junior achievement communication audit

Running head: JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT COMMUNICATION AUDIT 1

Communication Audit

Junior Achievement of the Greater Tri-Cities and Walla Walla Jaren Scott

February 25, 2011 Gonzaga University

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT COMMUNICATION AUDIT 2

Executive Summary

The purpose of this audit is to ethnographically and quantitatively examine the functions

and ways in which communication efforts are executed in a local non-profit organization. The

organization under review is the Junior Achievement of the Greater Tri-Cities and Walla Walla

(Washington State). More so, the audit will place emphasis on external vs. internal

communications and the role each play in fundraising efforts and administration of the

organization. The process used in completing this audit and determining communication

effectiveness includes 1.) Identification of non-profit organization and gate-keeper for access

purposes, 2.) Analysis of external communication and public perception, including the

examination of organizational social artifacts, 3.) Collection of quantitative data pertaining to

internal communication functions and perception amongst organization members/volunteers

following creation, distribution, completion and results of multiple criteria survey, and 4.)

Volunteer with the organization to gain further access and insight into the inner working of

organizational operations and communications strategy.


Table of Contents

Introduction to Organization ……………………………………………………………….. 4 Definitions ……………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Tri-Cities ……………………………………………………………………………... 5 Hanford ……………………………………………………………………………..... 5 JA Mission ………………………………………………………………………….… 5 Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………. 5 External Communications …………………………………………………………………... 6 Definition ……………………………………………………………………………... 6 Context ……………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Brochure ……………………………………………………………………………... 7 Card ………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Website ………………………………………………………………………………. 7 Methods ……………………………………………………………………………… 8 Internal Communications …………………………………………………………………... 9 Scope …………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Training …………………………………………………………………………….. 10 Legal Limit of Interaction …………………………………………………………. 10 Occupational Acculturation ……………………………………………………….. 10 Distribution of Resources ………………………………………………………….. 11 Methods ……………………………………………………………………………... 12 Interviews …………………………………………………………………………………… 12 JA Representative ………………………………………………………………….. 13 Teacher ……………………………………………………………………………… 13 Strengths ……………………………………………………………………………. 15 Weaknesses …………………………………………………………………………. 15 Questionnaire ………………………………………………………………………. 16 Implications ………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………….. 19 Appendix A …………………………………………………………………………………. 20 JA Interview Questions ……………………………………………………………. 20 Responses …………………………………………………………………… 21 Appendix B …………………………………………………………………………………. 22 JA Public Perception Survey ………..…………………………………………….. 22 Results ………………………………………………………………………. 24 Response Summary …..…………………………………………………….. 25 References …………………………………………………………………………………... 27


Introduction to Organization

Junior Achievement is an international non-profit organization that focuses on economic

education of children in hopes of achieving attainment of financial literacy prior to entering

adulthood, the workforce and a global economy. More than nine million students participate in

JA per annum. Locally JA operates in more than 330 classrooms in the Tri-Cities and Walla

Walla region of Southeastern Washington State. Furthermore, JA strives to introduce

community, business and other local leaders to the classroom in order to foster a unique

professional relationship between business and education. The programs are designed

specifically for each K-12 grade level and covers business/economics, financial literacy, and

career development. (Note: Visit http://tri-cities.ja.org and select “Local Programs” in the left

hand tab for an overview of each program corresponding with appropriate grade level.

I chose to audit JA for many reasons, with the primary factors having to do with close

physical proximity and increased accessibility to the local operation. JA has recently begun fund

raising through Hanford employees and seeking classroom volunteers as they do

annually. Although I am not employed by JA, per assignment criteria, I do participate in their

fundraising efforts through my company and volunteer as a JA classroom instructor. I have

always been a strong proponent of the philosophy that access to information and education

should be easily obtainable by all that are willing to learn. As a participant of JA in my K-12

years as a public school student, I believe the avocation of increasing financial literacy is

essential to survivability in a modern – and as we have unfortunately seen lately – fiscally

predatory economy.


Definitions

The following are terms known locally including those proprietary to the organization

and colloquialisms and/or the context in which they will be heavily referenced to throughout the

paper.

Tri-Cities

Metropolitan area of southeastern state of Washington consisting of the neighboring

cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Cities,_Washington)

Hanford

Former production center of weapons grade plutonium. Today, the U.S. Department of

Energy’s largest environmental remediation/nuclear cleanup site as well as the largest local

employer. (www.hanford.gov) Hanford consists of roughly 12,000 employees including local,

national and international companies all overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy.

JA Mission

This term refers to JA’s stated mission “To inspire and prepare young people to succeed

in a global economy” (CITE www.myja.org/about/mission)

Methodology

The primary method of investigation utilized was the ethnographic participant approach.

During the process of the audit, I actually became a part of the organization through fulfillment

of the volunteer role. I was able to participate as both a fundraiser for my company, thus being a

member of JA’s external communication audience as well as receiving internal correspondence

as part of my function as an organizational volunteer in the classroom. Interviews were


conducted with members of both JA’s internal and external communication audiences. For the

purpose of gaining quantitative insight into the organization, I also examined the role of

communication in regards to attitudes and public perception of JA and its mission. This was

achieved via distribution of a written survey to JA members/volunteers for internal observation

and to Hanford site co-workers; of whom JA’s primary external audience consists.

External Communications

Definition

External communication, per my definition as influenced by my organization (JA), is the

management of messages that are exchanged with an audience outside of the company which

consists of anyone from stockholders, shareholders, or community members to politicians and

policy makers. In the Junior Achievement of the Greater Tri-Cities and Walla Walla

organization, communication efforts between the non-profit entity and the company through

which I am currently employed would fall under the umbrella of external communications, with

my company serving as a member of the external audience.

Context

Every year the Hanford Site contractors and community members partner with Junior

Achievement to plan a bowling event with local volunteers, fundraisers and donors as

participants. Teams of five pay a $500 registration fee plus any additional pledges achieved

during the fundraising drive, with all proceeds going to JA. Each and every year JA creates a

theme for the bowling event and offers prizes to those that demonstrate the most effort in

fundraising, costume-design and overall commitment to JA’s mission. Aside from the

contractors advertising the event via internal correspondence, JA also provides their own


literature that they distribute site-wide and even publically for those that are not Hanford

employees and wish to participate.

Brochure

The brochure sells the event as if it were a comic-book event, which is appropriate since

the theme is “Heroes and Villains” for this year’s bowling night. The literature itself does make

mention of the organization and its mission, but allocates the bulk of its print-space to promote

the prizes and pleasure that are to be had as part of partaking in the JA fundraising experience.

This year there is more than $50,000 in prizes given out to volunteers and event participates,

which are all donated by local businesses that also support JA. With some careful unfolding, the

tri-fold brochure transforms into a six-fold poster including lines where folks can sign-up to

make their pledges.

Card

Each site employee was issued a postcard with the same “Heroes and Villains” header as

the brochure and a small graphic of three caricatures and some bowling pins being knocked over.

The card mentions the event name, date, location and contact information. The purpose of this

communication effort is to merely spark curiosity and lead people to sources that host much

more detailed and comprehensive information, such as a volunteer orientation or simply the

foundation’s website.

Website

The most versatile and comprehensive resource hosting JA campaign information is

located online at http://tri-cities.ja.org/. This page offers in depth information regarding the

overall organization, the local chapter, the various programs JA offers, as well as a portal for


local fundraising efforts. This portal houses fundraising resources such as an online auction zone

and electronic donation/pledge pages. Navigation of the site indicates to me that the interface is

more suitable for contributors, volunteers and students rather than the general public. In fact, the

communication departments of the site contractors and the Department of Energy’s local

Richland Office (DOE-RL) and Office of River Protections (DOE-ORP) usually head up the

public involvement efforts when the site-wide Junior Achievement season commences.

The manner in which the information is presented/published to contractors appeals to the

sense of communal sentiment that has long been present on the Hanford Site. Although the

nature of any non-profit organization places great emphasis on the concept of community

involvement via participation and volunteerism, this specific JA campaign effort has been

custom-tailored to mirror the already existing camaraderie culture that has been long present

since the initial construction began on site began during the Manhattan Project.

Methods

Members of the local JA organization ranked the following methods of external

communication in terms of audience members reached:

1. JA Organization website (www.ja.org)

2. JA of Greater Tri-Cities and Walla Walla website (http://tri-cities.ja.org)

3. General delivery e-mails to program participants, public and potential donors

4. Local radio spots advertising bowling event

5. Mailed posters/brochure/fliers/cards to local businesses

6. Community outreach events to involve public

7. Group presentations by JA representative

8. Interpersonal contact with JA members


Internal Communications

Scope

My internal communication audit focuses primarily on the interaction between JA staff

members and volunteers of the organization in the form of a personal narrative. For this study I

undertook the role of observer in regards to examining the communication activities between

staff and volunteers. Although many of the internal communication aspects overlap with those

of external communications, I differentiate between these efforts based on the distinction that

internal communication is that which only occurs between staff members and JA volunteers that

will be sent to the classroom. This is in contrast to the external communication campaign which

is primarily focused on fundraising to support internal communication.

For the sake of this study I examined the individual relations of communication

participants of JA activities, as well as providing an overview of general communication traits of

the internal organization. Focus was placed on JA-volunteer, teacher-volunteer and volunteer-

students relationships. Note: There is communication between JA and the teachers as well, but it

is my understanding that this contact is limited to requesting/providing JA volunteers, with JA

acting as the mediator in the process. However, I did ensure to inquire about the extent of the

JA-teacher relationship during my interviews. There was also limited communication between

my management and the teacher of the students to whom I was presenting as my company was

granted permission to showcase our JA commitment as part of our external affairs/public

involvement strategy.


Training

I experienced my first observation of internal communication during volunteer training,

where I was also a participant. We arrived to a conference room where we were handed a

booklet giving future JA volunteers a basic overview of the organization, its mission objectives,

and what is required of participants before being allowed to enter the realm of public

education. We also viewed a video offering student/teacher testimonies of why the organization

is important and how they affect lives of those involved in JA. The video seemed to serve as

more of a promotional rather than instructional tool to get the volunteers excited about the

experience in which they are soon to be involved.

Legal Limit of Interaction

Next we were required to demonstrate a clear understanding the legal constraints that

must be adhered to while interacting with students. Aside from a professional handshake,

volunteers are at no time allowed to make physical contact with students. Special instruction

was given on how to react to younger students attempting to hug or demonstrate admiration for a

volunteer, with a demonstration of a proper "side hug". We were also briefed on the topics that

we will not be allowed to discuss in the classroom, such as sexual innuendo, politics, religion or

anything else that may potentially harm the image of the organization and our (volunteers')

respective companies. The information seemed very obvious, but I understand that the

presentation of such guidelines were the result of intensive communication efforts with JA's legal

and ethics counsels.

Occupational Acculturation

As many of us volunteers didn't have much teaching background, we were separated into

groups and given various small activities to fulfill. We engaged in five role-playing scenarios


covering events that we are likely to encounter in the classroom. My group was assigned to

discuss how we would respond to the "know-it-all" students to not distract the quieter children,

dissuading them from engaging in active participation. The JA staff indicated that we would

have a teacher present in the classroom at all times and if at any point we begin to feel

uncomfortable with a student's behavior, we are to allow the teacher to provide the correct

manner of handling the situation. It was my understanding that the teacher will merely serve as a

facilitator in the event any potential transgressions occur since they are indeed professionals of

education and child-adult interaction. The teacher to whom I was eventually assigned later

reiterated this statement.

Distribution of Resources

Before the end of the orientation, we were provided our "classroom kits" and allowed

time to familiarize ourselves with the instructional literature pertaining to the course modules. I

pawed through my kit and ensured I had a thorough understanding of how to correctly utilize

course resources and stay on schedule with my students. This activity concluded the training

session and we were instructed to stay behind to pose any potential questions pertaining to our

role with JA and our students. The JA staff was immediately receptive and helpful in ensuring

that I was comfortable with my assignment of teaching ESL students in a low-income part of

town. I also used this time to build face-to-face rapport with my JA representative since before

the orientation; I had only corresponded with her via telephone and e-mail. My JA

representative and I used this moment to clear up any uncertainties regarding our respective roles

in the event any problems shall occur.


Methods

The following methods are those in use by the organization for internal communication

efforts, as indicated by JA employees/volunteers:

1. Meetings

2. General delivery and personal e-mail

3. JA websites for updates

4. Personal contact

5. Phone, including teleconference

6. Computer networks/shared drives for information transfer

7. Post mail

8. Group training and skills sessions

9. Bulletin boards/posters/fliers/cards/kits

10. Performance evaluations

11. Newsletter

Interviews

Extensive sit-down interviews were conducted with two members involved with the JA

organization. Summaries of those interviews are displayed below. Strengths and weaknesses

were also calculated following general semiotic examination of the language and subject matter

used in regards to the organization amongst JA employees/volunteers, co-workers, and

community members. Note: Formal interview questions/informal observation criteria can be

found as Appendix A.


JA Representative

The interviewed JA representative was assigned to oversee my JA activities in regards to

the volunteer experience as well as corporate fundraising efforts. The bulk majority of our

contact dealt with my role as a JA volunteer with emphasis on my classroom preparation. She

seemed genuinely enthusiastic about what she does for a living and exuded a positive, optimistic

attitude towards education that was observably more than contagious throughout her

organization. She indicated she was overwhelmed with the constant increase of community

involvement and support of JA year after year.

Having spent 18 years on the job, she mentioned that her favorite part of the job was

witnessing former students of the program such as I succeed and return to the program in the

form of a volunteer, fundraiser, sponsor, etc. In fact, most young local business owners are

actually the ones who initiate contact with JA looking for ways to lend a helping hand. On the

other hand, her biggest challenge is encountering former students of the program that have not

succeeded in life, and she often feels as if she is somewhat personally responsible for “not

having done enough” in keeping these kids academically engaged. However, overall she

remains very optimistic towards the future of our nation’s youth and feels blessed to wake up

every single day and deal with “positive people looking to make positive change in positive

ways.” If there were one thing she could change about the program, she would make it much

more comprehensive and incorporate elements of a mentorship in order to follow students

through their academic and financial career quests.

Teacher

Once JA determined I was neither pimp nor paedophile, I received my classroom

assignment. I arrived to McGee Elementary of Pasco, WA during prep hour to meet my JA


classroom assistant, a third grade public school teacher. She mentioned that she still sees much

promise with JA and phones the JA representative during the spring semester of every year

requesting a volunteer. The JA rep then passes the teacher’s information on to the most

appropriate volunteer, matched up by multiple-choice “skills” surveys used to assess and match

volunteer abilities with teacher needs.

Like the JA rep, the teacher became involved in education out of her sense of personal

fulfillment for having given back to the community and in hopes of shaping bright minds for

America’s future. However, being a public teacher who is not always seen in positive regards by

the public, the also carried a bit of cynicism and helplessness towards her job. She exclaimed

that she often does not receive a lot of support from administration in classroom decisions and

that although her school was located in an upper-middle class residential area, most of the

students were bused in from lower-income, limited-English neighborhoods due to overcrowding

at other schools. She mentioned that she had become dismayed over the years at the general lack

of parental participation in and promotion of the importance of education she has seen develop

during her 25 year career.

My JA teacher did express positive sentiment towards JA as an organization since kids,

being of an impressionable nature, “show demonstrable interest in developing a professional

persona when introduced to a mock professional environment.” Unfortunately, to which the JA

rep had also alluded, she noted that general interest was most likely result of a recency effect,

with interest in white-collar careers sharply staving off minus prolonged interaction with local

professionals. Despite some of the setbacks experienced in our education system, the teacher

does remain optimistic towards the future, having interacted with numerous young professionals

with a drive to help others through organizations such as JA. If she could change any one thing


about JA, she would introduce a program that allows for simultaneous student-parent

participation, since many parents of children and adults in her district are also financially, if not

entirely, illiterate.

Strengths

The cultural sense of community is strongly shared amongst admin and various

volunteers/misc. members of the organization. The JA website proudly displays the number of

students reached per year, currently nearing 10 million, as well as the tally of teachers, classes

and volunteers involved with JA’s effort. Due to the general nature of volunteerism, people that

are involved with JA want to make a difference and strongly believe their time and dedication is

well worth the effort. JA works hand in hand with local business and global corporations and

ensures their external communication strategies also align with and benefit those of their

sponsors. Rather than exhibiting features of a strong hierarchical presence, the employees of the

local JA prefer to view the organization as more of a “co-op”, where members bring forth their

very best strengths to work towards the common good.

Weaknesses

Although local community members are more than willing to participate in JA

fundraising efforts and volunteer opportunities, sometimes they are made too aware of JA’s

happenings. Numerous employees of local contractors have complained that they are being

overloaded with information from management, co-workers, and donors supporting JA, as well

as the organization itself. The situation has gotten to the point where even I as a

volunteer/fundraiser find myself often deleting messages prior to reading due to the redundancy

of information as indicated by identical subject lines in the e-mails. Fortunately phone calls or

other methods of communication do not occur with such frequency.


Employees share a general sentiment of inadequate compensation and recognition for

their efforts. While the Junior Achievement fundraising drive typically takes place in the early

spring, many community members forget about the organization during the “off months” from

donation drives. The organization more than appreciates the generous donations made by local

community members, but also exhibits frustration that folks are reluctant to volunteer and donate

time rather than money. When members do decide to donate precious schedule space, there are

often discrepancies between the amount of attention higher and lower income public schools

receive. There is often a high demand for volunteers with English as a Second Language (ESL)

background, which unfortunately goes unsatisfied more often than not.

Questionnaire

Surveys were distributed to internal and external communication audiences consisting of

seven questions each. The questions were sent electronically to 5 members each of the following

audiences: 1.) JA employees, 2.) Volunteers, 3.) Teachers, 4.) Co-workers and 5.) Community

members, for a total of 25 members reached. Of the 20 distributed survey links, 15 responses

were received for a 75% participation rate. The accompanying instructions indicated that

surveys were completely anonymous and voluntary. Due to this anonymity, the participation

rates from each of the five participant groups were unable to be determined. Participants were

provided a scale of 1-5 for each of the 10 survey questions and asked members to 1.) Strongly

Disagree, 2.) Disagree, 3.) Neutral, 4.) Agree, and 5.) Strongly Agree. Note: Survey is included

as Appendix B.


Implications

I find it quite apparent that members of the Junior Achievement organization see

themselves as something much more than just a cause. There is a definite sense of a communal

culture that has cultivated from within the organization. JA understands the need to further

propagate their cause of reaching traditionally out-of-pocket audiences in our local area, such as

the lower socio-economic class and those with limited knowledge of the English language.

However, I was a bit disappointed that our local JA had not found ways to accommodate

regional demographics by providing resources to the children of a large migratory workforce, or

at least offer course materials in languages other than English.

Although there is a general sense of enthusiasm presented to the public by members of

JA, once you begin to peel back the layers of communication, it is easy to notice the general

frustration many feel towards the education system, lack of student motivation and absence of

parental involvement. At times the organization feels as though administration, volunteers and

donors are putting in way more effort than the children and fear that member may realize that the

outcome is not necessarily worth the input. The manner in which fundraising is conducted

demands a lot of employee time and may distract them from completing larger tasks. Local

businesses might grow wary of sharing these resources if they feel they are not seeing any return

locally, especially when bright young talented minds have to be imported from outside of the

area when demand for specialized labor occurs.

Despite much reluctance from middle managers and supervisors to allow their employees

to dedicate considerable amounts of time to JA activities, upper management is more than on

board. Many of the local businesses, corporations (such as mine), contractors and government

agencies use their support of JA as part of their external affairs/community relations strategy.


With such controversial topics surrounding the Hanford site such as distribution/mismanagement

of ARRA stimulus money, stalled progress of environmental remediation, misappropriation of

federal funds, fraud, massive layoffs despite billion dollar budgets and even radioactive rabbit

dung, site contractors are more than willing to jump on board and support a community “feel

good” issue to divert some of heat. Although this was not ever expressed explicitly, I think JA

knows they have a safe niche here on the site for the very reason that the community is often

hostile towards government and defense contractors and participation in the program generates

very cost-efficient perception of communal good will.

As an employee amidst the Hanford culture in a JA volunteer role, it is very fulfilling to

do something that undoubtedly benefits another human being. The competition between

contractors and even intra-company fundraising rivalries is fun and healthy, with all money

generated going to the education of children rather than the pockets of fiscally-inept CEO’s and

self-aggrandizing government officials. The JA fundraising effort allows anyone to participate

whether they have extra time to volunteer in the classroom or not. Since JA’s campaign is

organizationally-sanctioned across many local area industries, employees are quick to take a

break from the stress and complacency of daily operations and partake in a productive pleasure

that just so happens to benefit as an added bonus.


- End of Report -

Recommendations

Based on the mini-audit conducted, I would make the following recommendations to

further extend JA’s educational reach and streamline the organization’s operational efficiency.

• Clearly define roles and leadership positions from within organization

• Develop strategy to ensure all local area schools have equal JA representation

• Encourage donors to volunteer as well as or in lieu of making monetary contributions

• Offer incentives to volunteers rather than just fundraising participants

• Examine students before and after JA course to determine effectiveness

• Investigate methods of promoting parental participation

• Focus effort on energizing local community members, not just businesses

• Dedicate more resources to externally communication JA’s mission

• Incentivize local teachers to partake in the JA program

• Limit correspondence to prevent communication overload

• Be mindful that fundraising campaigns often distract from work and collaborate with

local managers to designate appropriate times for fundraising activities to occur

• Allow for mentorship opportunities between volunteers and students after determining

any legal implications of maintain professional relationship outside of classroom

• Every member of organization should have a sense of how their contributions impact the

“bigger picture” rather than just taking a break from work

• Assess effectiveness of classroom volunteers and allow former JA participants to recruit

and instruct new volunteers

• Offer course materials and classroom instruction in Spanish or other predominate non-

English local languages


Appendix A

JA INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Instructions: Participation in this interview is completely voluntary and anonymous. Your name will neither be recorded nor associated with this research. Please answer questions completely and entirely. You may discontinue the survey at any time and are not required to answer all questions. *JA refers to the Junior Achievement Organization and its local affiliation in the Tri-Cities/Walla Walla region, administration, employees, volunteers, participants and mission.

1. IN WHAT CAPACITY DO YOU ACT ON BEHALF OF JA?

2. WHAT IS THE YOUR GENERAL PERCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM?

3. WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD EDUCATION?

4. HOW ARE TEACHERS AND VOLUNTEERS SELECTED?

5. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JA ROLE?

6. WHAT IS THE WORST PART OF YOUR JA ROLE?

7. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THE PROGRAM?


Responses (shortened)

1. Employee. Teacher. Volunteer. Co-worker. Donor. 2. Positive. Optimistic but not comprehensive. Fulfilling. Distracting. Socially

responsible. 3. Necessary for survival. State of dismay. Not enough. Not enough technical/trade

emphasis. Vital for middle class. 4. Paired based on teacher needs and volunteer skills. Request is placed to JA and

volunteer assigned. Assigned to teacher by JA based on teacher needs and volunteer availability. Teachers are those that don’t want to teach and employees that want a break from work. Unsure.

5. Dealing with positive people. Allowing students to interact with real professionals. Teaching folks that want to learn and not worrying about profit/cost-savings. DOE does not have oversight. Fundraising activities are very creative and management is supportive.

6. Tough economic times have affected donation income. Lack of volunteers to fill classroom needs. Sometimes JA activities conflict with work. Inbox cluttered with JA fundraising notices. Constant fundraising efforts sometimes distract from work.

7. Introduce prolonged interaction/mentorship. Encourage and incorporate parental participation. Allow for more classroom interaction. Do it outside of work hours. Encourage management to allow for volunteerism of employee time as well as money.


Appendix B

JA PUBLIC PERCEPTION SURVEY

Instructions: Participation in this survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. Your name will neither be recorded nor associated with this research. You may discontinue the survey at any time and are not required to answer all questions. Along the scale 1-5, please select your level of agreement or non agreement with the declarations listed below.

*JA refers to the Junior Achievement Organization and its local affiliation in the Tri-Cities/Walla Walla region, administration, employees, volunteers, participants and mission.

1. JA’S PRESENCE IS KNOWN IN THE REGION

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

Additional Comments: _________________________________________________

2. COMMUNITY SUPPORT OF JA IS A GOOD USE OF RESOURCES Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

5 4 3 2 1


3. JA HAS AN EFFECTIVE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN


5 4 3 2 1



4. JA HAS A POSITIVE ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY


5 4 3 2 1


5. JA ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS ARE WELL KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC


5 4 3 2 1


6. JA RECRUITS QUALITY VOLUNTEERS


5 4 3 2 1


7. JA FULFILLS THEIR MISSION “TO INSPIRE AND PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY” Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

5 4 3 2 1


* Survey results located on next page…


Public Perception Survey Results

Statement Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly

Disagree

Rating

Average Grade

1. JA'S presence is known in the region 33.3% 58.3% 13.3% 0.0% 0.0% 4.20 84

2. Community support of JA is a good use of resources 46.7% 53.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.47 89.4

3. JA has an effective fundraising campaign 53.3.0% 26.7% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.33 86.6

4. JA has a positive role in the community 60.0% 33.3% 6.7% 0.0% 0.0% 4.53 90.6

5. JA announcements and events are well known to the public 33.3% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.00 80

6. JA recruits quality volunteers 66.7% 20.0% 13.3% 0.0% 0.0% 4.53 90.6 7. JA fulfills their mission "to

inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy"

20.0% 60.0% 20% 0.0% 0.0% 4.00 80

• Ratings calculated on a scale of 1-5; 1 being lowest and 5 highest • Grades based on a scale of 100


References

Caputo, J. S. (2004). Communications audit. (ORGL 504 Course Documents) [Electronic version]. Spokane, WA: Gonzaga University. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from Gonzaga COML Blackboard.

Conrad, C. & Poole, M.S. (2005). Strategic organizational communication in a global economy. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Junior Achievement of the Greater Tri-Cities & Walla Walla (2011). Various articles. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://tri-cities.ja.org/