Strategic Communications Plan

Advanced Communication Analysis

Hillarina Casie Chitty, Tiffany Olszuk, and Jiayi Yang
Rutgers University
Fall 2015
Professor Jacob Lepiarz

Overall Goal: The goal of this plan is to provide ideas for Making It Possible to End
Homelessness (MIPH) on how to maintain consistent contact with key stakeholders such as
businesses, funders, and the general public. The communication strategies suggested in this
report are intended to raise awareness about MIPHs work and increase engagement with
stakeholders in order to sustain stakeholder support. This support will in turn enable MIPH to
continue to provide critical resources for homeless individuals and families. In particular, the
project will outline several digital and non-digital communications strategies that will enhance
visibility in the community and engagement with stakeholders.

The diagram below is a framework for a strategic communications plan for MIPH. It depicts
how specific communication tactics are targeted to particular stakeholders. This report will
outline ideas for each digital and non-digital strategy with special attention to social media,
printed materials, and operational support for MIPH.

TwiIer
Stakeholder #1:
Businesses
and Funders
Stategic
Communica/on
Plan for MIPH

Digital

Drip Campaign
(via email marke/ng tool)
Website

Goal: Increase
Awareness/Visibility

Facebook
Stakeholder #2:
Community

Digital

Non
Digital

Website
MIPH Intern
Brochure

Businesses and Funders

Digital
Twitter Progress
Followed relevant Twitter accounts: Homeless organizations, non-profit
resources, non-profit professionals, New Jersey local groups, Rutgers
communities, etc.
Increased the numbers of following from 141 to 269
Increased Your Likes to 610% and then gained reciprocal engagements
from them
Increased 70% followers (the number is still going up)
Tweeted and retweeted 5 6 times per week
Contents were following with the trends and posted with related hashtags
to gain more engagements, e.g. #VeteransDay, #GivingTuesday and
#WordAIDSDay
Tagged partnerships for some specific posts, e.g. Imani Park report with
@JNJCares
Drip Campaign

In place of a traditional impact report detailing how funds from donors or

supporters have been used, MIPH may want to consider a drip email
marketing campaign via Constant Contact or another email marketing
service such as MailChimp.
According to Non-profit hub (Shattuck, 2015) and renowned
fundraising and non-profit expert, Jay Wilkinson (CEO of Firespring),
drip campaigns are effective in maintaining stakeholder support over time
and in particular, donor support.
o Shattuck, S. (2015). Four 21st century marketing terms non-profits
need to know. Nonprofit hub. Retrieved from
http://www.nonprofithub.org/nonprofit-marketingplan/four-21st-century-marketing-terms-nonprofits-needknow/
o Wilkinson, J. (2015). Nonprofit marketing: Why your nonprofit
should use drip email campaigns. [Blog]. Retrieved from
http://www.firespring.org/education/articles/nonprofitmarketing-why-your-nonprofit-should-use-drip-email-

campaigns.html
When donors make their first gift to MIPH, they can be thanked via a
traditional hard copy letter. Thereafter they can receive follow up emails
periodically to update them on the impact of their gift or update them on
current events or activities of MIPH.
o MIPH may want to edit the impact stories it has on file and send
to donors periodically to demonstrate how their funds have
benefited MIPH clients.
o MIPH can also use these emails as a way to stay in contact with
stakeholders.
Community

Digital
Social Media Strategy
Our team was able to set up trial accounts with Feedly and Buffer mid-semester in
order to help MIPH gather more news to post on Facebook and Twitter on a regular
basis.
o Our recommendation is to post up to three times per week on social media
sites in order to showcase the work of MIPH and inform stakeholders that
MIPH is following current news in the non-profit sector and news related to
homelessness.
o Posting multiple times per week may also increase the possibility of
stakeholder engagement on social media (e.g. likes, re-posts, increases in
followers, etc.)
Feedly
A resource that pulls articles and current news from across the internet
related to topics of MIPHs choosing.
Currently, Tiffany has set up an account that is linked to MIPHs Twitter
page. Filters have been set up to collect articles about homelessness from
Google News and the Huffington Post. She has also set up filters for
articles related to trends in the non-profit sector.
To login:
o https://feedly.com
o Sign in via MIPHs Twitter login info
o Adjust filters on the right side of the screen based on
the types of news MIPH would like to gather
The MCIS team suggests using Feedly articles to post on Twitter and
Facebook in order to boost MIPH social media activity and increase
the possibility of more social media engagement. These articles may

also be useful for generating ideas for future fundraising or community

events.
Buffer account
o A resource that automates Twitter and Facebook posts.
o Tiffany currently set up a free trial account and will cancel the account
prior to the end of the semester.
Should MIPH like to use this resource in the future, it is about
$10/month for the most basic plan. Buffer will apply a 50%
discount if MIPH provides 501c3 paperwork.
o Buffer Features:
Able to schedule posts for Facebook and Twitter simultaneously
Decreases the time needed for a dedicated staff member to
manage individual posts
Able to pull articles from Feedly and import them into
Buffer
Analytic features that show top posts, number of re-tweets, clicks,
mentions, likes, etc.
Pablo feature that enables simple photo editing and creation of
banners with text
Can be used to post facts about MIPH that can be retweeted or posted by followers
This may also boost social media engagement
The MCIS team created a photo with text for something
that was posted to the MIPH website and it was retweeted.
Social Media Calendar
o The MCIS team has created a sample template for a social media
calendar. The calendar suggests themes for posts on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays (see appendix for example)
Impact Mondays (post statistics or facts about MIPH's impact)
Wish List Wednesdays (post volunteer opportunities or items
needed for pantry or other supplies)
Fact Fridays (post facts about homelessness)
o See appendix for sample social media posts
MIPH may want to upload these to Buffer
o Facebook: Due to time constraints, we were not able to post very
frequently to Facebook. However, this is a great resource as there is a
larger word limit for what can be posted in comparison to Twitter and its
a good platform for promoting Giving Tuesday or other campaigns. With
increased posts through an automated social media management tool,

MIPH could significantly increase the activity of its followers and gain
new followers.
Website Suggestions
In future renditions of the website, our team suggests 6 sections or tabs on the home page:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

About
Programs
News
Donation/Volunteer page (i.e. Take Action)
Events
Contacts

Landing Page

Combine Facts with About tab from current website

Create sub tabs on the About tab for:
o Accomplishments
o Who we are
o What we do
o Resources (for homeless families/individuals)
Update donate buttonsee website suggestions
Add digital elementrotating slide show of photos demonstrating MIPH successes,
residents, positive impacts in community, events, etc.
Feature headlines for
Real stories (impact stories)
Press releases
Event announcements, etc.
Include larger and more prominent links to all social media channels
(Twitter/Facebook)
To focus on simplicity, use compelling imagery and ease of finding required
information.
o The home page could be something similar to https://pencilsofpromise.org/
o The website need not have any videos right now as its something that MIPH
could look into in the future, however use of compelling images and a
simple, clean layout is of definite importance to retain visitors to the site and
therefore recommended.
o Free images may be collected from
Canva https://www.canva.com/

Picmonkey
http://www.picmonkey.com/?gclid=CPGmgoHWkskCFYgRH
wodLnkPSQ
Idea for a future video:
Highlight MIPH successes
ask employees what motivates them to contribute to the MIPH cause

About
Mission
Board
Homeless Facts (update facts currently listed on webpage to include 5-8 facts)
Provide reports that highlight
o Collaboration and successes with sponsors.
o Statistics of MIPH achievements
o Accomplishments
o Who we are
o What we do
o Resources (for homeless families/individuals)

Examples of creative use of statistics that demonstrate impact:

News
Create an archive for all news stories that visitors can search and create a slide of
recent stories to allow visitors have a quick glance at what MIPH did
Create a page of media or press releases
o Upload logos and related graphics
o Upload pictures of previous events and programs
o Repost articles that are about MIPH
o Provide contact information for media
o Invite media to events and conferences
Programs

Have a programs tab on the landing page with the following sub-tabs that explain
the features of each program:
Amandla Crossing
Imani Park
POWERS
Community Housing Program

Take Action Tab

Tab Specifically dedicated to ways of giving and volunteering

o In-Kind Donations
Take existing wish list part of MIPH site and use it to promote
giving to food pantry
Highlight organizations who have contributed in the past like the toys
for tots drive that the Applebees in Piscataway sponsored for MIPH
children during the holidays in 2013
Involve RU, local clubs/businesses, in drives (e.g, Junior Womans
Club of New Brunswick)
o Gifts
Outline basic levels of gift giving on the gift donation site/form and
what funds would be used for
Homefront Princeton, for example, states $36 buys 170
diapers or $240 heats a familys home for 1 month
(http://www.homefrontnj.org/Donate.cfm)
Include a few stats about how funds have helped families
o Donate button
Add to landing page to be a primary attraction to visitors of the site
The button could open up similar to http://everytown.org/ and the
layout/content could be similar to
https://pencilsofpromise.org/backtoschool/
At present, the donation experience seems rather cold with no
information as to what the donor is contributing towards or
how he/she will be able to make a difference through the
donation.
o Volunteer Opportunities
Elaborate on types of opportunities:
Need community members to:
identify fundraising opportunities (e.g. 5K road races)
help organize conferences related to raising awareness
about homelessness
organize food drives, etc.
Need community members to organize activities for residents
or assist in their delivery
For example, wellness centers can offer fitness/exercise
classes, musicians can perform or teach, community

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members can offer basic nutrition/cooking tips, etc.

Students can help with administrative tasks or volunteer in
various ways to meet service hour requirements for clubs.
Fraternities/sororities at Rutgers may be interested in days of
volunteering or assisting with fundraising events
Events: Create a section of events
Provide Google Calendar and information on upcoming events, e.g. fundraising
events, conferences etc. Information should include date, time, location and contact
information.
Create a registration form of the event through constant contact and put it on the
website.
Provide alternatives for those cannot attend but want to contribute, e.g. online
donations.
Contacts

Have a direct email address for MIPH instead of email form?

Update email forminstead of Handy Email form, say something like, Wed
like to hear from you! We are always looking for ways to provide more resources
for our residents and improve our impact in the community. Please complete the
form below and a staff member will reach out to you as soon as possible.
Include staff and contact info (email addresses)transfer from current who we
are tab

Non-digital
Brochure
o A brochure was created in an effort to create awareness about MIPH
among the community. It includes a background on MIPHs efforts to
combat homelessness and how volunteers/donors can contribute towards
its mission. (Refer to appendix for details)
o The brochure has been sent to MIPH for review. A final draft will be
produced after the semester ends.
Internships and experiential learning opportunities
Communications Intern to maintain social media using digital
platforms (Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.), assist with website transition,
identify opportunities for stories for the website or press releases,
increase community outreach
See appendix for draft internship description
The MIPH team has forwarded a draft communications

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o
o

internship to MIPH and will continue to work on posting a final

description to the MCIS job board after the semester ends.
RU social work for clinical/case management experience
RU public health to help collect stats on the impact of programing
(from grants) or help network with public health organizations to build
partnerships in the local community
Continue relationship with Middlesex County College to run after
school programming
Upload a form volunteer interest form to the website and advertise via
Rutgers community, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
See appendix for sample intern description

Grants
A grant to re-design MIPHs website is available from the Firespring
Foundation: www.firespring.org
Tiffany was notified of this grant when she attended a recent fundraising
conference
The MIPH team notified MIPH of this grant and Philp will look into it in
more detail. In addition, Tiffany may look to assist with this grant and
others after the semester ends

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Appendix
Social Media Calendar

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(Draft) Brochure

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Sample Social Media Posts
Mondays (Impact)

Thanks to generous funding from Johnson & Johnson in support of a substance abuse
treatment program, Imani Park clients receive medical support and referrals for HIV/AIDs
treatments, mental health support and referral services, and education about life skills via
group classes. Classes offered in the past include stress management, mediation, yoga,
conflict resolution, anger management, nutrition, etc. MIPH thanks Johnson & Johnson for
their continued support of this important and valuable program and is grateful for all involved
in managing support classes. (tag businesses/wellness centers involved in life skill classes?)

Our clients are empowering others in the community! Earlier this year, MIPH coordinated
and presented an event entitled Self Care Is Quality Care on Rutgers University Cook
Campus Student Center. Various clients and medical provider guest speakers presented on
HIV related Wellness topics. The presentation was well received!

Graduates of MIPH programs include:

o
o
o

A certified medical assistant

A trained counselor at an HIV/AIDS advocacy organization
Numerous successful transitions to permanent housing with connections to
community services and programs for on-going support

MIPH introduced the concept of transitional housing to central New Jersey in 1988. Since then,
MIPH has empowered and ended homelessness for well over 450 families.

A special shout out to our case managers for inspiring our clients to set and achieve their goals!
THANK YOU for all that you do!

Wednesdays (Wish List)

Is your service club or organization interested in more volunteering hours? Come join us at
MIPH! We are happy to work with you in designing a meaningful and exciting day (or hours)
of service. Contact_______ for more information.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and our pantries need you! Help MIPH make a memorable
Thanksgiving and holiday season for our clients via donations to our pantry. We are always in
need of non-perishable items to fill our shelves to provide healthy meals for our residents.
Food drives from Student organizations, community groups, businesses, etc. are welcome!
For more information, please contact __________

Are you a musician looking for your next performance? Contact _______ to learn how you
can share your talents with our clients. A little holiday cheer goes a long waywe cant wait
to hear from you!

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Restaurant fundraiser post or other fundraisers

Health and wellness is a priority at MIPHpast class offerings include: Morning Meditation,
Yoga Instruction, Healthy Relationships, Nutrition, Healthy Living with Chronic Disabilities,
Enhancing Your Personal Wellness, Stress Management, Journaling, Boundary Setting, Anger
Management and Conflict Resolution. If you are an expert in these subject areas and would
like to share your knowledge with our clients, please let us know via our handy email form
http://www.miphnj.org/contact.php

Fridays (Homelessness Facts)

In late September 2016, feature weekly posts leading up to World Homelessness Day on
10/10/16.
o Challenge people to do activities that raise awareness about homelessness
In November 2016, feature weekly posts about Giving Tuesday
o For Giving Tuesday tools, visit: http://www.givingtuesday.org/tools/
Resources to gather facts:
o http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/media-resource-trends-in-homelessness
http://nationalhomeless.org/about-homelessness/
Have you heard about our POWERS program for young women? This article on designing
housing infrastructure to better serve homeless teens is thinking along the same lines.

http://www.nonprofithub.org/nonprofit-web-design/how-collaborative-design-canhelp-the-homeless/

Use Feedly to get ideas about additional articles and facts to post

(Draft) Intern Description

MIPH Communications Intern
Set

up a new account with a social media management platform to automate posts (e.g.
Buffer, Hootsuite) and coordinate any potential costs
Collect content for social media or write original content based on current MIPH
activities
Write or edit press releases as needed
Manage Mailchimp, Constant contact, or another email marketing tool to send out
information to various constituents for drip campaign
Organize and update a database of stakeholder/community contact info (e.g. donors)
Manage Feedly account to retrieve articles about homelessness that may be used for
social media
Create a plan for 2016 to raise awareness about Giving Tuesday and World
Homelessness Day
The intern might also organize:
o Days of service at MIPH for local groups (RU groups, businesses, etc.)

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o Increase volunteer engagement/support
o Start local fundraisers (e.g. with restaurants,

local businesses, etc.)

Additional Resources to Consider

(Tiffany retrieved these from the NJ Association of Fundraisng Professionals Conference)

1. Firespring educational tools for website content, management and social media:
http://www.firespring.org/education/ebooks.html
2. Post Planner: https://www.postplanner.com/ (automates social media)
3. Firespring Grant to help with MIPH website re-design: http://www.firespringfoundation.org/