families. Since it is a religious institution whose goals are to meet the human needs of the community without discrimination, it has a nonprofit status and relies on volunteers and charitable giving to sustain its efforts.

The United Way for Southeastern Michigan has a mission of preparing the children for early childhood success and career and college readiness, as part of its main mission to be a resource to the communities in need (http://www.liveunitedsem.org/issues/impact/education). The organization partners with charitable organizations and foundations, corporations, hospitals, and other large entities. The literacy initiatives of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan help underprivileged children get to the adequate level of reading skills. Eliminating illiteracy helps improve the overall well-being of these individuals and families, giving them the opportunity to go to college and find better jobs.

In summary, Bridgepointe secures partnerships with a different type of donors, like the local businesses, as it does not wish to operate on the same scale as the United Way or the Salvation Army. Bridgepointe is a place where personal stories matter. It wants to provide anonymous help to individuals and families directly, not through corporate donation campaigns. Bridgepointe can offer a unique career and professional skills program that will emphasize the development of hands-on, practical knowledge in the areas like business and nursing, which will not be in competition with the literacy program of the United Way.

College Preparatory Programs
Our research revealed that there are several university preparation programs in Michigan, highlighted in the table below.
College Preparation Programs Table Name, Location | Mission Statement/Description | Information | University Preparatory AcademyDetroit, MI(http://uprep.com) | To prove that urban children can succeed in college through personalized learning and relentless commitment to their success. | University Preparatory Academy partners with families in order to provide students with scholastic armamentarium that would allow them to graduate and prepare them for post-secondary education. It offers K-12 classes in a small class format and has updated facilities and amenities. 421 students are currently enrolled. | Dollar Bay High SchoolDollar Bay, MI(http://www.dollarbay.k12.mi.us) | Learning today, succeeding tomorrow. | Dollar Bay High School offers math and science advanced placement classes and dual enrollment with neighboring post-secondary institutions, Findandia University and Michigan Technological University. Students attend two hours of classes a week at the university of their choice. Since this is a very small community, less than 10 students are typically enrolled in these classes. |

College Preparation Programs Table (continued) Name, Location | Mission Statement/Description | Information | Y Detroit AcademiesDetroit, MI(http://ydetroitacademy.org) | The mission of each YMCA Detroit Academy is to provide a stimulating and supportive environment that empowers students to achieve their greatest potential and to be leaders in the community. | YMCA Educational Services (Y-ES) helps meet the educational needs of the young people in Michigan, particularly those who live in at-risk communities. The schools are charter schools that provide K-12 education. The founders of the academies recognize that every child has unique needs and a special learning style. Students are expected to achieve academic success and be prepared to enter a changing society to make an impact on their community. The schools involve the parents, who work with the staff, to support the children in achieving their goals. The schools partner with community as well. 523 students are currently enrolled in two of the academies. | University High School (UHS)Ferndale, MI(http://www.ferndaleschools.org/schools/uhs) | By working closely with their teachers, professors and students from Lawrence Technological University, and with business partners, UHS students have a first-hand look into their future professions and graduate with sound preparation for success. | University High School (UHS) of Ferndale High School offers college preparation curriculum that trains students to be successful in college. It partners with Lawrence Technological University (LTU), where students are taught by LTU instructors and also often take dual enrollment classes. The studies are design to prepare students for careers in the fields of engineering, design and planning, manufacturing, purchasing and logistics, and marketing, sales and service. This is a campus with 500 students. |

The information summarized in the table above indicates that many institutions are focused on providing quality education to students while recognizing the uniqueness of each individual. However, only the University High School format focuses on the goal of both college and career preparation. Overall, our research clearly shows that Bridgepointe is truly unique in its mission to bring together kids from different environments. Providing students of Bridgepointe with access to the university atmosphere will create a positive change in their development and will provide the organization with an array of additional outlets for growth.

A unique life skills program, DAPCEP, is another close competitor of Bridgepointe. With the mission “To increase the number of historically underrepresented students who are motivated and prepared academically to pursue degrees leading to careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) related fields through K-12 supplemental educational programming,” this organization provides education to the children of all ages in a form of summer camp and weekend sessions, hands-on life skills workshops and college preparatory curriculum (http://www.s435395286.onlinehome.us/). However, this organization concentrates on bringing the children up to and above grade level in sciences, mathematics and engineering. Some of the areas are nanotechnology, renewable energy, robotics, engineering, and computer programming. We believe that Bridgepointe’s new life skills program can be very successful in a variety of other areas, such as architecture, arts, business and nursing.

Time, Money, Personnel To pilot the new career skills program, our team chose to showcase Bridgepointe’s new partners, the four local universities and one college, at the Open House event on February 1, 2013. The initial contact with these higher education institutions will take place in early Dec., 2012. Bridgepointe will contact Lawrence Technological University, University of Detroit Mercy, Walsh College, and Wayne State University. Particularly, it will establish contact with the admissions offices and individual departments.
Recommended Contacts List Institution | Department/Program | Admissions Personnel | Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, Mich. | Architecture:Glen LeRoyDean, College of Architecture and DesignPhone: 248-204-2805Email: gleroy@ltu.eduEngineering:Nabil Grace, Ph.D.Dean, College of EngineeringPhone: 248-204-2500Email: ngrace@ltu.edu | Jane RohrbackDirector, AdmissionsPhone: 248-204-3177Email: jrohrback@ltu.edu |
Recommended Contacts List (continued) Institution | Department/Program | Admissions Personnel | University of Detroit MercyDetroit, Mich. | Nursing:Janet Baiardi, Ph.D., R.N.Interim Associate Dean, McAuley School of NursingPhone: 313-993-2443Email: baiardjm@udmercy.edu | Lynita TaylorCounselor, AdmissionsPhone: 313-578-0424Email: taylorly3@udmercy.edu | Walsh CollegeTroy, Mich. | Business Administration:Michael Levens, Ph.D.Chair, Undergraduate Business Administration Programs Phone: 248- 823-1345Email: levens@walshcollege.edu | Jeremy GucDirector of Admissions and Academic AdvisingPhone: 248-823-1611admissions@walshcollege.edu | Wayne State UniversityDetroit, Mich. | Arts:Matthew Seeger, Ph.D.Dean, College of Fine, Performing and Communication ArtsPhone: 313-577-5342Email: matthew.seeger@wayne.edu | Judy Benfield TatumSenior Director of Undergraduate Admissions and OrientationPhone: 313-577-3577Email: admissions@wayne.eduLaJoyce Brown
Associate Director of Recruitment and Outreach
Phone: 313-577-3577Email: lajoyce@wayne.edu |

Bridgepointe will assign two to three volunteers to contact these institutions and to follow up with them later to finalize the details of the Open House and the future program details. These volunteers will also be in contact with print and broadcast media after the partnerships and the Open House event details have been formalized. The partnering personnel from the universities will include an admissions representative and a faculty member or a graduate student assistant who will participate in the Open House event. The admissions personnel will be continuously providing information and support to those students who wish to learn more about these institutions, their K-12 programs, and their summer camps and other events. The faculty members will be in charge of conducting the life skills seminars that will commence after the Open House introduction, during the winter or spring of 2013. While Bridgepointe volunteers can competently address contacting the higher education institutions and can set up the Open House event, we believe that the organization requires the professional help of a social media specialist. Initially, this person can function as a volunteer. However, since website updates and continuous social media monitoring on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are necessary for the success of this program and for the success of Bridgepointe in general, we believe that the organization needs to hire a part- to full-time public relations specialist. Realistically, website updates can range widely in price. Additional features and social media management can add up. We believe that this is an investment that will pay itself off in the future. We will address the website renovation and other cost details (printing brochures, event catering, etc.) in the budget segment of this proposal.

target publics

Since Bridgepointe is a nonprofit organization who relies heavily on volunteers and donors, its target market tends to be rather large. It is important to break these publics up into smaller segments. This makes it easier to fine-tune messages directed to those particular groups. Currently, Bridgepointe’s target markets are former or current educators, principals, superintendents, and directors of community leadership, in addition to recruiters or individuals who have influence in the community in regard to education in the Detroit metropolitan area. They also show interest in innovative ideas and products that bridge the gap between the suburbs and Detroit. We suggest breaking that large target market up into manageable groups.

Advocates
The advocate public can be defined as a group of people who fight to make a difference in the lives of the needy children. They are educators, parents, and volunteers who see potential in every child and want them to have as many opportunities as possible. Their involvement level is high, as they are more likely to spread the word about the organization. This public is going to be reliable and dedicated to the success of Bridgepointe and all of its special events and programs. Without this public, Bridgepointe is virtually nonexistent. The company was founded by advocates, so it is vital that it continues to target this segment of people.

Supporters The supporter public is a group of people who support the organization financially. The group consists of community members, generous donors, and small businesses who lend support to Bridgepointe throughout the year. Their involvement level is medium, as they mostly donate money or goods to the organization as opposed to volunteering for it. Bridgepointe is still dependent on this public because it needs support from the community in order to strive and succeed. The key is expanding the amount of people in this group, which can be done through successful networking and increased public awareness.

Potentials
The third group is the potential group and will need to be targeted more aggressively. Their involvement level is low because they are a new public and have just become aware of the organization and their cause. Moving forward, Bridgepointe needs to partner with faculty, administrators, and admissions personnel at other higher education institutions with whom Bridgepointe will build relationship in the future. Social media outreach and crafted messages can reach this public to make it more aware of Bridgepointe. Bridgepointe’s future success will rely on gaining credibility with this group. The main goal is to get this group to become part of the activist group and join the organization in its cause to create better lives for the children of Detroit and surrounding towns.

Media and Non-Media Connectors To become a more recognizable and reputable organization, Bridgepointe needs to network with the media. As the company grows, it will need an outlet to present press releases, marketing messages, and other news to its publics. It is very important to find and maintain a positive relationship with influential members of the media. Bridgepointe’s main focus is Detroit and its surrounding suburbs. As Bridgepointe’s budget might be limited, it is better off to stick to sending press releases and media kits to members of the media versus developing advertisements and commercials for radio and television. Radio and television, however, can still be used as a good media source. Reaching out to local station, like 101.9 WDET and WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit, would be productive. Bridgepointe should also compile a connector list for print media. Researching the best contact person for education and community news would be helpful. Using local newspapers like the Detroit Free Press and Royal Oak Daily Tribune is a good place to start.

Bridgepointe needs to increase its word-of-mouth messaging and it can do this by using non-media connectors. Word-of-mouth can be beneficial to an organization if it is used and monitored correctly. The goal, of course, is to have positive word-of-mouth messages. Bridgepointe can gain a positive reputation by reaching out to professionals in the field and to the members of its community. Having a good presence on the Web can also increase word-of-mouth. Being engaging on social media sites will draw more interest for the organization.

Blogs are a great non-media connector and can stimulate excellent word-of-mouth. Bridgepointe has the ability to spread its message through two different perspectives. Asking a professional from the educational field to write about events and programs will potentially get more faculty and administrators interested in the organization’s cause. On the flip side, asking for parents and children to share their stories online about how Bridgepointe has made a difference in their lives could attract more students, volunteers, and donors.

goals and objectives

We have identified several goals to be accomplished during and after this campaign. As stated earlier, a new mission statement, “Through community partnerships and education, Bridgepointe is dedicated to erasing poverty and illiteracy, the two cultural barriers which know no city boundaries,” captures the essence of Bridgepointe’s philosophy.

To interpret the meaning of this statement into measurable goals, we have first identified our main outcome goal, which is to provide the children of Bridgepointe with career skills necessary to succeed professionally. Our process goals were to create new partnerships with higher education institutions, to start a new career skills program, and, with the help of these higher education institutions, to secure new sources of funding to sustain these activities. The following section summarizes these goals and identifies the objectives for each goal.

* Provide the children of Bridgepointe with career skills necessary to succeed professionally

* Increase awareness about Bridgepointe’s commitment to education by informing the main target publics, the students, parents, volunteers, schools and community about the new life skills program

* Establish contact with local broadcast and print media to inform them about the upcoming program:

* Crain’s Detroit Business * Detroit Free Press * Detroit News * Metro Times * Michigan Chronicle * Northville Record * Novi News * Royal Oak Daily Tribune * Southfield Eccentric *
AM 1400 - WDTK * FM 101.9 - WDET * * Create new partnerships with higher education institutions

* Contact two suburban and two Detroit universities and colleges:

* Lawrence Technological University * University of Detroit Mercy * Walsh College * Wayne State University

* Establish relations with the admissions personnel at these institutions

* Determine the venues and campuses where workshops and classes will be held

* Start a new career skills program

* Schedule a program kick-off at an Open House in January, 2013

* Offer courses or workshops in several disciplines:

* Architecture * Arts * Business * Engineering * Nursing

* To pilot the program, enroll 500 Bridgepointe students during the first year

* Secure new sources of funding to sustain the new life skills program with the help of the higher education institutions

* Write joint Bridgepointe and higher learning institutions grants specific to sustaining training in the five disciplines identified above

* Evaluate the program

* Conduct informal interviews with the pilot program participants three months after the program begins

* Send surveys out to parents to gather qualitative and quantitative data at the same time

* Determine which fields are most popular with children and discontinue those classes that are not popular

message The key message that this campaign aims to convey to Bridgepointe’s publics is aligned with the organization’s positioning statement, “Bridging the gap to educate, inspire and empower.” For the educators, parents and Bridgepointe volunteers, the activist publics, this message will convey a sense of urgency to take Bridgepointe to a new level of success. The establishment of the new life skills program will give an outlet to those publics to become even more involved. We feel that this public fully understands this message and does not require the message to be specially tailored.

The community members, the donors, small businesses and other entities who provide financial and other types of support to Bridgepointe, will see that the organization is becoming a serious entity whose mission is to fight poverty and related stigma. These publics will be given an opportunity to become more aware of Bridgepointe’s agenda, and inspired them to be more active or even become an activist public. The message can be tailored to reflect their fulfillment in community outreach and charitable giving, creating a sense of how important each community member is to Bridgepointe.

Finally, the new public, the faculty, administrators and admissions personnel at the higher education institutions, will be given an outlet to do community work as well. They, in turn, can become an active public who can be inspired by this message. If Bridgepointe’s agenda to fight poverty through education is presented as an investment in the future generation of students, these universities will have motivation to do more for this community organization.

strategies and tactics

I. Backgrounder

Erricka

II. Fact Sheet

Erricka

III. Press Release - Campaign Open House Event

Bridgepointe
21800 Haggerty Road, Suite 205
Northville, MI 48167
-------------------------------------------------
www.bridgepointenonprofit.org

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:
Varvara Burden
Public Relations Specialist
313-744-2404 phone vburden@bridgepointenonprofit.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9 A.M. EST, january 17, 2013

bridgepointe fights social disparity through new life skills program

northville, Mich. - January 17, 2013 -- Bridgepointe, located in Northville, Mich., a nonprofit organization and local leader in bridging social and educational differences between the Detroit and suburban children, launches a new life skills training program for children enrolled in grades six through 12. The program will be introduced during an Open House event, on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2013, held at the Wayne State University Welcome Center, located at 42 W. Warren, Detroit, MI 48201.

Three universities and one college will be featured at the Open House and will offer interactive presentations and tools for the children. Lawrence Technological University, located in Southfield, Mich., will showcase its engineering and architecture design programs. The University of Detroit Mercy will provide interactive medical instruments with the help of its McAuley School of Nursing faculty. Walsh College, located in Troy, Mich., will offer resume writing and business education workshops. Wayne State University, another institution located in the city of Detroit, will display information about its arts programs and careers in arts and arts management.

The focus of this event is to introduce students, parents, and volunteers and community members to the new partners of Bridgepointe. Since this program kick-off event will be staged as a career day, each institution will also have admissions personnel and information packets available on site. Students and parents will have an opportunity to talk to the admissions personnel about the different academic paths leading to a professional career. Younger students will be given an overview of the K-12 programs and summer camps offered by the participating higher learning institutions.

“This career skills program will provide an outlet for educators who are looking for a place to share their gifts and talents with children who otherwise might not have access to such things,” said Diane Powers, Executive Director, Bridgepointe.

About Bridgepointe
Bridgepointe is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect school children of metropolitan Detroit area by erasing the gap between the city and suburban students, providing educational and basic needs services and activities. The organization recruits the help of volunteers and relies on the generous support of local businesses and community and school partners. To get involved, please visit www.bridgepointenonprofit.org for more information.
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IV. Pitch Letter - Campaign Open House Event

Bridgepointe
21800 Haggerty Road, Suite 205
Northville, MI 48167
-------------------------------------------------
www.bridgepointenonprofit.org

January 22, 2013

Chastity Pratt Dawsey
Education Writer
Detroit Free Press
615 W. Lafayette
Detroit, MI 48226

Dear Ms. Pratt Dawsey:

How many times have you heard that the root cause of poverty and illness is the lack of access to education? A local nonprofit organization, Bridgepointe, located in Northville, Mich., is going to prove once again that actions speak louder than words when it comes to fighting poverty through education.

On Saturday, February 1, 2013, you will have an opportunity to visit an Open House event hosted by Bridgepointe at the Wayne State University Welcome Center, located at 42 W. Warren, Detroit, MI 48201. The focus of this event will be to launch a new life skills training program for the children enrolled in grades six through 12. Lawrence Technological University, located in Southfield, Mich., will showcase its engineering and architecture design programs. Walsh College, located in Troy, Mich., will offer resume writing and business education workshops. The University of Detroit Mercy will provide interactive medical instruments with the help of its McAuley School of Nursing faculty. Wayne State University, in Detroit, Mich., will display information about its arts programs and careers in arts and arts management. Each institution will also have its admissions personnel present at the event. They will be available to discuss the different academic paths leading to a professional career, as well as the K-12 and summer camps opportunities offered by these higher learning institutions.

I will be calling you by the end of this week to discuss this event. Alternatively, I would be happy to respond to your questions by phone or via email, at 313-744-2404 or vburden@bridgepointenonprofit.org.

I look forward to discussing this exciting event with you further.

Sincerely,

Varvara Burden
Public Relations Specialist

V. Social Networking Promotion

Bridgepointe is lacking in its social media presence. Today, almost every company, big or small, has dipped its toe into the social media pool. It is very important to spread information about the company through the word-of-mouth to gain supporters. Having a presence on the Web can do this for the organization. We recommend that the person monitoring the social media sites have experience in graphics and web design. This will cut down on the costs to have this work outsourced.

Social media can be daunting to those who are not experienced in it. We recommend reading up on current social media topics and trends to get more knowledge, as this type of media is not going away. Social media can get a bad reputation as a “time waster,” so it is important for the organization to think of it as a networking opportunity. Bridgepointe can potentially gain more supporters, donors, and volunteers through the social media outreach. Social media can be a delicate subject. An organization’s posts can go viral if they are not handled responsibly. Hiring a part-time PR specialist to monitor sites and respond appropriately is important.

Twitter
On Twitter, the organization has to make an impact in 140 characters or less. Bridgepointe needs to treat tweets like a press release or a pitch. It is important to only tweet relevant news about the organization that will gain attention from followers. The more followers or retweets an organization gets, the more awareness it will receive.

We created a handle for the organization that makes it recognizable. @BridgepointeMI highlights the name of the organization and the location, Michigan. The organization’s Twitter profile page is informative. We highlight who they are and what they do in a short paragraph. We also added the organization’s website, so followers can visit it for more information.

As mentioned previously, it is important to stay relevant on Twitter, as supporters can choose to unfollow other members. We recommend Bridgepointe creating at least one original tweet once a day. The organization needs to make sure to use creative hashtags that followers will want to retweet. Creative hashtags can become trending topics which will increase public knowledge of the organization. Our main focus is to play off the name of the organization and the position statement. #bridgethegap is a good hashtag for Bridgepointe to use, and we recommend adding it to almost every original tweet. We also added the hashtag phrase to Bridgepointe’s Twitter profile page. The goal is to get #bridgethegap to trend locally, if not nationally. By adding the hashtag to the organization’s tweets and mentioning prominent “tweeters,” Bridgepointe will increase its chances of getting retweets, replies, and favorites, all of which help the topics trend. Bridgepointe can also retweet other members’ tweets if they are relevant to the organization and its mission. Retweeting is another form of networking that gives the opportunity for Bridgepointe’s followers to get inspired by other companies’ messages.

Bridgepointe needs to make sure it is following the right people and companies, and tweet them often. We recommend following the official Twitter pages of universities with whom Bridgepointe has built relationships (Walsh College, Lawrence Technological University, etc.). Also, the organization needs to follow notable supporters of the organization’s cause, as well as members of the press. This will make it easier to reach out to them when writing press releases or developing special events.

Bridgepointe also needs to be aware that people who are interested in the organization will tweet questions and comments, good and bad. The more followers Bridgepointe gets, the less time it will have to answer all of the comments and messages. It will be important to answer questions and comments that will put Bridgepointe in the best light. If all of the tweets cannot be answered, it is important to at least acknowledge the followers and thank them for their support often.

Facebook
Facebook is a lot different from Twitter. It tends to be more visual and interactive. Members can “like” pages, share pictures and videos, write comments on the wall, and even send a private message. We set up a page that members can “like” or visit for more information about the organization. The page is set up like a mini-website. All of the pertinent information is posted along with some interesting additions. On the page, supporters can view the organization’s mission, watch videos shared by the organization, view and share pictures and stories, vote in polls, and interact with other supporters.

Once the page is completely updated, Bridgepointe can begin to build its audience on Facebook. The organization can invite its own friends to visit the page, and link the page on its Twitter account and website. As this is a community page, it is very important to engage the readers on a constant basis. Bridgepointe will need to invite supporters to share their volunteer stories and upload pictures of children enjoying events and making friends. Bridgepointe can also add polls to the page to gauge what the audience is thinking.

Bridgepointe should create an informative status at least once a day while it builds its audience. Bridgepointe can also create and send out invitations to upcoming events via Facebook. Like with Twitter, it is important to monitor the page. Member comments are made public and negative comments can influence other members. It is important to remove irrelevant comments and also speak with those members in a private message if necessary. Bridgepoint will also have the ability to block users who constantly post negative items.

Other Social Networking Sites
The organization can also use other social networking sites that do not require a lot of upkeep. YouTube is good for sharing videos that the organization makes. Periodically, Bridgepointe should upload a video of an event or of a testimony from children, parents, and supporters. We recommend making at least one video a month highlighting the organization’s progress and upcoming events. These videos can also be shared with Bridepointe’s supporters on Facebook and Twitter.

LinkedIn can be used for the sole purpose of networking with potential donors and volunteers. We recommend at least one of the founders creating a personal LinkedIn profile. This will allow the founder to network with other people who share similar goals. The founders can find other educators who might be interested in helping their cause.

Website
Presentation is everything. We recommend Bridgepointe invest into updating its website. The website needs to be informative and smooth to navigate. It also needs to look professional. First impressions are very important. Potential donors or volunteers want to feel like the company they are investing in is legitimate and takes their cause seriously. A sloppy website can be detrimental to Bridgepointe’s goals.

Bridgepointe’s current website is good but could use some tweaking. It is lacking the visuals. When people visit websites they want to be visually stimulated. The main page has some nice visuals of children enjoying an event and volunteers coming together. It also spells out the mission and what the organization is about. It is the other pages that disappoint in material. Bridgepointe should add interactive widgets to its website. We recommend adding a Twitter and Facebook widget to the site so visitors can view a list of recent posts. Other interactive features the Website can add are photo galleries of events and blogs from volunteers and members of the board.

A Press page would be beneficial to the organization as well. Here, Bridgepointe can add press releases and links to articles in which it is mentioned. Adding a Links page would also allow visitors to visit the websites of Bridgepointe’s partners. Another suggestion would be to have an Executive Board page. Just naming the members of the board is not enough. People want to get to know these wonderful people who put this organization together. Creating a page with a professional bio and headshot for all members is a good idea.

While we like the addition of the Donate page, and we recommend adding a Donation Meter. Setting a monthly or yearly goal is important for the organization. It also gives donors a sense of where the company is in accomplishing its goals. Donors like to see that their contribution is making a difference. These are some of the crucial suggestions that will enhance the organization’s image.

VI. Community Event

Victoria

TIMELINE

The following timeline highlights the progression of events leading up to the main event where the new program will be introduced.
Open House Timeline Date | Event | Details | Monday,December 10, 2012 | Contact higher education institutions | - Establish contact with individual departments or divisions: * Arts - Wayne State University * Business - Walsh College * Engineering/Architecture - Lawrence Technological University * Nursing - University of Detroit Mercy
- Contact admissions offices- Send promotional materials about Bridgepointe and the campaign details | Monday, December 17, 2012 | Follow-up phone calls | - Contact colleges and universities for follow-up | Monday, January 7 through Monday,January 14, 2013 | Finalize arrangements | - Finalize arrangements with universities- Secure the presence of admissions officers- Finalize venue and catering options | Thursday, January 17, 2013 | Mailer goes out | - Mail promotional mailer about the open house to parents, educators, community, volunteers - Post Press Releases online and in papers | Tuesday, January 22, 2013 | Social media announcements; pitch letter | - Social networking promotion goes out to parents, educators, community, volunteers- Pitch letter goes to local papers | Thursday,January 24, 2013 | RSVPs are due | - Gather final count of guests, parents, media, students, personnel, volunteers- Send final numbers to caterers | Monday, January 28, 2013 | Contact media | - Contact local papers and radio stations- Secure media presence at the Open House |

Open House Timeline (continued) Date | Event | Details | Wednesday,January 30, 2013 | Set up venue and make final preparations | - Set up tables, booths, area for caterers, podium, audiovisual media- Prepare media kits on CD for guests, newspaper contacts, and participants | Thursday,February 1, 2013 | Host Open House | - Provide media kits- Set up interview with Diane Powers, Executive Director | Monday, February 4, 2013 | Evaluation and post-event contacts | - Conduct program evaluation through interviews and take-home surveys- Contact media to follow up on the event- Follow up with participating higher education institutions and their admissions offices |

Bridgepointe can start planning its pilot workshops and career skills training seminars and classes after it evaluates the success of the kick-off event, beginning in the winter or early spring of 2013. The final schedule of these sessions will depend on the individual schedule of the universities participating in this program.

BUDGET

The expenses listed in this budget apply mainly to the Open House event. As we suggested previously, since the volunteers will be running this event, they will not be expected to be compensated. However, unless the organization manages to have the Wayne State University donate its Welcome Center facility for this event, the room and fees will amount to $1,500.00. Having refreshments and decorations at the event will be the next significant portion of the event costs. Since the event will last for almost the whole day, it is important to have professional catering, as opposed to a potluck, to avoid any health related issues.

We project that printing program brochures and making take-home CDs for media would cost approximately $200.00 (listed under “Other” in the Program section of the above listed budget). However, these media documents will serve Bridgepointe in the future, as the parents, volunteers, and media and university representatives will be using these materials to learn more about the organization and to spread this information.

A large expense portion that needs to be mentioned is the website revamping. A moderate website renovation for a nonprofit organization can range anywhere between absolutely nothing (if the webmaster donates the labor) or as high as around $3,000.00. Once again, we are referring to a very modest update. Gadgets like the Donation Meter and other features of that nature can cost significantly more. The website has to be compliant with the government regulations pertaining to people with disabilities and special needs. A professional webmaster will have the necessary skills to create a proper website.

Another issue with the website is continuous maintenance. A retainer payment for a public relations person who will maintain the site can amount to thousands of dollars per month. It would be more cost-effective to hire a social media monitor who will be qualified to provide support in this area, monitor social media traffic, and update the website regularly. Perhaps the new partners of Bridgepointe, the universities, can offer their help and their web design experts to assist in revamping the organization’s website. Website redesign can be one of the items for which the organization can co-write a grant with one of the universities.

MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION STRATEGIES

There are two ways to measure the outcomes of this campaign as the Bridgepointe career skills program gets implemented. One is to track college preparation program enrollment numbers and compare them to the goal established in the campaign. Another is to conduct interviews with the graduates or participants of the program and their parents. Utilizing both methods will help collect both qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the success of the project.

The initial goal of the program is to enroll 500 students in 2013-2014 academic year. A 70% enrollment goal will be 350 students, while 400 students will constitute 80% enrollment. If the program is successful, the ideal number of students that Bridgepointe will be able to enroll should be above 450, which is over 90%. Using the percentiles to track the success of the program will provide a platform for the future when the enrollment targets increase. Enrollment can be also tracked by an individual institution to see how many children are interested in a particular field. As a result, Bridgepointe may wish to concentrate its effort on pursuing partnerships with those universities which attracted the largest numbers of children and discontinue the least attractive ones.

The public relations staff can conduct informal interviews with students who participate in the program to assess how children valued and liked the new experiences and classes. Each child can take a brief survey home to the parents. The following sample survey questions will help supplement the answers from the informal interviews with children.

Program Survey Example Questions | Answers(Please circle one.) | Please rate the overall quality of the program.5 - highly satisfied to 1 - dissatisfied | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Would you enroll your child in this program again? | yes | | no | Was your child satisfied with this program experience?5 - highly satisfied to 1 - dissatisfied | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | In which field was your child enrolled? | Arch | Arts | Bus | Eng | Nurs | Will your child consider a career in the field he/she was studying? | yes | | no | Would you be willing to assist in securing funds to support this initiative in the future? | yes | | no | Please write any comments or suggestions in the area below.Thank you for completing this survey! |

Another way to measure the success of this program would be to use the admissions offices personnel as an additional resource. The admissions offices can inform Bridgepointe about the number of students participating in the life skills training who eventually enroll in their programs. It will be of particular interest to see if these students enroll in the degrees in architecture, arts, business, engineering, or nursing. Clearly, this last measurement includes a longitudinal element that may not be feasible until a few years from the onset of the program. However, since we seek to make a positive and long-lasting effect on Bridgepointe’s future, it would be highly desirable for the collaborative effort with the admissions offices to continue.

CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY

To take Bridgepointe to the next level up the ladder of success, this campaign will connect the organization to the local colleges and universities. These partnerships will create a solid platform to begin early college preparation for the children of Bridgepointe through a format similar to the University High School format that exists in many cities and states and is already in place at institutions like Lawrence Technological University, located in Southfield, Mich. The goal of this campaign is to prepare students not only for college, but also for a professional career in life.

Through thorough research, our team is assured that this program will be unique in this geographic area, and will attract many participants as well as other universities and colleges. The program can be piloted through an Open House event, where students will be exposed to the examples of hands-on training they will receive during the regular learning sessions with the faculty specializing in arts, architecture, business, engineering and nursing.

Enrolling a limited number of students in this program at first will allow Bridgepointe to evaluate the success of this pilot program. Interviews and surveys should provide the necessary qualitative and quantitative data after the first few months of the program’s implementation.

We hope that these new partnerships with universities will create a stage for future collaboration with these institutions. Partnering with universities will also open the door to additional funding opportunities, as these institutions already have a solid grant writing platform in place. We believe that this campaign will take Bridgepointe to a new success!

REFERENCES

Giannini, Jr., G.T. (2010). Marketing public relations (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Hagan, L.M. (2012, Fall semester). Strategic Communication and Public Relations, MKT 541. Online class lecture. Troy, MI: Walsh College.

APPENDIX: CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Stephanie, it’s up to you if you want to put together something like brochures, postcards, etc. I think a postcard is all we need.