Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio

Marketing Plan  

Prestige Worldwide Lindsay Bodenhoff  

Iris Cao  Kirsten Fehrenbach  

Matt Gorka  Petra Mourany  

Sam Myers  Adam Pemberton  

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Table o f Co ntent

I. Executive Summary------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 II. Situational Analysis------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

A. Historical Context----------------------------------------------------------------- 4 B. Current Context------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

i. Industry Analysis---------------------------------------------------------- 4 ii. Market Analysis------------------------------------------------------------5

C. Competitor Analysis-------------------------------------------------------------- 6 D. Customer Analysis---------------------------------------------------------------- 7

i. Customer Segments------------------------------------------------------- 7 ii. Current Status------------------------------------------------------------- 7

III. Objectives-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 A. Strategic Imperative------------------------------------------------------------- 8   B. Marketing Objective------------------------------------------------------------- 8  

i. Cognitive Marketing Obectives---------------------------------------- 8  ii. Strategic Marketing Objectives---------------------------------------- 8  

IV. Proposed Marketing Budget-------------------------------------------------------9 V. Strategy-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

VI. Execution---------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 A. Creative Strategy Overview----------------------------------------------------11 B. Enumeration & Evaluation of Tactics--------------------------------------- 11

VII. Appendix--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 A. Exhibits----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 B. Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 C. Creative Brief---------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

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I. Executive Summary  

 The selfless and compassionate acts of people and organizations to better communities and the lives of those in need are what help service organizations thrive in today’s society. It is often a difficult task, with sentimental attachment and love for those who others serve. Lutheran Social Services is an organization that pushes boundaries and focuses on a vast majority of areas for which they aim to help the less fortunate. With programs and services such as affordable housing, disaster response, faith mission, and food pantries, LSS is highly regarded.    While competition between service organizations is not always as cutthroat as that of big box retailers and corporations at large, the dynamic between services groups is just as relevant. Central Ohio houses a number of top ranked service organizations and they each focus on a segment of a community that is in need, whether it be the elderly, children, women, disaster relief, or food pantries. LSS is unlike this in the sense that their focus is to help in a number of different areas.    Having said that, LSS has room for growth and improvement in a number of categories. Our focus is primarily to further the connection with existing constituents, but also to find new ways of engagement with those unfamiliar with LSS services. We wanted to focus specifically on increasing engagement with Millennials, as we feel this generation will eventually continue the path of LSS in the future. To do this, we have developed a strategy to bridge any gaps of communication and engagement that currently reside with the overall goal of increasing engagement, awareness, and overall cohesiveness within LSS.  

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II. Situational Analysis  

A. Historical Context  

Since the 1800’s the service organization industry has grown. In the late 1800’s, local religious leaders created the United Way, Lutheran Social Services, and the Salvation Army to help those in need. Service organizations include, but are not limited to the following services: educational, hospital, health, public safety, religious, community, sports, cultural, and arts. Service organizations have helped those in times of need during war, poverty, natural disasters, and health epidemics.  

  As of 2012, roughly 72% of service organization donations came from individuals. In 2014, United Way, Salvation Army, and the American National Red Cross all generated over a billion dollars a year. Non-profit service organizations continue to excel while adapting to their constituents market. Within the United States there is 1.5 million nonprofit organizations and 300,000 congregations as of 2015.*  *Please see bibliography in the appendix for source on NCCS

 B. Current Context

i. Industry Analysis

 The Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio competes primarily with other nonprofits in central, southeast, and northeast Ohio. Ohio’s top ten largest nonprofit fields by revenue are: healthcare, education, science & technology, philanthropy, voluntarism & grant-making foundations, mental health, arts, culture, and humanities, housing & shelter, community improvement & capacity building, and employment (see exhibit 1). LSS is a unique nonprofit because its services and offerings categorize it in more than one major field. Nonprofit organizations are primarily competing for volunteer time and donations.     To evaluate the internal and external factors in the nonprofit industry, a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) was completed.  

Strengths ● High demand for services  ● Strong reputation in

community  ● Benefits community and those

in need  

Weaknesses ● Lack of awareness and brand

recognition  ● Limited budget  ● Little advanced technology  

Opportunities ● Develop partnerships with

universities and organizations  ● Increase engagement with

donors and volunteers  ● High number of community

members in need  

Threats ● High stakes for poor

performance  ● Larger nonprofits to reap

volunteer time and donations  ● Subject to impact from

economic downturns  

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ii. Market Analysis  

The Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio provides many volunteer outlets, which are the following:    ● Food Pantries: The food pantries include several different locations. Volunteers can pick up

food, stock shelves and dispense orders. Other volunteer organizations in the area may only provide food pantry options but rarely have such a large mix of other different volunteer operations, such as LSS.

● Faith Mission: A Faith Mission center has a health clinic, resource center and meal service. LSS can capitalize on the services that Faith Mission provides by opening up different, more involved volunteer options that can have a larger impact or create a deeper relationship with the volunteers that makes them more engaged and more likely to continue to comeback.

● Outreach Ministries: This service provides disaster relief ● The Good Shepherd: The volunteer activities available at good shepherd include letter writing,

reading, helping with events and musical performances. The services at Good Shepherd help to add variety to how a volunteer can engage with LSS and should be capitalized on more.

 Compared to other volunteer services, LSS has an advantage in that the volunteer options available are much diversified. LSS should capitalize on this as the differentiator, especially with the volunteer options that are more engaging. For a side by side comparison, view the table below. The tactics we will provide will help LSS capitalize on the competitive advantage that they have. Service Matrix

Organization   Food Bank  

Serving Meals  

Disaster Relief  

Misc Services  

Health related  

Direct contact with those receiving services  

Very Engaged

with Millennials  

Lutheran Social Services   x   x   x   x   x   x    

Mid-Ohio Food Bank   x       x        

Helping Hands         x   x   x    

Glamor Gals         x     x   x  

Buckeyes for a Cause     x     x   x   x   x  

UNICEF-Ohio       x   x   x     x  

Volunteers of America- Greater Ohio  

      x        

Red Cross- Ohio     x   x   x   x   x    

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C. Competitor Analysis As mentioned previously, Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio competes with other nonprofits in the Ohio area. These nonprofits all compete for volunteer time and donations, so it is important for LSS to understand what the best are currently doing in order to compete effectively.    The top ranked nonprofits in Ohio from 2011 - 2014 all serve different causes, however, they have one thing in common, they are all targeting millennials. By targeting millennials, nonprofits are able to build a relationship with the volunteers and eventually, as they establish stable careers, they will have more disposable income and be more willing to donate to the cause. Essentially, nonprofits are adopting the same strategy that for-profit companies are now using; they are creating a customer lifetime value strategy and engaging with their customer base.    Engagement begins with volunteering because establishing a relationship with millennials early will lead to future donations. The top ranked nonprofits in Ohio recognize this fact and are starting to plan for long-term relationships with their volunteers so they can stay competitive. If LSS wants to compete at a high level, they need to adopt this strategy as well and stay engaged with their volunteers or else they will fall way behind the competition.    A list of the top ranked nonprofits in Ohio can be found below along with a brief description and the year they were ranked:    

   

 

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D. Customer Analysis    

i. Customer Segments There are three major categories in which nonprofits serve:  (1) Clients (including those being served)  (2) Donors  (3) Volunteers    All three segments of customers are vital to the organizations success and operation. It is important to maintain ongoing communication and personalize engagement with each respective group.    The clients are the key recipients of all nonprofit services and offerings. The clients are embedded in the mission of the organization, which is to “create a better world by serving people in need.”    The donors aid in the mission of the organization by providing financial contributions or food to support operational needs. Additional gifts can be in the form of stocks and bonds, real estate, retirement assets, or insurance. For this segment, it is important to engage through annual reports, news updates, and expressions of gratitude.    The final segment of customers is the volunteers, who offer themselves major assets to the organizations. There are no special qualifications to sign-up as a volunteer other than a desire to get involved and help others. Volunteers act as a major asset by providing a time commitment to support operational functions and acting as a method to increasing brand awareness. The marketing plan will focus on engaging the volunteer segment.  

 ii. Current Status  

In order to gain more information on our key focus of volunteers, thirty active millennial volunteers between the ages of 20-25 were surveyed to understand their preferences and intentions for their service.  

Key Findings:  ● 41% had participated in 1-3 volunteer events over the last year  ● 50% had volunteered at a food pantry  ● In regard to choosing where to volunteer  

○ Two highest ranking factors were relevance of interest and ease of scheduling  ○ Lowest ranking factor was religious affiliation of organization  

● In regard to the factor that will bring volunteers back to the organization, the two highest ranking factors were: foreseeable impact made and level of engagement effort made by organization  

● 48% of students found out about opportunities through a student organization and 21% independently sought opportunities  

● #1 reason for not volunteering is lack of time and availability    These results reinforce our decision to develop a strategy around creating a more positive volunteer experience to make LSS the top choice for millennial volunteer events. The tactics mentioned in a later section will primarily focus on easing the scheduling process for both the volunteers and organization and also work toward the overall goal of creating an optimal place to volunteer. Please see Exhibit 2 of the Appendix for details on survey  

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 A. Strategic Imperative    

The ultimate goal of our marketing plan for Lutheran Social Services is to increase and enhance engagement between LSS and its many constituents. We plan to tackle this sizable goal with a number of tactics focused into two key categories: rebranding and strengthening the volunteer experience. Organization and reinvention are keys for our plan of attack.  

 B. Marketing Objectives    

In order to achieve our overarching goal, there are several marketing objectives that must be met. These objectives fall into two categories: Cognitive and Behavioral.  

  i. Cognitive Marketing Objectives  

 A. Increase the awareness of Lutheran Social Services as a multi-faceted non-profit organization  

● Increase awareness via significant relationships (Ohio State University) and media channels (online website, social media)  

● Target the millennial demographic   B. Establish a well-known connection to community service that anyone can participate in  

● Rebrand  ● Streamline social media to get word out  ● Create a more efficient and positive volunteer experience

C. Establish modernized, inclusive image for the LSS brand  ● Consider running with the “LSS” name over “Lutheran Social Services” so as to not

exclude non-Lutheran’s or non- churchgoers.  ● Enhance social presence (refurbish website, centralize social media) and digital

conversations   D. Create an enriching experience for volunteers that will leave a smile on their face  

● Set up motivational and positive work environments  ● Offer tasks that make volunteers feel important  ● Make the process of signing on to volunteer effortless  

 ii.  Behavioral Marketing Objectives  

A. Increase volunteer participation  ● Increase participation by 20% in 6 months

B. Increase volunteer retention  ● Increase retention by 25% by end of year

C. Develop strong digital engagement  ● Launch integrated social media accounts ● Rebrand with new logo ● Increase usage (post weekly)

D. Increase Word-of-Mouth

III. Objectives

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IV. Proposed Marketing Budget    

Although we were not given a direct budget, we assumed a marketing budget of $150,000. Below is each tactic and its respective cost. Please see individual tactic for additional details regarding pricing.  

                                                                               

Budget  Tactic   Cost  

Constituents Coordinator   $70,000.00  Mobile App   $50,000.00  

University Partnership   $10,000.00  Grant   $10,000.00  

Renovate Website   $3,000.00  Database   $3,000.00  

Positive Environment   $2,500.00  Rebrand (Logo Creation)   $500.00  

Integrate Social Media   $0.00  Hire Social Media Intern   $0.00  

Newsletter   $0.00  Feedback Forms   $0.00  

  $149,000.00  

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V. Strategy  Through exploratory and survey research, we have found a key discovery in terms of what motivates people to devote their time and effort for volunteering. We have therefore identified important distinctions pertaining motivation towards volunteering, i.e. intrinsically vs. extrinsically motivated volunteers. For people who are intrinsically motivated, they participate in volunteering because they genuinely would like to help people and improve the world, whereas for those who are extrinsically motivated, they seek to gain a reward from their volunteering experience and create a “transaction” from it. Specifically for the millennial, examples of extrinsic reasons as their primary motivation for volunteering include to build resumes, to gain relevant experience, to make friends and be social and so forth.    One of the major areas that could be improved is around developing a value proposition for each constituent to help LSS understand its business and focus on its targeted consumer segments. In the case of volunteers, by having a clear and concise value proposition, it gives LSS a differential advantage over competitors who are also competing against the limited time and engagement of volunteers. With that, we have developed a customer value strategy specifically for the volunteer segment.    

A. Value Proposition 1- “Volunteer Enthusiasts”  ● This segment are a relatively minority of the targeted segments in that it include people who

seek volunteer opportunities to better the world and the community. ● For this segment, LSS would promise them for a great pathway towards self-actualization. ● The reason for volunteers to believe that LSS can deliver include:

○ Immediate, visible impact in that the results can be seen and tracked throughout a long term engagement;

○ Strong reputation of LSS as a recognized brand.  

B. Value Proposition 2- “Transactional Volunteers”  ● Transactional volunteers are the majority of target in that volunteers seek opportunities to

gain external benefit. ● LSS would promise this segment the opportunity to gain tangible rewards. ● For volunteers in this segment, they believe in LSS because:

○ Easy to participate with the increase approachability of LSS as an organization for the volunteers;

○ Variety of choices provided by LSS in terms of different volunteer experiences.  With a clear value proposition in mind, we have developed strategies in order to address the different needs of volunteers as well the goal of LSS to increase engagement after attracting volunteers into the door. By executing several different tactics, LSS as a new brand of being modern and speaks to the millennials, should expect to gain more brand awareness for the organization to start gaining an increased number of volunteers knowing and wanting to devote their time and effort in LSS compared to other competitors. Later on, with a more focused and well-planned strategy of getting connections with volunteers after their service, LSS would eventually be confident for long term engagement with the millennial.

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VI. Execution    

A. Creative Strategy Overview  

To engage Millennial volunteers with LSS, we must add more modernized brand to the organization and update current engagement practices with volunteers. Volunteer Enthusiasts require less engagement by nature because they are more concerned with the results than the overall experience. For the transactional volunteers, we will streamline the sign-up process and implement more strategies to create an overall positive volunteer experience. Please see Part C of the appendix for the Creative Brief.  

 B. Enumeration & Evaluation of Tactics

  Tactic 1- Rebranding (Logo Creation)    ● What- Reposition the LSS brand as a modern, fun, and engaging

community service experience. Redesigning the brand with a more “millennial mentality” will create a fresher look for LSS as well as help to capture a younger, extremely marketable segment of volunteers. Particular focus will be put on social media involvement.  

 ● Where- Digital platforms (i.e. LSS website, scheduling app, social media), paper advertisements

(posters, mail-in flyers)    ● When- As soon as time allocation will allow (this can be aided by taking the recommendation of

hiring social media interns, as seen below)    ● How- The broad goal of rebranding the LSS image will be led by the creation of a new logo. This

logo, however, will represent much more than a fancy new picture. This logo will embody the fresh, modern face for LSS. Our hope is that this image will become instantaneously recognizable to individuals in Central Ohio. We believe that the logo we have created (below) will achieve all of this and more. First off, we believe that rebranding around “LSS” rather than “Lutheran Social Services” will be monumentally beneficial as it avoids the exclusion that religious affiliation sometimes brings. We did choose, however, to stick with the “LSS” purple as the domineering color while tying in a teal blue (a rather quirky and youthful color). The opened circle illustrates the inclusive and open environment that we wish to create. The little icons at the top of the circle are meant to symbolize different constituents, showing that churches, schools, businesses, and everyday people all have an opportunity to join LSS in making the world a better place.  

 o Objective: Create a memorable, fresh logo that will become easily recognizable with the

creation of a fun and engaging brand image.  o Method of Measurement: Track by increase in donations, volunteers, and social media

engagement (new followers, “likes” on the new logo, etc.)  o Timeline for evaluation: Rebranding strategy will be developed in Q1 and Q2, then

executed in Q3 after social media intern is hired  

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o Considerations and contingencies: Synergy amongst all platforms is vital so this new image must be consistent for all websites, newsletters, social media accounts, etc.  

 ● Budget- $500 for logo design  

 Tactic 2- Renovate Website    ● What- Redesign the LSS website to create a fresh, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing digital

presence. It will be important to create streamlined synergy between this new website, the newly developed scheduling app, and LSS social media accounts (add links and redirects to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc). Please see Exhibit 3 for additional visual of rebranded website.  

 ● Where- Existing LSS website  

 ● When- As soon as possible, once rebrand strategy is set.  

 ● How- Spend Q1 and Q2 discussing, analyzing, and creating a comprehensive brand image with

“Millennial Mentality” in mind. After the game plan is fully understood, hire a web designer to create the new, integrated website.  

 o Objective: Make it easy for people and prospective volunteers to engage with LSS online

while simultaneously using streamlined media to enhance overall brand awareness  o Method of Measurement: Track by social media activity, site hits  o Timeline for evaluation: Q1 & Q2  o Considerations and contingencies: LSS will need to consistently dedicate time and use

social media accounts in order to take advantage of its potential. Also, to avoid confusion we will need to seek out and delete duplicate accounts.  

 ● Budget- $3,000 for website design and modification

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Tactic 3- Integrate Social Media Platforms    

● What- Combine all social media accounts into single platforms within Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Rather than have separate pages for LSS, Food Pantries, and Faith Missions, each segment should be localized to one page to make information easier to find. In addition to this, LSS should develop an Instagram page to display images of volunteers on the job as well as any other motivational images. Please see Exhibit 4 for a sample of the integrated Twitter page  

 ● Where- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  

 ● When- Begin planning in June and prepare to implement in July  

 ● How- Begin to combine information from all social media sites and put in a combined database.

Then, select the most pertinent information and images to include on the new Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page. You can also utilize the current LSS page and then transition it to reflect the new brand.  

 o Objective: Create social media pages with information for all segments of LSS services to

more easily locate information  o Method of Measurement: Followers, friends, shares  o Timeline for Evaluation: Plan in Q1 and implement in Q2  o Considerations and contingencies: It is important to notify all current friends/ followers of

the transition to a new social media page, so invites to the site need to be sent ASAP and constituents need to be notified so they can remain up to date on information.  

 ● Budget- $0 because social media intern will be responsible for planning and implementing  

 Tactic 4- Hiring Social Media Interns    ● What- Hire on college students as social media interns in order to dedicate appropriate time and

resources towards enhancing LSS in the digital world. Millennial’s have grown up with social media and understand its intricacies better than any other age segment. Due to this fact, it makes sense to use their knowledge in this time of reinvention. Creating these ties with college aged students could also help to spread awareness within the Millennial target segment.  

 ● Where- LSS office that has most office traffic  

 ● When- At any time, however, specifically during this time of potential rebrand. The more ties

created with college kids, the better off LSS will be.    ● How- Work through school websites (i.e. FisherConnect), general job posting sites (i.e. Indeed,

Monster), social media, LinkedIn, relationships with college professors (BUSML 4204).    

o Objective: Take advantage of free labor while benefiting from invaluable millennial knowledge in regards to social media and its intricacies.  

o Method of Measurement: offer internships on 3-6 month basis (extensions as seen fit) and measure based off of mid-term evaluations and internship feedback from students.  

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o Timeline for evaluation: as soon as volunteer coordinator is hired and trained  o Considerations and contingencies: While LSS should attempt unpaid internships, should be

prepared to offer some sort of payment. Also, it will be difficult to organize interns without a volunteer coordinator to lead them.  

 ● Budget - Free  

 Tactic 5- Develop University Partnerships    ● What - LSS should begin to work with Universities and develop partnerships in order to reach out to

millennials. Holding fund raising events on campus attending involvement fairs, or even sponsoring charitable student organizations can help LSS engage millennial volunteers in an effective way. These events will also give LSS the opportunity to reach out to millennials in groups instead of trying to attract volunteers individually. College students spend most of their time on or near campus so establishing a campus presence will be important.

 ● Where - Local universities in the Central Ohio area, specifically Ohio State

 ● When - Events and engagement activities can be held year-round, but the best time would be at the

beginning of each semester during involvement fairs. Students will be returning from breaks and looking to be more involved.

 ● How - Utilize events and organizations to get Millennials involved and increase awareness of LSS.

 ○ Objectives: Engage millennials on campus and establish a strong presence within the

university community. ○ Method of Measurement: LSS should collect student email addresses when they hold events

in order to send them volunteer information. They can measure how successful an event was based on the amount of email addresses collected. If they are giving away items such as t-shirts, that event’s success can be measured by how many shirts they pass out. The more shirts they pass out, the more people see their logo and become interested in LSS.

○ Timeline for Evaluation: After each event, LSS should evaluate how well that event accomplished its goals. They should evaluate on how many students they reached out to and how well it established future volunteer opportunities. LSS can also evaluate the semester as whole at the end of each semester to identify any trends and track engagement.

○ Considerations and Contingencies: The process will be slow to start because of the amount of other organizations that already have a solid presence on campus. LSS should consider starting with small fundraiser activities and grow from there. Larger sponsored events can be planned when their campus presence is more established.

 ● Budget - $10,000 for one year of small events and student organization sponsorships. This will

cover costs for giveaway (LSS t-shirts, cups, fliers, etc.) items as well. Amount can be adjusted based on the type of events that are held.

       

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Tactic 6 - Grant for College Students    ● What – Offer grants to college students who are in need of assistance as they venture into their

education. The amount would be $500 - $1,000 and would be distributed after applications have been submitted and reviewed. While this is technically a grant, the goal would be to have those who receive the loan give back to LSS in a meaningful way. The money would be distributed to those students who have a passion for helping others and who would in return for the money, donate their time, services, and potentially money when they grow further down a career path.

 ● Where – Colleges and Universities within the Central Ohio area.

 ● When – Throughout the year, but primary focus efforts during the summer and beginning of the

school year when students are planning their financial aid.  ● How – By having students fill out an in depth application, LSS will be able to gauge those who are

interested in giving back to the community and who are deserving of this award. After candidates have been selected from the application process, they would be called in for an interview, for which they would also have the opportunity to learn more about LSS and how they would be able to give back to the community in return for their financial aid.

 ○ Objectives: This will increase engagement with millennials, and foster a relationship with

universities as well. ○ Method of Measurement: With a solid database, LSS will be able to track the engagement

with the students who receive the grant and continue to grow a relationship with them even past their school years.

○ Timeline for Evaluation: Check in with students at the end of every semester. ○ Considerations and Contingencies: May have to adjust the grant based on volunteer hours

of student. For example, if a student is available for a larger number of hours per semester, provide that student with a larger grant and perhaps reduce the total number of grants available. Also, LSS must be careful in the selection process to ensure student is interested in volunteering.

 ● Budget – 10 grants at $1,000 equaling $10,000, 20 grants at $500 equaling $10,000, or any

combination of the two depending on the circumstances.  Tactic 7- Create Positive Environment for Volunteers    ● What- Start by reexamining the current setups and operations for each volunteering sites in order to

figure out areas that can be integrated with further motivations and on-site short-term engagement for volunteers. The creative signage being put up and the regular volunteer appreciation events could potentially create an impression for the volunteers of seeing LSS as an organization that truly cares and is willing to put forth little acts of kindness to share the LSS story as well as to show appreciation for volunteers.

 ● Where- Within LSS volunteering locations where volunteers would most likely to work in.

 

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● When- Start designing and ordering signage at the beginning of the marketing plan, in order to make sure the positive environment is being created and enforced before volunteers start their service.

 ● How- Create write-ups for LSS brand stories and stories of past volunteers making impacts and

design signage that could be put up on the walls to attract attention and share. In addition, organize regular volunteer appreciation event that could provide and keep an emotional bond between LSS and volunteers. Events can be designed specifically to each site. An example can be to have volunteers sign and leave messages on the “LSS Volunteer Appreciate Board”.

 ○ Objective: to create a positive environment for volunteers during their service to keep them

engaged and motivated. In this way, people who are volunteering on site would have the opportunity to learn about the heritage of LSS and all the impact that volunteers are making through their effort. By doing so, LSS could achieve the goal of longer-term engagement with volunteers by having the emotional connections with them.

○ Method of Measurement: It is a continuous empowerment and endeavor for the signage to educate volunteers of the LSS story, so it can be hard to keep a physical measurement. There could be difficulties with measurement of the actual results generated by creating a positive environment for volunteers. One possible way in doing so is to integrate related question in the volunteer feedback form as well as integrate into volunteer database.

○ Timeline for Evaluation: Small special appreciation events should be held for every single volunteer to increase the possibilities of getting more people to be engaged for longer. Evaluation of the actual results should be made weekly or bi-weekly at least, especially during the starting phase to ensure the actual effectiveness.

○ Considerations and Contingencies: Possible trainings for coordinators to share the LSS story as well as creating a welcoming environment on site together.

 ● Budget- Estimated cost: $30/signage, several signs/location, approximate budget for signs is $1,500.

Volunteer Appreciation Board-48x120 costs around $150/board. Total Estimated Budget: $2,500.  Tactic 8- Hire Constituents Coordinator    ● What- This tactic will improve engagement with constituents. It does this by focusing on customer

service and the initial experience that volunteers have with LSS. It aims to unify volunteering operations. With a centralized volunteer database hand-in-hand with hiring a Constituents Coordinator, volunteering will be much more organized, efficient and inviting. There will be a uniform way of dealing with volunteers and communicating with them. Please see exhibit 2 for details on primary research behind this tactic and for visual

 ● Where- Central Ohio, their office will be located in the LSS headquarters in Columbus

 ● When- This should happen immediately, looking for the hire should start before starting any of the

other tactics        

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● How- Start using many mediums to search for someone to fill the role of Constituents Coordinator. Job responsibilities include:

1. Centralize volunteer operations; overseen by Constituents Coordinator  2. Train those that are the first face with constituents (for us, focus on volunteers) so there is a uniform first impression  3. Introduce, manage and maintain new Volunteer Sign Up interface and Volunteer Database  4. Work under Director of Engagement  5. Help manage media interns  6. Manage volunteer allocations for all locations  7. Communicate with managers of all LSS operations  

 ○ Objective: Ease volunteer sign-up process ○ Method of Measurement: Annual review ○ Timeline for evaluation: Begin search in Q1 ○ Considerations and contingencies: It may be difficult to find someone with experience

necessary for the position. It is also important to develop clear guidelines on what the key responsibilities are for the position.

 ● Budget- $70,000. This includes salary + incurred costs of hire and placement

  Tactic 9- Volunteer Scheduling Mobile App    ● What- A mobile app will allow users to schedule volunteer hours at any applicable LSS location for

an individual or group. In addition to the volunteer schedule, it will include a newsfeed where members of the same volunteer group can post, a photo gallery to collect images from the day, and an invitation feature to invite others to the group. Please see Exhibit 5 of the Appendix for detailed visual.  

 ● Where- iPhone, Android, any applicable

smart phone with app features    ● When- Roll out application in the 3rd

quarter of the marketing plan. The 2nd quarter will be utilized to design, test and work out any application bugs.    ● How- Enlist a company to design and

implement a mobile application that will allow volunteers to download the App onto their smart phone and sign up for volunteer events.    

o Objective: To reduce scheduling difficulty for volunteers and reduce workload of volunteer coordinators at LSS  

o Method of Measurement: Track acquisition and retention rate of mobile app usage through e-mail addresses.  

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o Timeline for Evaluation: Trial and modification will be done in the 2nd quarter of the marketing plan. The app will be implemented in the 3rd quarter and updates will be made as necessary  

o Considerations and Contingencies: LSS would need to encourage volunteers to utilize the app for sign-ups rather than e-mail or directly through a manager. This will counteract the potential underutilization of the app.    

● Budget- $50,000    Tactic 10- Create Centralized Database    ● What- Create or acquire a database that can be used for every constituent across all sectors.

 ● Where- Transferring data from websites to a database.

 ● When- As soon as time allocation will allow (this can be aided by taking the recommendation of

hiring social media interns, as seen below)  ● How- Explain to the volunteer coordinator why you replaced Volunteer Hub and the added benefits

of a new database. Create a database from scratch via excel or access. LSS can use excel database as a template to export information and then acquire a Digital Cheetah database. The bulk of the time will be spent training volunteers how to use and analyze the database. ○ Objective: Make it easier to track LSS constituents. ○ Method of Measurement: Retention Rates and Trends ○ Timeline for evaluation: 1 month ○ Considerations and contingencies: LSS needs a better way to know track its constituents.

With an efficient database one can track trends in regards to average dollar contribution, volunteer mapping, and time availability.

 ● Budget- $3,000

 Tactic 11- The LSS Newsletter and Continuous Engagement    ● What- One of our aims is to have continuous engagement with LSS constituents. We think that a

specialized monthly or bi monthly newsletter would be a good tool to achieve this tactic. Our example recommended design is below. The newsletter would include things like updates, news for the month that would interest volunteers and donors and articles that would induce emotional feelings that could lead to donations or more volunteers. The newsletter would be created by a marketing intern (who would be interning for experience) thus no budget will need to be allocated for this tactic. The newsletter would be a good opportunity for them to see how their volunteer hours or donated dollars are helping different individuals or communities, which will motivate them further and also strengthen their relationship with LSS. A sub-tactic of this is a program we called “Sponsor a Life”. This program allows aligns with the wishes of donors and volunteers to see the impact of their help and donations. The idea of the program is that a donor or volunteer can anonymously focus what they give to LSS towards a certain family, individual or community. Periodically, LSS will update them on how the donor/volunteer’s efforts positively impacted their sponsoree. See Exhibit 6 for newsletter.

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 ● Where- They will be sent electronically via email and posted online.

 ● When- This would be implemented towards the end of our tactic implementation plan, once the

larger, more important tactics have been put in place  ● How- Interns who are looking for great, hands on experience will be handling the newsletters.

Besides working with social media, they will be responsible for the newsletter but managed by the Constituents manager who reports to the Director of Engagement. ○ Objectives: Increase engagement, continue to build image, show donors and volunteers how

they are helping LSS help people ○ Method of Measurement: Not applicable ○ Timeline for Evaluation: Can evaluate reactions after each release of newsletter ○ Considerations and Contingencies: Consider customizing for different volunteer groups to

create a more special, engaging experience  ● Budget- $0 The newsletters will be sent electronically and posted on social media. The interns will

be working for experience and so they will be unpaid.  Tactic 12 - Sending Feedback Forms to Volunteers    ● What – Send forms to volunteers to gain perspective and feedback with how LSS is doing. These

forms will consist of a number of different areas in which volunteers can evaluate and explain their experiences with LSS and what can be improved to make their experience more impactful. This is a great way to stay engaged with LSS volunteers and make changes in how they operate if need be to better accommodate and satisfy not just the people receiving the services, but also the ones who give it.

 ● Where – Can either be administered on-site when volunteering is completed, or mailed (emailed) to

volunteers  ● When – After volunteer services have been completed.

 ● How – Simply sending out the forms would be as simple as an email, or paper copy if preferred. It

would not be lengthy in questions, but concise and meaningful so that the responses are taken seriously. ○ Objectives: This will increase engagement with all volunteers. By understanding where LSS

can improve with regards to their volunteer base, they will be able to grow relationships with their already existing constituents, but also attract new people who are eager to work with an organization who values the input of those who donate.

○ Method of Measurement: Keep all feedback forms on file as a reference. When the requests or improvements are mentioned, work to accommodate and better the customer service. The measure will be less negative comments and higher retention with volunteers.

○ Timeline for Evaluation: Send these feedback forms after every visit. ○ Considerations and Contingencies: It is important to send these forms immediately after

volunteer experience to recover responses quickly.

● Budget: - $0

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VIII. Appendix    

A. Exhibits  (Exhibit 1) Ohio's Biggest Nonprofits Fields by Revenue 2014 (in billions)      

Field   Revenue  Healthcare   49.34 billion  Education   8.27 billion  Science & Technology   5.3 billion  Human Services   5.09 billion  Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grant Making Foundations   1.89 billion  Mental Health   1.2 billion  Arts, Culture, and Humanities   1.11 billion  Housing & Shelter   925.1 million  Community Improvement & Capacity Building   607.9 million  Employment   480.9 million  

 (Exhibit 2) Research Results    

Survey Results:  1. How many volunteer events have you participated in the last 12 months?  

 

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2. If applicable, what types of volunteer events have you worked on?    

Answer   Response   %  

Disaster Response   1   4%  

Banking and tax services   1   4%  

Employment opportunities center   3   11%  

Home reconstruction, including shelters and assisted living  

7   26%  

Health events   10   37%  

Other, please specify*   12   44%  

Food pantries   13   48%  

 *Other responses included environmental events, church ministry, and tutoring/ mentoring.    3. When making your choices for organizations to volunteer, what factors are important to you? (Please rank the factors in the order of importance to you)    

Answer   1   2   3   4   5   Total Responses  

Favor Religious Affiliation  

1   1   1   23   4   30  

Other, please specify  

1   0   0   3   26   30  

Location   5   11   11   3   0   30  

Easiness of scheduling  

7   10   13   0   0   30  

Relevance of interest  

16   8   5   1   0   30  

 *With 1 as highest and 5 as lowest  

 

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4. What makes you most likely to return to the same volunteering organization to continue your relationship with them? (Please rank the factors in the order of importance to you)  

 

Answer   1   2   3   4   5   Total Responses  

Other, please specify   0   0   0   0   28   28  

Level of engagement effort made by organizations  

3   11   10   4   0   28  

Friendliness of the staff members in the organization  

5   7   10   6   0   28  

Connections formed during volunteering  

5   5   5   13   0   28  

Foreseeable impact made   15   5   3   5   0   28  

    5. If you don't volunteer, or don't volunteer often, what are some reasons for why?    

Answer   Response   %  

Not enough time available   16   70%  

Lack of convenience   3   13%  

Do not consider volunteering as a priority   2   9%  

Other, please specify   2   9%  

Short of money for non-profit causes   0   0%  

Unpleasant previous volunteering experience   0   0%  

Total   23   100%  

 

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6. How did you find out about different volunteer events?    

Answer   Response   %  

Student organization   14   47%  

Independently sought opportunity   6   20%  

Other, please specify   3   10%  

Personal referral   3   10%  

Work   2   7%  

Academic course   2   7%  

Total   30   100%  

 Focus Group and Personal Interviews:    As mentioned, to fully experience Lutheran Social Services as a volunteer would two members went in as ‘secret shoppers’. The conclusion was that it was very difficult to set up basic volunteer opportunities and this was a great turn off. In our focus group and survey we saw that ease of organization was an important aspect, reinforcing our decisions to streamline the volunteer sign-up process. One of our team members was never even called back after leaving many messages, whereas the other team member was responded to incredibly slowly and it took a long time to set it up overall. Additionally, one team member worked with an extremely helpful and kind representative, whilst one encountered a less friendly one. We think that LSS would greatly improve their volunteer operations –and thus attract and keep more volunteers- if it created an overall Constituents Coordinator. Having this position would centralize the organizational aspect of volunteering in central Ohio. In an organization this big, uniformity and a centralized structure is key. The volunteer coordinator will be in charge of training those that deal directly with volunteers to create a uniform welcome first impression. They will be also in charge of maintaining the centralized volunteer database and introducing a new volunteer sign up interface. We recommend the volunteer coordinator creates a more interactive sign up interface on the website whereby specific detailed opportunities, timetables and schedules are visible and available online making booking and viewing volunteer opportunities easier. We hope the volunteer coordinator will train the staff to present a happy face to the volunteers so that they have a worthwhile lasting impression when they first encounter LSS representatives.    

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(Exhibit 3) Rebranded Website      

     

 

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(Exhibit 4) Integrated Social Media- Twitter Sample      

                             

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(Exhibit 5) Mobile App    

     

   

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(Exhibit 6) Newsletter  

 

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(Exhibit 7) Implementation Timeline

                                                 

NOW QUARTER 1 QUARTER 2 QUARTER 3 QUARTER 4

TACTIC April May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April

Social Media Interns

Hire Constituent Coordinator

Create Positive Environment for Volunteers

Volunteer Feedback Form

Integrated LSS Social Media Platform

Revise LSS Website

Partnerships with the University

College Grant Program

New Centralized Database

Rebranding

Monthly Newsletter for LSS

Mobile Application

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B. Bibliography  http://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/2014/11/breakdown-ohios-10-nonprofit-fields-by-revenue.html    http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/10/top-of-the-list-central-ohio-s-biggest-nonprofits.html    http://www.fundsforngos.org/featured-articles/55465/    http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_low_cost_dbs.php    http://nccs.urban.org/statistics/quickfacts.cfm      

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C. Creative Brief    

To: Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio  From: Prestige WorldWide, Fisher College of Business  Subject: Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Marketing Plan  Date: April 22, 2015    Overview  The Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio fulfills the mission of creating a better world by helping those in need. LSS fulfills this mission through food pantries, homeless shelters, senior living residences, affordable housing communities and other services.    Objective  Develop a marketing strategy that will increase engagement with critical constituents    Strategy  Modernize the brand and update organization practices to increase awareness and engagement with volunteers    Tactics  Tactics will focus on improving the overall volunteer experience with a focus on Millennials    Audience  1. Volunteer Enthusiast: Seek volunteer opportunities to better the world and community. Volunteer Enthusiasts are concerned with the internal benefits of volunteering and making an impact on community.  2. Transactional Volunteer: Seek volunteer opportunities to gain external benefit. Transactional Volunteers are concerned with the ease of participation in volunteer events and a reward aspect.    Current Perception  Less than the majority of Millennials in central Ohio have heard of LSS, with those who were unfamiliar with the organization were weary of volunteer opportunities because of the religious affiliation.    Key Message  We want to develop a long-term relationship with Millennials as current volunteers and then eventually become donors.    Support for Key Message  Volunteering is an optimal usage of time for Millennials who are in school or young professionals. It will provide an intrinsic reward of helping those in need while also adding the external benefit of gaining experience for the future.    Tone  Youthful, Motivational, Inspiring    Budget  Assume marketing budget of $200,000    Deliver  Client will receives all materials related to marketing plan as well as samples of execution