Devising a Media Strategy for Sustained Growth
Managing Recruitment, Training and Retention of Volunteers
Finding Funding Sources

The need for services grows in most communities, but organizations find it increasingly difficult to get adequate funding. Because of economic uncertainties, organizations must prioritize needs (funding, staff, space), and identify alternate resources in the event of funding reductions.

Community-based organizations may benefit from using the media (TV, radio, newspapers and magazines, and the Internet) to promote their mission. Exposure in the media can:

• raise public awareness of the organization
• help mobilize the community
• advance public-policy agendas 
• generate good will
• attract the interest of potential funders

To devise a media strategy that supports
continued growth:

1. Create a list of press contacts including reporters and editors at daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, shoppers' guides, radio and television stations, business publications, and college and university papers. Also check out relevant on-line sites and publications. Record deadlines, appropriate addresses, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

2. After creating your media database, send news releases to announce specific events, important personnel changes, or organizational efforts. Print news releases on your organization's letterhead, and try to keep them to one page. On the first line, put the release date; on the second line, list names, phone numbers and e-mails of organizational contacts. Write the release to summarize your news in a brief but lively style.

Effective volunteer programs meet the needs of the agency, staff, consumers and volunteers, and can reduce expenses. Careful selection, training, supervision, and evaluation are important steps to developing a successful volunteer program. But the first step is to ask:

• What are our needs?
• Should volunteers meet them?
• What skills do volunteers need to have to fulfill
  these roles?
• Will bringing in volunteers save the program money,
  or cost money?

The Association for the Care of Children's Health cites 10 essential steps for a successful volunteer program:

• Include staff members in planning and decision-
  making process
• Carefully assess need for volunteers
• Calculate the cost and benefits for the organization
• Prepare well-defined job descriptions for each
  volunteer position
• Establish criteria for selection and application
• Make sure applicants are carefully screened
• Write performance standards for volunteers and
  staff supervisors
• Base volunteer training on defined needs
• Review supervision strategies and skills with staff
• Arrange recognition and support of volunteers

Over time, the costs and benefits of a volunteer program will become clearer if you track and document time and effort spent on orientation, training and supervision. This will help you determine if the time commitment required of each volunteer justifies the time invested in the volunteer. If not, rethink the program so that it saves money rather than costs money.

Funding strategies that support the long-term growth of
organizations include:

• pooling resources: Agencies sharing funds to achieve common goals
• delegating resources: Using existing funds more wisely and effectively
• reorganizing resources: Providing lower-cost services
• refinancing and reinvesting resources: Seeking funding from federal entitlement programs
• seeking private resources: Leveraging private sector and foundation support

To find public funding, explore Medicaid and traditional funding sources for child welfare, income support, child care and nutrition, and health, mental health, substance abuse and juvenile justice programs.

Private citizens, corporations, and foundations may provide funding and grants for community-based work with fewer strings and less administrative burden than public sources. This funding may also be used for planning, pilot programming, and/or evaluation costs—expenses not covered by public support.

Private funding may play a significant role in developing more comprehensive services for communities, but agencies face stiff competition for these grants. Also, expect to consume significant staff resources (for research, grant writing, etc.) before writing a successful grant.