My project for Jewish Family Services is three-fold. I’m writing a marketing plan combining multiple media types to bolster JFS knowledge in the greater Columbus area, putting together engagement plans for various stakeholders affiliated with JFS, and ending the summer by conducting a social media “thank you” campaign. Last week, I was on vacation, and it was my goal to have the draft of the marketing plan complete before I left. I met that goal close of business Thursday.

I am intent on creating resources for JFS that are genuinely helpful and to give recommendations that are feasible. Before I left, I passed along the marketing plan to the Director of Resource Development (my supervisor) and the Director of Marketing and Communications. Next week I will be meeting with them to discuss their feedback and implement their suggestions into the final copy.

In the meantime, I am focused on the second part of my project: the engagement plans. This week has been spent conducting web-based research on best practices for attracting and retaining donors, corporate partners, and volunteers. At times the work can get tedious, but I am learning a lot. Yesterday, for example, I learned about Google Ad Grants. Basically, if your nonprofit fits Google’s criteria, they will grant your nonprofit $10,000 a month to run Google ads. When someone searches a relevant term pertaining to your nonprofit – “workforce development” for JFS, or “resettlement programs” – an ad for your organization appears. I brought it up in a meeting I had today, commenting that I’d never heard of it before, and the Director of Marketing and Communications invited me along to a webinar she was attending about it next week. Maybe, sometime later this summer, I’ll get to work with it.

Much like the marketing plan, my process for building out this part of the project is both online research and learning from the experts in-house. Next week I am meeting with others at JFS to get an inside look at current volunteer practices and recruitment of business members. Like I mentioned before, I am committed to making this as beneficial and realistic as possible, and that means getting input from everyone involved.

Tomorrow I will continue researching and putting my ideas to paper. Additionally, I’ll be attending the Resource Development Committee meeting. This is with both JFS staff and Board members. Jewish Family Services is the first nonprofit I have worked for, and being able to see the Board and how everything comes together has been interesting. Every day I am learning more.