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Introduction:

Open Avenues is a non-profit company who provides opportunities for adults with
disabilities to enable them to live independent by giving them employment, daily living and
social skills. Open Avenues works with partner companies who provide work, such as collating,
packaging, assembly and more, for clients. There is no work too small for the clients at Open
Avenues.
Situation:
Open Avenues began operations in 1975 by 11 clients and their parents. Currently, OA
employs more than 250 clients and works with 24 industrial partners. Clients perform different
tasks including organizing boxes, package ring snuggies, setting up clip strips, etc. OA provides
jobs at multiple skill levels and pays clients for the amount of work they get done. Clients work 9
am to 3 pm and many of them receive rides to and from work via the OA bus program. OA

receives donations year round but emphasizes fundraising in the spring with their annual Spring
Fling event including a golf tournament and luau.
In 2014, over 62 million Americans volunteered. Women, and people ages 35-44 years
were most likely to volunteer. By not optimizing the volunteer experience for younger
volunteers, nonprofits may be missing an opportunity to cultivate future nonprofit leaders. A
2014 study of donors found that there is a strong correlation between donors who volunteer
and their giving habits, where 87 percent of those noted an overlap between where they
volunteer and where they donated. Also, 50 percent reported they gave more because they
volunteered.
Donations from individuals make up the vast majority of contributions received by
nonprofit organizations. The last few months of the year is referred to as the giving season
when people are encouraged to give more generously as the holidays near. In 2014, there was
a record high of charitable giving. Americans gave $358.38 billion. The average household
contribution is $2,974.
According to the most recent survey, 17.6 percent of people all ages in Arkansas have a
disability. The employment rate of working-age people with disabilities in Arkansas was 33.9
percent. According to the American Community Survey the overall rate of disability in the US
population is 12.7 percent.
Objectives:
To increase donations from current and new donors by 10 percent within three
years.
To sustain partnerships by 75 percent through the next five years.
To increase volunteers by 30 percent within the next three years.
Goals:

To increase holiday seasonal donations by 20 percent.


To increase volunteer rates over the holiday season by 15 percent.

Target Audience:
Open Avenues continues to play a significant role in the Northwest Arkansas community.
Clients of the organization have been allowed to experience truly irreplaceable life experiences.
Volunteers have been given a network to share their compassion. Donors have allowed a
support system of hard working citizens and companies in need to flourish by funding such a
cause. The significance each of these roles brings to the success of Open Avenues is directly
related to these individuals. CAMPAIGN NAME will display the Organizations gratitude
through a series a publicity measures specifically tailored to each of the three groups: Clients,
Volunteers and Donors.
This Organization provides services to adults 18 years or older and believes in treating
clients with dignity and respect. By celebrating the worth of each person they are provided with
the opportunity to gain real life experience in a truly unique way. Due to the nature of the
Organization and its relationship with its clients, this communication plan will seek to show the
clients Open Avenues appreciation through a wide range of thank you measures geared
towards the audience groups, this includes thank you publications, a social media campaign,
and celebratory events. According to the Arkansas Council, 10.1% of disabled citizens live
within the Northwest Arkansas community. With nearly 67% living within the community, this
organization has the opportunity to reach new clients through their activism. By using such
tactics previously outlined, Open Avenues will continue to foster the important relationships with
their clients, as well as foster new ones within the community.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Volunteer rates for both men and
women were 22.0 percent and 28.3 percent respectively. By age, 35 to 44 year-olds were most
likely to volunteer while those who are married tend to volunteer at a higher rate (30.0 percent).
Northwest Arkansas has a median age of 33 years-old, with nearly 14.3 percent working within
the field of social services (Arkansas Council 2014). These figures could have a profound
impact on the growth and public perception of Open Avenues. Implementing a gratitude plan will
not only have a profound effect on its current Volunteers but as well as those who are interested
within the community.
Strategies:
social media posts of appreciation
ensure quality customer service with clients and volunteers by showing
appreciation
fostering relationships with volunteers, clients, and donors
Message: Open Avenue appreciates all that you do.
Tactics:

Thank you cards to donors, volunteers, and partners


Post Thank you to social media, such as Instagram, Facebook
Happy Anniversary cards to Partners each year of partnership

Volunteers and Clients appreciation party


Invitation

Calendar/timetable:
In order for a communication plan to be successful, a time table must be made. Without
a detailed time schedule, communication will not connect with the target audience, and thus it
will not produce the desired result. For both communicating the Spring Fling event and building
relationships with current and potential donors and volunteers, we will initiate the conversation
with a save the date or invitation to be involved around two months before the desired
response or event is scheduled. Following these mailed communications, will be social media
posts, formal event invitations, follow-up information and the rate of social media posts will also
increase. Following the events, thank you cards will be sent, press releases will be made and
sent to news stations and photos will be released, all within a week. Correspondence will
continue with those who attended, volunteered, donated or have shown interest in Open
Avenues throughout the year.
For the Spring Fling, on March 28, 2016, initial Spring Fling save-the-dates will be sent.
On April 4, posting on social media will begin and the posts will increase in rate (to one time per
week on April 25). Formal invitations will be sent out on March 2. The Spring Fling will be held
March 20 and 21 and to follow, thank you cards and follow-ups will be sent on March 22.
In order to build relationships, on November 14, 2016, we will send our initial donor and
volunteer requests. These include a calendar of yearly events and more information about OA.
On Nov. 27, a follow-up donor request will be sent with a more personalized letter to follow on
Dec. 22. From Dec. 25- Jan. 8, all who responded to the information or helped OA in anyway
will be recorded and sent thank you cards on Jan. 14. Correspondence with those who received
thank you cards will continue throughout the year.

Evaluation
Measures of evaluation will be conducted in order to assess the success rate of the
campaign. Initially, the growth rate of each category (Clients, Volunteers and Donors) to see the
how each group responded to the campaign. Additionally, each objective proves to be
measurable. The first objective calls to increase monetary donations by 10 percent within three
years, from both current and new participants. While this objective can be measured at the end
of the third year, a plan to should be placed to assess each year. In this case, if the donor levels
are not exceeding at least 3.33 percent of the targeted donation amount, Open Avenues can
then implement new tactics in order to reach this objective.
This communication plan intends on sustaining partnerships by 75 percent through the
upcoming five years. In order to evaluate this objectives, Open Avenues management should
look at all its partnerships in a logistic manner. This communication plan recommends each of
the partnerships information be kept to include date enrolled with the organization, monthly
output, number of jobs completed. To evaluate the success rate of this campaign, Open
Avenues can then assess each partnership each year, as well as at the five year mark.

The third objective intends for volunteer rate to increase by 30 percent over the next
three years. A significant portion of volunteer measurements should be recorded, including
monthly, quarterly and yearly rate in order to assess the success rate of the campaign. In order
to maintain the third objective, Open Avenues should have volunteer rates increase at a
minimum of 10 percent each year in order to reach the end goal of 30 percent. Additional tactics
should be implemented if yearly goals are not met.

Although this plan has many complex and moving parts, the overall goals are to increase
donations, volunteering and awareness for Open Avenues. In order to accomplish this overall
goal, relationships must be built with our target audiences and because we have such a diverse
and widespread target audience, our communication plan must build and emotional connection
with each individual that we need to accomplish our goals. All of the moving parts within this
plan are helping to build lasting, emotional relationships with all of the potential donors and
volunteers. If these relationships are successful, Open Avenues will also be successful.

Sources:
Northwest Arkansas Council. Workforce.
http://www.nwacouncil.org/pages/workforce
Volunteerings in the United States. Economic News Release
2014.United States Department of Labor Statistics.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm
Open Avenues www.openavenues.org
Duggan, M. (2015, August 19). The Demographics of Social

Media Users. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org


2014 Disability Statistics Annual Report. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 9, 2015, from http://www.disabilitycompendium.org/docs/defaultsource/2014-compendium/annual-report.pdf
2008 Disability Status Report: Arkansas. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 9, 2015, from https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/reports/report.cfm?
fips=2005000
Chandler, J. (2015, April 15). Volunteer Trends. Retrieved
December 9, 2015, from https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/thoughtleadership/volunteer-trends
Charitable Giving Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2015,
from http://www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/charitable-giving-statistics/

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