STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO · 2016. 5. 6. · LCOC, we found the lack of communication, recruitment, and resources are affecting the overall structure negatively. Our

ColleenBuske

ZacharyKakuda

MaureenLenehan

HannahMcnamara

MichaelTaylor

STATE UNIVERSITY OF

NEW YORK AT OSWEGO

CoalitionConnected |1

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................. 2

Introduction ................................................................................................ 3 Secondary Research ..................................................................................... 4

The High Cost of Low Literacy .................................................................. 4 Recruitment ......................................................................................................... 5 Internal Alignment ......................................................................................... 5

Associating Concepts With LCOC ............................................................ 6

Communication ................................................................................................. 6

Resource and Funding Utilization Within Coalitions ................. 7

CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................... 7

Primary Research .............................................................................................. 8

Survey Analysis .......................................................................................... 8 Demographics ............................................................................................... 8 Planning and Implementation .................................................................. 8

Leadership ...................................................................................................... 9

Involvement in LCOC .................................................................................... 9

Communication ............................................................................................ 9

Progress and Outcomes .......................................................................... 10 Partnership Utilization ............................................................................ 10

Overall Comments and Suggestions for Improvement ................... 10

Focus Group Interview ................................................................................ 10

In-Depth Interviews ....................................................................................... 11

Goals and Objectives ................................................................................ 14

Strategies and Tactics ............................................................................ 14

Evaluation ............................................................................................................. 17

Appendix ................................................................................................................... 19

Works Cited .......................................................................................................... 40


Executive Summary The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is made up of professionals that are dedicated to improving the lifespan literacy rates throughout Oswego County. As a completely volunteer based coalition, LCOC is dependent upon local businesses and individuals with a common goal to improve literacy rates in the community. Every year, partners of LCOC are encouraged to make a difference in the community by participating in their meetings, becoming a donor, and contributing to the services and events held by LCOC. However, research indicated for an entity to be successful, the internal communication within the organization needs to be transparent and efficient. Coalition Connected is a campaign designed to do just that. The goal for this campaign is to streamline LCOC’s inward-facing structure to help the coalition function effectively. In turn, filling in the internal gaps within LCOC will help improve literacy rates in Oswego County. Currently, LCOC has 36 partners who help contribute to improving the literacy rates among Oswego County through their expertise and services. These partners consist of different community sectors including healthcare, non-profit, education, and government agencies. However, during our initial meeting with the LCOC president Michael Egan, we learned many of the partners are inactive or unaware of the roles they play within LCOC. Every year LCOC sends out around 500 letters to business, schools, churches etc., in the area asking for their support. However, Egan informed us only 20 letters are received in turn. This information alone shows the lack of support and understanding of LCOC among community stakeholders. From this point, our client informed us that inward-facing communication within the coalition was their biggest concern.

Currently, the LCOC organizational structure is modeled off of many other successful coalitions. As President, Michael Egan is head-elect of the Leadership Council of LCOC. Below Mr. Egan are the officers that preside over the Leadership Council. Next, officers and committee chairs of the different committees including Marketing, Fund-Development, Providers and By-Laws make up LCOC make up the Managing Partners. Finally the Literacy Council are the members of the community on the official email list that have attended meetings in the past. To receive donations, an annual email is sent out every October. After evaluating the internal structure of LCOC, we found the lack of communication, recruitment, and resources are affecting the overall structure negatively.

Our research revealed that although many members of LCOC were happy with the direction of the coalition and it’s upcoming events, they were also confused about their role and/or position within LCOC. LCOC has a wealth of experience and expertise to draw from via its partners, however this knowledge that would help move the coalition forward is not being harnessed effectively. Coalition Connected strives to change that.

Through research, three goals were developed. These goals include developing a favorable perception of the internal communication within LCOC, creating an effective recruitment method so LCOC can attract new members, and to increase the amount of LCOC members who


feel satisfied with LCOC’s use of available resources. By achieving each goal, LCOC will be able to move forward and grow as a coalition.

Based upon our research and goals, we developed three strategies to improve the overall internal environment within LCOC. These strategies included: creating transparent communication networks among members, partners, and donors of LCOC, creating an effective recruitment method for LCOC by May 2017, and establishing and utilizing community resources available to LCOC.

To carry out these strategies, we created multiple tactics for each strategy that were focused upon the internal LCOC audience. These tactics included materials such as an employee newsletter, a social media post schedule, a partner recognition page on the LCOC website, and personalized donor postcards to create more transparent communication internally. Additionally, recruitment materials were created such as flyers, business cards, and postcards to help attract and retain new members. Furthermore, a press release was created to alert the media and perspective partners about LCOC’s practices. Lastly, we created materials, which focused on the utilization of LCOC resources such as a Laker Leads internship description, a potential sponsorship program for LCOC, and marketing materials for the LCOC’s first annual training event.

Introduction Oswego County is the perfect storm for low literacy rates. The current population is 120,193 (New York State Department of Labor, 2016). The average poverty rate in New York State is 15.9% which is the same as the national average (New York State Poverty Report, 2015). According to LCOC website, there are over 17,000 citizens in Oswego County who function at the lowest level of literacy. There is a direct correlation between low literacy rates and low levels of education received. Currently, only 17% of persons in Oswego County, 25 years or older, have received their Bachelor’s degree or higher (QuickFacts Oswego County New York, 2015). The median income in Oswego County is $47,646 according to the aforementioned census. Unfortunately for Oswego County there is a very high poverty rate in the area, 19.6% of citizens are currently living in poverty (QuickFacts Oswego County New York, 2015). “Illiteracy is a core issue that pervades nearly all of the major social problems – poverty, joblessness, health disparities – that address our nation, and the microcosm of this nation that CNY represents,” (Ridzy, Carmody, & Byrnes, 2011.)

Although LCOC is aware of the 17,000 adults in Oswego County who can’t read above a 5th grade level, upon evaluation it has been decided that the first step in any effective coalition is creating a good internal communication strategy. “Successful partnerships are built on mutual understanding and clear goals and objectives. A strong internal communications plan that considers how best to share and distribute information among, within, and between partners is a necessary part of good partnership management,” (O’Reilly & Brunette, 2013). Targeting the partners of LCOC will yield a successful future.


Currently, LCOC has 36 partnerships with organizations in the Oswego County community, many of who are inactive and/or unaware of their direct roles within the coalition. With a lack of funding and an ineffective internal communication plan, LCOC needs refining and restoration in order to establish two-way communication among the board and its partners. Developing and securing stable relationships with the current LCOC partners is a way to show the donors that LCOC is a credible and worthwhile community cause to be engaged with. Research shows that actively providing up to date and relevant information to key partners serves as means of accountability for the coalition and can increase involvement and interest from valuable partners (Hatry & Morley, 2008). Currently, the only communication between the partners and the board of LCOC are meetings that are held annually. There are four meetings of the Literacy Council each year. The December meeting is the reorganization meeting. The Agenda and meeting minutes are published for “identified members,” after each meeting. Although no minutes are posted to the web or distributed to donors, or community members. Increasing visibility and transparency internally through consistent communication, brochures, advertisements, or newsletters can be critical in maintaining partner relationships and recruiting potential partners and volunteers (Hatry & Morley, 2008).

According to The Assets and Opportunity Network, the most effective way to form and maintain strong partner relationships within a coalition is through “intentional alignment.” The objective behind intentional alignment is to form relationships with organizations who already have the same goals, visions, and concerns as you (Coalition Building Learning Group, 2014). For the LCOC, this would mean it would be most beneficial to create and maintain relationships with organizations who are also concerned about the low literacy levels in Oswego County such as school districts, non-profit organizations, and other literacy coalitions and programs within the Central New York area.

Secondary Research The High Cost of Low Literacy

According to the Literacy Partners of New York City, illiteracy has tremendous consequences that stagnate the growth and development of an entire society. With nearly 800 million illiterate people worldwide and 93 million American adults who can’t read above a 5th grade level, low literacy costs the United States over $200 billion every year. On an annual basis, the United States loses $80 billion in lost worker productivity, at least $106 billion due to low health literacy, and $225 billion in unemployment benefits, lost taxes, and crime. With such a strong correlation between illiteracy rates and socioeconomic burdens within the United States, societal development has become one of our nation’s most challenging obstacles to overcome (Literacy Partners, 2016).

Illiteracy also plays a negative role in the growth and participation of individuals within society. Not having the ability to read and write can affect an individual’s health benefits, family


environment, social position, and financial status. According to The Social and Economic Impact of Illiteracy, the social effects of illiteracy are present throughout the entire life cycle. Adult illiteracy is passed down from parents to children through generations, which begins a cycle of family illiteracy. “Parents must play a key role. They must use their own experience and educational capital to help their children understand the importance of education, and they must ensure that their children place education before work, since illiteracy increases risk rather than reducing it,” (Martinez & Fernandez, 2010). When parents suffer from illiteracy child development is negatively affected. Due to this cycle of family illiteracy, families suffer consequences such as poverty, lack of education, unemployment and high health risks throughout the span of their lifetime.

Recruitment

The most popular way to increase recruitment is through word of mouth (Smith, Feuer, 2007). The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick (LCNB) cited personally contacting a potential volunteer as one of the top ways to recruit members and volunteers (Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick, 2003). More so, the LCNB provided a list of recruitment tools that would assist the coalition in attracting members. These included media appeals, printed material, having existing members recruit others and co-ops (Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick, 2003). Also cited as a recommended recruitment tool, LCNB encouraged recruitment through skill utilization that would yield success (Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick, 2003). CoalitionsWork cited “personal contact or face-to-face meetings with community leaders, conducting or attending public meetings/trainings, door-to-door visits, street outreach, conducting community assessments and distributing recruitment notices via print or social media,” as an additional successful recruitment tools. (CoalitionsWork, 2007)

In addition to the LCNB’s list of tools to recruit members, CoalitionsWork.com stated, “the most critical part of the recruitment plan is to use marketing principles to attract the right members to your coalition,” (CoalitonsWork, 2007). This was emphasized with the “4 C’s,” those being Customer Value, Cost, Communication and Convince. These are the qualities that are looked for when attempting to recruit new coalition members.

Internal Alignment

Internal alignment, or internal equity, refers to comparisons among jobs or skill levels inside a single organization (Milkovich and Newman, 2008). In short, jobs and people's skills are compared in terms of their relative contributions to the organizations’ business objectives. Internal alignment means grouping together coalition members with common goals.

This aspect of creating internal alignment is generally accomplished by recognizing overall abilities, letting volunteers set goals, reward volunteers who make their goal and creating a “brag board” for members to tell others that they reached their goal (Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick, 2003).


Associating Concepts with LCOC

LCOC is a perfect organization to implement many of these recruitment tactics. For instance, LCOC has had limited success in attracting new members through mailing lists. They do, however, boast a series of professionals and connections who have the ability to recruit through word of mouth and personal contacts. More so, LCOC already has a rudimentary form of internal alignment in that all of its members share a specific goal. The initial push however, needs to be on recruitment and increasing the number of members in LCOC.

Communication

Because communication processes underlie most aspects of organizational functioning, communication behavior is critical to organizational success (Kapp and Barnett, 1983). In order to achieve successful internal alignment, effective communication methods between partners and LCOC is essential. In order to yield the highest results, three aspects of communication behavior must be successful.

Communication quality is a key aspect of information transition (Kapp and Barnett, 1983). Communication quality includes accuracy, timeliness, adequacy, and credibility of information exchanged. For LCOC, timely, accurate and relevant information is essential if the goals of the partnership are to be achieved.

Information sharing refers to the extent to which critical, often proprietary, information is communicated to one’s partner (Mohr & Spekman, 1994). Systematic availability of information allows people to complete tasks more effectively, is associated with increased levels of satisfaction and is an important predictor of partnership success. Increasing the flow of information shared between LCOC and its partners increases overall knowledge in crucial areas making it possible for tasks to be completed more effectively as well as enabling partners to act independently.

Participation refers to the extent to which partners engage conjointly in planning and goal setting. When one partners actions influence the ability of the other to effectively compete, the need for participation in specifying roles, responsibilities and expectations increases (Mohr & Spekman, 1994). Odish and Weitz (1987) suggest that input to decisions and goal formulation are important aspects of participation that help partnerships succeed. The new edition of Mike Egan to the staff at LCOC provides the coalition with an improved opportunity for increased and successful participation, which theoretically will help improve the overall quality of communication as well as the extent of information sharing.


Resource and Funding Utilization within Coalitions

As a volunteer based coalition, LCOC depends completely upon community resources because it receives no state funding, to improve literacy among Oswego County. According to Literacy New York, the future of any literacy coalition is dependent upon utilizing resources and enhancing public and private support and funding among community stakeholders. (LNY Priority Projects: Resource Development Strategy, 2015).

According to Literacy Coalition expert, Kim Scott, partner utilization can be the best form of developing a strong set of resources within a volunteer based coalition. “I would suggest partnering with other Central New York literacy coalitions to provide technical resources for free and put them in the circle of other New York State coalitions,” Scott noted. “It provides them with a really beneficial peer group for support and resources.”

Case Studies

The Buffalo Read to Succeed Campaign is a great example a campaign which met its campaign goals through igniting community support and coalition building. The goal for this campaign was to recreate a comprehensive plan among literacy providers in the community of Buffalo to build an effective coalition. “The current system, built sporadically over time as agencies opened to serve one or another segment of learners, lacks a comprehensive plan and service delivery model that systematically looks at the needs of all learners,” (Good Schools for All and The Read to Succeed Buffalo Literacy Coalition, 2007). Therefore, the first step the Leadership Board took in building an effective literacy coalition creating a community development plan to highlight target stakeholders, donors, and partners within the Buffalo community through community alignment. They focused on finding stakeholders among different community sectors, which had overlapping values and goals.

“The Leadership Team and the Read to Succeed” coalition convened over 200 community stakeholders to contribute their perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the development of the plan. Community stakeholders included reading specialists, college professors, parents, members of the faith community, students, adult learners, literacy providers, librarians, childcare center directors and staff, business leaders, health and human services workers and many others,” (Good Schools for All and The Read to Succeed Buffalo Literacy Coalition, 2007). Through a strong community plan, which focused on intentional alignment amongst partners and stakeholders, The Read to Succeed Buffalo Literacy Coalition was able to reach literary goals comprehensively.

The Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County provides the framework for why literacy programs and organizations are more successful when using a coalition based organizational model. This model focuses on finding a shared vision among current and potential partners in order to have an agreed upon end goal. According to the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, success


thrives in a coalition because the initiatives and goals are spread across various community organizations. In order to create strong partnership, the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County “fostered a literate community by providing wrap around resources and support across the lifespan, linking early childhood, K-12, adult and family education, literacy and workforce development providers into a cohesive collaborative network,” (Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, 2009). By identifying key advocacy stakeholders within different community sectors, the LCOC was able to provide a consistent and targeted message among partners to keep them aware and involved. “Though a single entity such as the Community Foundation may be responsible for fostering the growth of literacy as a community institution the work of central New York’s literacy initiative is spread across multiple public and private organizations that share common goals and ways of thinking about the problem and its possible solutions (Ridzi et al, 2011).

Primary Research Survey Analysis

The main purpose of the statistical survey on the partnerships of LCOC was to discover the perceptions of existing partners in areas such as planning and implementation, leadership, involvement in LCOC, communication, progress and outcomes, and partnership utilization.

Demographics

The statistical survey: 13 females (72.2%) and 5 males (27.8%) comprised the 18 participants involved with LCOC. 100% of participants are aged 30 years and up, where 13/18 members are aged 50 and up. All participants have completed a minimum of an Associate Degree, and 17/18 received at least a Bachelor’s Degree. A majority of partners are employed in education fields (38.9%) as well as nonprofit organizations (38.9%). The only category of employment that no partners are employed in is healthcare. All but one respondent has been a partner of LCOC for one year or more.

Planning and Implementation

Overall, the general attitude towards the planning and implementation within LCOC is Neutral to Greatly Satisfied. Participants were given the option to leave comments regarding their choices. All participants that opted to leave a comment referenced training and technical assistance within LCOC. One participant states, “I’m not aware that the LCOC provides training and technical assistance.” Another states, “In general the LCOC hasn’t focused on providing training or technical assistance.” While many commented negatively, this provides great insight and an opportunity for improvement. Existing partners are aware of the lack of planning and implementation, but noted that they are hopeful and optimistic about the changes to come. One partner commented, “I have rated this on the past five years. I am hopeful that the direction might be changing, which is a good thing.”


Leadership

In regards to leadership within LCOC, participants are very satisfied with the current leadership structure. One partner stated, “The LCOC has had strong leadership with current and past presidents and a small core of individuals committed to the group’s success.” This is the general census among participating partners. Some partners did address areas of concern. One partner stated, “The LCOC leadership and members who actually attend do a great job. There are many peripheral people/agencies who are not as involved as they could be, if at all.” Again, this provides insight into the structure within LCOC and provides an opportunity for improvement. In response to the question, “Are you satisfied by the commitment of LCOC to build and sustain an active membership?” one partner replied, “I think there is much confusion for the public because of LCOC and LVOC. LVOC is now OCO Literacy Volunteers, but many people still refer to it as LVOC and even LVOC's phone number is on LCOC's web site as the coalition’s contact number. I think some members are confused as to who they are donating to and perhaps it has negatively affected small programs with very small budgets.” While it does not pertain to the leadership of LCOC, it does show areas that need to be improved if the leaders of LCOC wish to have a successful recruiting program going into the future.

Involvement in LCOC

A majority of participants are Neutral to Very Satisfied with the involvement in LCOC. No negative comments were made about involvement. One recommendation was made in response to the question “are you satisfied with the location of LCOC meetings and workshop sites”: “I recommend holding meetings at multiple sites.” This provides another opportunity for improvement.

Communication

Generally, participants were Slightly Dissatisfied to Slightly Satisfied about the current communication methods within LCOC. The areas in which the dissatisfaction arises differs among participants. One participant commented, “I'm not at all dissatisfied with the communication between the board and partners, but feel that the communication with the community needs to improve and increase. I don't believe that the community at large is very aware of the literacy issues and available resources.” While this is not something the campaign is targeting, the comment can be tied back into planning and implementation within LCOC. Another participant seemed very dissatisfied about the current communication method, both internal and external. In regards to the website, which is available to all Internet users, one participant stated, “The LCOC website is not up to date and has inaccurate statistics. There is nowhere to back up what they have.” In regards to the promotional video created, they went on to state, “The video Steve Chirello produced is very misleading as it portrays the Coalition as the service provider and doesn't even mention all of the literacy providers in Oswego County.” This participant went further into explaining their dissatisfaction with the promotional piece with


statistics and examples. The collection of perception data has made it apparent that there is a massive flaw in communication that can be improved.

Progress and Outcomes

The general perception towards progress and outcomes within LCOC is Neutral to Very Satisfied. No participants felt as though this was an area of major concern. No comments were left.

Partnership Utilization

A majority of participants felt as though their abilities were satisfactorily used within LCOC, and that their role within LCOC remains clear. While a majority of participants also felt that their time is well spent in LCOC, 17 of 18 participants felt not Fully Satisfied with what LCOC has accomplished in the community. The overall census gathered from this section was that 100% of existing partners care greatly about the future of LCOC while simultaneously recognizing areas that need to be improved. One participant commented, “I think LCOC is aware of some of these issues and working on moving in the right direction. One very positive is that LCOC members are now volunteering at more than just the annual read event. It used to always be the same people volunteering at events, but now we are seeing more people step up.” This shows us that existing partners and volunteers are willing to help improve LCOC, which ultimately fuels the opportunities for improvement within LCOC.

Overall Comments and Suggestions for Improvement

After analyzing the comments left by participants, it is apparent that existing partners are very hopeful about the future of LCOC. One comment left stated, “I'm very encouraged where the LCOC is headed and with all they've achieved since their inception in 2009. I believe they are making a difference.” Another participant commented positively, “The LCOC has made good strides in establishing itself and providing events that promote literacy (annual READ event, activities at Farmers' Market, and upcoming event at County Fair). It has also been a good vehicle to raise awareness among partners of available services (and gaps in services) and to strengthen community ties and working relationships among the partners. As a partner I feel more informed and connected to possible sources of assistance than before I joined.” While existing partners and participants recognize that LCOC needs to be improved, a majority to all participants are willing to help improve the coalition and have a very positive perception going forward

Focus Group Interview

The focus group interview consisted of four active LCOC volunteers from a variety of vocational backgrounds including but not limited to: Chirello Advertising, Literacy Volunteers and Adult Education programs. In addition, retired community member and current LCOC president, Mike Egan participated. Along with a few other members, these individuals take time out of their


schedules to meet regularly. Their overall intention is to improve LCOC with the common goal of strengthening literacy throughout Oswego County. A moderator’s guide was utilized, starting with overall personal experiences as well as expectations and breaking it down to obstacles regarding future partnerships.

During the focus group interview, the overarching theme involved a strong need for awareness not only of LCOC services, but of the low literacy levels in the county. One of the participants often feels that there is a significant lack of community support from providers, resulting in an absence of student skills. These individuals’ skills are lacking in more than just literacy. They go beyond soft skills and reflect their character. This is frustrating to many of the participants. Participants agreed that they feel that LCOC presentation should emphasize the achievements, improvements and success stories it has had because “that is what could turn the entire county around and that is the reason we as members stay in it” (Respondent 3)

Participants associate the coalition’s continuous lack of funding as its most substantial barrier. Several participants indicated that not having enough money to maintain a strong and consistent budget impacts a number of the elements that are required for LCOC to be successful. One respondent, who has been highly involved in improving literacy throughout the county, felt that organizational setbacks are due to the fact that actions that need to be taken tend to have a high monetary expenditure.

When asked what could be done to improve LCOC meetings, one respondent suggested meeting more frequently than the current quarterly meetings schedule in place. The participants agreed that having more meetings would mean taking more time out of their own schedules. One respondent suggested that if a member is unable to attend a meeting, a delegate could be sent in place. This representative would report back to the initial partner with the meeting minutes in addition to having a clearly defined role in LCOC’s current goals and actions. Another respondent added on to that idea by suggesting individual LCOC committee’s having more communication with each other. Mr. Chirello, a participant with a strong background in advertising, indicated that LCOC must possess a clear message portraying a positive image (i.e., website maintenance, stronger online presence and social media usage, etc.) to not only the public, but for current and future partners to see. All participants agreed with Mr. Chirello. However, LCOC does not have an advertising/marketing budget, which causes a barrier.

Overall, we found that clear communication to donors and volunteers is a crucial component that needs to be improved. Additionally, LCOC needs to develop different/personalized means of reaching potential donors and partners. Although participants have several visions of how to strengthen partnerships within LCOC, it is tough to take action without a fixed budget and lack of community/provider support.

In-Depth Interviews

For our first in-depth interview, we spoke with LCOC donor, Arlene Spizman, owner of The Comic Shop in Oswego, New York. Ms. Spizman has been partnered with LCOC for about three


years. Her involvement with the coalition has primarily consisted of making donations to exhibit support toward literacy promotion.

Prior to enlisting with LCOC, Ms. Spizman was an active donor to an organization known as Literacy Volunteers of Oswego. The two organizations have seen a number of changes over recent years and have essentially unified as one. Ms. Spizman was motivated to become a member of LCOC because she thoroughly believes that literacy should be promoted to people as early as possible. Whether it is a baseball card or a comic book, the idea is that kids are engaging in literacy, and that is what truly matters.

According to Ms. Spizman, the process of becoming a member of LCOC was relatively simple. After noticing an advertisement in the newspaper, she received a letter of notice regarding the organization’s transformation. Although the process did not require excessive forms or paperwork, she encountered trivial difficulty while attempting to mail her first donation to LCOC. The website did not provide an accurate mailing address, which resulted in Ms. Spizman receiving her donation back in the mail. Eventually, through assistance from an acquaintance, she was able to mail her donation successfully and has not had an issue since.

Considering Ms. Spizman has no involvement within LCOC aside from her donations, she has never been updated on the coalition’s current happenings or affairs. As a consistent donor, she would like it if LCOC would reach out to members with some form of communication. Whether outreach is through an email, a newsletter or an electronic message, Spizman believes this would be a significantly productive and efficient change for the coalition.

The Comic Shop engages with the local community through different game tournaments, holding regular sales and donation of comics, graphic novels, toys and money to schools, charities and other organizations throughout the community. Spizman hopes for a better connection with the organization and its partners due to the fact that there are a number of opportunities that LCOC could utilize for its benefit.

‘Free Comic Book Week’ is an annual event that attracts a large audience to her store. This is an occasion that the coalition could take advantage of, but due to weak membership relations and lack of communication, LCOC is unaware of this prospect.

Spizman concluded by sharing an example of how the previous literacy organization presented its gratitude to its donors. Members would be sent a bag of tea along with a thank you note. In addition to thanking donors the gesture was to promote the idea of “having a cup of tea and reading a good book.” Spizman did not feel that receiving a gift of any kind was necessary, however, it was a nice reminder that the organization appreciates the involvement.

In regards to LCOC and its communication strategies and tactics, Spizman did not have much input to share. She explained that LCOC has never reached out to her in regards to its current news or internal business and communication matters.


For our second in-depth interview, we visited ProLiteracy, a nonprofit organization based in Syracuse, New York. ProLiteracy supports the people and programs which help adults learn to read and write. ProLiteracy is the largest adult literacy and basic education membership organization in the nation. Currently, ProLiteracy has 1,000 member programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and works with 52 nongovernmental organizations in 34 developing countries.

During the interview with Ben Davis, a communications and marketing associate of ProLiteracy, he highlighted the organization’s expertise in publishing marketing and educational materials that they use in adult literacy and basic education instruction. Ben Davis takes a role in marketing and advertising for all of ProLiteracy’s 1000+ locations, both nationally and internationally. Mr. Davis has an extraordinary understanding of the importance of partnerships for literacy coalitions.

ProLiteracy finds that keeping members and partners involved is integral in the success of partner relationship maintenance. In order to keep members and partners up to date, ProLiteracy utilizes email heavily. Mr. Davis stated that multiple emails per week are sent out, whether they are to donors or paid members. ProLiteracy is constantly striving to provide them with advice in regards to becoming a successful educator to the learning community. In addition, Mr. Davis also delivers relevant updates relating to what is happening currently within ProLiteracy.

“Just like a community, you can’t do it alone. You can’t be your own grocer, your own mechanic, and your own bank. You need to have multiple people carrying out multiple roles so you can succeed. Being such a small organization (LCOC) you can’t succeed on your own. Inclusion of other groups and organizations is key to being successful, no matter the goal. It becomes a chain reaction; if one group or organization is successful, all others see the benefit,” Mr. Davis stated.

ProLiteracy sends out an annual statistical report via email that includes statistics and graphs that can be used to compare the program’s work to the national averages, which assists with public relations and fundraising. Additionally, ProLiteracy highlights donors in the company magazine that is published semiannually.

LCOC and ProLiteracy are two organizations that strive for the same overall vision. Despite each organization’s personal achievement thus far, the end goal is to improve literacy throughout communities. With that being said, LCOC could benefit and learn from strategies and tactics used by other literacy organizations that have had success. If LCOC were to develop a partner outreach plan similar to ProLiteracy that could coincide with current LCOC volunteers/active members, this would open more doors for the organization and its success.


Goals and Objectives Goal 1: To generate a favorable perception of the internal communication of Literacy Coalition of Oswego County among current partners by May 2017.

Objective 1: To decrease the amount of current partners who perceive the communication within LCOC as Dissatisfactory to Neutral by 10 percent.

1. Between LCOC board and its partners

2. Between LCOC and the community

Goal 2: To create an effective recruitment method for LCOC by May 2017.

Objective 1: To increase successful partner and donor recruitment from 4 percent to 15 percent by May 2017.

Objective 2: To develop effective personalized recruitment materials to target prospective partners.

Goal 3: To increase the amount of current LCOC partners who feel satisfied with LCOC’s use of available resources by May 2017

Objective 1: To increase the percentage of current partners who feel Satisfied to Very Satisfied about LCOC’s use of available resources from 39 percent to 80 percent by May 2016.

Objective 2: To decrease the percentage of current partners who feel very dissatisfied to neutral about the training and technical assistance provided by LCOC from 87 percent to 60 percent by May 2017.

Strategies and Tactics LCOC works collaboratively within the Oswego Community to achieve higher literacy rates among the citizens of Oswego County. However, without strong internal structure, LCOC will never reach it’s full potential. A survey conducted showed that 22.2 percent of partners within LCOC were Neutral when asked if they were satisfied with the internal communication of the coalition. Furthermore 16.3 percent of partners were Dissatisfied with the internal communication of the coalition. Although the collation is made up of literacy experts within the county who are concerned with the communities plummeting literacy rates, the overall consensus among partners of the coalition shows that the internal structure needs improvement in order to effectively make a difference as a coalition.

Coalition Connected aims to improve the overall internal structure within LCOC by implementing the strategies that this campaign has generated. Through implementation of these


strategies and tactics, LCOC will experience higher levels of transparent and streamlined communication among partners, more effective recruitment methods, and a comprehensive plan on how to utilize resources within the community. By focusing on the internal gaps within the coalition, this campaign will benefit not only LCOC but the entire Oswego community at hand.

Goal 1: To generate a favorable perception of the internal communication of Literacy Coalition of Oswego County among current partners by May 2016.

Strategy 1: Create transparent communication among members, partners, and donors of LCOC.

Tactic 1: Develop a monthly electronic email newsletter for members, partners, and donors of LCOC.

Every month, the LCOC intern will be responsible to design an email marketing newsletter through the email marketing software, MailChimp. With no monthly subscription fee, LCOC will provide it’s members, partners, and donors with relevant information regarding the coalition. The newsletter will include upcoming events, new partners and members, ways to get involved, and meeting minutes. The newsletter will also highlight a member of the month to help recognize the efforts of individuals within the coalition in a collaborative effort. By providing partners with visible results and progress the coalition is making on a monthly basis, partners will be more motivated maintain involvement based on the outcomes they are seeing.

Tactic 2: Establish a Community Events Page on the LCOC Website

Members, partners, and donors within LCOC will be provided with access to a free Google Calendar account. The calendar will show dates and times of Managing Partner Meetings, Leadership Council Meetings, and Committee Meetings, and upcoming events. Members of LCOC will also be able to use the calendar to make the coalition aware of events happening within their own organizations or the community that they feel would benefit members of the coalition. For example, if ProLiteracy is holding a literacy conference in Syracuse, a member of the coalition can add it to the Google Calendar to make LCOC members aware and more active in the literacy community. This will allow members to feel more involved in making a difference in the community.

Tactic 3: Construct a page on the LCOC website which recognizes LCOC partners.

The LCOC partner webpage will be a page dedicated to the active partners within LCOC. The page will include each of the partners, a description of their organization,, and the role they play within LCOC. By recognizing the partners and the roles they play, the coalition will be able to maintain engagement of the members and foster renewal. The website page will be maintained regularly to make partners and the community more aware of the organizations and stakeholders who value literacy in Oswego County.

Tactic 4: Engage LCOC partners, volunteers, and donors through weekly Facebook posts.


A social media post schedule was created for LCOC to help keep LCOC partners, volunteers, and donors engaged about upcoming events and ways to get involved within the coalition. We focused on created a social media post schedule for the month of August because there are multiple events happening within LCOC during this time. Facebook can be used as a vehicle to drive conversation about literacy and make current and prospective partners, volunteers, and donors more aware of the ways to get involved in their own community.

Goal 2: To create an effective recruitment method for LCOC by May 2017.

Strategy 2: Enhance recruitment methods that effectively target and reach community members and organizations.

Tactic 1: Develop industry-specific personalized flyers to send out to desired partners, donors and volunteers.

A majority of current partners, donors and volunteers in LCOC consist of individuals and organizations from the education industry. By creating flyers that target other industries, such as government and healthcare, LCOC will be able to expand its reach effectively. The flyers are two-sided: the front side includes information about how low literacy rates affect each industry specifically, while the reverse side includes information on who LCOC is, as well as information on how to become a donor or volunteer, as well as an advocate for LCOC. Both sides contain the URL to the LCOC website to find more in depth information.

Tactic 2: Develop a press release for LCOC’s first annual training event.

This August, LCOC will be hosting its first annual training event, “Raising Kids Who Read, “to help provide partners, volunteers, and literacy service providers with recommendations and opportunities to improve literacy. The training event will be sponsored by LCOC and hosted by literacy expert and author Dan Willingham. The goal of the press release is to create awareness among current partners and spark interest among potential partners about the low literacy rates in Oswego County. The press release will be sent out to the proper community media outlets such as “Palladium Times” and “Syracuse Times.” The press release will include information about who the LCOC is, their cause, and recommendations for LCOC partners and literacy providers.

Tactic 3: Develop personalized postcards to provide recognition of LCOC donors and supporters.

Partners, donors, and volunteers that support LCOC will be recognized and thanked personally with a post card. The front side of the postcard will show in large font, “thank you for your support,” and have a blank space where the supporters name can be filled in. On the reverse side, the card is left blank to allow LCOC the ability to write a personal message to each donor. The purpose of these postcards is to recognize and thank supporters of LCOC and make them feel as though they are a valued supporter with an integral role in in the coalition.

Tactic 4: Create and utilize LCOC business cards.


Having LCOC organization business card on hand will benefit the coalitions prospective recruitment. The company business cards we’ve created include a contact name, email, phone number and an easily identifiable logo. Business cards can be handed out in appropriate situations, give relevant information to potential partners and gives the proper contact information for interested members or partners. Business cards are an easy and convenient way to showcase the professionalism in presentation that the coalition represents.

Goal 3: To increase the amount of current LCOC partners who feel satisfied with LCOC’s use of available resources by May 2017

Strategy 3: Establish and utilize community resources available to LCOC.

Tactic 1: Enroll in a proactive sponsorship program that provides support and materials needed to effectively improve literacy.

As a ProLiteracy member you directly support ProLiteracy programs and initiatives surrounding literacy. Through the membership program ProLiteracy provides technical assistance, professional development, and member’s only resources such as marketing materials, training materials, statistical data etc. ProLiteracy also advocates for adult literacy on behalf of members. Organizational membership is based on the organization's annual operating budget for adult education and literacy services. Seeing as LCOC is a volunteer based organization, they qualify for a $29 annual membership fee. This small fee will provide the organization with resources that can help fill in their current organizational gaps.

Tactic 2: Promote an annual literacy coalition training event to help establish and reinforce member goals, strategies, and roles within the coalition.

In August, LCOC will be hosting its first ever annual family literacy training for current, new, and prospective members. The LCOC sponsored event will be presented by literacy expert and author Daniel Willingham. Willingham will provide partners with advice and recommendations on how to effectively improve adult literacy in the county. To help raise awareness of this event among partners, a press release will be created and sent out to the proper Oswego County media outlets. In addition, a poster will be placed at the current partners organizations to help spread the word and receive positive feedback. Having an annual training event will allow members to clearly define their roles and individual objectives within the coalition. This enables the coalition's overall goals to be carried out collaboratively.

Tactic 3: Utilize SUNY Oswego as a resource by hiring an unpaid intern through Laker Leads.

By creating an intern job description for LCOC to post on the SUNY Oswego Laker Leads website, a career management website for students, LCOC will build a strong partnership with SUNY Oswego. The intern’s core responsibility will be to maintain transparent internal communication between LCOC and it’s partners. Since the members of the coalition are all volunteers, they have a limited amount of time to spend on maintaining effective communication


strategies among the coalition. However, hiring an intern to handle responsibilities such as the employee newsletter and social media will be beneficial to both parties involved.

Evaluation In order to gain evidence that Coalition Connected was effective, we will conduct follow-up surveys six months and one year after the campaign is implemented. The survey we conduct will test how the LCOC partners feel about the communication, recruitment, and utilization of resources during and after the implementation of the campaign. The survey distributed at the six-month mark will determine if any changes or adjustments need to be made in order to achieve overall success for LCOC. Goal 1: To generate a favorable perception of the internal communication of Literacy Coalition of Oswego County among current partners by May 2017. Evaluation: We will conduct another focus group with LCOC partners to receive feedback on how the communication patterns have changed during the course of the campaign. We will also conduct in-depth interviews with the Leadership Council of LCOC to analyze their perceptions of the new communication patterns and the effectiveness of the campaign. Lastly, we will use social media and email marketing analysis to check the amount of likes, engagements, and interactions the LCOC Facebook and Email Marketing Newsletter have. We will conduct a dual analysis for this goal, one for the six month report and one for the yearlong report of the campaign. Goal 2: To create an effective recruitment method for LCOC by May 2017. Evaluation: To evaluate this goal, we will analyze the amount of new partners, volunteers, and donors LCOC received during the campaign. If the campaign was successful, we expect to see an increase in the amount of partners within the coalition from different sectors of the community. Another measure of success would be an increase in the amount of donations received back from community stakeholders. This would show community awareness and support for literacy in Oswego County. We will also conduct a dual analysis for this goal, one for the six month report and one for the yearlong report of the campaign. Goal 3: To increase the amount of current LCOC partners who feel satisfied with LCOC’s use of available resources by May 2017 Evaluation: To evaluate the use of available resources within LCOC, we will conduct in-depth interviews with LCOC partners to gauge their opinions on how effective the campaign has been toward the utilization of resources in Oswego County. We will also reach out to surrounding coalitions and ProLiteracy to find out if LCOC has reached out to them and utilized the resources they offer. Lastly, we will speak directly with the LCOC intern to find out if they feel LCOC is taking full advantage of the skills and resources they are able to provide.


Appendix Appendix A

COM 416 Moderator’s Guide for LCOC Coalition Connected Campaign

I. Introductions/Background Moderator will: Introduce yourself and thank everyone for coming.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come participate in this focus group today. We really appreciate it. My name is (NAME) and I will be moderating our discussion today. I am a member of the COM 416 PR Capstone class and a member of the team working with the Literacy Coalition of Oswego County.

Explain the group guidelines and tell how long the the group will last.

Our discussion will last no longer than two hours this morning. We want to get your input on the internal communication of the LCOC and gather your ideas on how the internal communication can be improved.

In our paper your opinions will remain anonymous and there will be no judgement. We are interested in hearing your opinions, even if it differentiates from others.

Hopefully, this discussion will move along smoothly. If we are pushing our time constraints we will move the discussion along.

I'd also like to take the time now for us to pass out a consent form for this focus group, just so you're aware of your rights as participants. If you feel uncomfortable with the topic of this focus group, now would be the time to make me aware. Please also fill out your name and occupation on the consent form, so we can present demographic information in our study. Like previously stated, your identity will be protected.

Participant Introduction.

On that note I’d like the participants to introduce themselves. Feel free to include your occupation and what brought you to the LCOC.

II. Discussion Topic Explain Process:

As I explained before, today’s discussion will be about the LCOC and its inward facing communication strategies, meaning how the Leadership Council of the LCOC communicates with the separate committees and its


members in general. When I ask a question please feel free to respond and respect other opinions. Let’s get started.

Personal Experience and Expectations:

• When you think of the LCOC’s mission, what comes to mind? • How were you recruited to be a partner of LCOC? • What is your personal experience with LCOC? • What is your motivation to be involved with LCOC? • What are your expectations of LCOC? • What are the biggest challenges and barriers facing partners in LCOC?

Attitude and Perception toward Chosen Career Field

• What type of role does your expertise play in LCOC? • How do you feel about the communication between the LCOC Leadership Council and

the LCOC committees? • What partner needs are being overlooked that should be addressed?

Future Partnerships

• What changes do you feel need to be made to make the partner relations stronger and more effective?

• What suggestions do you have to improve the effectiveness of meetings? • What obstacles stand in the way of partner recruitment? • How do you think LCOC should recruit future partners?

III. Closing

Do you have any final thoughts or comments you would like to share? Thank you for your help and support in collecting primary research data to better understand the LCOC partner relationships. It is our hope that we can use this information collected today to strengthen the relationships and communication barriers between the LCOC board and it’s partners to better support the LCOC’s needs.


Appendix B

Survey results


Appendix C


Appendix D


Appendix E


Appendix F


Appendix G


Appendix H


Appendix I


Appendix J


Appendix K Intern Job Description on Laker Leads

Social Media and Marketing Intern Literacy Coalition of Oswego County

DESCRIPTION The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is a growing coalition of more than 36 organizations dedicated to improving the literacy in our county. The coalition is working together to address the literacy needs in all areas of the community including basic literacy, workforce literacy, computer literacy, health literacy, and financial literacy.

INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES The Social Media & Marketing Intern will play an active role in the growth of the Literacy Coalition of Oswego Counties internal and external communication strategies. Under the supervision of the Coalitions director, the intern will help drive our presence on various social media platforms, maintain effective communication between the coalition and it’s partners, as well as brainstorm and implement marketing strategies that achieve successful awareness of the company, its events, and its clients.

Specific job tasks will include: • Conducting extensive research of clients and competitors to analyze social media trends,

audience needs and concerns, and ultimately address opportunities for improvement. • Craft marketing materials such as fact sheets, press releases, and personalized postcards. • Implement social media strategies for events and community outreach. • Maintain consistent communication among the partners through monthly email marketing

newsletters. • Establish and manage media contacts and outlets.

QUALIFICATIONS:

LCOC is seeking someone who has: • An undergraduate student majoring in Communication/Marketing/Public Relations or a

related field. • Excellent writer and effective communicator. • Ability to draft and edit press releases, newsletters, and media materials. • Strong organizational skills.


• Experience with relevant social media and marketing software: WordPress, MailChimp, Microsoft Office, Adobe Systems.

• A passion for community development and literacy advancement.

POSITION TYPE Internships (Unpaid)

CONTACT INFORMATION Employer: Literacy Coalition of Oswego County Name: Mike Eagen E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 315-558-3763


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Documents

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO · 2016. 5. 6. · LCOC, we found the lack of communication, recruitment, and resources are affecting the overall structure negatively. Our