Movement of Youth Portfolio

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%


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


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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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%


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%


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%


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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%


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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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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Movement of Youth Portfolio

Documents

Transcript of Movement of Youth Portfolio