The Friendship Circle OC - Public Relations Campaign

The Friendship Circle OC The Power of Friendship PR Campaign

Camy Jun Meghan Kaiser Alexandra Kaufman Melanie Ward

Table of Contents Friendship Circle OC

Part II: Communications Tactics

Executive Summary .............................................................5 Introduction ..........................................................................................6 Client Fact Sheet ........................................................................7

Overview .............................................................................................................................37 News Release ............................................................................................................38 Feature Article ...........................................................................................................39 Social Media Site ....................................................................................................40 Special Event Media Alert .......................................................................41 Media Pitch ......................................................................................................................42 Spokesperson Bio ................................................................................................43 Direct Mail Piece .......................................................................................................44 Brochure ..............................................................................................................................45

Part I: Campaign Plan Background .........................................................................................11 Programs Offered ....................................................................12 Situation Analysis ....................................................................13 Core Problem ..................................................................................14 Goals & Objectives ..................................................................15 Key Publics ..........................................................................................16 Campaign Theme ................................................................20 Strategies & Tactics ............................................................21 Communications Tables ..........................................25 Budget .....................................................................................................29 Calendar ...............................................................................................30 Evaluation Criteria ................................................................32

Part III: Appendix Competitive Literature Analysis ..................................................49 Trend Research .......................................................................................................56 Original Research ..................................................................................................60 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................68

Friendship Circle OC A Brief Introduction

Share the Power of Friendship

Executive Summary Friendship Circle OC The Friendship Circle’s mission is to provide children with special needs with a full range of social recreational practices; provide their parents with respite and support; and enrich, inspire, and motivate teens through sharing of themselves with others.

Friendship Circle OC is a non-profit organization that provides activities for special needs children free of charge for their families. The impact of these activities spreads farther than simply the special needs children. The teen volunteers learn the value of lending a helping hand, as well as gaining lifelong friendships. Parents of special needs children are granted well-deserved alone time knowing their children are safe.

This public relations campaign will define Friendship Circle’s key publics, outline goals, and present strategies and tactics to achieve those goals. This plan will help Friendship Circle OC distinguish itself by emphasizing the effects of acceptance, inclusion, and friendship on individuals with special needs.

Theme: The Power of Friendship Timeline: August 2014 - August 2015 5

Introduction Friendship Circle Orange County Friendship Circle OC has been in operation for eight years. In this time they have helped over 400 special needs families, and been helped by over 1,000 teen volunteers.

The Friendship Circle’s Mission is to provide children with special needs with a full range of social recreational experiences; provide their parents with respite and support; and enrich, inspire, and motivate teens through sharing of themselves with others. The key publics defined in this campaign are special needs families in Orange County, corporate donors in Orange County, pediatricians and therapists in Orange County, and educators in Orange County schools.

If Friendship Circle OC does not improve visibility and funding, then it will be unable to increase the number of participants and provide high-quality services to its clients.

Currently, Friendship Circle OC lacks recurring donors, making it difficult to provide their programs and services free of charge.

This campaign includes major changes in operations, events, and marketing. In short some of these change are adding additional staff, increasing frequency of events, and the creation of new literature. The campaign theme is “The Power of Friendship” because this snappy statement incorporates the Friendship Circle’s core beliefs – that every child is worthy of love, laughter, and connection.

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Client Fact Sheet The Friendship Circle OC

2240 University Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Contact: Chani Mintz 949-689-8616 info@friendshipcircleoc.org Mission

The Friendship Circle’s Mission is to provide special needs children with a full range of social, recreational experiences; provide their parents with respite and support; and enrich, inspire, and motivate teens through sharing of themselves with others.

Organization

Chani Mintz and JoAnn Krupp are the directors, and are in charge of facilitating all events, and delegating tasks to volunteers.

Facility

The Friendship Circle OC just purchased a new facility, which is still under construction.

This facility, projected to be complete at the end of 2014, will house all of their future activities. In the meantime, Friendship Circle hosts many of its events at the Bonita Creek Community Center.

Programs

The Friendship Circle offers eleven different programs annually – Sunday Circle, Friends at Home, Young Adult Circle, Adult Buddies, Teen Training, Birthday Club, Summer Camp, Winter Camp, Evening of Recognition, Mom’s Night Out, and Schmooze Crew.

These programs are for the special needs children, volunteers, parents, and/or siblings of the special needs children.

Cost

All programs and events are free of charge for the children and their families.

Participants

Friendship Circle is comprised of three divisions of participants: special needs children, their parents, and teen volunteers. During the last eight years, Friendship Circle has helped over 300 special needs children and their families, and has had over 1000 teen volunteers.

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Part I Campaign Plan

Discover the Power of Friendship

Background National Background Nationally, Friendship Circle has been around since 1994. They started with just eight volunteers in Detroit, Michigan. The ripple effect of this powerful cause turned the organization into what it is today. Presently the Friendship Circle has 79 locations worldwide, 5,000 special needs children, and 11,000 teen volunteers.

Orange County Friendship Circle OC took form in 2006 when founders Chani and Jo Ann recognized the lack of programs and support for families of special needs children. Today Friendship Circle OC has helped over 400 special needs children and their families, and been helped by over 1,000 teen volunteers.

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Programs Offered Sunday Circle

Birthday Club

Sunday Circle provides one-on-one interaction with a teen friend while in the company of peers. Specialized art, music, and dance therapy raise spirits and promote creativity, while sports and exercise gross motor skills and promote physical fitness.

Birthday Club is where a special needs child can be treated like royalty for a day, filled with friends and special presents!

Friends at Home

Mom’s Night Out falls back on the idea that the Friendship Circle was founded as a reprieve for parents. This program allows parents to partake in an evening of fun and relaxation away from their children.

Friends at Home is the cornerstone of The Friendship Circle. In this program, special needs children are visited by their teen buddies weekly in the convenience of their own home.

Young Adult Circle Young Adult Circle is a program for young adults with special needs. This program equips special needs teenagers with life skills they will need as they venture out into the world.

Adult Buddies Adult Buddies, or Adult Mentors is a newer program, in which adults with special needs are able to spend time with other adult volunteers.

Teen Training The Teen Training program is for the high school volunteers. Teens learn how to interact with special needs children, and are able to share their experiences and tips with each other to better prepare them.

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Mom’s Night Out

Schmooze Crew Schmooze Crew is a support group for parents of special needs children, ran by parents of special needs children. The group, predominantly mothers, gets together to bond and share stories over coffee and snacks.

Summer & Winter Camp Summer and Winter Camp are week-long camps that feature a variety of activities, ensuring that there is something for everyone! In addition to games and sports, the children also go on field trips to places around Orange County.

Evening of Recognition The Evening of Recognition is a formal dinner hosted by the Friendship Circle each May. This evening honors Friendship Circle’s high school buddies and volunteers.

Situation Analysis Strengths Community Involvement Preexisting involvement at local high schools and through community centers Free of Charge All services and programs offered by the Friendship Circle are free of charge to participants Specialized Services are Unique No other organizations focus specifically on the developmental benefits of friendship for special needs children.

Opportunities New Complex This new facility will be able to house more participants, and has a prime location in Orange County Increasing Awareness By creating and distributing new literature, FCOC will gain needed recognition in the community Establish a Corporate Sponsorship A reoccurring corporate donor will allow stability and growth

Weaknesses Lack of Funding There are no existing recurring donors Lack of Manpower There are not enough staff members to support growth Perception of Denominational Roots Many current participants are unaware that Friendship Circle OC is non-denominational

Threats Connection to the Jewish Faith Could turn away potential families Local Non-Profits Orange County ‘s high level of non-profit organizations makes competition for corporate donors tough Scheduling Limitations The increase of frequency in activities proposed in this campaign may be impractical for families currently involved

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Core Problem

If the Friendship Circle OC does not improve visibility and funding, then it will be unable to increase the number of participants and provide high-quality services to its clients.

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Goals & Objectives Goal: Increase funding and manpower for Friendship Circle OC Objectives: • Obtain a corporate sponsorship with a local organization by August 2015.

• Host a walk/jog 5K fundraiser with at least 200 participants, including special needs children, their families, and the general public, by May 2015.

• Acquire $2500 in donations from individual donors by February 2015.

• Hire two college interns. One intern will be responsible for graphic design, social media, and marketing. The second intern will be responsible for fundraising, event planning, and marketing.

These interns begin in January 2015.

• Hire one additional staff member to oversee operations, plan events, and carry out this public relations plan. This person will begin August 2014.

Goal: Increase visibility for Friendship Circle OC Objectives: • Incorporate an integrated marketing strategy, which will increase the frequency and consistency of posts on all social media platforms, by September 2014.

• Increase social media following by 200% by April 2015.

• Create the following literature: individual flyers for each program offered by the Friendship Circle, a brochure, a revamped newsletter by January 2015.

• Distribute 500 brochures to behavioral therapy clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, and schools by January 2015.

• Enhance newsletter by distributing quarterly issues beginning January 2015.

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Key Publics Special Needs Families in Orange County Currently, one in 10 children living in California are in need of special care or assistance. With the predicted rise in population in Orange County, this public is bound to grow over the next few years. Multiple forms of therapy, constant attention, and basic day-to-day care are just a few of the major expenses required by special needs children. The poor economic condition of the state and lack of coverage from insurance both contribute to the financial hardships of this public. Friendship Circle OC began as a free service for families with special needs children and features many different programs for children and their families. Through the Friendship Circle, special needs children have the opportunity to interact and bond with their peers as well as with local teenagers. Parents can rest assured that their children are in a safe, engaging environment while they enjoy some welldeserved free time.

Influentials: pediatricians; doctors; hospitals; other parents; extended family members; school teachers and administrators Self Interests: Parents will be able to receive free childcare from trustworthy establishment, which will improve mental and emotional well being for them and their children. It will also allow their children to be independent and feel included.

Problem & Solution Parents of special needs children have a lack of opportunities for their children to participate in activities, foster friendships, and grow as individuals. These parents seldom take time for themselves because their children require constant care. The Friendship Circle OC provides an outlet for special needs children, and a reprieve for their parents. In addition to hosting sports and games, Friendship Circle also has programs that teach life skills to both children and adults with special needs.

“Bring the power of friendship to your family.�

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Key Publics Corporate Donors in Orange County This public encompasses companies in Orange County with a sense of social responsibility. Disneyland Resort, PIMCO, Bank of America, Kaiser Permanente, Taco Bell, Edwards Lifesciences and UPS are all national and international companies that are based in Orange County, or have branches in Orange County; they are also linked because they are known as influential corporate donors for non-profits.

These companies, along with others, have actual divisions that are dedicated to corporate giving for non-profit organizations because this giving often turns out to be a profitable endeavor. Non-profit donations have tax benefits and are highly marketable. Friendship Circle could benefit immensely from a partnership with one of these corporate donors, and so creating these ties are crucial.

Influentials: peers in the business sector who

Problem & Solution

have donated to non-profit causes; other corporations who have their own philanthropic partnerships; CEO’s significant other

Families of special needs children already have large financial burdens due to medical expenses, thus Friendship Circle courageously takes the burden of finance away by offering all services as free. They need help finding alternative financing solutions, and that is where you come in – you’d be helping and enriching the lives of not only special needs children, but also their financially burdened families. The Friendship Circle is a unique organization that fosters the individual welfare of special needs children. They not only add joy to these children’s lives, but also help them to be more self-sufficient.

They also have programs for family members of special needs children, thus enriching the lives of the family unit as a whole, rather than just of one individual.

Self Interests: Corporate donors will benefit from

donating to The Friendship Circle OC because they will receive tax breaks and create new marketing opportunities for their company.

“Support the power of friendship.”

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Key Publics Pediatricians & Therapists in Orange County Doctors’ offices and pediatricians have direct communication with parents of special needs children. Parents have a high regard for their pediatrician’s expert opinion. These pediatricians are not only knowledgable, but are also genuinely interested in their patients’ well-being. Consequently, a pediatrician’s recommendation for Friendship Circle will speak volumes to parents and greatly increase the number of families involved. In addition to pediatricians, behavioral therapists frequently play a key role in special needs children’s lives. While pediatricians prescribe medication, behavioral therapists provide physical activities that will enhance the overall well-being of the child.

Parents are eager to learn about new techniques that will help their child’s development. A behavioral therapists recommendation of the Friendship Circle will build repute of the medial benefits behind Friendship Circle’s activities.

Influentials: parents; medical periodicals; research articles on studies with children with special needs and friendships; trusted websites with medical content Self Interests: Doctors will be able to provide additional resources to families of special needs children. This will allow doctors to strengthen their likability with parents, which can bring them more clients in the future.

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Problem & Solution Special needs children need an outlet to interact with other special needs and able-bodied children in an environment that is safe, stimulating and fun. This environment will help foster the growth of friendship and learning, opening up a child to a world of opportunity. The Friendship Circle OC takes the time to pair up an able-bodied child and a child with special needs and gives them a place to grow a friendship, and provides many different activities for the children.. These friendships help a child grow through communication, learning, and a sense of belonging.

“The power of friendship is the best medicine.”

Key Publics Educators at Orange County Schools Educators and schools in Orange County, especially those with a high volume of special needs students, are a key opportunity for Friendship Circle. School, like the Friendship Circle, is another “break” for parents and allows the children to act like kids, as well as interact with other special needs children and able-bodied students. The teachers and administration at these schools have a huge impact on special needs kids, as well as ablebodied students. By targeting schools, we would be able to reach out to both special needs kids and able-bodied kids, as well as their parents. Parents communicate with teachers on a regular basis, especially parents of special needs children.

Supplying the teachers with information on The Friendship Circle would greatly benefit our word-of-mouth PR efforts.

Influentials: students, both special needs and able-bodied; parents; other educators; school administrators Self Interests: Teachers will be able to provide additional resources to the parents of their special needs students, as well as provide volunteer opportunities for their able-bodied high school students.

Problem & Solution Special needs children are frequently ostracized from society, and often fail to create lasting bonds with their able-bodied peers. They typically rely solely on their parents and other family members to help them complete daily activities. The Friendship Circle OC pairs each special needs child with an able-bodied buddy, creating bonds that will last a lifetime. The Friendship Circle OC also prepares individuals with special needs for life on their own, providing lessons on how to cook a meal and other daily activities.

“See what the power of friendship does for your students.”

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Campaign Theme

The Power of Friendship Campaign Goal: To distinguish The Friendship Circle OC by emphasizing the effects of acceptance, inclusion, and friendship on individuals with special needs.

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Strategies & Tactics Key Public Special Needs Families in Orange County Strategy Inform parents of special needs children about Friendship Circle OC and encourage them to bring their families.

Tactics 1. Establish what the Friendship Circle wants to accomplish and list out the tasks that need to be completed in order to achieve the projected goals.

2. Send out a consistent newsletter to parents featuring updates of the programs, success stories of both participants and volunteers, and stories relating to the Friendship Circle programs designed for the parents.

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Strategies & Tactics Key Public Corporate Donors in Orange County Strategy Persuade corporate donors that their financial support is vital to the success of a good-natured organization that enriches the lives of special needs children and their families.

Tactics 1. Create a clean and professional direct mail piece to send to local companies and organizations that encourages them to become corporate donors. This mail piece will encourage a relationship (sponsorship or philanthropic relationship) to ensure stability, rather than simply receiving a one-time donation 2. Send a DVD copy of the Friendship Circle video which include clips from Sunday Circle events, teen volunteer testimonials, and parent volunteer testimonials to local corporate donors to allow these people to experience the joy of Friendship Circle without actually having to leave their own office.

3. Research the corporate donors of other non-profit organizations in the area, and appeal to their competition. Explain that they could squelch any competitive edge by also partaking in corporate giving efforts.

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Strategies & Tactics Key Public Pediatricians and Therapists in Orange County Strategy Demonstrate to physicians and doctors of children with special needs in Orange County the effect lasting friendship has on the development of children with special needs and how they can help promote Friendship Circle OC to their patients.

Tactics 1. Provide doctors offices and children’s hospitals that specialize in care of children with special needs with flyers, handouts, and general literature about the Friendship Circle OC and all of their upcoming events.

2. Plan a specific day where you have physicians and doctors come to a Friendship Circle event to see how it works and can garner their own opinion about the organization, as well as be able to tell parents about the organization from firsthand experience.

3. Track the progress of a child who began attending The Friendship Circle regularly in comparison to progress beforehand before they began attendance.

4. Offer an informational session at hospitals and clinics in the area where a short presentation is done about the benefits of Friendship Circle OC.

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Strategies & Tactics Key Public Educators at Orange County Schools Strategy Demonstrate to educators of children with special needs in Orange County schools the effect friendship has on children with special needs and how they can help Friendship Circle OC succeed.

Tactics 1. Provide schools with flyers advertising The Friendship Circle OC’s upcoming events, and have educators distribute to special needs students.

2. Offer educators the opportunity to volunteer with The Friendship Circle OC, such as helping out with Sunday Circles or at a large-scale fundraising event.

3. Distribute informational DVDs about The Friendship Circle OC to educators in Orange County schools to spread awareness about the organization.

4. Invite educators to sponsor a Friendship Circle club at their school.

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Communication Table Pediatricians and in Orange County Special Needs Families inTherapists Orange County Self-Interests

Parents will be able to receive free childcare from trustworthy establishment, which will improve mental and emotional well being for them and their children. It will also allow their children to be independent and feel included.

Primary Messages

Bring the power of friendship to your family.

Influentials

Pediatricians, doctors, hospitals, other parents, extended family members, school teachers and administrators

Objectives

Obtain $2500 in donations from individual donors by February 2015.

Integrate marketing on all communication platforms by September 2014 Increase social media following by 200% by April 2015.

Enhance the newsletter by making quarterly issues beginning January 1, 2015.

Strategies

Demonstrate to parents with special needs children that they can play important roles in the expansion of inclusion and friendship, and make it easy and convenient for them to donate their time, personal skills, and network connections

Tactics

Establish what tasks need to be completed, and list which tasks parent volunteers can accomplish.

Make the task list accessible online, making it easier for parents to help out with small tasks.

Send out a consistent newsletter to parents featuring updates of the programs, success stories of volunteers and participants, and stories designed for the parent’s interests.

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Communication Table Pediatricians and Therapists in Orange County Corporate Donors in Orange County Self-Interests

Corporate donors will benefit from donating to The Friendship Circle OC because they will receive tax breaks and create new marketing opportunities for their company.

Primary Messages

Support the power of friendship.

Influentials

Peers in the business sector who have donated to Friendship Circle, Other corporations who act as role models by having philanthropic partnerships, and spouses of CEOs

Objectives

Obtain a corporate sponsorship with a local organization by August of 2015 Obtain $2500 in donations from individual donors by February 2015

Strategies

Persuade corporate donors that their financial support is vital to the success of a good-natured organization that enriches the lives of special needs children and their families

Tactics

Create a clean and professional direct mail piece to send to local companies and organizations that encourages them to become corporate donors, and encourages them to build a relationship with Friendship Circle (philanthropic or sponsorship). This ensures stability, rather than simply receiving a one-time donation.

Send a DVD copy of the Friendship Circle video which includes clips from Sunday Circle events, teen volunteer testimonials, and parent volunteer testimonials to local corporate donors to allow these people to experience the joy of Friendship Circle without actually having to leave their own office.

Research the corporate donors of other non-profit organizations in the area, and appeal to their competition. Explain that they could squelch any competitive edge by also partaking in corporate giving efforts

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Communication Table Pediatricians and Therapists in County Orange County Pediatricians and Therapists in Orange Self-Interests

Doctors will be able to provide additional resources to families of special needs children. This will allow doctors to strengthen their likability with parents, which can bring them more clients in the future.

Primary Messages

The power of friendship is the best medicine.

Influentials

Parents, medical periodicals, research articles on studies with children with special needs and friendships, trusted websites with medical content.

Objectives

Distribute 500 pamphlets to distribute to behavioral therapy clinics, hospitals, doctors offices, schools, and the local community.

Maintain reoccurring donors.

Strategies

Demonstrate to physicians and doctors of children with special needs in Orange County the effect lasting friendship has on the development of children with special needs and how they can help promote Friendship Circle OC to their patients.

Tactics

Provide doctors offices and children’s hospitals that specialize in care of children with special needs with flyers, handouts, and general literature about the Friendship Circle OC and all of their upcoming events.

Plan a specific day where you have physicians and doctors come to a Friendship Circle event to see how it works and can garner their own opinion about the organization, as well as be able to tell parents about the organization from first-hand experience.

Track the progress of a child who began attending The Friendship Circle regularly in comparison to progress beforehand before they began attendance.

Offer an informational session at hospitals and clinics in the area where a short presentation is done about the benefits of Friendship Circle OC.

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Communication Table Pediatricians andCounty Therapists in Orange County Educators at Orange Schools Self-Interests

Teachers will be able to provide additional resources to the parents of their special needs students, as well as provide volunteer opportunities for their able-bodied high school students.

Primary Messages

See what the power of friendship can do for your students.

Influentials

Students (special needs children and able-bodied), parents, other educators and school administrators

Objectives

Host a walk/jog 5K fundraiser open to parents, children, family members, and the community as a whole by May of 2015 – projected attendance is 150 persons.

Distribute 500 brochures to behavioral therapy clinics, hospitals, doctors offices, schools, and the local community by January 2015.

Strategies

Demonstrate to educators of children with special needs in Orange County schools the effect friendship has on children with special needs and how they can help The Friendship Circle OC succeed.

Tactics

Provide schools with flyers advertising The Friendship Circle OC’s upcoming events, and have educators distribute to special needs students.

Offer educators the opportunity to volunteer with The Friendship Circle OC, such as helping out with Sunday Circles or at a large-scale fundraising event.

Distribute informational DVDs about The Friendship Circle OC to educators in Orange County schools to spread awareness about the organization.

Invite educators to sponsor a Friendship Circle club at their school.

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Budget Campaign Element

Component

NonProfit Estimate

Cost Price

Campaign Element

0

0

Feature Story

photographer’s fee

0

500

TOTAL

graphic elements created in-house

0

0

Newsletter

printing - 500 pieces

155

155

distributed by hand

0

0

$155

$655

graphic elements created in-house

0

0

photographer’s fee

0

500

printing - 1000 pieces

154

postage

NonProfit Estimate

Cost Price

1000

1000

$1000

$1000

written in-house

0

0

photographer’s fee

0

500

graphic elements created in-house

0

0

distributed via email

0

0

$0

$500

photographer’s fee

0

500

graphic elements created in-house

0

0

154

220

220

440

440

printing - 500 pieces

TOTAL

$594

$1094

distributed by hand

0

0

Press Release written in-house

0

0

TOTAL

$220

$720

distributed via email

0

0

CAMPAIGN TOTAL

$3350

$5350

wire service fee

350

350

$350

$350

Brochure

written in-house

Component

TOTAL Direct Mail

TOTAL

writer’s fee

TOTAL Flyers

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Calendar A Typical Week Inside the Circle* Sunday

Sunday Circle and Young Adult Circle Post a picture on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

Monday

Mail out five direct mail pieces to local corporate donors. Keep record of recipients.

Distribute 50 brochures to one of the following: schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices

Tuesday

Social media post with photo of Friends at Home buddies Ensure all social media platforms are consistent with one another Create automated posts for rest of week (birthday wishes, etc)

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Schmooze Crew.

Work on graphic elements of literature and advertising for upcoming events Search for three new media contacts to add to Media List Follow up with recipients of direct mail pieces with a phone call Reach out to five individual donors via email Search for new potential individual donors Social media post advertising upcoming Sunday Circle/Young Adult Circle Follow up email with phone call to individual donors Fill out social media log to keep track of growth and engagement Mom’s Night Out (this will occur once a month)

*This calendar is an example of what should occur weekly at the Friendship Circle. It details weekly events, social media postings, outreach efforts to increase funding and gain new participants, and updating donor and media lists. The two interns will be responsible for completing tasks on this calendar, supervised by the PR staff member.

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Calendar Significant Months

July

April

These months are when four major events are hosted by Friendship Circle: the walk/jog 5K fundraiser, Evening of Recognition, Summer Camp, and Winter Camp. This is a brief outline of what needs to be done to ensure the success of these events.

Summer Camp

Walk/jog 5K Fundraiser

May Evening of Recognition • Reach out to corporate and individual donors two months in advance • Create and distribute flyers one month in advance • Advertise on all social media platforms one month in advance • Create and mail out formal invitations one month in advance • Send out special event media alert two weeks in advance • Create Facebook event page two weeks in advance • Pitch press release to media contacts two weeks in advance • Have feature article published immediately following event

• Create and distribute flyers one month in advance of registration deadline • Send direct mail pieces out two weeks in advance of registration deadline • Social media postings week leading up to registration deadline, during camp, and afterward

December Winter Camp • Create and distribute flyers one month in advance of registration deadline • Send direct mail pieces out two weeks in advance of registration deadline • Social media postings week leading up to registration deadline, during camp, and afterward

• Create flyers three months in advance of fundraiser • Distribute flyers two months in advance of fundraiser • Send out an e-blast two months prior to fundraiser • Send out direct mail piece one month prior to registration deadline • Pitch press release to media contacts one month prior to registration deadline • Begin advertising on all social media platforms one month prior to fundraiser • Create Facebook event page two weeks prior to fundraiser • Send out special event media alert two weeks prior to fundraiser • Have feature article published immediately after fundraiser

Note Additionally, the newsletter will be distributed quarterly: January, April, August, and November. Writing for this should be completed monthly.

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Evaluation Criteria Goal: Increase funding and manpower for Friendship Circle OC. Objective: Appeal to at least 50 corporate donors in the Orange County area by August 2015.

Evaluation Tactics: • Attainment of at least one corporate sponsorship.

• Maintain a record of all corporate offices’ statuses: no response, uninterested, one-time donation, sponsorship.

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Objective: Host a walk/jog 5K fundraiser with at least 200 participants by May 2015.

Evaluation Tactics: • Record how many people register for the 5K fundraiser.

• At event sign in, ask all participants how they heard about Friendship Circle and the fundraiser.

Objective: Acquire $2500 in donations from individual donors by February 2015.

Evaluation Tactics: • Keep a log of all approached individuals and take note of how much each individual donates.

Objective: Acquire two college interns who begin January 2015 and are responsible for graphic design, social media, event planning, and marketing.

Objective: Hire one additional staff member to oversee operations, plan events, and carry out this public relations campaign beginning August 2014.

Evaluation Tactics: • Keep record of internship applicants.

• Track interns’ progress through measurable data such as social media followers, event turnout, etc.

• Collect weekly reports from interns on their progress.

Evaluation Tactics: • Employee will turn in a description of work completed on a weekly basis.

• Measure new employee’s impact by documenting attendees at Friendship Circle OC events; number of participants should increase by 30%.

Evaluation Criteria Goal: Increase visibility for Friendship Circle OC.

Objective: Distribute newsletter quarterly beginning January 2015.

Objective: Incorporate an integrated marketing strategy which will increase frequency and consistency of posts on all social media platforms by September 2014.

Evaluation Tactics: • Send a survey to newsletter recipients to see if they found newsletter helpful and informative.

Evaluation Tactics: • Monitor the increase in social media hits for three months following September 2014.

• Ensure all marketing materials are cohesive across all platforms.

• Survey where new volunteers and families heard about Friendship Circle.

Objective: Create the following literature: individual flyers for each program offered by Friendship Circle, a brochure, and a revamped newsletter by January 2015.

Objective: Distribute 500 brochures to behavioral therapy clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, and schools by January 2015.

Evaluation Tactics: • Ask all new participants where they heard about Friendship Circle to determine reach of brochures.

• Request feedback from all brochure suppliers on consumer response.

Evaluation Tactics: • Use a survey to find out how many existing Friendship Circle families found the new literature useful.

• Survey new families to learn how and where they heard about Friendship Circle.

Objective: Increase social media following 200% by April 2015.

Evaluation Tactics: • Track number of social media hits monthly, beginning September 2014.

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Part II Communications Tactics

Spread the Power of Friendship

Communications Tactics A Brief Overview The following communications tactics are some examples of what we believe would be the best way for Friendship Circle OC to increase visibility and awareness in Orange County. Along with these tactics, we suggest a broader social media campaign, as well as reformatting and updating the newsletter, which should be sent out on a quarterly basis.

News Release Feature Article Social Media Site Special Event Media Alert Media Pitch Spokesperson Bio Direct Mail Piece Brochure

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News Release The Friendship Circle OC 2240 University Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 Contact: Meghan Kaiser Kaise105@mail.chapman.edu 661-487-6551 10 a.m. April 1 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friendship Circle OC Hosts ‘Evening of Recogition’ NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The Orange County branch of a national non-profit organization, Friendship Circle, will host an Evening of Recognition for their teen volunteers. The event will take place on May 7 at 7:00 PM, and is open to the community.

Friendship Circle connects special needs children with local teens to build friendships, fostering emotional and intellectual growth for all individuals involved. The organization also offers support groups for family members of special needs children.

The evening of recognition will honor over 200 local teenagers who volunteer with Friendship Circle.

Dinner and entertainment will be provided.

Members of the community are invited to celebrate, and show their support. Tables of eight seats are $250. All proceeds will help benefit the Friendship Circle, and help make possible the organization’s daily operations.

Friendship Circle of Orange County was founded in 2006, and has since helped over 100 special needs children, and their families. Nationally the organization was established in 1994, and has 79 locations with 5,000 special needs children and 11,000 teen volunteers who have built lifelong friendships. ####

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Feature Article The Friendship Circle OC 2240 University Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 Contact: Camy Jun jun101@mail.chapman.edu 949-721-9800 The Power of Friendship What is friendship? There are so many beautiful words to describe this wondrous thing - love, loyalty, acceptance, inclusion. Yet no string of elegant words can compare to the magnificence of witnessing the balance of delicacy and power that resides in friendship.

Kylie is a very special 10-year-old girl. She works diligently on a piece of artwork she is creating, pausing every once in a while to share smiles and giggles with her Friendship Circle friend, Hannah.

Small lines of focus reappear on her forehead as she returns to her drawing, carefully coloring with her orange crayon. After a few finishing touches, Kylie picks up her drawing and admires it, and before running off to a new activity she offers it to Hannah with a hug.

Kylie and Hannah have been friends through the Friendship Circle of Orange County for the past three years. Hannah, a high school junior, first learned about the Friendship Circle her freshman year through an organized club on her school campus and has been volunteering at Friendship Circle ever since.

“When I first learned about the Friendship Circle I knew I wanted to get involved. Their mission is easy to become passionate about, and now I couldn’t imagine my life without Kylie’s friendship,” said Hannah.

When Hannah shared Kylie’s drawing, the first thing you notice is her favoritism towards the color orange – Friendship Circle OC’s signature color - across the page. Hannah goes on to explain that the Friendship Circle is partnering up with Hurley for their first Back Bay 5K, and Kylie’s drawing depicted her and Hannah crossing the finish line together. The Walk is scheduled for Sunday April 12, and will be held at Back Bay Loop of Newport Beach. “Kylie and I are so excited for the walk, and I have been talking to all of the volunteers and their buddies are too,” said Hannah.

The Friendship Circle OC is a small nonprofit /organization that provides free special needs childcare for families in the Orange County area. The physical, emotional and economical taxes of having a special needs child are often overlooked. The Friendship Circle OC was originally created as a respite for these families, as all of their services are free of charge. The Friendship Circle is founded upon the principles of acceptance and inclusion, as special needs children and normal education children are brought together to experience the power of friendship. With the help of 300 volunteers, the Friendship Circle provides care and fun for over 100 special needs children in the Orange County area.

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Social Media Site

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Special Event Media Alert The Friendship Circle OC 2240 University Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 Alexandra Kaufman kaufm116@mail.chapman.edu | 949-721-9800

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Special Event Media Advisory Friendship Circle OC Honors Volunteers at ‘Evening of Recognition’ WHAT: The Friendship Circle Orange County is hosting its annual “Night of Recognition.” This is a night of celebration and fun to honor each of the volunteers at The Friendship Circle for all of their hard work and dedication to the organization. This year, the event will be featuring Blake Leeper, a US Paralymic Champion, as well as a special children’s art show auction said Chani Mintz, director of The Friendship Circle.

WHERE: Chuck Jones Center for Creativity in Costa Mesa, Calif WHEN: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 EXTRA: The night will include a 6 p.m. dinner reception and a program and fellowship awards ceremony following at 7 p.m.

CONTACT: info@friendshipcircleoc.org | www.thefriendshipcircleoc.org The Friendship Circle Orange County is an organization that strives to foster genuine friendships between children, both with and without special needs in the community. With inclusion and support as some of their main goals, The Friendship Circle OC provides many outlets for both adults and children to get involved, and relies on their dedicated and insightful volunteers. ###

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Media Pitch Email pitch to the OC Register To: OC Register Subject: Friendship Circle OC Hi there, I just wanted to let you know about the outstanding work that the Friendship Circle has been doing in the Orange County community. The Friendship Circle is the only local organization of its kind that focuses on fostering genuine friendships between children with and without special needs. Local teenagers donate their time to participate in The Friendship Circle sanctioned events, or going to visit a child with special needs weekly.

“Parents have seen their children improve leaps and bounds from a long-lasting and enduring friendship through the programs that The Friendship Circle offers,” said director, Chani Mintz.

The Friendship Circle OC was founded in 2006, with the underlying philosophy being that every child is an entire world – needy and worthy of love, laughter, nurturing and connection. We would love for you to visit one of our monthly Sunday Circles to see first-hand what we are all about. Sunday Circle is when all of the volunteers, children, and staff come together for an afternoon of fun and bonding.

For more information about The Friendship Circle, visit us online at: www.friendshipcircleoc.org.

Come see what the power of friendship can do.

Thank you!

Alexandra Kaufman Please direct any questions you might have to Alexandra Kaufman (949-721-9800) or info@friendshipcircleoc.org

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Spokesperson Bio Jo Ann Krupp, Director of Friendship Circle OC Jo Ann, known for her love of children, has been with Friendship Circle OC since its genesis when Chani and Reuven Mintz first approached her about opening an Orange County location. The trio’s joint collaboration resulted in the Friendship Circle OC’s inception in 2006.

Jo Ann was responsible for finding a suitable venue for the children and assisting in getting the organization off the ground.

With Jo Ann’s help, Friendship Circle OC has hired a small, dedicated staff and has welcomed over 250 high school volunteers. Her greatest role today is continuing to educate the local community about what the Friendship Circle is and how they can help families who have children with special needs. Jo Ann also contributes behinds the scenes as she also works on writing grant requests and obtaining donations.

Jo Ann continues to dedicate her time to Friendship Circle OC, because she has witnessed so many success stories over the years. Jo Ann has seen the powerful impact of friendship on children and teens with special needs, and each story revalidates her commitment. Friendship Circle OC is a place where children with special needs can go and be included and accepted, and Jo Ann finds fulfillment in working for an organization that provides this type of support for free.

Jo Ann envisions the brightest future for Friendship Circle OC. She hopes that the organization will eventually be able to offer more programs for children, along with a place they can continue to grow and learn life skills. Ultimately, she would like to see as many children as possible go on to live independently or in group-homes.

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Direct Mail Piece

The Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that provides programs and support to the families of individuals with special needs.

Sunday Circle Join us on April 27th from 2-4 p.m. at the Bonita Creek Community Center for an afternoon of fun! Sunday Circle provides for one-on-one interaction with a teen friend while in the company of peers. Specialized art, music and dance therapy raise spirits and promote creativity, while sports exercise gross motor skills and promote physical fitness.

For More Information Contact Chani Mintz 949-721-9800 info@friendshipcircleoc.org www.friendshipcircleoc.org

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Back

Brochure

THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

Friends are just strangers that you haven’t met yet.

2240 University Drive Newport Beach, CA 92660 T: (949) 721-9800 W: www.friendshipcircleoc.org

Front

Back

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Part III Appendix

Live through the Power of Friendship

Competitive Literature Analysis Friendship Circle Orange County To begin, The Friendship Circle does not have a lot of literature overall, making it difficult to fully analyze the organization.

When my team and I met with The Friendship Circle this past week, I was surprised that all they had about the organization were small handouts and some outdated brochures. The bulk of the content can be found online on both the national and locally based organizations.

A small note I originally noticed when beginning research that The Friendship Circle’s roots are in the Jewish faith. The original Detroit location based their organizations around a Jewish rabbi, and these practices have been implemented in all of The Friendship Circles both nationally and internationally. Initially, this was a bit confusing as they are an organization that is non-denominational. While the foundation of the organization may lie on the Jewish faith, and is also where the organization receives a good amount of their funding, there is no religion at all mentioned in The Friendship Circle, and every child is accepted. There are also inconsistencies on mentioning their affiliation with the Jewish faith that need to be addressed, they either need to commit to mentioning this on their website or not mention it at all. I know our group was very confused initially on their religious involvement, and I’m sure other parents of special needs children are experiencing this as well. After moving on from The Friendship Circle’s connection to religion, the basis of the organization is to create an environment where lasting and meaningful friendships are formed between children with and without special needs.

When moving specifically to the Orange County Friendship Circle website, it is very inviting and interactive, with bright colors and activity on the page – with music playing as you’re exploring all of the tabs and photos. The “About Us” section is very informative and contains a lot of similar content to that on the national page, however there is definitely a lot of text – and it is not in the best font for reading. However, the text on the page is actually cut off, making it difficult to read. This section does not mention the Jewish faith at all, and instead goes into detail about The Friendship Circle and all of the services that they offer. Another tab on their page lists all of their separate programs, which are quite comprehensive. Additionally the tabs each describe in depth the individual service and list the dates that these are offered. Examples of these links include Sunday Circle, which happens once a month and is from 2 to 4pm. During this Sunday Circle, parents drop off their children and they are paired with a teen volunteer where they play and socialize. This is the initial service that was provided by the Friendship Circle, and inspired all of the other services, like a support group meeting for the parents or siblings of special needs children. Overall, their website is their strongest piece of literature and is definitely their most valuable tool right now in informing people about their organization.

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Competitive Literature Analysis Friendship Circle Orange County, continued I also checked out the social media sites that The Friendship Circle Orange County uses. They have a twitter handle (@FCircleOC) which currently has 7 followers, one being myself, and is following 10 organizations on twitter – all of them being The Friendship Circle affiliates. However, their Facebook page is a bit more promising. They currently have 328 “likes” which is certainly not huge, but it is definitely promising. They do birthday shout-out son the page and upload a lot of photos of their activities, which is great. They are also very good about responding to posts on their page. However, they have not posted many things that generate an actual conversation among followers, which would be the ideal goal to work towards.

Additionally, I found out that they have an Instagram account with 40 followers, and they are not following anyone – however I could not see these photos as it was on private. This is definitely a huge issue ans they are not able to show off any of their photos or garner a following, as any hashtags that they may be using are not being seen by the general public.

Overall, The Friendship circle is on the right track in terms of their literature, but there is definitely a lot of room to grow for the future.

Friendship Circle Los Angeles Friendship Circle Los Angeles is another branch of the same organization as Friendship Circle Orange County. Therefore to some degree they are on the same team as one another, but there is still a level of competition present. Friendship Circle Los Angeles is more established, has created successful partnerships, and has more funding opportunities. FCOC can learn from FCLA, and once they reach an equal caliber, can even compete for similar donors. FC as a national organization has thick roots in Jewish circles, and a local rabbi starts each branch. One difference between FCLA and FCOC is that FCLA advertises their Jewish ties, while FCOC does not. This may pose to be advantageous for FCOC because they can look to attract a broader audience of donors.

FCLA Website The FCLA website is bright, with a blood orange and lime green background. The colors work well together, and give the website a childlike feel. The menu bar at the top has tabs with important information: “About Us,” “Programs,” “Volunteer Club,” “Parents/Families.” Above that there are these smaller tabs: “Home,” “Contact Us,” “Donate.” There is also a menu bar on the left with these tabs: “Donate,” “Log Community Service Hours,” “Logout,” “Hebrew School,” “Our Pictures,” “Our Videos.”

Ultimately the website has all of the information necessary. Each page is understandable, readable, and includes pertinent

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Competitive Literature Analysis Friendship Circle Los Angeles, continued information. There are also lots of pictures to create a personality, and allow viewers to get a sense of not only the information on the organization, but also the people behind the organization. The call to action is clear: donations and volunteers. There are multiple spots on the homepage alone saying, “click here” for donations and volunteers. The biggest critique is to condense all of the information, and consolidate the menus to one spot. This will allow the website to have better flow. Ultimately though FCOC can learn from FCLA’s website because FCLA does have more information, and does push harder for donations.

FCLA Facebook The FCLA Facebook page has 656 likes, a 5-star rating, 62 people whom have checked-in, an event posted, and a ton of photos. They are not consistent with a number of posts per week, but typically it seems like they have at least one post.

The posts range in “Like” count, anywhere from 1 to 30 “Likes,” with an average of 12 “Likes.” This is not extremely impressive, but it is twice as successful as FCOC. They may not post as frequently as FCOC, but there posts are more informative, and have more “Likes.” FCOC can learn from FCLA by attempting to create similar posts that allow FB viewers to develop a personal attachment to their organization, and get to know the people involved through social media. Spotlighting children (special needs or volunteers), posts about specific events, etc. are opportunities that FCLA optimizes, and that FCOC could look to do as well.

FCLA Flyer: Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk The Friendship Walk was an event sponsored by Skechers, and put on by FCLA. This event raised $1,000,000. The brochure was clean with a big Skechers logo showing that they really leaned on this sponsorship to raise awareness. FCOC can learn not only from the partnership, but also from the sheer fact of having a flyer for their events. Currently FCOC has a calendar flyer with a list of all events, but they would benefit from specific flyers advertising specific events just like this one from FCLA.

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Competitive Literature Analysis Special Olympics Unified Sports The Special Olympics Unified Sports® program is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through sports training and competition exercises by joining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. The program was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. Half a million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports® and despite the difference in global impact, they share the guiding principles of inclusion and friendship with Friendship Circle Orange County. Unified Sports® has already started up in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.

Special Olympics Unified Sports® Webpage Unified Sports® is a branch of the Special Olympics, so the color palette and font is consistent with the overall Special Olympics brand. The Special Olympics logo is in candy apple red on the top right of the page, against a matted charcoal gray background. Below the header is a row of links to the social media pages for Unified Sports®. The overall page is organized in a very neat and geometric fashion. Links and live feeds for their Facebook and Twitter accounts are organized along the right side of the page, as well as links for site visitors to find locations in their area. Just under an image and a few brief paragraphs explaining what Unified Sports ® does are two links, one for downloadable Unified Sports Resources and one for the NFHS Unified Sports Online Course. Further down there is a blog-type template featuring recent Unified Sports stories from teams all over the world. Finally at the bottom is a calendar of upcoming events with their location and links to more information about the event. This main page also includes basic Coaching Related Resources that provides volunteer coaches with fundamental knowledge on the program and their role as coach.

I noted that although the overall page took up a lot of space, the text was spaced in a way that minimized the amount of visual space it took up, which entices the reader to actually read the text. It was not overwhelming with text, and even though links to social media borders the page, it was segmented and organized in a way that didn’t make its presence overbearing. The web page also organizes calls to action sporadically throughout the page. Visitors of the page can access links to donate, sign up for newsletters and learn more information anywhere they scroll on the screen. These are all characteristics that the Friendship Circle should employ on their local website. The entire page is dedicated to integrating all of their communication platforms. The consistency in visual aesthetics, color palette, font and organization create a strong brand image for Unified Sports® and displays professionalisms that site visitors can trust. Also by integrating all social media platforms together, it allows word of mouth to spread faster and more readily.

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Competitive Literature Analysis Special Olympics Unified Sports, continued Unified Sports News and Resources Following one of the main links presented on the initial Unified SportsÂŽ page, site visitors can navigate to more detailed information on news of existing teams and resources to start new teams. The color palette, organization and font are consistent with the main page. A brief, summarizing statement of what Unified Sports is about is at the top, just above a reel of different stories represented by images. Just below is a list of links to resources for getting involved either with an existing league or starting a new one. This entire page is dedicated to resources for more information on how to get involved, news and stories, research, national events and contact information for the organization. The links were categorized conveniently and spaced appropriately. Similar to the main page, links to social media live feeds, videos and photos, the Special Olympics blog and other sources of information frame the page along the right side.

This is very important in establishing credibility and trust with the audience. Parents with special needs children are accustomed to researching all of the resources that certain programs can provide for their child, so by consolidating it all in one place and organizing it for easy access reveals that the company is truly thinking about their audience. Since the Friendship Circle is on a much smaller scale, this resources page can include research on the benefits of friendship in the lives of special needs children and success stories that came out of this particular local Friendship Circle establishment.

Testimonies from current members are extremely helpful as long as the visitor interprets them as honest.

Another important aspect of this page is the specific contact information for the organization. It is very reassuring to find that there is someone that readers can directly contact for specific questions. It provides the readers with a voice for the organization and a person to trust for information regarding Friendship Circle.

Social Media Facebook: Unified SportsŽ does not have it’s own personal Facebook account. The link found on both the main page and resources page directs site traffic to the Special Olympics official Facebook page. The page has 697 thousand likes and links to its YouTube channel and Twitter account at the very top.

YouTube: The Special Olympics YouTube channel display picture is the Special Olympics logo, consistent with the Facebook profile picture. There are 2,134 subscribers to the Special Olympics YouTube channel and the videos are organized in order by most recently uploaded.

Twitter: The display picture for the Special Olympics Twitter handle is consistent with the Facebook and YouTube display pictures. The Special Olympics has 47,528 followers, and posts on a pretty consistent basis. Almost all of their posts tag

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Competitive Literature Analysis Special Olympics Unified Sports, continued other Twitter users, feature trending hashtags and Retweets and links to other stories and reports. Their profile section includes a brief statement on what Special Olympic is and provides a link to the main website.

A trend I notice among the social media platforms was consistency in color palette and imagery. On every different platform, it was clear that it was the same organization and appeared integrated. Friendship Circle should focus on integrating all of their communication platforms. Consistency symbolizes brand strength and this will be important for Friendship Circle in establishing trust among potential partnerships and participants.

In our initial meeting with the Friendship Circle Orange County directors, we suggested for them to take steps to integrating their brand image by deciding on a consistent color scheme and using it strictly among their communication platforms. We also suggested they open an account on Yelp since they mentioned that word of mouth was their main source of advertisement.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County After reviewing the Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County literature, I have found a few things that The Friendship Circle could adapt for the better. They consistently keep a professional yet modern look for all of their materials. Many of the same images are carried on from their website to their brochures to their Facebook page and so forth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters OC Website The Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County website has a very classy look to it. Color-wise, it is not overwhelming but still stands out. The website features a white background with accents of green, purple, and orange. It is incredibly professional, yet still utilizes bright colors just enough to grab your attention. The images used are primarily of young children doing some type of activity with their “bigs” and clearly enjoying themselves, as they all have big smiles on their faces. The images are of the pairs doing a variety of activities, from surfing to reading to bowling and everything in between. Everything on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County website highlights happy children.

The wording on the website is aimed towards adults; it is professional, informational, and educational. I believe this tells readers that Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County is a well-established, legitimate organization that has a clear direction they are headed. Their catchphrase is “start something big,” which not only implies becoming a big and making a big change, but also donating to help create a big change for other children.

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Competitive Literature Analysis Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County, continued Big Brothers Big Sisters OC Facebook The Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County Facebook page is primarily used to post photos of events hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters OC and photos of bigs and littles on outings together. The photos used are also used on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County website. Their promotional photos posted on Facebook follow the same color scheme as the website, using bold headers in green, purple, and orange with white or yellow text.

The text used on the Facebook page uses the same catchphrase as the website, “start something BIG!� Every so often they will post a flyer with a calendar of events for that month that bigs and littles can attend together. They also frequently share success stories of big and little pairings and show how participating in the program has changed both the big and the little for the better. Everything is positive and shares the same message, which gives Big Brothers Big Sisters OC great consistency throughout their literature.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County Brochure The brochure is aimed at recruiting new bigs for Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County. It is extremely well laid out, with photos of big and little pairs participating in activities alongside facts and information about the company. They use purple as the main accent color for the brochure, which is the same as the website. The design is very professional and uses bright colors and photos to grab your attention. Everything is laid out nicely and makes it very easy to read and understand.

The text includes information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, how getting involved will change the life of a child as well as your own, and information on how to become a big. The brochure is used as a main tool for recruiting bigs, and this brochure is professional and effectively shares their message.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County Fact Sheet This fact sheet uses bright colors and photos to attract attention. It is also full of statistics about Big Brothers Big Sisters and the people who benefit from the program, both bigs and littles. It looks a little jumbled to me, with a lot of colorful boxes and photos that don’t necessarily flow as well as intended. The fonts used are also different than those used on the website and in their brochure, so consistency is lacking a bit here.

The facts listed on the sheet show how desperate children in Orange County are for a program like Big Brothers Big Sisters, and they show the success rates of the littles involved in the program. Overall, it is aimed at recruiting new bigs and showing why Big Brothers Big Sisters is so important in the lives of these children.

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Trend Research Orange County Trends In 2010, there were 729,272 children birth to age 17 in Orange County. Of these, 31 percent, or 226,849, were ages five and younger. Births in Orange County have decreased 15 percent in the past 10 years, however according to projections by the California Department of Finance, births in Orange County are projected to increase within this decade. About one in 10 children in California under the age of 18 is estimated to have a special health care need, this is equivalent to approximately 1 million children. Trends reveal that children with special needs in Orange County typically access services from two main agencies. Children under the age of 3 are diagnosed and cared for through the Regional Center of Orange County, and children above age 3 are typically referred to their local school districts for resources and services.

According to the Children & Families Commission of Orange County, the number of children diagnosed with developmental disabilities increased 29 percent and the number of children receiving Regional Center services increased 39 percent between 2002 and 2011. In 2011, the Regional Center served 8,915 children with 6,119 of those children, about 69 percent, diagnosed with a developmental disability. Over the past 10 years, about 51,000 children each year have received special education services through their school districts. However, the services needed are changing. Between 2004 and 2013, there was a 242 percent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism and a 38 percent increase in the number of children diagnosed with other developmental disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairment, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities and other health impairments. This poses a problem because existing special needs childcare is inadequate in Orange County as there is an unmet need for schools, organizations and programs for children and youths with special needs.

One reason for this is because Orange County has a “shortage of licensed childcare providers.� In fact, Orange County has only one licensed childcare space for every six children of working parents, and less than 10 percent of Orange County childcare providers indicate that they have experience providing health care for children with special needs. Despite being legally required to accept children with disabilities, many childcare providers are often unwilling or unable to do so because of liability fears or specialty staffing requirements.

In efforts to address the increasing number of children diagnosed with developmental disabilities and insufficient childcare providers, a new collaborative group called Orange County Care Coordination Collaborative for Kids, or OC C3 for Kids, has been formed to develop an improved care coordination system in the county. This collaboration is being funded by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health (LPFCH) and is led by Help Me Grow Orange County. Help Me Grow Orange County is a comprehensive, coordinated system designed to connect children and their families to developmental services to enhance the development, behavior and learning of young children living in Orange County. It would be beneficial for our client, The Friendship Circle, to be educated about the OC C3 for Kids collaboration, so that they may be better integrated into the care coordination system in the county.

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Trend Research Orange County Trends, continued Many factors contribute to the shortage of special needs facilities for children and youths, however funding is the biggest obstacle. While most special needs organizations for children and youths receive funds from the federal government, state and county, many of them rely heavily on volunteers and donations. Families of special needs children are often plagued with extra expenses to cover ongoing therapy and treatments, and varying insurance coverage policies for childcare organizations result in varying costs for individual families. So pricing and cost is often a challenge that childcare organizations must overcome in order to maintain operation.

One of the funding trends among local organizations for children and youths with special needs that I noticed was the implementation of annual fundraising events such as poker tournaments, 5K runs or walks, golf tournaments, silent auctions and fundraising dinners. Information about these events are typically featured on the organizations website or social media handles, if applicable. This is also where volunteers can go for more information and opportunities to get involved. These fundraising trends are a good opportunity for our clients to seek financial help outside of donors as well as raise awareness for volunteers. I think that the poker tournament idea would be a great way for The Friendship Circle to raise funds because it can be relatively inexpensive and has the potential to be very effective.

Friendship Circle does not have much direct competition in the Orange County area. Other organizations that assist mentally ill children and their families focus on the medical and therapeutic aspects to bettering the children’s lives, rather than communities for companionship, and emotional support. Some organizations advertised mentorship programs with high school children, which is similar to Friendship Circle’s programs, but this aspect in other organizations was less prominent than in Friendship Circle. As the need for emotional companionship for mentally ill children and their families in the Orange County area grows, the need for Friendship Circle and other similar organizations grows. This puts Friendship Circle in prime positioning to rise as the premier leader in this niche through successful marketing and public relations undertakings.

There were several articles discussing events such as walks or town hall meetings that raise awareness and fundraise for research and support in regards to mental illness in Orange County. Newspaper articles and websites detailing events for mentally ill persons most often featured events hosted by The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, an Orange County organization, and several Orange County hospitals. I would like to see Friendship Circle featured more frequently by these websites and newspapers to help them gain recognition. Currently they are known for their events for family members and children with mental disabilities, and for their mentorship program, but even in this sector they are not known as widely as they should be. I see an opportunity for them to build their brand by also raising general awareness about mental illness in Orange County so as to become a reliable think tank for everyone to reference.

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Trend Research National Trends Through my research of children with disabilities national organizations, I surprisingly didn’t find much information about the niche the Friendship Circle belongs too. I found a few articles discussing research that shows the benefits of friendships and relationships formed between children with and without disabilities, and there are no organizations that fill this need nationally, other than The Friendship Circle. Many websites I came across were resource tools with information on the benefits of forming friendships amongst children with disabilities, but it was not taken a step further to show community resources that assist in actually forming these friendship groups. Other articles I found demonstrated the benefit of having support groups for family members of children with special needs.

I believe that the need for this organization is growing, as there are not any other national organizations to my knowledge that provide the services that the Friendship Circle does. Organizations that simply provide knowledge are not actively trying to fix the problem at hand. Because the Friendship Circle works closely with preteens and teens, much of their recruiting for volunteers must happen at these schools or through word of mouth from their peers.

Additionally, reaching out to families that might benefit from the services the Friendship Circle provides may also be at the schools directly, or through a community forum. While the Friendship Circle is a group targeted toward a specific audience, the need for this organization is growing. Something that will be vital to our campaign will be spreading the word in general in the Orange County area, as the Friendship Circle may not be the most well-known non-profit yet, but soon will be!

California Trends The Friendship Circle can learn a lot from other branches of The Friendship Circle Organization throughout California.

Many of these groups have completed successful partnerships with local schools, and large companies to raise awareness, develop participation, and increase funding. Other organizations in California have also hopped onto the trend to use partnerships as a means for accomplishing these goals.

Friendship Circle organizations are unique in California because they focus on building relationships, and creating a sense of community for not only the children with mental illnesses, but also their parents. Other organizations focus more on therapy and educational aspects. Therefore Friendship Circle OC’s best way to improve when looking at other organizations in California is simply to look at other branches of Friendship Circles. They can create a healthy sense of competition while all still working together to build a more prominent name for Friendship Circle in the OC and California as a whole.

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Trend Research Social Media Trends Social media plays a huge role in today’s society. It has become a prominent source of news and one of the major ways we communicate and share information with one another. Through social media, a single person has the ability to reach people all over the world and unite them for one cause. Social media has played a crucial role in spreading awareness and raising money for various causes. Whether it’s a Facebook page to wish a “friendless” ten-year-old a happy birthday or a Twitter account to share your daughter’s battle with cancer.

I have noticed that many parents of children with special needs take to social media to broadcast their children’s battles and raise money to support them. Lately, the most talked-about trend on social media involving children with special needs is the “Happy Birthday Colin” page. Colin is a ten-year-old boy from Michigan who is turning eleven on March 9. Last month, his mother asked what he wanted to do for his birthday, and he told his mother that he didn’t have any friends, so he didn’t want to do anything. Colin’s mom created this Facebook page to show him that he does have friends, and now the Happy Birthday Colin page has nearly 2 million “likes.” They have also received thousands of letters and gifts from complete strangers all over the world.

On the other hand, social media has also been used to bring attention to the mistreatment of children with disabilities. There have been many news stories about special needs children being mistreated at school, shopping malls, and other public locations. These news stories tend to spread virally through social media and bring awareness to these unnecessary issues.

Overall, social media has become a great way for parents of special needs children to connect and raise awareness. There are many websites and groups online created to become support systems for parents of children with disabilities. Social media is a vital tool in connection people and spreading information, and we can use it greatly to publicize The Friendship Circle and their events.

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Original Research Interview with Directors We met with Chani Mintz and Joann Krupp, the two directors of The Friendship Circle in Orange County. By meeting with them in person, we were able to get a clear idea of what they are looking for and where they would like to see The Friendship Circle grow in the future.

In general, The Friendship Circle needs more donors. Currently, they have no fundraisers and do very little publicity in general. Nearly all of their PR is through word of mouth. The volunteers were primarily recruited through their high schools or temples; they chose to volunteer at the Friendship Circle because their friends volunteer at the Friendship Circle. Many of the children with special needs found the Friendship Circle through their doctors’ offices. Occasionally they get local media to cover their events, like the Night of Recognition.

The Friendship Circle stands out amongst competitors, because it is the only program in the country that does what they do, by pairing a special needs child with an able-bodied high school buddy. Most importantly, they are NOT a therapy session. It is simply a place for kids to be kids and have fun, while simultaneously giving the parents a break from the roundthe-clock care that is typically required of these special needs children.

In addition to acquiring more donors, the Friendship Circle would like to reach out to more special needs children to match their ever-growing number of volunteers. They are also looking for a massive increase in media coverage. Currently, they get a few media placements in local media, but they are looking to expand to national media (ABC/NBC) and bigger newspapers and magazines.

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Original Research Parent Interview - Elayne Blieden, active at Friendship Circle for 5 years Interviewing Elayne Blieden helped our team gain the perspective of parents involved with the Friendship Circle OC. From the interview with Blieden, our team was able to learn better how to address the fundamental needs of the Friendship Circle OC. Consistent with our previous findings, Blieden like many of the parents heard of the Friendship Circle through Chabad temple. Blieden’s family are affiliated in Sunday Circle and Friends at Home, and she is kept updated and informed about Friendship Circle programs through a hard calendar and email notifications. She believes that Friendship Circle does a “pretty good job” of marketing themselves, but provided the suggestion of reaching out to local schools and educating local students.

Blieden’s opinions are most likely representative of many of the Friendship Circle parents. The interview with Blieden gave the team a better understanding of the culture of communication at Friendship Circle. The team gained two helpful focus points from this interview. First, with most of the parents only being kept updated and informed through a hard calendar and email means that information about programs are not readily available for the public. If the Friendship Circle OC kept an updated schedule for their facility online, it would be more conveniently accessible to the existing parents as well as new parents that may want to bring their child for the first time. Also Blieden reported that she is willing to donate her time. This is probably a similar opinion to the other parents involved at the Friendship Circle OC, and this is important because the parents can potentially be organized into committees and offer extra help to the site coordinators. With financial difficulties, volunteers can be extremely helpful if they are organized correctly.

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Original Research Parent Interview - Simi Singer, active at Friendship Circle for 3-4 years Interviewing Simi Singer provided yet another parent perspective on the Friendship Circle, and from this phone interview we were able to better understand what improvements can be made to the organization. Like Elayne Blieden, Simi also learned of the Friendship circle through the Jewish community, and until recently she was unaware that the Friendship Circle OC was a nondenominational organization – she was under the impression that it was specific to families of the Jewish faith. Simi is not the only parent at the Friendship Circle who thought this; according to our survey results many parents of the Friendship Circle are not aware of the nondenominational element to this organization. This trend is notable because once the existing parents are aware of the nondenominational element they can share the Friendship Circle with other families without the restriction of belonging to the Jewish faith.

Simi’s family is involved in a number of Friendship Circle programs: Home Visits, Sunday Circle and Young Adults. She keeps updated and informed with Friendship Circle events mostly through email. As a PR professional, Simi was able to contribute her ideas for better exposure opportunities in the local area: pitch a creative story angle on the Friendship Circle, find organizations and companies to “match” other donors or funds raised, and calling upon the Jewish community for financial support around Jewish holidays. Simi is very passionate about the Friendship Circle, and while she made it a point to clarify that parents of the Friendship Circle shouldn’t be the sought after donors, she did say that parents can be recruited to donate their time (envelope stuffing, letter writing, etc.). Simi expressed her willingness to speak in the community or be a part of outreach activities, and this reminded our team that while the Friendship Circle parents cannot be financial donors they all have different professions and skills that could be helpful.

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Original Research Teen Volunteer Interview Libby Jubas, involved with Friendship Circle for 3.5 years Libby found out about The Friendship Circle through her older sisters who did it as part of their bat mitzvah, but really became interested through her temple. Chani taught her service for her Bat Mitzvah, and I became involved around that time. She is involved in Sunday Circle and Friends at Home.

She keeps informed about events at The Friendship Circle through emails and text messages from Chani’s teen coordinator who will sometimes tell her times and locations for events. The schedule of events for the year is given to all of the teens at an orientation as well.

Libby’s thoughts on what makes The Friendship Circle special “The Friendship Circle is rewarding. It’s like a symbiotic relationship, and there are only things to gain from joining. In reality, a smile isn't that important, but when I see that I caused a smile on someone’s face who doesn't have an awareness of the world and hardship…the experience to me is unreal. Seriously, that is what its all about right?”

Libby also thought that awareness could be spread by going to leadership classes in high schools to spread the word, and becoming more active on social media.

Danielle Frostig, involved with Friendship Circle for 5 years Danielle first learned about The Friendship Circle through the OC Register. Her friend was in one of the photographs taken, so she asked her about the program and has been volunteering for many of the programs, including Sunday Circle, Young Adult Circle, Friends at Home, Summer/Winter Camps. She is informed of these meetings through emails and text messages.

Danielle’s thoughts on what makes The Friendship Circle unique, “When people hear we help kids with special needs they think of a specific set of disabilities, but we help a wide range of kids. Also, it's tons of fun for the volunteers too! It can be exhausting, but doing the summer/winter camps feels like I'm back at camp.”

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Original Research Teen Volunteer Interview Lauren Kerrins, involved with Friendship Circle for 7 years Lauren is involved in almost all programs offered by The Friendship Circle, including: Young Adult Circle, Sunday Circle, teen training, as well as winter and summer camp and first heard about the organization through a booth at an Israel expo.

She keeps informed about The Friendship Circle through emails, texts, and Facebook.

Lauren’s thoughts on what make The Friendship Circle special, “That friendship circle isn’t just something you do for community service or for a project. Friendship circle is a family.”

Hannah Hart, involved with Friendship Circle for 5 years On the programs at The Friendship Circle: “Every year I get better at what I do and it has also shown me how important the quality of friendship is to people. I do the Sunday Circle events which are crazy fun at a huge park in Irvine. We play on the big-toy, do arts and crafts, and then the coordinators usually plan a fun event like gymnastics or bubble shows for the kids to do or watch. I recently started the Young Adult Circle which is for the kids that have grown out of the Sunday Circles. We all hang out, learn everyday activities and cook food. I found out about the Friendship Circle while looking for a Mitzvah Project to do on Mitzvah Day at Tarbut V'Torah.”

On how she keeps informed about what goes on at The Friendship Circle “To keep my fellow teen helpers and I informed, Paris the teen coordinator sends us emails and text messages to remind us to respond if we are going or not. We also get a cool calendar at the start of every year to show us dates for the events.”

Her thoughts on The Friendship Circle: People should know about the impact the teens not only have on the kids but the impact the kids have on the teens. The qualities of a teen volunteer change over time working with the kids. It teaches you to be accepting of other people and how to connect with other people and it broadens a persons overall kindness.

Personally I have changed a lot over the years just by connecting with the kids. Another thing that should be known is that the children that participate grow as you grow to and always are happy no matter what. I have also made so many great friends along the way from other teens to funny "buddies" as we call them on Sunday Circle days. The organization's staff has already done many events and made many booths and pamphlets to publicize The Friendship Circle and as long as people continue to share fantastic stories I think people will be interested. I always will be able to contribute my time to The Friendship Circle, it is one of the most important things in my life and always will be.”

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Original Research Teen Volunteer Interview Hannah Hart, involved with Friendship Circle for 5 years On the programs at The Friendship Circle: “Every year I get better at what I do and it has also shown me how important the quality of friendship is to people. I do the Sunday Circle events which are crazy fun at a huge park in Irvine. We play on the big-toy, do arts and crafts, and then the coordinators usually plan a fun event like gymnastics or bubble shows for the kids to do or watch. I recently started the Young Adult Circle which is for the kids that have grown out of the Sunday Circles. We all hang out, learn everyday activities and cook food. I found out about the Friendship Circle while looking for a Mitzvah Project to do on Mitzvah Day at Tarbut V'Torah.”

On how she learned about The Friendship Circle: “I chose to do the Friendship Circle because I have an autistic cousin, my grandmother taught special education children, and my mother's influence.”

On how she keeps informed about what goes on at The Friendship Circle “To keep my fellow teen helpers and I informed, Paris the teen coordinator sends us emails and text messages to remind us to respond if we are going or not. We also get a cool calendar at the start of every year to show us dates for the events.”

Her thoughts on The Friendship Circle: People should know about the impact the teens not only have on the kids but the impact the kids have on the teens. The qualities of a teen volunteer change over time working with the kids. It teaches you to be accepting of other people and how to connect with other people and it broadens a persons overall kindness.

Personally I have changed a lot over the years just by connecting with the kids. Another thing that should be known is that the children that participate grow as you grow to and always are happy no matter what. I have also made so many great friends along the way from other teens to funny "buddies" as we call them on Sunday Circle days. The organization's staff has already done many events and made many booths and pamphlets to publicize The Friendship Circle and as long as people continue to share fantastic stories I think people will be interested. I always will be able to contribute my time to The Friendship Circle, it is one of the most important things in my life and always will be.”

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Original Research Focus Group: Parents of special needs children in Orange County Key Insights The focus group was helpful to get first-hand experiences, and suggestions. The biggest take-home was the realization that Friendship Circle is a tight-knit community. Their communication is personal with Chani, and the infrastructure of the organization was not built for a large group. They need to work to branch out to other parents of special needs children to expand their services. They can do this by utilizing advertising as another platform to gain awareness, rather than relying so heavily on word of mouth. At the same time, they need to work on fundraising, and establishing relationships with corporate donors. The extra funds these two components could bring would then allow them to handle the growth advertising would provide. Currently Friendship Circle seems to be a bit stagnated, and these mothers all acknowledged that, and were eager to see improvement.

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Original Research Survey: Current parents and volunteers at Friendship Circle Key Insights We sent out a ten-question survey to the email list that the Friendship Circle OC has for their volunteers and parents. Of the 34 responses, 18 of them were from volunteers and 18 from parents.

The parents heard about Friendship Circle primarily through word of mouth and other places in their community, such as the Regional Center of Orange County, JCC, and their synagogue. One parent said they heard about the Friendship Circle through their child’s behavioral therapist. The volunteers heard about the Friendship Circle almost entirely through their friends/word of mouth. Only two volunteers said they heard about The Friendship Circle online.

Parents would like to see more volunteers and separate ages for the Friendship Circle, as well as a way to integrate the Friendship Circle better into schools. They would also like to see more field trips and a wider range of activities offered by The Friendship circle. Volunteers would like to see Sunday Circles happen more often (perhaps twice a month) and programs that the kids are specifically interested in. They would also like to see more people involved.

Only two parents were not satisfied with their child’s involvement with The Friendship Circle. They said their at-home visits fell apart, and due to the lack of school integration, their child often felt alone at school. All of the volunteers believe the Friendship Circle is successful, and they love seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces!

When asked where they receive their information from, 13 of the 18 parents who responded to our survey said they primarily receive information from online sources, including social media. Friends and family/word of mouth recommendations was the next largest result, followed by print advertisements. Volunteers were similar, in that 14 of them receive their information from online/social media, as well as friends and family, followed by television.

As far as how they would like to see The Friendship Circle in the future, parents would be very interested in more support for their children outside of circle time, such as planned outings with their buddy. They would also be interested in networking with other special needs groups in the area, and having the children build relationships with each other as well as with the volunteers. Volunteers would like to see a wider range of activities offered for the kids, as well as more special needs kids involved in the program.

Parents suggested starting a fundraising walk for the Friendship Circle, as well as having the kids take part in giving back to the community such as helping the environment, volunteering at a food bank, and participating in walks. Volunteers think getting more involved at schools will help the Friendship Circle grow, as well as hosting fundraising events.

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Thank You Friendship Circle OC