DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club:

Website Campaign

 

PR Consultants from Elon University

Brittany Wheatley, Molly Bissell, Taylor Scott, Connor O’Donnell, Hunt Cable

 

Table of Contents

Research

Introduction

Situation Analysis

Research Results

03-09

03

03

05

Action & Communication

Goals and Objectives

Tactics and Strategies

Website Mockup

10-16

10

10

12

Evaluation

17-19

Appendix

20-23

Research

Introduction

Our research and analysis of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, has returned results showing us that they need a new website in order to reach their full potential in offering their services to those children in need.

Working with the community in order to better it, and gaining that experience for after college, has really helped us see what service learning is all about.  The type of community that you live in can be controlled and influenced by what you put into it, and what you do to benefit it.  By doing so you help others, while also bettering your community experience/feel.  We think that through helping others, helps you throughout the process. It is a great feeling when you talk to the staff of the community partner light up when you tell them what you are doing for their cause, and how many people it helps.

The kids are whom we are trying to help, and in order to do that you must help those who have set their time aside to assist the children.  The more resources and options that a new website will bring can do nothing but help the Boys and Girls Club, the kids, the parents, and hopefully assist in making the staff’s extra workload a little lighter. 


Situation Analysis

A Brief History

In the late 1950s, the Red Shield Boys Club was founded, operating out of a house on the corner of Stockard Street and Dixie Street in Burlington, North Carolina. The Red Shield Boys Club became a branch in the Boys Club of America, a new nationwide movement, soon after. In 1978, the current site was built near the original. The name of the organization changed again in 1990 to The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County in recognition of the growing presence of girls participating in the programs. Nineteen Nitynine marked a final change in the name to The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club following the untimely death of Frank Holt, Jr., an active member on the Advisory Council and major contributor to the establishment of the existing site.


Key Staff Members

Sherri Henderson, Director. Robby Burnett, Unit Director. Tara Nager, Intern.


Mission and Means

The Boys & Girls Club of America, and all branches that fall underneath, work to provide kids with a safe environment to learn, where they can develop ongoing relationships with adults who care about them and participate in programs that help with character development. One goal is to create hope and opportunity, thereby meeting their mission: “To inspire and enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

 

The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club provides facilities creating a safe environment for kids, from kindergarten to high school, to learn, experiment and otherwise grow. The facilities include a game room, art room, fenced in playground, gym, computer lab and tutoring/study rooms. Each facility is staffed with at least one staff member and one volunteer. In addition to the facilities, the kids participate in National Programs installed by the Boys & Girls Club of America every Monday. These programs focus on encouraging health habits in independent study and social situations. The programs are broken down to target specific age ranges and open up discussion between the kids and staff about topics affecting their lives, and how they should react to the problems they are facing. Some of the topics include, puberty, gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and self-image issues.


Key Problems

The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club had a two-fold problem. Although the current location goes back to its root by being put built on the same street it started on, it is hidden from the main road. The location limits the organization’s ability to receive regular attention by the public, giving other organizations that provide similar programs, such as the local YMCA, a step up in the public’s eye. In order to gain more attention, the organization must find additional means for promoting itself; a small budget however, limits their ability to use more expensive and eye-catching advertisements.

An inherently inexpensive method to promote oneself is through the use of the internet. The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club’s website is provided and maintained by a higher authority and has no cost for either organization. Currently, however, the website in use contains little information about the Boys & Girls Club part of the organization, some of which is no longer correct. Information can be easily corrected and found, but the bigger problem is creating a site that embraces the spirit of the organization and encourages engagement of parents, staff and kids with the site, and thereby the organization itself.


The Publics’ Needs and Desires

The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club has a large public to address with their website. The publics include current and potential parents of Boys & Girls Club members, student members, volunteers, and the Salvation Army Staff. Potential members, member’s parents, and volunteers want to have access to information about the programs and facilities available, practices and purpose, location and contact information, as well as how to become a member or volunteer. Current members, parents and volunteers want to have an area where updates on practices, news and upcoming events, and pictures of recent events are available. The Salvation Army, as a partner with the Boys & Girls Club that provides half of their funding, want to have access to a site that has the purpose of the Boys & Girls Club, explains its relationship to the Salvation Army of Burlington, and has updated information promoting the practices and programs of Boys & Girls Club.


Research Results

In collecting and archiving information for the recreation of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, we used several methods, targeting different audiences for specific types of information. In our research we looked for responses to the current website, what information the staff, parents, volunteers and kids looked for in a future website. We also compared The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club with other websites for branches of Boys & Girls Club of America, and with local organizations that offered similar programs as The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club. Additional research included the gathering of information for new and updated content for the future site based on the requests already received by staff, parents and kids.


Website Analyses

We began our research in the current website, and then expanded our search to include the websites of other Boys & Girls Club of America branches. We looked at the websites of The Boys & Girls Club of Portland, The Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii and The Boys & Girls Club of Sacramento. Similarities that the websites have include the same shade of blue as their background (which offers a soothing feeling as the public enters the website) and the organization of information through multiple tabs appearing on the top of the page in a horizontal line. The tabs most often used were “About Us”, “Donate”, “Programs”, “Volunteer”, “Employment”, “Enroll”, and “Contact Us”.  By looking at the organization methods of other websites, we will be able to create a mockup that follows a similar style to other Boys & Girls Club of America websites. 

 

Information we looked to find after comparing websites were what kinds of programs The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club offered and what was the best way for people interested in enrolling kids or volunteering to contact the organization. Another recurring feature of the websites was a press link through which news articles and updates to the Boys & Girls Club. At the end of our analysis, we looked to create a mockup up that was easily accessible and simply organized so that even kids enrolled (starting perhaps from the age of 9) could find the information.


Competitor Analyses

The Alamance County YMCA is a major competitor of the Boys and Girls Club. They offer programs to elementary school and middle school children. For the elementary schools, they have both full time and part time opportunities. The part time opportunity is every day until 4:30 or two days a week until 6. This costs $85 for YMCA members or $105 for non members. There is a special offer for families sending more than one child, costing $65 per child for members or $80 per child for non members. The full time program takes kids every day until 6. It costs $145 for members or $175 for nonmembers. The same special applies here as well, costing $125 per child for members or $155 per child for nonmembers. For all programs, there is a $30 registration fee. They service nine elementary schools, many of the same schools the Boys and Girls Club services. The middle school program costs $100 per month for members or $125 per month for nonmembers. There is a $30 registration fee for this as well.


Another competitor for the Boys and Girls Club is after school programs offered at the schools. Programs are held at Andrews Elementary School, Grove Park Elementary School, Hillcrest Elementary School and Newlin Elementary School, with pick up and drop off locations at Fairchild Community Center and Thataways Youth Center. This program is offered to children ages 4-12 and middle school students after school and on teacher workdays, holidays and snow days, called “fundays”. They highlight field trips, homework time and arts and crafts on their schedule of events. Full time students are there Monday-Friday from 2:30-6 and all “fundays” from 7:30am – 6pm. This costs $140 a month for the first child and $130 a month for the second and third child. Part time students can be there up to three days a week until 6 or five days a week until 4:30 and no “fundays” are included. This costs $90 a month for the first child, $80 a month for the second child and $70 a month for the third child. Drop in services are also provided. This costs $7 a day for the first child, $5 for the second child and $4 for the third child. On “fundays,” daily drop in rates are $16 for the first child, $12 for the second child and $10 for the third child. Weekly “funday” drop in rates are $60 for the first child, $50 for the second child, and $40 for the third child.


A third competitor is Storybrook Farm Child Care, in Graham. They follow the Alamance/Burlington school calendar and service Wilson Elementary, Jordan Elementary, Audrey Garrett Elementary, River Mill Academy, Southern Middle, Hawfields Middle, Southern High and homeschooled children. They’re open from 6am-6pm and offer child care before and after school. Their activities and programs include homework club, computers, games, music, movies, a playground, a library and arts & crafts. Families only pay on the days that students attend and the first day is free. The before and after school program costs $8 a day and summer day camp, holidays, and teacher work days cost $16 a day.


Surveying & Interviewing Publics

Volunteer & Staff Member Survey

A survey was created for volunteers and staff members for The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club and submitted through an email. This survey focused on what individuals working within the organization thought was the most important to be added into the new website. The survey asked the following questions:

  1. What would you use the Boys and Girls Club website for? (Choose two.)
    1. Pricing
    2. Program Information
    3. Location/Contact Information
    4. History of the Organization
    5. Staff Information
    6. Other (please specify)
  2. What content would you add to the existing website? (Open ended.)
  3. Who do you think the website should mainly target? (Choose two.)
    1. Parents
    2. Students
    3. Volunteers
    4. Stockholders/Salvation Army
    5. Board Members
    6. Other (please specify)
  4. How would you get the word out about the new website? (Open ended.)

When asked what people would most use the Boys and Girls Club website for, the majority of those surveyed answered with location and contact information, followed by pricing, program information, staff information and history of the organization. Additional ideas provided by survey takers include fundraising opportunities, resource development, a calendar of events and the hours of operation.


Content that was suggested to be added to the website included pictures of the workers at the Boys and Girls Club to make it easier to put a face with a name, an example of a daily schedule, summer program information and information on how to volunteer. Of those who took the survey, 100% say that the website should target parents and volunteers. This was followed by students, board members and stockholders/the Salvation Army. Additional target audiences suggested were community leaders, citizens of Alamance County and other businesses and agencies.


Suggested ways to get the word out about the new website included flyers, word of mouth, emails, posters, brochures, social media and including it on all Boys and Girls Club documents.


In addition to the survey, the staff members were individually interviewed. During the interview with the Ms. Henderson, we were given a demographics report that further enhanced our understanding of the number of kids enrolled in the after school and summer programs, as well as what was the most prominent age groups. This information was also useful in creating a quick facts page for the website that.


A survey was created for parents who currently had kids enrolled in The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club; the survey was conducted in person and focused on the needs of parents for website content. The survey asked the following questions:


Both surveys conducted have the dual purpose to be used for re-evaluation of the website following its reconstruction; in the “Evaluation” section of the paper, we further discuss how the surveys can be used again.


Parent Survey

For the parent interviews, only one person out of the 20 knew that there was a website. All twenty checked all the boxes for information that should be on the website.  15 said that they chose the club because of safe environment, school pickups, and inexpensive choice, while two said just because of the safe environment. 

All in all I feel that most of the parents are on the same page about the Club, they like what they do, and feel that their children are safe there.   I think that since 19 of them didn't know that the club even had a website that we need to do some kind of marketing thing after the class, to help promote the site, or at least get the word out.   I would also say that we should stay in touch with the club and continue to offer our support with the website, and anything else that we could do.

 

Action & Communication

Using the information we received from research, we developed the following goals, objectives, strategies and tactics to deliver an inexpensive project that The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club can use to increase their awareness in the community.

Goals

  • To increase awareness of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club within Alamance County, North Carolina.

Objectives

  • To increase donations for The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club by 5%, from 17,000 general donations to 17,850 general donations by May 2013.
  • To increase volunteerism for The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club by 25%, from 110 volunteers to 137 volunteers by May 2013.
  • To increase membership for the summer program of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club 50%, from 100 kids to 150 kids, by June 2013.
  • To increase membership for the afterschool program of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club 50%, from 105 kids to 157 kids, by September 2013. 

Strategies

Our strategies for meeting are objectives, and thereby meeting our goal, is to promote The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club through creating a mockup of a future website. This strategy was selected due to a perceived need by the organization to update the current website and the potential to create a website that engaged and informed several publics interested in The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club.


By creating and donation volunteer page of the new website, more information about what donations are accepted, what the orientation process volunteers in the community as well as with Elon University students need to be aware, and the application to volunteer The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club can bring awareness to the community about these needs. By increasing awareness and giving the public clear instructions or lists of materials, the public will be more responsive to those needs, thus increasing the amount of donations and community volunteers.


According to Robby Burnett, the Unit Director of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, the afterschool program receives popularity due to the kids enrolled in the summer program. By creating clear information about both programs, such as pricing and the daily schedule and posting the application, parents will be able to find information about the organization and the programs offered.


Tactics

The promotion of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club through a website platform depends on several tasks focused in updating and maintaining updates on content for the website. The tactics for our strategy is as follows:

  • Update current information on website.
    • Remove out of date content.
      • Out of date information, especially when the public may be in possession of a separate source with updated information, causes confusion, irritation and distrust for the public. By removing out of date information, the organization shows not only that they care about their representation to the public, but they are active with their internet medium; this will be helpful in another tactic.
    • Add content requested from the surveys and interviews.
      • The addition on content, especially after surveys and interviews have been conducted, that reflects the interests and needs of parents, volunteers and other staff members, illustrates to the public that the organization values and will use the opinions of the public to better fit the needs of the public. The suggestions also reflect what the public has found in other websites that has worked for them, thereby creating a better website in general.
  • Reorganize the information on website.
    • Reorganize information for clearer and easier navigation.
      • By creating a menu with submenus/tabs, related information can be grouped together. Group related information together allows for the public to be linked to more information that is related to questions they already had, but it also gives them several places to find the information if they are unsure of where it would be.  Menu breakdown.
    • Enable interactivity between publics and the website.
      • To keep the attention of the public, websites need to become engaging, not just answer a few questions. To increase interactivity between the public and the website, and thus The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, a comments section and links to social media (such as Facebook and YouTube) are available. The comments section can be used later on in the updating/maintaining of updates on the website because it gives the public a space to submit the staff questions, suggestions, or complaints about the site or the organization. The links to social media sites increases The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club in the community by posting information and videos related to the activities of the site.
      • Creating social bookmarking is a necessity for all company websites. Social bookmarking allows for a website to be promoted on another social media website such as Facebook, Twitter, or StumbleUpon. This tactic will easily allow for a consumer base within a company’s website to grow exponentially
  • Create calendar of maintenance for website updates.
    • Although previously discussed above in conjunction with other tactics, maintenance and updating information online is important to the public viewing the site. It shows that the organization cares and that the website is a reliable source of information. We suggest here that maintenance for the website should occur biannually as pricing, staff, programs and calendar events may change. By updating every six months (sooner for the calendar of events), enough time has gone by that new information can be added without the whole website changing.

Website Mockup

To create the website mockup for The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, we used WordPress.com. Although the site is traditionally for the creation of a blog, it is the easiest method by which to create a website mockup that can be easily altered and accessed by our group members and staff members of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club. At any point that the directors of The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club would like the site to be taken down they, or a member in this group will be able to kill the site. By using a visual mockup, we were able to fully develop an organization of information. The information recorded in the website mockup is also available in the USB flash drive provided with this paper; the group members, also have complete files of the information should a problem with access occur. Below you will find a breakdown of the website content as well as sample screen shots with explanations of how they meet the tactics mentioned previously. The full mockup can be viewed from: http://boysandgirlsclubburlington.wordpress.com/


Breakdown of Website Content:

Welcome to the Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County: Content on page includes the mission statement and a brief history on the Alamance branch of BGC

Meet the Staff: Content on page includes the list of staff and brief self introductions

Quick Facts: Content includes interesting or important facts (pull from demographics)

Location & Contact Information: Content includes location (google map) and contact information

For Parents: Content needed

After School Program: Content on page includes pricing, daily schedule w/ short explanation of programs, hours of operation, and schools serviced by branch

Summer Camp Program: Content on page includes pricing, schedule of activities, weekly schedule, hours of operation, Junior Staff process and application

What Kids Say About Boys & Girls Club: Content includes quotes and potentially pictures drawn by kids of the one thing they love about BGC, as well as a photo gallery of kids playing and working at the Boys and Girls Club

Facilities: Content includes pictures and brief description of the Game Room, Computer Lab, Arts & Crafts Room, Canteen, Gym, and Power Hour Rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions: Content includes Explanation of national programs, Pricing for membership during the school year, Pricing for membership during the summer, Programs available, Staff ratio to kids, Schools picked up, Hours of operation during school year and summer, and Why have a membership

For Volunteers: Content includes application to volunteer (BG of Ame site), instructions on how to volunteer (include that orientation is on Monday at 5pm) and instructions on how to donate/what can be donated

Upcoming Events: Content on page includes the calendar event with warnings of things subject to change

Samples of Mockup


The visual representation, or mockup, is an online entity completed on WordPress. Below are example screenshots of what appears on the mockup. The first screen shot illustrates the menu organization discussed in tactics; notice how Parents are shown the facilities, frequently asked question and information about the after school and summer camp programs. The shots following it show a new organization of information on each separate page and how they cooperate with onsite photographs.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
User-uploaded Content
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Evaluation

Our goal in recreating a website for The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club was to create awareness within the community of Alamance County the programs offered. By using WordPress, we were able to create a visual representation, or mockup, of what the future website could look like. By using features either requested by staff, volunteers and parents or illustrated in other Boys & Girls Club of America websites, we were able to create an interface that is more easily navigated and interactive, as well as encompassing of the Boys & Girls Club of America’s spirit. Although many changes have been suggested and illustrated inside of the mockup, the effectiveness of these changes requires not only the use of these suggestions but further surveys. 


We created surveys and conducted interviews to better understand the publics’ opinion about the current website, and these surveys can be used again annually to find out if the website is still meeting the needs of the public. In addition to the current survey, we also suggest the following questions:

  1. Have you used The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club’s website for information in the last six months?
    1. Yes
    2. No
  2. What have you used the website for in the last six months? (Open ended)
  3. What would you describe The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club’s website as? (Pick two.)
    1. Helpful and Organized
    2. Unhelpful and Disorganized
    3. Targeted to my needs.
    4. Not targeted to my needs
    5. Up to date and informative.
    6. Not up to date or informative.
    7. Interactive and engaging.
    8. Not interactive or engaging.
    9. Other (please specify)
  4. Has visiting The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club’s website cause the any of the following actions:
    1. Persuaded you to volunteer
    2. Persuaded you to donate
    3. Persuaded you to enroll your child as a member for the summer program
    4. Persuaded you to enroll your child as a member for the afterschool program
    5. Persuaded you to talk to others about The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club
    6. None of the above

These questions not only established the traffic being received from the site, but what information has been most helpful and how the public sees the information on the website. The final question in particular would show what actions occurring at the physical site are related to the traffic of the website. This survey can be submitted in several ways; either through the volunteer email system, posting the survey on the website as a poll, posting the survey on the new Facebook page, or asking one of the older members to ask the parents to fill out the survey in person.


In addition to submitting emails, the websites effectiveness can be measure through the number of views and the length of time each page is visited. This feature can be added through Google Analytics, and it is useful for pinpointing what sites are being used the most for information. Knowing what site gets the most attention allows for there to be a primary focus for updates and editing in the future. 


The number of views a site gets and the feedback on the websites uses may take awhile to collect and organize. We suggest that the survey and interviews be submitted during on May 1, collected on May 15 and analyzed by May 22 with a plan to make any improvements for the afterschool program and upcoming events in the next six months. We suggest that the survey and interviews be submitted on October 1, collected on October 15 and analyzed by October 22 with a plan to make any improvements for the summer program and upcoming events in the next six months.


By using the mockup as a basis for informing the public about The Salvation Army Frank S. Holt, Jr. Boys & Girls Club, and the surveys to maintain updates on the website, the organization will be able to maintain a reliable site and increase awareness on the programs and facilities available and ready for community use.

 

Appendix

Demographic Report

The Summer Program has an average daily student attendance of 100.

The After School Program has an average daily student attendance of 105.

The staff to youth ratio changes with the programs, but there is always at least one volunteer and one staff member with each program. The recommended staff to youth ratio is as follows: 

Youth Programs 2:20

Character Building 2:14

Community Youth Programs 2:16

68% of the kids that attend the Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County come from single parent homes 72% of the kids use reduced or free lunch at their schools.

 

The mean income of Alamance County is $43,103. 80% of the families that use Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County have an income under $40,000. 14% of the families that use Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County have an income over $40,000. 42% of the families that use Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County have an income under $20,000.

91% of the kids that go to Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County fall into the minority category.


VOLUNTEERS

-In a year, the average number of Boys & Girls Club of Alamance County volunteers is 110. Volunteers include but are not limited to Board members, Council members, Elon University students, sport coaches, tutors/mentors.

DONATIONS

Approximately 17,000 general donations have been accepted in the past year.

Staff & Volunteer Interviews

Questions asked in the following interviews:

  • Name, Job Title
  • What would you use the website for?
  • What would you add to the website?
  • Who do you think the website should target?
  • How would you get the word out on the website?

Hannah Interview

Brittany: April 17th; 5:15-6:00

Connection to BGC: LINC

Comments

  • Current website is cut and dry; doesn’t have the BGC vibe/spirit
  • Doesn’t tell what BGC does
  • Interaction with volunteers
  • Programs available

Suggestion

  • Add personality with pictures, quotes and testimonials
  • Add programs and descriptions
  • Show how involved volunteers are with the programs and the kids
  • Program descriptions, pictures, quotes, etc.

Robby Interview

Brittany & Molly: April 25th; 5:00-5:20

  1. Robby Burnett, Unit Director (in charge of building and staff)
  2. Bring awareness to BGC, what we do, what price we charge
  3. Mission, little history and daily schedule
  4. Families looking for low cost after school program, families looking for a mentor (single parents who want their kids to have a role model that will teach them social skills)
  5. Media outlets, commercial, flyers word of mouth, radio, word of mouth

Tara Interview

Brittany & Molly: April 25th; 4:00-4:20

  1. Tara Nager, Program Director
  2. Get the name out in the community, to Elon volunteers (provide application), for parents (the programs), board members
  3. Operation times
  4. Parents and Elon volunteers
  5. Enet, Kernoodle Center, Service learning class announcements; word of mouth, info over phone calls with parents, post flyer with link, talk to the board
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.