Service Learning Project

Service Learning Project

Developing a Marketing Plan for a Community Based Organization

What is Service Learning?

Service Learning is a form of experiential learning in which students engage in community SERVICE activities directly related to the academic objectives of a course, participating actively in LEARNING the key concepts, tools, and processes of a discipline. Students apply what they are learning to enhance the operation of local nonprofit organizations, also called Community Based Organizations (CBO’s). Students gain relevant, hands-on learning experience and at the same time act as a valuable resource to enhance the marketing activities of a CBO and improve the quality of life in the community.

Marketing 100S is the introductory course in marketing, required of all majors in the Craig School of Business. The course has been designated as a service-learning course. Marketing is an inspiring and dynamic field of study and a rewarding career. The best way to learn key marketing concepts, tools, and processes is adopting a Learning-by-Doing philosophy. Marketing is an ideal business discipline for service learning since the overwhelming majority of CBO’s can use assistance in this area.

What is a Marketing Plan?

A well-designed marketing plan indicates how an organization’s mission and objectives will be achieved through specific marketing strategies and tactics. For typical elements of a Marketing Plan, refer to Chapter 2, pages 20-21 (Exhibit 2.5) in the textbook.

What is the Overall Purpose of this Project?

The purpose of this Service Learning project is to develop the next year’s marketing plan for a CBO. In this project, students work as a team and assume the role of a Marketing Department responsible for creating a marketing plan. To implement this project, students will learn and apply key marketing concepts, tools, and processes. Each team member is required to spend 15 total hours on the project for the designated CBO.

Service Learning Project Grades

NOTES

Note 1 – Marketing Plan: To create the marketing plan, students will proceed through three sequential steps as described in the following pages. The development of the marketing plan is systemically integrated with chapters from the textbook. Students will engage in Collaborative Sessions – held in class – to develop the marketing plan. Sessions will take approximately 60 minutes and will allow students to collaborate effectively on their project and marketing plan. Instructions for this plan are on the service learning website.

Note 2 – Presentation: Students will present their marketing plan to the class. Presentations times will be assigned by the instructor.

Note 3 – Individual Readings Assignment: Each individual will read four articles assigned by the instructor and write a review paper. Instructions for this assignment are on the service learning website.

Note 4 – Individual Press Release Assignment: Each team member will create a Press Release for their designated CBO. The press release should be used to publicize an event or important information about the CBO. Instructions for this assignment are on the service learning website.

Note 5 – Mid-Course Check-In: The team will submit their work to date through Session 3.

Note 6 – Individual Reflections Paper: Instructions for this assignment are on the service learning website

Note 7 – Peer Evaluation Form: Each individual will submit a Peer Evaluation form, which will be provided by your instructor. A copy of this form is also on the service learning website.

Note 8 – Work Log: Each individual will keep a log of hours spent on the project and submit it with the final project. The student work log is on the service learning website.

Service Learning Project Requirements and Procedures

Following is step-by-step information about how to complete the service-learning project and requirements.

Collaborative Session 1: Form the team, elect a team coordinator, select a CBO, and arrange a meeting with the supervisor of the CBO (the person supervising the service-learning project).

(Deadlines to be determined by your instructor.)

Task A: Form the Team. The Service Learning Project will be completed as a team (up to 5 members).

Task B: Elect a Service Learning Team Coordinator. The Team Coordinator will receive 25 extra points for performing the responsibilities below:

• Coordinating the team meeting times and locations.
• Serving as the liaison between the CBO supervisor and the team.
• Ensuring that all documents are completed properly and submitted to the instructor per due dates.
• Overseeing the assembly of the Marketing Plan to ensure that all components are included.
• Overseeing the proper editing and proofreading of all documents.
• Preparing a detailed log for all meetings (including the date, time and location of meetings, who was present, what discussed, what was decided) and submitting it to the instructor.

Task C: Select a Community Based Organization (CBO).

• Students may already be familiar with an organization they’d like to work with. Your instructor may also recommend candidate CBO’s.
• Additional resources for selecting a CBO include the list of approved organizations provided on the Marketing Department’s Service Learning Website.
• Students may also meet CBO’s by attending the Community Services Fair, held at the beginning of each semester. The Instructor will announce the date of the fair.

Task D: Arrange a Meeting with the CBO Project Supervisor.

After Service Learning teams are formed, team coordinators should call and/or send an e-mail to the CBO supervisor of the project and arrange for the initial meeting. This meeting should take place not later than third week of the semester. After the initial meeting with supervisor of the service learning project is arranged, the team coordinator should post a message regarding the date and the time of the meeting, in the team discussion board, and also send an e-mail to team members and notify them. All team members are required to attend the initial meeting in order to start the project. The team members should print the blank Service Learning Plan form and take it to the initial meeting with project supervisor. (Your instructor will provide information about how to access this form.) The individual Service Learning Plan should be signed by the CBO supervisor during the initial meeting session and be turned in before the start of collaborative Session 2. Students may not start work on the project without submitting the signed Service Learning Plan.

Task E: Submit your signed, individual Learning Plan form to your instructor.

The outcomes of Collaborative Sessions 2-7 will be included in the written marketing plan.

Collaborative Session 2

(Minimum 3 pages. Deadline to be determined by your instructor.)

The team will provide an organizational description of their CBO and an assessment of their current marketing situation by using a SWOT Analysis. The relevant information should be gathered by visiting the company’s web site, reading the CBO’s annual report (if available), and during the initial meeting with supervisor of the project.

Task A: Provide background information and an organizational description for your CBO. Each team member should come to this session prepared by providing his/her answers to the following questions:

• Provide a brief outline of the genesis of the organization. How did it start? Why was it founded?
• Explain the CBO’s mission and vision
• Explain the organizational structure. Describe the parties involved in decision-making. Specify number of paid staff vs. volunteers and the role of the organization’s Board of Directors (if they have one). (If your CBO is a “branch” of a national organization, describe the local organization.)
• Explain the current product/services offered by CBO and the logistics and supply chain management used to deliver or distribute those product/services.
• Explain how this organization differs from similar organizations providing similar services.
• Provide a description of those who use the organization’s services.
• Explain what kind of promotional activities the organization normally engages in and for what their purpose is. What kind of promotional materials does the currently use? (Attach samples.)
• Briefly explain the CBO’s current sources of funding.

Task B: Perform a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis of your CBO.

For a guideline about how to perform the analysis, see Chapter 2, page 22 of the textbook.

Collaborative Session 3: Identify and explain the next year’s marketing and financial objectives for the CBO. Discuss in detail their target segments and key stakeholders.

(Minimum 3 pages. Deadline to be determined by your instructor.)

Task A: Briefly explain the next year’s marketing objectives the CBO expects to achieve:

• Based on information from the initial meeting with the supervisor of the project, explain the specific marketing objectives that CBO expects to achieve next year. For example, conducting fundraising events, creating and implementing an Integrated Marketing Communication Plan (IMC), preparing promotional materials (developing a flyer, creating presentation materials, creating or enhancing a website, creating a newsletter, or direct mail campaign).

Task B: What marketing objectives does your team suggest they pursue?

• Consistent with the mission and vision statements of the CBO, each team member should bring his /her own recommended list of the next year’s overall marketing objectives. For example, objectives might include retaining and/or attracting new constituents, assessing constituents’ satisfaction levels, increasing the awareness of services provided, changing the attitude of constituents, or other objectives that the CBO hopes to achieve such as forging partnerships with key organizations in the region, etc.

Remember a meaningful objective should:

• Identify specific and targeted constituent(s)
• Specify a measurable outcome (i.e., increase the number of incoming inquiries by 10% in 2016 and by 15% in 2017)
• Be feasible and attainable (meaning it has a way to be funded)
• Have a time frame for completion or achievement

Task C: Explain the next year’s financial objectives (funding objectives): Explain how the CBO plans to support and fund itself in next year in terms of revenue generation, fundraising charging for services, etc.

Task D: Specify and explain the next year’s target segment(s):

• Describe the top audience groups (stakeholders) your CBO needs to engage in next year. In explaining the target segment (s), consider the following:
• The client base
• The donor base – individual and corporate
• Volunteers of the CBO and any training or other skills the CBO requires of volunteers.
• If your organization requires “inputs” such as donated blood (the Blood Bank) or donated goods (the Goodwill), explain the profile of those donating “inputs.”
• How do the different groups break down into segments (shared perspectives, habits and wants)?
• Identify the key characteristics of the target segments the CBO serves using psychographic, demographic, or other variables.
• Describe the diversity present in the organization’s target market and the challenges that presents for the CBO. What different cultures and languages does the CBO work with?

Mid-Course Check-In

After completion of Collaborative Session 3, students will submit work completed to date on their project. This check-in will allow students to receive feedback from the instructor to facilitate success with the final project submission. Your instructor will provide further direction and a deadline for this assignment.

Collaborative Session 4: Determine the CBO’s next year’s service offering(s) & delivery mechanisms that will reach their marketing and financial objectives.

(Minimum 2 pages. Deadline to be determined by your instructor.)

Task A: Specify the next service offering(s): For this session, each team member should bring his/her own

proposed new service offerings required to reach the marketing and financial objectives specified

in session 3. After throrough discussion, team members should build a consensus regarding its proposed

offerings and/or revised services offerings for next year. Please note that your recommended offer of new / additional services must include recommendations (in the Funding Plan Section) specifying how additional funding will be obtained in order to offer those additional services.

Task B: Develop the next year’s Service Delivery Mechanism (logistics and supply chain management requirements): Consider upstream and downstream flows of services and resources between the CBO and its constituents, service and relationship management, supply and demand management, etc. For this session, each team member should bring his/her own recommendations regarding proposed new service delivery mechanisms for group discussion. After thorough discussion the team should finalize and prepare its recommendations. Your recommended offer of additional delivery mechanisms must include a set of recommendations about how to raise additional funding required (in the Funding Plan section).

Collaborative Session 5: Develop the CBO’s next year promotional and Internet & Social Media plans. (Minimum 4 Pages. Deadline to be determined by your instructor.)

Task A: Develop the next year’s promotional plan: To achieve the marketing objectives specified in Collaborative Session 3, each team member should bring his/her own ideas for proposed promotional plans for group discussion. For guidelines refer to Chapter 15, particularly pages 267-268 (Goals of Promotion) and pages 273-275 (AIDA Model, and Concept of IMC). After thorough discussion of team members’ recommendations, the team should build a consensus and create an appropriate promotional plan using the concept of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).

Task B: Develop the next year’s Internet & social media plans: After thorough discussion, the team should

determine what type of the Internet Marketing & Social Media Plans will be used to promote the

mission of CBO to reach the objectives decided during Collaboration Session 3. For a guideline

refer to Chapter 18. Determine which communication channels will be used and how frequently they will be used. Consider:

• The organization’s website
• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Paid advertising (Google AdWords, online banner ads)
• Other electronic communications (newsletter, e-newsletter, direct mail)

Collaborative Session 6: Develop the CBO’s next year’s funding plan.

(Minimum 2 Pages. Deadline to be determined your instructor.)

Task A: Determine required funding: To achieve the marketing objectives specified in Collaborative Session 3, each team member should bring his /her own ideas regarding the required resources and funding for a) providing the proposed service offerings in conjunction with its delivery mechanism; and b) executing the proposed promotional and social media plans. (What resources will it take to reach the Marketing Objectives? How will the CBO obtain them? How much will your recommendations cost?). Consider:

• Does the organization charge for any of its services? If so, describe the how pricing works (sliding scale, flat fee, by-the-hour, membership, etc.) Does the organization sell anything and keep a portion of the proceeds? About what percent of the organization’s budget comes from these sources?
• Donations: What percentage of the organization’s budget comes from individual and / or corporate donations? Describe the major sources of donations. For example, many organizations hold an annual fundraiser or two that account for most of their donations.
• Grants / government funding: What percentage of the organization’s funding comes from grants from private organizations and from local, state or federal government sources? If possible, identify the agency or organization providing such funds.

For a general guideline about how to develop a Funding Plan, please refer to following web-site:

After thorough discussion the team should, finalize its proposed funding plan for achieving the objectives decided during session 3.

Collaborative Session 7: Develop the next year CBO’s implementation, evaluation & control plans, and provide additional recommendations

(Minimum 3 pages. Deadline: to be determined by your instructor.)

Task A: Develop the next year CBO’s implementation plan for the next year: For this session, each team member should bring his/her own suggestions for group discussion regarding the process that should turn the proposed marketing plan into action assignments (sequential steps with deadlines) and ensure that steps are executed in a way that accomplishes the plan objectives.