Kinship of Tomahawk
Connecting kids with the community of Tomahawk… through Social Media
By: Eric Cowsill & Adam Webster, 5822 Social Media ClassAugust 12, 2012
Project Outline
Kinship of Tomahawk
Who are they?
What are their challenges?
Social Media Project
Objective
Goals
Proposed Plan
Implementation Plan
Timeline
Issues & Barriers
Conclusion & Lessons Learned
Kinship of Tomahawk
Started in 1997 by the Tomahawk Togethercommunity organization
Mission Statement
“Kinship of Tomahawk improves lives by establishing quality relationships between individuals and caring volunteers for the purpose of promoting stability, support, friendship, and community”
Supports a rural community of 3,400 people in Tomahawk, WI
Volunteer organization that is presently serving 68 kids through mentoring
Kinship of Tomahawk Challenges
Funding
Small county grant
Primary funding from fundraisers and donations
Requires continuous organization, promotion, and time
Mentors
Deficit in mentors to serve kids searching for mentors
Quality Connections
Some mentor-child relationships fail due to lack of support, poor compatibility, and time commitments
Volunteers
Program requires continuous influx of volunteers for event planning and supervision
Project Mission
Leverage social media to more efficiently address fund-raising needs, recruiting mentors and volunteers, and connecting kids with the world
Bring awareness to Kinship of Tomahawk
Create a strategy that minimizes time requirements and maximizes effectiveness.
Project Goals
Implement the strategy by October of 2012.
Establish a Social Media guru position for Kinship of Tomahawk.
Increase fund-raising by 20% in the first year of implementation.
Reduce the “kids in waiting” for mentors by 50%.
Increase Kinship’s social media exposure, as measured by Klout, by 100%.
Current SituationCurrent Internet-based Tools
• Internet page: KinshipTomahawk.org
•YouTube Promotional Video
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_W
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Problems with Current Approach
Lack of Expertise in tools
“… {the organization} is not very familiar with how to use Facebook effectively” – P. Hilgendorf
Cohesiveness
Tools don’t support the organization for funding and mentor support
The tools don’t work together
Showcase
Social media outlets are not updated often due to time constraints.
Social media outlets don’t “showcase” the organization
Project Plan Flickr
“One Stop” snapshot of Kinship’s activities. Automatically link photos to Facebook
Mobile, tablet, or desktop access and uploading capability
Connect kids and mentors
Update community on events and activities
Link to donation resources
Quick updates to the Kinship community.
Grow followers
Blog
Move the monthly newsletter to a blog format. Connect with Facebook and Twitter
Web Page
Designed to directly link to Social Media Outlets
How does it all work together?
Project TimelineActivity Deadline
• Approval of Project Plan September 1, 2012
• Develop accounts for social media sites September 10, 2012
• Implement wireless network for Kinship September 20, 2012
• Obtain more computers to allow kids to view social media
sites
October 15, 2012
• Establish policies and procedures for maintaining the
social media sites
November 1, 2012
• Train volunteers on how to maintain social media sites December 1, 2012
• Review project status and address any remaining issues December 15, 2012
• Final Project Review December 30, 2012
How will effectiveness be measured?
Growth in…
Growth in…
Growth in…
Growth in…
Barriers for a Successful SM Strategy
Keeping focused on the task at hand and choosing the social media tools that would have the greatest impact for the program.
The local demographic is not comprised of early adopters of technology. Thus, not all social media tools are being used.
While the staff does have experience with web tools, she does not have the knowledge in using the tools efficiently.
Staffing is limited. Any recommendations/action items we recommend need to be concise, easy to use and not require a larger time commitment from her.
Coordinating efforts while juggling work and family presented challenges.
Not being able to meet with the staff in person is challenging. Knowledge can be gained from an in-person meeting that can’t be obtained from email or phone calls.
Keys to Success
Commitment to Social Media
Give kids access to the sites
Promotion of the tools
Connect
Have fun with it!
Conclusion
It’s about the kids first!
Money isn’t everything. Community is more important.
Simplify. More isn’t always better
Understand the demographics. Make sure the tools accommodate the user group.
Success breads more success. Broadcast the progress
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