Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

Dumbledore’s Army

Grant Jeffries, Brian Leber, Summer Smith, and Alexis Waarich

November 7, 2014

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Problem/Opportunity Statement

Reclaimed Project will devise and implement a strategic public relations campaign to

increase awareness about the organization’s overall goals of job creation in Botswana and other

underprivileged communities in the surrounding area, adoption grants for families who need

financial assistance, and orphan care for orphans in the care centers in Botswana to the students

of Mississippi State University.

Goal 1: To strengthen relationships between 30% of Mississippi State University students and

Reclaimed Project within six months of implementation.

Objective 1: To make 25% of Mississippi State University students aware of Reclaimed

Project within four months of implementation.

Strategy 1: To host an event with Mississippi State University students and

Reclaimed Project members to strengthen relationships.

Tactic 1: Host a workshop event to explain to students all of the inner

workings of Reclaimed Project and what it offers as an organization.

Tactic 2: Have Reclaimed Project campus representatives, volunteers, or

staff members maintain regular office hours to be available to students.

Objective 2: To build a relationship with the Mississippi State Student Association and

Reclaimed Project staff by within one year of implementation.

Strategy 1: Use audience participation to strengthen the relationship between the

Student Association and Reclaimed Project.

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Tactic 1: Campus representative would participate in weekly Student

Association Senate meetings.

Tactic 2: Campus representative would participate in weekly Student

Association Cabinet meetings.

Objective 3: Develop solid communication channels between Reclaimed Project and

30% of MSU Students within six months of implementation.

Strategy 1: Use a special event to involve students and create two-way

communication.

Tactic 1: Have Reclaimed Project’s board of directors give a speech to

students at an exhibition to illustrate the importance of Reclaimed

Project.

Strategy 2: Use audience participation to engage students in two-way

communication.

Tactic 1: Use Twitter to engage in quick and convenient two-way

communication with students.

Tactic 2: Create a blog to provide an outlet for feedback from MSU

students to Reclaimed Project.

Rationale:

Relationships between Reclaimed Project and Mississippi State University students need

focused on immensely. In order for Reclaimed Project to fully develop within the Starkville

community it needs to build relationships with the publics it is trying to reach. In this campaign,

Reclaimed Project needs to focus on building strong relationships with students so that the

overall awareness of Reclaimed Project as a whole will be exhibited in the community. Hosting

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an interactive event with Reclaimed Project and MSU students will help students gain a better

understanding of how the organization operates. A workshop type of event will give students the

opportunity for a hands-on learning environment which will show students what is involved in

operating Reclaimed Project. By doing this, Reclaimed Project will start being able to focus its

relationship efforts on the students who have shown interest in the organization.

If Reclaimed Project were to maintain regular office hours, it would allow for students to

be able to reach them at their convenience. By being available, Reclaimed Project will prove to

it’s an approachable organization. It will also show that Reclaimed Project wants to be available

whenever students have any questions or would simply like to volunteer with them.

Reclaimed Project is a nonprofit business, and no business is going to be successful for

very long without creating and maintaining relationships with its publics (“Why are Business

Relationships,” 2014). Reclaimed Project will gain an advantage over other nonprofit

organizations by focusing on managing relationships with students. “Underestimating the

importance of business relationships equates to underestimating the importance of solid

foundations in a building, and will set your business up to stagnate and eventually crumple,”

(“Why are Business Relationships,” 2014).

Creating a relationship with the Student Association will lead to stronger relationships

with students. By working with the SA, Reclaimed Project will gain a closer working

relationship with students. One way of building this relationship would be to send a campus

representative of Reclaimed Project to attend cabinet and senate meetings in order to increase

visibility among students. By being a part of student affairs, students will likely want to be a part

of Reclaimed Project as well. Building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with students

will be vital for Reclaimed Project to continue to thrive in the Starkville community.

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Communication is important in any type of relationship. Increasing communication

efforts between Reclaimed Project and MSU students will be imperative for success.

“[Communication] allows us to share interests, aspirations and concerns, to support each other,

to organize our lives and make decisions, and to work together,” (“Relationships and

Communication,” 2012). Hosting an event where Reclaimed Project’s staff giving a speech will

allow for it to communicate effectively with students and provide students with an opportunity to

engage in two-way communication. Another way to engage in two-way communication would

be to utilize various social media outlets like Twitter and a blog.

Goal 2: To develop a favorable reputation between 40% of Mississippi State University students

and Reclaimed Project within one year of implementation.

Objective 1: To enhance the reputation of Reclaimed Project with Mississippi State

University students by 20% in six months.

Strategy 1: Utilize publicity to enhance communication between Reclaimed

Project and Mississippi State University students.

Tactic 1: Establish a weekly blog where staff members can make posts

about the progress of Reclaimed Project, adoption stories, and any other

story that focuses on Reclaimed Projects’ mission.

Objective 2: To enhance communication between Reclaimed Project and 20%

Mississippi State University student organizations in the next 6-12 months.

Strategy: Have Reclaimed Project staff utilize audience participation with

students.

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Tactic 1: Speak at Campus Crusade for Christ’s meetings to encourage

two-way communication founded on similar beliefs.

Tactic 2: Speak at Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ meetings to

encourage two-way communication founded on similar beliefs.

Tactic 3: Speak at Baptist Student Union (BSU) meetings to encourage

two-way communication founded on similar beliefs.

Tactic 4: Work with the Student Association to host events during

National Adoption Month.

Rationale:

In order to enhance Reclaimed Project’s reputation it is important to increase awareness

of what the organization does. One way to do that is to start a blog where staff members can post

articles about Reclaimed Project and link the blog posts to its’ Facebook page, Instagram, and

Twitter ensuring a diverse audience. Reclaimed Project should not feel restricted on writing only

about the organization itself, staff members can include testimonials from people who have

adopted, or from people who have been adopted. The staff can write articles giving updates

about the orphan care centers in Botswana, availability of adoption grants, how to apply for

adoption grants, or anything related to the organization’s mission.

Another way to enhance Reclaimed Project’s reputation with MSU students would be to

have better two-way communication with the MSU students. One way to start the

communication process would be to target its efforts on organizations that have similar beliefs.

Since Campus Crusade for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and Baptist Student

Union (BSU) are all Christian organizations, they already share common ground thus creating a

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better environment for Reclaimed Project to connect with these students. Organizations that

work together who have shared beliefs tend to eliminate differences in objectives and thus

agency problems that arise because of the differences in those objectives (E. Van Den Steen,

2010). Having shared beliefs among organizations tend to “lead to more delegation, less

monitoring, higher utility (or satisfaction), higher execution effort (or motivation), faster

coordination, less influence activities, and more communication, but also to less experimentation

and less information collection” (E. Van den Steen, 2010). While it may lead to less

experimentation and limited information collection, this is a beneficial starting point in an effort

to enhance Reclaimed Project’s reputation among students. Starting with organizations with a

common background will help Reclaimed Project start to reach out to other organizations that

might not have the same framework, but will help towards the effort in enhancing a favorable

relationship.

Considering the importance of athletics on campus, speaking with FCA will prove to be

very beneficial. If Reclaimed Project boosts its reputation with the FCA, then it will have a

unique opportunity to engage more athletes into the organization. If Reclaimed Project develops

a favorable reputation with athletes in FCA then it is likely that others will see that and form

their own favorable opinions. Many of these organizations reach a vast and diverse crowd

brought together by shared religious beliefs, which is a great means for Reclaimed Project to

reach an even larger audience.

Goal 3: To increase monetary donations to Reclaimed Project by 45% of Mississippi State

University students within two years of implementation.

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Objective 1: To establish a financial strategy making 30% of college students aware of

possible donation opportunities within six months of implementation.

Strategy 1: Inform students of Reclaimed Project’s monetary needs by utilizing

publicity.

Tactic 1: Host an information session that explains how much

funding is needed, how to donate, and where the donations will be

used.

Tactic 2: Send letters and post cards to students encouraging them to

donate and inform them on how they can go about doing so.

Tactic 3: Host a trunk show after the information session in order to

showcase the products Reclaimed Project has for sale.

Objective 2: To make 30% of MSU students aware about the need for donations to

Reclaimed Project within six months of implementation.

Strategy 1: Utilize personal two-way communication between Reclaimed

Project’s board of directors and possible student donors.

Tactic 1: Have board of directors send out personal letters informing

students of why funding is necessary for the success for Reclaimed

Project.

Strategy 2: Utilize social media to increase communication between Reclaimed

Project and MSU students.

Tactic 1: Use Twitter for quick announcements and to increase the

following of Reclaimed Project.

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Tactic 2: Use Facebook for more detailed announcements such as events

and calendar information.

Tactic 3: Use website to have organizational updates posted regarding

adoption, job creation, and orphan care.

Rationale:

In order for a nonprofit organization such as Reclaimed Project to engage in certain

philanthropic activities, it needs donations. With college students making up a significant portion

of the population in Starkville, it would be beneficial to target students. The average income for

college students is $14,400 (L. Norman, 2014) so it would be difficult to find students who have

the means to donate. However, Mississippi State University students are among some of the most

giving, according to the PACS Report, “About 92% of MSU respondents agreed with the statement

“It is important to make a difference in the world.” An even greater percentage (96%) stated they

believe it is important to give back to the community,” (2007, p. 29). By taking this into

consideration, college students will donate regardless of their financial means if it means giving

back to the community.

Hosting an information session will be beneficial to educating students on why it is so

critical to increase funds for Reclaimed Project. By increasing the amount of information that the

students have access to, it may lead to more college student donors. By having a trunk show

follow the information session will also provide students with the opportunity to purchase

merchandise that will benefit all of those who are making the products in Botswana. A trunk

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show would likely increase the attendance of students at the information session since it could

entice them to come and be able to browse the products for sale.

Sending handwritten letters asking students to donate will be more beneficial than using a

form of electronic communication. This is because handwritten letters are much more personal

and they carry a unique touch (“Benefits,” 2014). When reaching out to people about donating

money, it is important that it is personal and has an emotional appeal, because this will likely

lead to increased donations by college students.

Two-way communication between the executive board of directors of Reclaimed Project

and college students will prove to be highly beneficial. This will show students that Reclaimed

Project believes in transparency and will show them that they are worthy of the donations. If the

board of directors sends personally handwritten letters, it will take time, but it will be

advantageous in order to pursue the donations. This will also continue to educate students on the

needs of Reclaimed Project.

Social media has become a very useful tool in all forms of business. It is quick and easy

to use and will help target college students specifically because 74% of adults who are online are

using social media (“Social Media Fact Sheet,” 2014). Twitter is useful for quick announcements

since the character limit is only 140, and Facebook is also convenient for some longer

announcements or even scheduling updates. While both of these outlets are useful, utilizing the

website is also very important. Websites provide many advantages to businesses, one of them

being a cheaper alternative to print advertising (A. Subhani, 2014) and they are much more

flexible as well. The flexibility and financial aspect of a website are two very important factors

in considering how to promote awareness to college students. Websites also provide unique

growth opportunities in that it can be used by future investors or donors to show what Reclaimed

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Project is all about, the achievements it has already accomplished, and plans for the future (A.

Subhani, 2014).

Goal 4: To increase the number of Mississippi State University students volunteering with

Reclaimed Project by 30% within one year of implementation.

Objective 1: To have an effect on the awareness of voluntary efforts possible with

Reclaimed Project for 30% of Mississippi State University Students within the first six

months of implementation.

Strategy 1: To create publicity to inform students about Reclaimed Project

volunteer opportunities.

Tactic 1: Send a Reclaimed Project representative to each student

organization on campus.

Tactic 2: Relay volunteer information to advisors/leaders within

organizations for point/foundation hour opportunities.

Tactic 3: Promote growth and opportunities through the campus

representative outlet offered within the Reclaimed Project (“Reclaimed

Project,” 2014).

Objective 2: To build collaboration between Reclaimed Project and the Mississippi State

University Student Association within six months of implementation.

Strategy 1: To host an event with the Student Association to promote

Reclaimed Project volunteer opportunity options.

Tactic 1: Create an interactive event on the Drill Field

for students to actively participate in.

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Tactic 2: Allow students to participate in a “day in the life” event to

obtain an understanding of orphan care centers and living

conditions in Botswana.

Strategy 2: Host collaborative events between Reclaimed Project and student

organizations.

Tactic 1: Create an interactive event on the Drill Field

for students to actively participate in.

Tactic 2: Allow students to participate in a “day in the life” event to

obtain an understanding of orphan care centers and living

conditions in Botswana.

Rationale:

With efforts to increase voluntary efforts by 30% within a year of implementation,

Reclaimed Project should seek out student organizations of all types and create relationships

within those organizations. There are more than 300 student organizations at Mississippi State

University. Collaborating with these organizations would increase awareness of Reclaimed

Project and specifically the opportunity would bring awareness to volunteer options. By

increasing publicity of Reclaimed Project’s volunteer options on campus, volunteer efforts would

increase. Reclaimed Project has a campus representatives option for those who are interested. By

utilizing the campus representatives at MSU, implementation of the plan would be easily

accepted. Hearing personal testimonies from past student volunteers may greatly impact other

students’ desire to volunteer themselves. This representative could interact with many

organizations on campus. Examples include one of the many Greek organizations, religious

organizations, honors societies, and MSU’s Student Association.

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After speaking to the organizations during their regularly scheduled meetings, the

representative or speaker of choice could then relay information to the organization’s advisor or

leaders. By speaking with the advisor or leader of the organization, the Reclaimed Project

representative could express how volunteering with the organization could offer members

foundation hours or points. Most organizations, especially Greek organizations, are required to

have a certain amount of community service hours or points. This would intrigue more members

of the student organizations to get involved, because it offers an incentive that does not directly

come from Reclaimed Project. Having a campus representative build a relationship within

student organizations or with advisors would offer promotion of the campus representatives

option. Students could then see the opportunity that the position provides and want to become

part of the cause. The relationship created with student organizations, of all types, could lead to

continuous relationships and more volunteers.

While all student organizations are vital to campus, the largest student organization on

campus is the Student Association (SA). At one point in time, professors and administrators

refereed to the SA as the largest student lead organization in the state. By creating a valid

relationship with the SA, thousands of students will be reached. The Student Association is made

up of many branches: the executive council, the president’s cabinet, and senate. Each outlet

performs different tasks and creates multiple policies and events for students. Collaboration with

the SA would offer opportunity for events and policies to be created. Going through the Senate

by creating a need for a charitable organization on campus could result in a piece of legislation

that could impact Reclaimed Project and students. For example, Barnes & Noble gives the SA

10% of every dollar spent. Legislation could be passed that a small percentage of that income

could be given to Reclaimed Project as a local charity. Reclaimed Project would have to have at

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least four students and a faculty advisor to make up the campus representative group in order to

be eligible for the appropriations that are distributed to student organizations on campus.

Collaboration between Reclaimed Project and senate would be the most difficult,

however not impossible, to accomplish. Partnership with the SA Cabinet would be beneficial to

increasing student volunteer efforts. Students who are active members on Cabinet would have

access to proper event forms, administration contacts and equipment needed for an event. During

the interview with Reclaimed Project, J. Stoker mentioned wanting to have a “day in the life”

event on the Drill Field (personal communication, August 28, 2014). Cabinet members are the

means of which this could be accomplished. Cabinet members have the ability to set the

framework for this event to take place. The event could be a walkthrough of what it is like to live

in Botswana or in an orphan care center in Botswana. This would bring awareness to the

volunteer efforts that are needed to help raise funds to improve these living conditions. An

example of how this event would be set up would include an entrance way for students to begin

the journey through an orphan care center or Botswana styled home. A maze style atmosphere

would be constructed for students to walk through to see all living conditions from sleeping

quarters to restroom conditions. Incorporating emotional appeal and displaying statistics through

the walkthrough will appeal to both emotionally and factually driven audiences. A visual

representation of what living conditions are in Botswana would give students the opportunity to

see almost firsthand what their volunteer time can do.

References

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