Start Here…Go FurtherHelp Implement a National

College Access Initiative

Session 6

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The Need for Communication

• What students and families know about financial aid

• What are we doing to communicate and how well are we doing it?

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Limitations of existing outreach efforts• Information/awareness-focused• Lack of clear, compelling messages to

action• Insufficient understanding of the

audience• No message delivery in popular culture• Targeting parents is often not a priority

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CAM – a model of successful communication• Social marketing is the application

of marketing concepts and tools to causes that advance the social good (anti-smoking campaigns, designated drivers, get out the vote)

• College access marketing is social marketing that persuades people to engage in college-going behaviors.

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Core principles of college access marketing• Know your audience and look at

everything from their point of view.• Build on your audience’s existing

beliefs, attitudes, values, and motivations.

• Be very clear about what you are encouraging people to do.

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Core principles of college access marketing (continued)

• Remove unnecessary barriers (make it as easy as possible).

• The best techniques aren’t necessarily the flashiest.

• Remember that success depends on getting your audience to act.

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College Access Marketing website

www.collegeaccessmarketing.org

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Create a Campaign – College Access Marketing1. Define the purpose and focus of your

campaign: what problem are you trying to solve?

2. Identify your target audience and their primary influencers

3. Set objectives: what do you want your audience to do?

4. Research your audience as a reality check

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Create a Campaign - College Access Marketing5. Plan: Build a strong marketing plan

(resources, strategy, tactics, messages)

6. Implement your plan7. Learn as you go: track results and

make adjustments8. Evaluate results and share your

efforts with the field

FUNDRAISING BASICS

Securing Financial Resources for Your

Program

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PROCESS

• Identify prospects through research• Educate prospects through appropriate

materials• Cultivate prospects through relationship-

building activities and events• Engage prospects through meaningful

involvement• Solicit them through personal contact

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PROCESS – Essential Elements• LEADERSHIP – Who in your

group will take charge?

• CASE - Tell your story! Why is your program important?

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PROCESS – Essential Elements• PROSPECTS – Who might be

interested in this program?

• RESOURCES - Commit a sufficient level of resources to the effort. Form a special fundraising/sponsorship group.

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PLAN – An essential tool

• Gives you a road map so you know where you’re going and when you’ve gotten there.

• Helps to build ownership among all participants.

• How will money be spent?

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PLAN – An essential tool

• Tells everyone what their role is; assigns responsibilities.

• Tracks what works and what doesn’t.

• Saves time and reinventing the wheel at each meeting.

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PLAN – What’s in it?

• Mission-Drive Programs – What needs funding? How do those programs relate to your mission?

• Diverse Sources of Funding – Take advantage of the many sources for funding. One contribution or ongoing?

• Dollar Goals – How much do you plan to raise?

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PLAN – What’s in it?

• Staff Assignments – Who is responsible?• Volunteer Assignments – Who will be in

charge?• Monthly Tasking – What tasks need to be

done when?• Costs – What is the time and energy level

volunteers have to put into a plan and implementation?

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PEOPLE• Fundraising is all about

RELATIONSHIPS.• This applies to individuals,

corporations, foundations – everyone!• Everybody knows somebody.• The main reason why people give

– The right person asked them for the right gift at the right time in the right way.

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Create a Campaign – Fundraising

1. Define the purpose and focus of your campaign: what initiatives are you trying to fund?

2. Identify your potential donors, sponsors or partners, as well as their primary influencers

3. Set objectives: what do you want these prospects to do?

4. Research your prospects as a reality check

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Create a Campaign - Fundraising

5. Plan: Build a strong fundraising plan (resources, strategy, tactics, messages)

6. Implement your plan7. Learn as you go: track results and

make adjustments8. Evaluate results and share your

efforts with the field

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Recap:PROCESSPLANPEOPLE

For more information, visit www.capdevstrat.com

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College Goal Sunday

• Free assistance to low-income families and first-generation students to complete the FAFSA.

• Funded by Lumina Foundation for Education; managed by NASFAA.

• 25 states plus DC.• Additional nine states in 2007.

www.collegegoalsundayusa.org

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Create a Campaign – College Goal Sunday Marketing1. Define: Increase FAFSA filers within the

target population.2. Identify: Ex. Urban low-income youth.

Primary influencers: Parents, religious leaders, peers

3. Set objectives: Get them to attend prepared to complete the FAFSA.

4. Research: Knowledge of this population, i.e. attitudes, incentives and barriers.

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Create a Campaign - College Goal Sunday Marketing5. Plan: Using marketing toolkit, include

partners, develop working groups, develop messages outreach plan.

6. Implement: Develop timeline, responsibilities, follow up and accountability.

7. Learn: Report back to working group and task force, respond to opportunities and challenges.

8. Evaluate: Who came? Who didn’t? Attendees prepared? Participation by site?

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Audience Research• Trends in Youth Culture

– Where they hang– Where they spend their money– Popular technology– What they listen to– Where they spend most of their time

• Adult Population– Where they work– What are their day-to-day lives like

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Create a Campaign – College Goal Sunday Fundraising1. Define: Sustainability of program following

Lumina grant; diversification of funding sources.

2. Identify: Identify prospective donors in the state, i.e. businesses, foundations, individuals.

3. Set objectives: Secure financial support, in-kind support, sponsorships, recruit volunteers.

4. Research: Market to the needs and motivations of the donor. For example, the wealthy self-made man who “made it” because of education.

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Create a Campaign - College Goal Sunday Fundraising5. Plan: Using the fundraising toolkit, establish a

fundraising working group; set dollar goals.6. Implement: Develop timeline, responsibilities,

follow up and accountability.7. Learn: Report back to working group and task

force, respond to opportunities and challenges.8. Evaluate: Dollars raised, sponsors and

volunteers recruited, in-kind gifts secured, etc.

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For More Information…• Karen Cheng, Project Manager

– Pathways to College Network– cheng@teri.org

• Marshall H. Ginn, CRFE– Capital Development Strategies– marshall@capdevstrat.com

• Marcia Weston– Director of College Goal Sunday Operations– westonm@nasfaa.org