B.E.D.Because Every Kid Deserves One

Jon AllenHawzien Gebremedhin

Melissa ParisApril Nicholls

Pathfinders• Since 1970, Pathfinders has provided therapists, expert

counselors and dedicated adults who have worked with young people in a environment to ensure better tomorrows.

• Two different types of Runaway and Homeless Youth Services– A Youth Shelter which provides counseling, case management, and

support services– A Drop-In Center which provides food, hygiene and laundry

facilities, health and risk reduction resources, computer access, job supports, and case management

Situation• 25% of residents in Milwaukee, Wisconsin live in poverty• Shelters are privately and publicly funded

– However, homeless youth has been left out• There are over 400 homeless youth • There are only 16 bed in the entire city dedicated to homeless youth• Pathfinders wants to expand, add more beds, help more teens• Team up with Serve Marketing to figure out planhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw-HRc84n38

Objectives

•Goal #1 Awareness:

• Raise awareness in the Greater Milwaukee area

• Goal #2 Funding:

•Increase funding each year by 10%

• Goal #3 Ad Campaign:

•Cultivating a new base of individual donors

• Primary Research – Pathfinders found a slow

increase in 2004 from individual donors

• Secondary Research– Greater Milwaukee Foundation

saw that individual donations declined by 15% in the following 5 years

Research (Charitable Giving)

Research(Youth Homelessness)

• Primary– Pathfinders Youth Shelter (PYS) sheltered

over 200 children in 2007-2008– 40% of kids were not able to be sheltered

at PYS because of inadequate space– Pathfinders also needed to secure the 10%

gap in funding that grew every year

Research(Youth Homelessness)

• Secondary– Milwaukee Homeless Continuum of Care Coalition

found that 455 children and teens were sleeping in the street nightly, yet only 16 emergency beds in the city of Milwaukee.

Research(Youth Homelessness)

• Secondary cont.– United Way of Greater Milwaukee polled

potential donors• 10.3% believed poverty to be a “pressing social

issue”• 3.3% cited homeless• 1.2% listed youth/teen development

• Severity of teen homelessness not perceived

Messaging Ch.6 “Taking Action”“Know which relationship practitioners must build,maintain, and repair. Once this challenge is set, selectPR tactics to accomplish those objectives” (Heath & Coombs 165).

A) Understand the dynamics of the relationshipB) Think in terms of message development objectives (MDOs)

a) Attention b) Information c) Persuasion d) Collaborative-Decision Making e) Cocreation of Meaning f) Narratives g) Identification

C) Select and use the appropriate PR tools

Goal #1: AWARENESS

Tactics & ChannelsIs homelessness newsworthy?

– A unique channel: Message points delivered by teens who benefit from Pathfinders shelter.

A Situational & Routine Tool

Publicity Media

- Local Television Coverage

- Public Radio

- Print Media

- Press Releases

- Features

- Advertisements

- Direct Mail

- Commercialshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAEOnLatZs

Print Media

Promotional Weekend•Bonfire•Musicians •Breakfast in Bed •Volleyball Tournament •Dance •Fashion Show

Goal 2: Create a Fundraising Event AKA the B.E.D. Inaugural Fundraiser

• In-Kind donations from local businesses and government = $32,236

• Sponsorship Underwriting • Donors purchase beds not tables.

• King and Queen-sized Cabanas• Flashy Invitations • Individual Tickets = $35,• or a Six-person cabana = $500

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAEOnLatZs

Goal 3: Create an Outdoor and Grass-Roots PSA Campaign

Resources to Build Message Points:

1)Narratives

2)Identification

3)Personae

B.E.D. the Sequel: Ad Campaign

• One month• Donated Media (including PSAs) = $ 20,743• Plaster homeless teens• Publicity Event: Live-Person Exhibition • Direct Mail

Evaluation • Goal 1: 4 million impressions, • estimated media value = about 250,000

• Goal 2: 300 attendees with $37,330 raisedAuction = $15,000 for underwriting

• Goal 3: 21 million impressions, $177,000 worth of media

Cumulative individual donations: $146,000 and 327 new donors

21% increase in funding, 47% in Donors in 2007.