movement of youth portfolio
TRANSCRIPT
Movement of Youth Communication Audit
Contributors:Maggie Cerciello
Emily CorsigVeronica Krieg
Jessica Lancaster
Table of Contents
Executive Summary …………………………………………………………….. 3
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………... 5
Methodology ……………………………………………………………………. 6
Audit Diary ……………………………………………………………………... 7
Findings ………………………………………………………………………… 8
Interview with UNC-CH Marketing Director Kamaara Lucas ………… 9
Interview with President & CEO Atrayus Goode ………………………. 10
Poll Distributed to UNC-CH Student Executive Board ………………… 13
Question 1 Table ……………………………………………....... 13
Question 8 Table ……………………………………………....... 14
Question 9 Table ……………………………………………....... 15
Question 10 Table ……………………………………………..... 15
SWOT Analysis ………………………………………………………………… 15
Strengths ………………………………………………………………... 15
Weaknesses ……………………………………………………………... 16
Opportunities …………………………………………………………… 17
Threats ………………………………………………………………….. 18
Conclusions and Recommendations ……………………………………………. 18
Appendix A: Interviews ………………………………………………………… 23
Appendix B: Survey Results ……………………………………………………. 28
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Executive Summary
In February 2015, the APPLES Service Learning team for the Movement of Youth
organization conducted a communication audit of the organization’s internal and external
communication methods in order to determine how to best enhance current communication
methods or to decide what new methods to implement in order to relay Movement of Youth’s
message as effectively as possible to its audience. The Movement of Youth nonprofit
organization is a Durham-based organization that seeks to attend to the needs of marginalized
students in the secondary-school systems located in the Triangle area. Movement of Youth’s
mentor program seeks to guide and assist middle-tier academic students in order to better equip
them with study skills, organizational and time management skills, as well as with role models in
the form of mentors.
The audit investigated the effectiveness of communication procedures within the MOY
executive board employees, as well as to its mentors, mentees and parents of mentees.
Additionally, the audit sought to discover the strength of Movement of Youth’s presence on a
variety of social and multimedia platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Movement of
Youth’s own website. In order to determine the effectiveness of the internal and external
communication channels, the audit explored the methods by which the Movement of Youth
executive board communicates as well as how often. It also explored in what way and how often
mentors, mentees and parents are able to communicate with the Movement of Youth
organization.
In order to determine the types of internal and external communication processes, the
Movement of Youth public relations teams interviewed the Movement of Youth President and
CEO Atrayus Goode and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Movement of Youth
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Marketing Director Kamaara Lucas during the audit process. The interviews explored their
thoughts on current communication efforts, frequency of contact between Movement of Youth
employees, methods and frequency of communication between volunteers and students, as well
as how Movement of Youth reaches external audiences. The audit process also included a survey
of questions regarding the efficiency of the Movement of Youth internal and external
communication methods. The survey was administered to the members of the student executive
board of the UNC-CH Movement of Youth group.
The audit findings demonstrated that while Movement of Youth’s internal
communication efforts are established and primarily centralized, there needs to be more frequent
communication between employees, as well as between volunteers, students and parents. While
the employees are in communication with each other and Atrayus Goode multiple times a week,
there needs to be a structure in place in which volunteers and employees communicate on a more
frequent basis other than e-mail. The audit discovered that communication between mentors and
students is also lacking in frequency. The audit findings also found that external communication
efforts on social media platforms to be lacking in frequency and content. Posts on social media
sites such as the Movement of Youth Twitter handle, as well as the Movement of Youth
Facebook page and Instagram profile page, are not overseen as closely as they should be by
employees. The postings are random in nature and are not posted as frequently as they should in
order to effectively communicate Movement of Youth’s messages to an external audience.
The communication audit found that moving forward, the Movement of Youth
organization should focus on maintaining an updated website as it is the primary source of
information for external audiences. Additionally, Movement of Youth should work on
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strengthening its social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in order to increase
its audience reach and audience engagement as much as possible.
Introduction
Movement of Youth is an educational nonprofit organization located in Durham, N.C.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumnus Atrayus Goode founded Movement of
Youth in 2006 as a means to address the educational and social needs of marginalized students.
Movement of Youth is dedicated to targeting and mentoring underrepresented secondary-school
students who fall into the middle-tier academically. While top-tier and bottom-tier students
receive substantial attention and assistance throughout their education, the middle 50 percent of
students do not experience as much assured success or remedial help and are thus sometimes
severely underprepared to pursue post-secondary education or enter the workforce. Movement of
Youth’s mission is to guide these students to success and diminish the negative societal
influences that are capable of hindering such success.
Movement of Youth focuses on guiding and mentoring students with GPAs between 2.0
and 2.9 and standardized tests scores between the 30th and 70th percentiles. While Movement of
Youth began working with only 11 students in 2006, the organization now works with over 200
students annually from high schools in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas. The program
has also grown to include college mentors from area universities, including UNC-CH, North
Carolina Central University, North Carolina A&T State University, Duke University and
Howard University.
The Movement of Youth program offers a variety of opportunities to get students
involved. Leadership academies are held twice a month and promote the mastery of 21st century
skills. Summer enrichment academies focus on a wide range of topics including financial
literacy, student-athlete leadership skills, STEM skills and career training. The mentor program
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partners college students with Movement of Youth students in order to foster ongoing
relationships and provide strong role models for mentees in the hopes of motivating them to
complete high school and pursue college degrees. Additionally, Movement of Youth coordinates
group college tours and offers scholarship opportunities.
In 2009, Movement of Youth honored the high school graduation of its first class of
mentees, all of whom went on to pursue post-secondary education. Movement of Youth
continues to aim to assist these underrepresented students, recognizing they are valuable assets
and building blocks of future society.
Methodology
To gain a better understanding about Movement of Youth, our group chose to interview
different members of the organization, including Atrayus Goode, President and CEO. The
interview questions ranged from aspects of the organization’s communication efforts to the
strength of advertisements and newsletters. The questions aimed to gather details about the way
the communication of the organization could be improved.
Another interview was with Kamaara Lucas, UNC-CH Marketing Director of Movement
of Youth. One of the big parts of the organization is their impact on social media. Through this
interview, there was a sense that there is a lack in social media platforms, specifically that they
do not have a UNC-CH Facebook page or a UNC-CH Twitter. Also, they need to post on social
media in general more often, such as three or four times every week. Kamaara also described
how people who are a part of MOY are notified of changes at the last minute, which needs to be
altered. Kamaara is contacted by Atrayus at least three times every week, which is beneficial for
the efficiency of MOY and its executive members.
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A big part of MOY is the Saturday Academies, which could always use more mentors for
the participants. The Saturday Academies are advertised on the website and on the newsletters,
but they needs to be more of a structure on social media. A lot of people tend to find Facebook
and Twitter as a better form of communication than an e-mail.
MOY has recently gained a few more executive members, which is a positive aspect for
the organization, according to Kamaara. The interviews gave information on how the executive
members are efficient at their communication with one another.
In conclusion, the questions used in both interviews gave our group so much insight into
the issues and strengths that MOY has, whether it is their presence of newsletters or social media
efforts. Kamaara and Atrayus provided knowledge that is extremely beneficial for our study.
Audit Diary
The audit process began on Sunday, February 1, 2015 with a meeting between the UNC-
CH Movement of Youth (MOY) Marketing Director Kamaara Lucas and all members of the
designated public relations team. The client representative met with each of the digital and print
teams separately to discuss the mission of MOY and goals for the semester. The meetings were
conducted at the Student and Academic Services Building North on the UNC-CH campus.
During the meeting, plans for how to help MOY extend its reach throughout the community and
broaden its presence on social media were discussed. Kamaara also told the public relations team
about Movement of Youth’s Saturday Academies and how it would be helpful for team members
to attend one of these to learn more about the organization. Following the meeting, Kamaara
communicated with all team members by way of email and provided contact information for all
other student executive directors of MOY. On Tuesday, February 3, 2015, all MOY public
relations team members met at the UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication to
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make plans to administer surveys and conduct interviews to complete this communication audit.
Contact information was also exchanged between all members at this meeting. Throughout the
rest of the week, the team compiled interview questions to send to members of the executive
board of MOY.
On Monday, February 9, 2015, interview questions were emailed to Kamaara Lucas and
Movement of Youth CEO Atrayus Goode. Kamaara responded to the interview questions by way
of email on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. Atrayus responded to his interview questions on
Thursday, February 12, 2015. Both of their interviews included questions about current
communication practices of Movement of Youth, where each thought the organization could
improve, and how to go about doing so.
For the final research element of this communication audit, a survey of poll questions
was sent out via email to the five members of the student executive board of UNC-CH
Movement of Youth on Monday, February 9, 2015. Recipients of the survey included MOY Site
Director Kelsey Williams, MOY Communications Director Maya Dantzler, MOY Financial
Director Toby Egbuna, MOY Research and Evaluation Director Tianna Barnes, and MOY
Academic Service Director Emily Wallace. Four of the five recipients completed the survey and
their responses were received on Thursday, February 12, 2015. Upon receiving responses to all
interview questions and surveys, all MOY public relations team members compiled the findings
to complete this communication audit by Tuesday, February 17, 2015.
Findings
Interview with UNC-CH Marketing Director Kamaara Lucas via Email
An interview and meeting conducted with Kamaara Lucas, Marketing Director of
Movement of Youth, revealed the organization’s strong and weak points when it comes to its
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communication efforts. For starters, Kamaara expressed how easy it was to find information
about MOY. She first heard about MOY through a website of minority-geared programs for
UNC-CH students to get involved in. From there, google searching for “Movement of Youth”
produced ample information for Kamaara. MOY’s website and social media accounts were
Kamaara’s main way of conducting more research on the organization. When describing the
usability of MOY’s website, Kamaara said, “Someone who is first visiting the website can find
information fairly easily; it is set up in a well-organized manner with tabs.” Kamaara’s insight
exhibits that MOY’s online presence adequately recruits mentors and also effectively
communicates with the general public. However, inadequacies became visible to Kamaara once
she became a member.
The biggest problems that Kamaara noted deal with MOY’s Saturday academies. In the
initial meeting, Kamaara explained Saturday academies. Twice a month, these academies are
held at either the Student Union or the Kenan-Flagler Business School and deal with topics such
as health and college preparation. Typically, 140 mentees attend the Saturday academies. Every
mentor is expected to attend, but that has not always been the case; the organization has had
issues with mentor attendance at the academies. In addition, problems have arisen when trying to
communicate schedule changes with mentee parents. Kamaara said, “My biggest complaint
would be the timeliness in which people are notified of any changes. We have had to
cancel/change the location of Saturday academies and have had to tell parents the day before.”
Because of this, it is evident that communication between the organization and its mentees (as
well their parents) needs improvement. In addition, since mentors were unaware of what was
expected from them, there is also a need to improve the communication from the executive board
to the mentors.
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Communication between the executive board and Atrayus Goode, MOY’s CEO and
President, shows no need for improvement. Kamaara is contacted by Atrayus at least three times
a week, either by phone or e-mail. Communication within the executive board is also strong—
Kamaara reported that all members are on the same page.
Kamaara also touched on her hopes of improving MOY’s digital and social media
presences. Social media accounts are imperative to MOY— through them, MOY tries to reach
out to parents, students, potential mentees, and potential community partners. In addition, the use
of social media gives MOY the ability to gain more community recognition. Kamaara felt that
MOY does not post on its present social media accounts enough nor does its accounts have
enough followers. In the meeting and interview alike, Kamaara expressed MOY’s need for a
photographer to take pictures at events so that such pictures could be posted on social media
accounts.
Interview with President & CEO Atrayus Goode via Email
Movement of Youth’s President and CEO Atrayus Goode echoed concerns voiced in the
initial meeting with Kamaara. In general, communication is a top priority at the organization
because MOY’s success hinges on its ability to reach target publics. Atrayus reiterated this
sentiment “because it directly relates to our organization’s performance when it comes to
engaging with stakeholders, delivering key decisions and reinforcing high organizational
standards.” Though efficient communication is a key component in MOY’s success, there’s a
prevalent belief throughout the executive team that communication efforts have much room to
improve. Atrayus specified the organization’s use of social media in addition to internal
communication between sectors as main areas of developmental focus in the coming months.
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MOY’s communications are centralized, managed by both the UNC-CH Marketing
Director and the President. Atrayus cited frequency of communication, both externally and
internally, as a primary concern. In observing external modes of communication, particularly on
social media, the organization’s online presence is best described as sporadic. MOY’s Twitter
account (@movementofyouth), for example, publishes a tweet anywhere between the range of
two weeks to tweeting every couple hours, depending on the organization’s activities at the time.
MOY’s Facebook page is no different, with only nine Facebook posts from the organization in
the 2014 year. The Instagram account for MOY contains four photos. While Atrayus believes the
content and appearance of communication materials look polished and professional, there seems
a severe need to communicate more often in order to stay connected between organization
members, stakeholders and key audiences. For example, the organization’s website design and
content is clear, concise and has high ease of use, but supplemental social media lacks the same
caliber of quality and timeliness.
In an interview with Atrayus, he felt there was a lot of potential in increasing internal and
external communication frequency not only by publishing more online, but also creating new
channels of communication altogether. Specifically, the CEO identified an internal need for a
succinct, one-page communication plan (see Appendix A for example). The communication plan
would give internal members a brief analysis on MOY’s messaging in order to spot strengths and
weaknesses in overall delivery efforts to key audiences.
In terms of internal communication, the student executive team and the organization’s
members communicate solely by email. In an initial meeting with Kamaara, she commented that
the student executive team rarely meets in-person, as there is usually no need to discuss matters
face-to-face while also citing convenience as another factor. Atrayus clarified that he
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communicates with individual Site Directors about once a week, in addition to a “standing call”
every two weeks to discuss progress, updates and challenge areas. While mentors can contact
Atrayus by email or by phone, he expressed a desire to increase his interaction with them due to
a lack of frequent communication.
Internally, MOY students and their parents are no different when it comes to
communication channels. Most often, these members are contacted about four times per month
via email and in return can contact the organization by email or phone. Mentors are urged to
reach out to students and parents on a bi-weekly basis, by email or phone. There is no check to
ensure that this bi-weekly communication is happening, however, as Atrayus was uncertain as to
the individual statuses of mentor-peer communication.
As for reaching external audiences, such as potential donors, sponsors and volunteers, the
only electronic channel utilized is a monthly newsletter. For most cases of gaining traction
among volunteers, word-of-mouth has been observed to be the most effective method of
spreading awareness and engaging outsiders. From word-of-mouth, interested students and
volunteers are encouraged to browse MOY’s website and contact the organization by email or
phone. The only constant, paid form of advertising used by MOY is the monthly newsletter
($85). All other forms of paid advertisements vary, and thus cost varies month-to-month
depending on increased or decreased advertising efforts.
Poll Distributed to UNC-CH Student Executive Board
Four out of five board members completed the survey about communication practices
within Movement of Youth. All four respondents answered each of 12 survey questions. For a
complete list of survey questions and responses, see Appendix B.
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The survey revealed that 100% of respondents identified email as the primary means for
both internal and external communication efforts; in addition, 100% of respondents agreed that
they believed email to be an effective means of communication for MOY (questions 2, 5, 8).
When respondents were asked which of MOY’s communication efforts were the strongest, email
outreach received the highest score, 76.5 out of 100 (question 1).
Respondents also felt strongly about MOY’s website (74.0 out of 100) and newsletter
(71.5 out of 100). Social media and traditional advertising such as flyers and brochures received
the lowest average ratings, 52.25 and 48.5 respectively. See question 1 table below for minimum
and maximum reported values for each communication type, as well as the standard deviation
between responses.
Question 1 Table
Respondents also weighed in on the methods of communication they find most effective
for reaching and engaging audiences (question 8).
Question 8 Table
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One-hundred percent of respondents believed email was effective and engaging, followed
by 75% of respondents for the newsletter and 50% of respondents for the MOY website. Social
media and traditional advertising tied for least effective and engaging at 25%.
Twenty-five percent of respondents believe employees are being reached effectively and
75% believe employees are being reached somewhat effectively (question 3). 50% believe
MOY’s audience is being reached effectively and 50% say the audience is being reached
somewhat effectively (question 6).
In terms of the message content, 25% of respondents said internal communication
messages are clear and consistent. The remaining 75% believe internal messages to be somewhat
clear and consistent (question 4). 50% believe external communication messages are clear and
consistent and 50% believe external messages are somewhat clear and consistent (question 7).
There was a disparity between respondents concerning how frequently internal and
external communications occur (see question 9 and question 10 tables below).
Question 9 Table
Question 10 Table
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One hundred percent of respondents noted that MOY had received media coverage by
local newspapers, but 0% identified coverage by the Daily Tar Heel, UNC-CH or NC Central
campus publications, local radio stations, local news channels, or local middle and high school
publications (question 11).
In a final free response question, respondents weighed in on where they hope to see the
most improvement in MOY’s communication efforts (question 12). These responses included
increasing social media presence, updating brochures and the website, increasing the frequency
of internal communications, creating a MOY blog, and developing additional internal and
external communication channels.
SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is an examination of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats of an organization. Strengths and weaknesses are internal while the opportunities and
threats are external. We determined the strengths and weaknesses of Movement of Youth by
interviewing the marketing manager and CEO of the organization, as well as surveying members
of the executive team. We viewed MOY’s website, social media and overall online presence to
gain a better view of the reach of the brand. Additionally, we evaluated past communication
pieces that the client disclosed. In viewing all of this information, we then took into
consideration the areas where the MOY team feels improvement is needed and the areas where
they feel communication is adequate. We evaluated the organization’s full communication
efforts and business practices in order to gain a better understanding for our SWOT analysis.
Strengths. The first strength of MOY is the structure of the organization. MOY is a non-
profit organization that receives funding from donors and recruits mentors from college
campuses. MOY currently has over 140 mentee participants from both local middle schools and
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high schools, and the organization has an adequate amount of mentors that sign up for the
program each semester. The organization’s presence on multiple campuses provides a greater
reach for the brand as well as access to communication with more potential donors, mentors and
mentees. In addition to the successful business model in existence at MOY, the organization
holds active goals and has identified a plan for expansion. The organization hopes to expand to
20 college campuses by 2020, and initiatives are being taken to make the goal become a reality.
Some of the initiatives that have proven successful so far are the external newsletters, distributed
to members of the program on a monthly basis, and the Saturday Academies offered to mentees.
The Saturday Academies provide mentees with additional learning sources on real-world topics,
as well as providing the individuals with an opportunity to interact with each other and their
mentors in a different setting. The content of the external newsletters provides an opportunity for
advertising, which offers additional funding for MOY. The newsletters provide an opportunity to
reach out to donors and keep current donors informed, and they highlight positive aspects of the
organization, keeping audiences informed and engaged.
Weaknesses. The weaknesses of MOY mainly lie in the frequency of communication,
both internally and externally, as well as the social media presence of the organization. The
organization currently distributes one external newsletter per month. The main form of
communication is through email, and awareness of the organization and its efforts are generated
mostly by word-of-mouth. Communication between the executive members of MOY occurs
multiple times per week through email. MOY has an office location on the UNC-CH campus,
but the office is hardly utilized. Meetings in person are rare and follow no particular schedule.
There is no set frequency of communication; communication takes place on an as-needed basis,
which can be difficult to coordinate with student schedules and no permanent dates.
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Additionally, lack of communication to mentors has created some issues in availability. Mentors
are meant to attend all Saturday Academies and reach out to their mentees on their own, but there
is often no follow through on these efforts. The online presence of MOY mimics that of the
internal communication efforts as well. MOY’s social media platforms are updated at the time of
events and sporadically throughout the year. There is no identified plan for when to post or what
content to post. The lack of consistency in updates on both the website and social media
platforms make MOY less visible to the public eye, which can negatively influence the chance
for expansion.
Opportunities. In identifying the strengths and weaknesses of MOY, multiple
opportunities have presented themselves. With the current business model that MOY holds and
the support from prominent donors, there is great opportunity to expand to additional college
campuses and enhance the reach of MOY. Additionally, the executive team has the necessary
skills and tools to enhance the online presence of MOY. Developing a social media plan,
including a schedule for posting, frequent content updates and the creation of additional
platforms, MOY can easily enhance their digital presence and gain the opportunity to reach
countless more individuals. MOY already has a presence on multiple campuses and involvement
in numerous local high schools. Once a plan is enacted to enhance the social media efforts of the
organization, MOY can use its current communication channels and access to contacts in order
to increase awareness of its social media accounts. Creating additional platforms for internal
communication, such as internal newsletters and weekly meetings, will also work to the benefit
of MOY. Frequency of communication between executive members should be increased, and the
roles of each individual should be defined in order to incorporate new communication efforts.
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Bringing clarity to current communication efforts will give MOY the opportunity to harness its
strengths and function more effectively.
Threats. As with any non-profit organization, there are some relevant threats that could
potentially harm MOY. One threat that MOY is subject to is a change in partnerships or a loss of
donors. Sponsorships and donors currently fund MOY, and relations with these organizations
must be maintained. The change in financial status or support initiatives of donor organizations
could threaten the integrity of MOY. Additionally, lack of new mentors and mentees could
negatively affect MOY. MOY must be able to maintain its current number of mentors and
mentees as well as gain new members in order to take their next steps in expansion. Lack of
cooperation with surrounding middle and high schools is a potential threat to the organization.
Currently, MOY has a joint program with UNC-CH and NC Central. The organization hopes to
separate the two entities and create two different programs. Lack of cooperation from either
school could also serve as threat to the growth and stability of MOY.
An increase in communication efforts, both internally and externally, has great potential
to decrease any of the possible threats as well as the potential to harness the possible
opportunities. MOY should emphasize current strengths and work to combat weaknesses in order
to improve the organization as a whole.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Movement of Youth is an organization with numerous strengths and great potential to
expand even further. First, MOY has an accessible and easy-to-use website through which
audiences may interact with the organization and join its cause. However, internal members of
MOY still believe the website can be strengthened and made more effective. MOY does not
always regularly update the website, therefore information is sometimes outdated or inaccurate.
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Since the website is the first place many audiences visit to learn more about the organization,
Movement of Youth should strengthen its website by sticking to a routine schedule of updating
and adding new information. For example, every other Friday Movement of Youth could
dedicate an hour to website maintenance in order to ensure audiences receive the most accurate
and up-to-date information possible.
In order to reach more audiences and engage the community as much as possible,
Movement of Youth should also make strengthening its social media platforms, and potentially
creating new ones, a top priority for the organization. Currently, MOY’s online presence is
sporadic and lacks the timeliness and content strength the organization’s other means of
communication possess. The easiest way Movement of Youth can improve its social media
presence is by posting in a more consistent and timely fashion. An increase in the frequency of
posts will keep MOY’s audiences up-to-date and engaged. By posting regularly, and possibly
developing a set schedule of times to post as suggested for the MOY website, MOY can ensure
its audiences are remaining updated and connected with the organization instead of potentially
losing interest in or forgetting about the organization.
If the organization is interested in expanding its online presence to new platforms, MOY
could also consider starting a Movement of Youth blog. Blogging is a popular way to reach a
variety of audiences and compile and share different perspectives. A Movement of Youth blog
could give different Movement of Youth members a chance to talk about their own experiences
with the organization, creating a more personalized resource for those interested and/or involved
in MOY. While MOY’s newsletters and social media accounts are centralized forms of
communication, a blog could be the organization’s decentralized mode of communication. Key
members of Movement of Youth, like Atrayus and Kamaara, could contribute to the blog and
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share their perspectives on different topics and events, but representatives from different
audiences, like mentors, mentees and donors could also contribute to the blog in order to create a
more representative and well-rounded picture of Movement of Youth and its impact.
Movement of Youth can further strengthen its online presence through the use of a
photographer. Even if the photographer is an amateur volunteer, pictures and/or videos of MOY
mentees, mentors and events could transform MOY’s online resources into three-dimensional,
multimedia, interactive experiences. In addition, an increase in photos can help MOY strengthen
its Instagram account, which currently has only four posts. Plus, photos provide audiences the
opportunity to witness what the organization is actually doing instead of just reading about it.
Many times, photos are capable of expressing information and connecting with audiences in
ways words cannot.
Internally, Movement of Youth should focus on the frequency and regularity of its
internal communications. While email is frequently utilized, it is mostly on an as-needed basis
and there is no set internal communication schedule. Strong and consistent internal
communications are vital in order to make sure members within Movement of Youth are always
on the same page. Therefore, MOY may want to consider designating specific days for email
correspondence and developing an additional internal communication channel, like an internal
newsletter. While communications on an as-needed basis are helpful when there are prevalent
needs, an internal newsletter could update internal MOY members on the overall efforts and
plans for the organization, providing a comprehensive overview of Movement of Youth’s ‘bigger
picture.’
Movement of Youth should also consider occasionally connecting through face-to-face
meetings instead of relying on solely email. MOY has office space on the UNC-CH campus, but
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the space is rarely utilized and no in-person meetings are held. While email is a much quicker
and convenient way to communicate, a monthly meeting could guarantee all internal MOY
members are on exactly the same page. Emails are frequently deleted and ignored. Thus, a
monthly meeting could provide MOY with a more effective means of emphasizing important
messages and ensuring all members are fully aware of the organization’s monthly goals and
plans. In addition, Atrayus may want to consider establishing a regular routine for reaching out
to MOY mentors. While mentors are expected to attend Saturday academies and regularly reach
out to their mentees, there is no established accountability system to ensure they are doing so.
Atrayus’ increased communications with mentors could remind them of their responsibility to
attend academies and motivate them to connect with their mentees. Atrayus could also provide
mentors with ideas on how to connect with mentees, which could further encourage mentors to
consistently reach out and establish a relationship with their mentees.
A comprehensive, one-page communication plan could also significantly strengthen
Movement of Youth’s communication efforts. The communication plan could be distributed to
all internal members of the organization and would highlight the organization’s communication
strengths and weaknesses. For example, the plan could outline different channels of
communication being utilized, different audiences being reached and the frequencies of which
they’re being reached. By having a one-page outline of the organization’s overall communication
efforts, it would be extremely easy for internal members to quickly identify what types of
communications are strong and successful and what types of communications require extra focus
and improvement. By regularly updating this communication plan, Movement of Youth can
address its communication insufficiencies as soon as they arise. For example, if MOY identifies
every audience being reached by each mode of communication but notices there are no modes of
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communication reaching donors, the organization can quickly realize and fix the problem before
it takes a toll on the organization’s success.
Finally, Movement of Youth should work to gain more media coverage from relevant
publications like the Daily Tar Heel and other campus and local publications. Earned media
coverage can help Movement of Youth increase its brand recognition and attract additional
members and donors. Since MOY has strong connections with local middle schools, high
schools and universities like UNC-CH and NC Central, MOY should attempt to keep these
publics updated on the organization’s events and expansion efforts in order to gauge more media
interest and potentially receive media coverage. MOY could also create press releases, fact
sheets and media advisories to distribute to local media sources in preparation of significant
events. Earned media could help Movement of Youth dramatically increase its brand awareness
and level of success within these local communities.
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Appendix A: Interviews
Interviewees:
Kamaara Lucas - UNC –CH Marketing Director, Movement of YouthAtrayus Goode - President & CEO, Movement of Youth
Interview Transcripts:
Atrayus Goode - President & CEO, Movement of Youth
1. Where do communications rank in terms of Movement of Youth’s priorities for the organization?
Improving communication externally and internally is a high priority for us this year (#2 on the list) because it directly relates to our organization’s performance when it comes to engaging with stakeholders, delivering key decisions, and reinforcing high organizational standards.
2. Do you believe Movement of Youth’s overall communications efforts have been successful/unsuccessful? Why?
Overall, I believe that Movement of Youth’s communication efforts have been moderately successful. In particular, we could improve our use of social media and our internal modes of communication between work teams.
3. How do you communicate with other Movement of Youth employees? How often are they contacted? How can they communicate with you in return?
All of our employees are volunteers – I communicate with the student executive team and mentors via e-mail. I communicate with individual Site Directors about once a week, and we have a standing call every two weeks to discuss progress, challenge areas, etc. I do not communicate with mentors frequently and would like to increase my interaction with them. They can communication with me in return via e-mail or phone.
4. How do you communicate with Movement of Youth volunteers and students? How often are they contacted? How can they communicate with you in return?
See Question 3 for volunteers. For parents/students, they are communicated with about 4 times a month via e-mail. Individual mentors may contact parents/students via e-mail or phone and are encouraged to do so bi-weekly, though I am not sure if bi-weekly communication is happening. Parents/students can communicate with us via e-mail or phone.
5. How do you reach external audiences (those not already involved in MOY)? How often are these techniques used? How can they communicate with you in return?
We reach external audiences via newsletter and face-to-face communication. Newsletters are distributed electronically monthly, and face-to-face communication varies. External audiences can communicate with us via e-mail or phone.
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6. How do most students and volunteers involved in Movement of Youth initially learn about the organization?
Most students and volunteers involved in Movement of Youth seem to initially learn about the organization by word-of-mouth. From there, the website serves as a good point of reference.
7. Do you pay for any forms of communications like advertisements or newsletters? If so, how much do you spend on each of the funded communications?
We pay for the development of our newsletters at the rate of $85/hour. Any print related material can vary in cost.
8. Would you describe Movement of Youth’s communications as centralized (primarily managed by one or two people) or decentralized (almost everyone contributes to communications efforts in one way or another)?
Movements of Youth’s communication efforts right now are centralized.
9. In your opinion, what is Movement of Youth’s biggest communication strength? Biggest communication weakness?
I believe that our communications materials are professionally done, but I believe that we do not communicate nearly as much as we could internally or externally. An increased focus on communication will make sure that we are in alignment with our mission, vision, and values.
10. What part of communications do you think Movement of Youth should focus most heavily on this semester and why?
I would like for us to develop multiple channels of communication internally and externally. Specifically, I would like a one page communication plan (see attachment) that identifies key messaging, the rationale for the message, the various audiences, delivery methods for each audience, and the team member response for each message.
Examples could include: internal website (high priority – here is link to example: https://sites.google.com/a/nourishinternational.org/resources/), parent chat sessions, executive team meetings (minutes), general body meetings (minutes), blog for each MOY chapter, utilization of mobile application, bi-weekly phone calls.
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Kamaara Lucas – UNC-CH Marketing Director, Movement of Youth
1. How did you first hear about MOY?
I first heard about MOY on the Black Student Movement website during the fall of my sophomore year. (Fall '13) They had a listing on the website of minority-geared programs that students could get involved with, and Movement of Youth was one of them.
2. Did you research the organization before joining it? If yes, were you able to find sufficient information easily?
Yes, I did research the organization before I joined it. I was able to find a good amount of information on the org from the website and social media.
3. How easily can someone first visiting the MOY webpage find information?
Someone who is first visiting the webpage can find information fairly easy. It is set up in a well-organized manner with tabs.
4. How often are you contacted by Atrayus? Through what means does he contact you (e-mail, text, phone conversation, etc.)?
I am contacted by Atrayus at least three times per week. He typically contacts me by either e-mail or phone.
5. Would you say that all executive board members are ‘on the same page’? Is there any confusion/variance within the student executive board?
We have recently added two new exec members to the team, so they will have to be caught up on everything. Other than that, I feel that the exec team is on the same page.
6. What is your biggest complaint in regards to MOY’s communication efforts? What do you consider to be one of MOY’s communication strengths?
My biggest complaint would be the timeliness in which people are notified of any changes. We have sometimes had to cancel/ change the location of Saturday academies and have had to tell parents the day before. I would say one of the communication strengths is the monthly newsletter that is released.
7. What type of audience is MOY looking to reach through social media platforms? How do you think this can best be accomplished?
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Through social media platforms, MOY is trying to reach out to parents, students, potential mentees, and potential community partners. Posting more often and gaining a larger follower base can best accomplish this.
8. What do you hope MOY will be able to accomplish with the use of social media for communicating with target audiences?
I hope that we will be able to gain more community recognition through this social media communication.
9. What specific changes in social media would you like to happen?
I would like us to post more often per week, and to take more photos of our events that can be posted in real time.
10. Have the newsletters been effective in the past? What details of it are the most effective?
The newsletters have been effective in the past. They give details on the successes of mentors/mentees, birthdays, new information regarding the organization, and more.
11. Are the Saturday Academies successful in terms of attendance?
In the past, we have had some issues with mentor attendance at Saturday Academies. This has been improving continuously since last semester, however. Mentee attendance at SA's is good.
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Communication Plan Example:
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Appendix B: Survey Results
Poll Respondents:UNC-CH Movement of Youth Student Executive Team
Initial ReportLast Modified: 02/11/2015
1. On a scale from 1 to 100, how strong do you feel about MOY's efforts in each of the following areas? (One is not strong at all, and 100 is very strong)
# AnswerMin
ValueMax
ValueAverage
ValueStandard Deviation
Responses
1 Social Media 30.00 80.00 52.25 22.37 42 Email Outreach 30.00 100.00 76.50 31.61 43 Newsletter Distribution 40.00 91.00 71.50 22.04 4
4Traditional Advertising (Flyers/brochures/posters)
39.00 65.00 48.50 12.07 4
5Web Presence (MOY's Website)
50.00 100.00 74.00 20.51 4
2. What is the current primary mode of communication used to communicate within the organization?Text ResponseEmailemailE-mailE-mail, face-to-face
Statistic ValueTotal Responses 4
3. Are employees being reached effectively?# Answer Response %1 Yes 1 25%2 Somewhat 3 75%3 No 0 0%
Total 4 100%
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Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 2Mean 1.75Variance 0.25Standard Deviation 0.50Total Responses 4
4. For internal communication, are messages clear and consistent?# Answer Response %1 Yes 1 25%2 Somewhat 3 75%3 No 0 0%
Total 4 100%
Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 2Mean 1.75Variance 0.25Standard Deviation 0.50Total Responses 4
5. What is the current mode of communication used to communicate to target audiences?Text ResponseEmailEmail and newslettersSocial Media, E-MailE-mail, face-to-face
Statistic ValueTotal Responses 4
6. Are audiences being reached effectively?# Answer Response %1 Yes 2 50%2 Somewhat 2 50%3 No 0 0%
Total 4 100%
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Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 2Mean 1.50Variance 0.33Standard Deviation 0.58Total Responses 4
7. For external communication, are messages clear and consistent?# Answer Response %1 Yes 2 50%2 Somewhat 2 50%3 No 0 0%
Total 4 100%
Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 2Mean 1.50Variance 0.33Standard Deviation 0.58Total Responses 4
8. What method(s) of communications have you found to be most effective in reaching audiences and engaging audiences? (Click all that apply)
# Answer Response %1 Social Media 1 25%2 Email Outreach 4 100%3 Newsletter Distribution 3 75%
4Traditional Advertising (Flyers/Brochures/Posters)
1 25%
5Communication via the MOY website
2 50%
6 Other 0 0%
Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 5Total Responses 4
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9. How frequently do internal communications occur?# Answer Response %1 Everyday 1 25%
23-4 times per week
2 50%
3 Once a week 0 0%
43-4 times per month
1 25%
5Once a month
0 0%
6 Other 0 0%Total 4 100%
Statistic ValueMin Value 1Max Value 4Mean 2.25Variance 1.58Standard Deviation 1.26Total Responses 4
10. How frequently do external communications occur?# Answer Response %1 Everyday 0 0%
23-4 times per week
1 25%
3 Once a week 1 25%
43-4 times per month
2 50%
5Once a month
0 0%
6 Other 0 0%Total 4 100%
Statistic ValueMin Value 2Max Value 4Mean 3.25Variance 0.92Standard Deviation 0.96Total Responses 4
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11. Has Movement of Youth received coverage by any of the following media outlets? (Click all that apply)
# Answer Response %
1The Daily Tar Heel
0 0%
2
UNC-CH or NC Central campus publications
0 0%
3Local radio stations
0 0%
4Local news channels
0 0%
5Local newspapers
4 100%
6
Local middle and high school publications
0 0%
Total 4 100%
Statistic ValueMin Value 5Max Value 5Mean 5.00Variance 0.00Standard Deviation 0.00Total Responses 4
12. Where do you hope to see the most improvement in communication pertaining to MOY? Expand on this topic as much as necessary.Text ResponseN/ASocial media presence has room to grow. Our brochures and websites need updating. We need current pictures of students not pictures form several years ago.Social Media, Internal communication among mentors/executive team/parentsI would like for us to develop multiple channels of communication internally and externally. Additionally, I would like to increase our frequency of communication. A one-page communication plan that identifies key messaging, the rationale for the message, the various audiences, delivery methods for each audience, and the team member response for each message would be helpful. Examples could include: internal website, parent chat sessions, executive team meetings (minutes), general body meetings (minutes), blog for each MOY chapter, utilization of mobile application, bi-weekly phone calls.
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Statistic ValueTotal Responses 4
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Emily CorsigMovement of Youth Public Relations(336) 423-7128 [email protected]
FACT SHEET
Release Date - 3/19/15
MOVEMENT OF YOUTH HOSTS COLLEGE TOUR
Step to the Future Spring Break College Tour
Movement of Youth will host its annual college tour for high school students on March 30 through April 3. The tour aims to provide an affordable opportunity for high school students to visit colleges and universities across the country while preparing them for their future steps toward higher education.
About Movement of Youth
MOY currently serves over 200 students in middle and high schools. College mentors are provided to these students in order to foster their personal growth and ensure their success in education.
MOY prepares youth to become leaders and succeed in today’s world. They have developed three guiding principles to help them on their mission to better youth across the country: Engage. Enrich. Empower.
Step to the Future Spring Break College Tour Details
This year’s tour will visit Virginia State University, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Hampton University, Morgan State University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Students with a 2.5 GPA or above are now able to register, on a first come, first served basis.
The total tuition for the tour is $425. This price includes the cost of meals,
transportation, lodging and educational materials. Visits to cultural and historical sites are also arranged.
If students have a different spring break than the provided dates, MOY will work with students, family and administration to request and receive an authorized educational absence.
# # #Emily Corsig
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Movement of Youth Public Relations(336) 423-7128 [email protected]
PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN04/07/15
Situation Analysis: Movement of Youth is dissatisfied with its lack of awareness among UNC-Chapel Hill students. A lack of awareness is problematic for MOY since its core mentoring service depends on the procurement of university student volunteers to mentor youth.
PR Campaign Objective: To increase UNC-Chapel Hill student awareness of Movement of Youth.
Target Audiences:1. Current UNC-CH undergraduate students2. Rising UNC-CH first-year students3. UNC-CH academic advisors
Goals1. To increase student mentor staff by 50 percent by August 2015 2. To feature a MOY story in “The Daily Tar Heel” by May 20153. To provide informational MOY brochures in all academic advising offices by August
20154. To attain 100 Facebook ‘likes’ to MOY’s Facebook page by August 20155. To acquire at least 100 Twitter followers by August 2015
Results of these goals will be quantified and measured through a metric system
PR Strategy Recruitment Campaign: increase student involvement by strong recruitment efforts
such as traditional advertising campaigns on campus and participation in organization recruitment events such as Fall Fest and Week of Welcome
Social Media: generate awareness via social media platforms to engage with students and gain a following online
Material Advertising: promotional placements around UNC-CH campus to spark interest and increase organization visibility
Direct Communication: educate academic advisors’ about MOY’s volunteer opportunities through one-on-one meetings to promote word-of-mouth between advisors and students
-MORE-Tactics:
Obtain MOY booth at FallFest in August 2015
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Place captivating and informative flyers throughout campus, focusing on dormitories during move-in week
Paint MOY advertisements on “The Cube” in the Pit Give academic advisors MOY brochures with instructions to distribute brochures to
students interested in volunteer work Host an event or benefit night at a popular restaurant on Franklin Street Regularly post on Facebook and Twitter with engaging, compelling content
# # #
Emily CorsigMovement of Youth Public Relations(336) 423-7128 [email protected]
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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 3/19/15
MOVEMENT OF YOUTH HOSTS “STEP TO THE FUTURE SPRING BREAK COLLEGE TOUR”
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Movement of Youth, an organization dedicated to preparing
and empowering youth for success, will hold its annual “Step to the Future Spring Break
College Tour” for students looking to tour college campuses. From March 30 through April
3, MOY will hold a college tour where high school students will travel to universities
including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Georgetown University and
Howard University, among others. Students will attend daily campus tours and visit
surrounding historical and cultural sites. Tuition for the college tour includes meals,
lodging, transportation and educational materials. Students with a grade point average of
2.5 or higher can register on a first come, first served basis by filling out the registration
packet on MOY’s website. For more information, interested participants and sponsors can
contact Desmera Gatewood at (919) 806-4552 or email [email protected].
Movement of Youth Marketing Director Kamaara Lucas said, “Our college tour
programs have been very successful in the past and have helped students gain exposure to the
-MORE-
different types of universities that are out there. We expose our students to Ivy League schools,
historically Black institutions, and everything in between. I feel that the spring break college tour
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is a great opportunity for any Movement of Youth student to get out of their comfort zone, learn
more about higher education, and have safe fun while traveling from state to state.”
Movement of Youth is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage, enrich and
empower youth to reach their full potential through education and support. The program
seeks to guide students to success while removing negative societal influences by providing
mentorships, educational activities and valuable opportunities. For more information
about MOY, please visit www.movementofyouth.org.
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