America SCORES Seattle Recommendations for Increasing Impact

FINAL REPORT

AS PREPARED BY

Samantha Adriaan

Mohammed Bentaleb

Erich Kunz

Luke Tessaro

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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 4 PROBLEM STATEMENT ......................................................................................................................... 5 INCREASED IMPACT ..............................................................................................................................6

Expansion Plan……........................................................................................................................... 8 Current Organization....................................................................................................................... 8 Organizational Chart ....................................................................................................................... 9

DIVERSIFYING FUNDS ........................................................................................................................ 10 Current Environment .................................................................................................................... 10 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 11 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 12

Funding Analysis .............................................................................................................. 12 Auction & Gala ................................................................................................................ 12 SCORES Cup ..................................................................................................................... 13 Diversify Funding ............................................................................................................. 14

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................................. 15 CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS ........................................................................................................ 15 Current Environment .................................................................................................................... 15 Opportunities................................................................................................................................ 15 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 16

Sellen Construction .......................................................................................................... 16 PEMCO Insurance ............................................................................................................17 Bartell Drugs .................................................................................................................... 17 Future Considerations ..................................................................................................... 18

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC PARTNERSHIP.......................................................................................... 19 Current Environment .................................................................................................................... 19 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 19 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 20

Small Fields. Big Ideas ...................................................................................................... 20 Team Manager Program................................................................................................... 21 Mobile-Friendly Auctions ................................................................................................. 22

BRAND AWARENESS........................................................................................................................... 23 Current Environment .................................................................................................................... 23 Opportunities................................................................................................................................ 23 Recommendations........................................................................................................................ 25

Competition..................................................................................................................... 25 Web Search & Social Media............................................................................................. 26 Print Media & Broadcast Channels................................................................................... 26

CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................... 27 APPENDICIES...................................................................................................................................... 28

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Executive Summary America SCORES Seattle is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to provide elementary school students from underserved communities with an afterschool program based on literacy and athletics. Their main objective is to nurture teamwork amongst the participants, while inspiring them “…to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and become agents of change in their communities.”1 Currently, the organization is partnered with six schools in Central and South Seattle, however SCORES Seattle is eager to expand and increase their impact in these areas. Unfortunately, SCORES Seattle has limited resources at this point in time and such growth wouldn’t be effective at their present state. However, if the organization was equipped with a tailored strategy, which took into account their specific needs coupled with their current constraints, expansion would be achievable. Therefore, SCORES Seattle decided to employ a group of consultants for a fresh perspective on the situation and to take advantage of the consultants’ experience, skillsets, and resources to determine how SCORES Seattle can effectively spread their program to schools most deserving. On September 29, 2016, SCORES Seattle initially met with the consultants to discuss their current issues and future objectives. As a result of this meeting, it was determined in order for SCORES Seattle to increase their potential to impact more children and schools, the organization needs to increase their revenue by diversifying funding; explore primary, corporate sponsors; further develop their partnership with the Seattle Sounders FC; and magnify their brand awareness. Along with addressing these points, it was determined a proposal on how SCORES Seattle can physically reach more schools and children most effectively be developed. This plan to increase impact involves targeting specific schools based on their proximity to current SCORES Seattle schools, struggling schools in need of such programs, or a combination of these two. However, in order to accomplish this expansion, the aforementioned factors need to be addressed. SCORES Seattle was interested in generating ideas around diversifying their funding. In order to provide recommendations for diversifying funding, other non-profit organizations' revenue sources were compared and contrasted to look for underfunded revenue sources. Ideas on how to improve existing successful events and find new ways to generate revenue were included. Finally creative ways to improve current online donation practices were analyzed as a way to capture a more diversified donor base. SCORES Seattle was interested in exploring major corporate sponsorships as a primary source of funding. By analyzing other America SCORES affiliates’ relationships with their sponsors and identifying local non-profits and their supporters (amongst other research objectives), it was determined that investigating beyond the obvious supporters of SCORES Seattle activities would be necessary. Additionally, this research made evident that all potential sponsors possessed many valuable resources (beyond being a major financial contributor) worth taking into account when selecting prospective supporters. SCORES Seattle has a long-standing relationship with the Seattle Sounders FC, however they don’t feel like they are fully harnessing the opportunities this partnership provides, so it was requested more possible occurrences for interaction be developed. By analyzing other America SCORES affiliates’ relationships with their respective MLS teams and how other organizations are leveraging

1 americascores.org/affiliates/seattle

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the Sounders’ resources (amongst other research objectives), it was decided many opportunities existed, however they were all resource exhaustive. Fortunately, insights from research, experience, and ingenuity generated a number of recommendations, which would be relatively easy for both SCORES Seattle and the Sounders to implement and benefit each organization in a number of ways. One of SCORES Seattle's goals is to increase brand awareness in the community. To improve the organization's image, non-profit competitors' brands were compared with SCORES Seattle to shed light on their strengths and weaknesses. Research on improving the organization's brand awareness included identifying web search protocols and social media best practices. Finally, print media and broadcasting channels were identified to support the SCORES Seattle mission and move the brand to a broader audience and create more brand exposure. The entirety of this report represents the extent to which these three categories were researched and illustrates the recommendations that were developed as a result of this exploration, which was accompanied with the consultants’ experience, skillsets, and resources. These suggestions will not only assist in solving the above issues, but do so in a manner which will be feasible with SCORES Seattle’s current constraints. Furthermore, while these recommendations were designed for their relative ease of implementation, they are also structured in a way that they can evolve in complexity as SCORES Seattle grows and increases their impact on the community.

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Introduction

Background

SCORES Seattle is an important program serving the Seattle community and the youth it directly impacts. The program's mission is to “inspire at-risk youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world2.” SCORES Seattle is an affiliate of the America SCORES program, which is currently in 13 US and one Canadian city. The program's impact includes statistical gains in writing achievement as demonstrated through pre and post writing tests, statistical reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI), a key indicator of childhood obesity, and increased feelings of self-confidence, self-efficacy, and enjoyment of learning.3 The program uses a three step approach:

1. It creates teams through the sport of soccer. 2. Brings the teams into the classroom to discover their voice through poetry. 3. As a team, the ‘poet-athletes’ learn to use their voices to make change in their communities.

The program creates four pillars for the children: commitment, leadership, sportsmanship, and teamwork. The program has proven to be successful both in and out of the classroom. The SCORES Seattle program serves kindergarten through 5th graders in six Title-1 elementary schools in the Seattle Public School District. Title-1 schools aim to bridge the gap between low-income students and other students4. In order to receive Title-1 funding from the federal government these schools must make adequate progress in state testing and institute best teaching practices. The idea is create a level playing field for all children to reach high academic achievement. Schools participating in the program trail behind their peers in core subjects including English, math and science. Appendix 1 shows the six participating schools and how they ranked English & Language Arts Proficiency vs. the Seattle School District student achievement averages for 2014-15. The six elementary schools SCORES Seattle currently serves are Bailey Gatzert, Dunlap, Martin Luther King, Maple, Roxhill, and Hawthorne, all of whom fully qualify for Title-1 assistance. Children in the aforementioned schools include a large portion of migrant students, English as a second language (ESL) students, at risk students, and neglected students; of which nearly 85% qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. These schools and students make up some of Seattle’s lowest income neighborhoods including Rainier Valley, Central District and White Center. These neighborhoods are among the most culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods in the Pacific Northwest5 (Appendix 2). The vision of the program is to cultivate healthy, civically engaged students and leaders within the Seattle Community. Highlights of the program's impact nationally over the last year include:

88% of students reported higher self-confidence.

2 americascoresseattle.com/ 3 www.americascores.org/about-us/impact 4 http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-methods-tips/11105-basics-of-title-1-funds/ 5 Public School Website

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55% of students who started in an "unhealthy" BMI category (overweight or obese), ended the year with improved physical fitness in the "normal/healthy" BMI percentile.

Teacher surveys show higher classroom participation (80%), leading to improved academic performance (77%)6.

Problem Statement This report focuses on:

How America SCORES Seattle can achieve its potential of helping more schools and children. Three strategies have the potential to best solve this problem:

1. Diversify funds 2. Enhance strategic partnerships 3. Increase brand awareness

Chart 1: Problem Strategy

Research conducted to develop these strategies was augmented with information from multiple meetings with SCORES Seattle staff and board members. This report recognizes that with limited staffing SCORES Seattle has many choices to make. Recommendations are framed to facilitate these decisions.

6 http://www.americascores.org/about-us/impact

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Increased Impact

Increasing the impact of SCORES Seattle will require a well-organized plan and direction. To best position the program for success, it should include input from all its stakeholders and it should be intentional and ongoing. In expanding, fifteen of Seattle Public Elementary Schools and one Middle School are recommended as SCORES Seattle’s primary targets for expansion. Map 1 below identifies the targeted schools by their geographic proximity as well the schools need for the Seattle SCORES program.

Map 1: Schools by Neighborhoods

Map 1 (click to view interactive map) organizes the schools by their respective neighborhoods, it is focused on the city’s most dense and diverse neighborhoods, including Beacon Hill, Mt. Baker, Columbia City, Rainier Valley, White Center, and West Seattle. The map identifies schools that are geographically close to reduce travel expenses and to encourage participants in the program to share their stories amongst their respective neighborhoods spreading the program's story. Current schools are indicated with a building icon while potential schools have a soccer icon. The targeted schools are color coded into four geographic sections (purple, red, yellow, & green) so SCORES Seattle can use a geographical approach to adding schools. For example, the red icons encompass the neighborhoods of Beacon Hill and Columbia City. Three of the current schools in the program Hawthorne, Maple, and MLK are in these neighborhoods. Graham Hill and Dearborn Park are also located in this area, as SCORES Seattle begins its expansion, these two schools will be prime targets based on their geographical proximity to the aforementioned schools. A second approach could be to add schools in close proximity to current school Bailey Gatzert (Purple icons, Leschi, Kimball, Beacon Hill, John Muir, and Washington Middle) with the intention of adding a middle school program long-term. The purple schools are feeder schools for Washington Middle School and would be a great way of getting alumni involved as well as solidifying the communities of North Beacon Hill and the Central District. No one approach or neighborhood takes precedence over the other however organizing target schools into geographical sections gives SCORES Seattle a way to visualize their potential impact.

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Data was analyzed from 2014-15 Seattle Public Schools Reports to identify schools that trailed their peers in three specific measures (Table 1). The measures used to identify the schools needs are the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, percentage of English language learners, and students who scored below average grade level proficiencies in English & Language Arts7. These measures were then used to assign a score to the respective schools. The higher the score the school received the greater the need for the SCORES Seattle program. Based on the scores, the schools were assigned into these four categories:

1. High need Schools: Van Asselt Elementary, Concord International School, Emerson Elementary, Highland, Park Elementary, West Seattle Elementary, Dearborn Park Int'l School, Sanislo Elementary, & Graham Hill Elementary.

2. Moderate Need Schools: Wing Luke Elementary, John Muir Elementary, & Beacon Hill Elementary.

3. Low Need Schools: South Shore K-8 School, Rainier View Elementary, Kimball Elementary, Leschi Elementary, & Washington Middle School.

4. Middle Schools: Washington Middle

Table 1: Seattle Public Schools Scorecard A possible consideration for the future is also the inclusion of a middle school program as a way to expand beyond SCORES Seattle’s core and junior program (K-5th grade). Washington Middle School has been selected as a potential candidate to launch a middle school program in the future. Washington Middle is a feeder school for two of the current elementary schools (Bailey Gatzert & Hawthorne) involved in the program8 as well as several possible future elementary schools (purple

7 seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=6369011 8 Washington Middle

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icons). Washington Middle has the potential of getting alumni involved in leadership and mentorship roles for younger participants sharing their experiences. Other America SCORES affiliate programs have a number of programs including middle school and alumni curriculum9. For SCORES Seattle to consider expansion it will also need to detail where additional costs and revenue sources will come from. To get a better understanding of how the organizations expenses and revenues will increase, a profit and loss statement (P&L) for future years is found in (Appendix 3). The P&L statement lists expenses first and then matches revenues needed for SCORES Seattle to operate around expanding to additional schools in the future (detailed in the appendices). The P&L statement sets achievable targets by adding one additional school each year to the program, as well as the necessary staff to take on the projects. Reviewing the P&L model should be on-going to make sure the organization keeps on track of its goal of helping more schools and children.

Expansion Plan

The map of the fifteen elementary schools and one middle school that encompass Seattle's Central and Southern Neighborhoods is a way for SCORES Seattle to visualize its potential physical footprint. The map and scorecard can be utilized simultaneously as a way for the Executive Director (ED) and the Board of Directors to identify any potential target schools that should added to the program. Schools should be targeted using their geographic proximity to current schools as well as their weaknesses and need for the SCORES Seattle program. Once SCORES Seattle has successfully added more elementary schools it can contemplate adding a middle school program as a way to incorporate and develop leaders within the program. Finally, SCORES Seattle should model a P&L statement for future years (as seen in appendix 3), this will allow the organization to set revenue targets in order to expand beyond its six current schools. The model should be reviewed periodically amongst The Board and ED to determine if targets are being met and the necessary steps to adjust revenues and expenses. When deciding on expansion SCORES Seattle must also consider does the school, its administration, and its teachers want or have the time to successfully implement the SCORES Seattle program? Careful assessment of the schools by The Board and ED should be followed before selecting the school to implement into the program.

Current Organization

SCORES Seattle serves more than 350 students in six elementary schools, at present there is only one staff member (Executive Director, Carole Kelley) who oversees the day-to-day operations. The program receives additional help from the board as well as a core of approximately 20 teachers and school administrative volunteers. The lack of sufficient full-time staff is one of the greatest constraints on expansion for SCORES Seattle. It is useful to compare the staff size of SCORES Seattle to similar after-school programs in the Seattle area, although many of these programs have greater resources. It is evident they have a range of staff to help increase the impact of their respective organizations (Chart 2).

9 http://www.americascores.org/affiliates/cleveland/about-us/program-curricula

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Chart 2: Local Non-Profits Staff

America SCORES Cleveland has been identified as an aspirational program, they are just under double the size of SCORES Seattle and serve approximately 650 kids in 11 schools. The program has also successfully integrated a high-school alumni program. SCORES Cleveland operates a lean staff but are currently composed of 4 staff members and one job opening10.

Current Staff: Executive Director, Associate Director, Program & Soccer Director, Communications & Development Associate

Job Opening: Part-time Program Assistant

Organizational Chart

As SCORES Seattle increases its program size, it will need to add support staff. Below is an organizational chart (Chart 3) detailing the appropriate staffing size. In order to achieve both short and long-term objectives, the Executive Director and Board of Directors should take the necessary steps to staff the organization with these additional positions.

Chart 3: Organizational Hierarchy

10 http://www.americascores.org/affiliates/cleveland/about-us/asc-staff-board

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Both the Program Director (PD) and Development & Management Associate (DMA) could be added to the program immediately while the Program Coordinator is a longer-term possibility. Job descriptions for both of these positions can be found in Appendices 4 and 5. The DMA can help provide support for many of the tasks described throughout the report. Necessary steps are also provided to post the job positions to Seattle University's Job Board, the Redhawk Network, along with the appropriate contacts. This will make the job posting available to current and past students of Seattle University (Appendix 6).

Diversifying Funds

Current Environment

Non-profit organizations (501c3s) generate funds largely through corporate partnerships, private donations, government grants, and membership fees. Economic conditions have improved over the last five years, which has increased corporate donation levels and assisted non-profit organizations. However, the growth for non-profits has been slow after the economic recession. Non-profits gain a significant portion of their funding through donations and partnerships with corporations. When corporate profits increase companies are more likely to partner with and contribute to organizations that promote civic and social interests. Disposable income over the past five years has grown strongly in the US, but private donations have only risen moderately. According to the Giving USA 2014 Annual Report on Philanthropy, contributions to non-profits sank during the recession and have not recovered since. Federal and state grants are expected to account for approximately 5% of non-profit funds for 2016 (Chart 4). Federal funding has increased after the recession but has remained largely volatile, non-profits that rely largely on government grants have struggled11.

Chart 4: Non-Profits Funding Sources

11 http://clients1.ibisworld.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=1755

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Diversifying SCORES Seattle's funds is an area that has been identified for improvement and should help the organization increase its impact. In addition to Strategic Partnerships and Brand Awareness, diversifying funds will be essential for long-term expansion. Currently, SCORES Seattle has two major events that account for 60% of the organization's funds; the SCORES Cup and the Auction and Gala. Other sources of funds include its strategic partnership with the Seattle Sounders, and donations from individuals and the Board of Directors (Chart 5).12 Under its current budget, SCORES Seattle has little funds to expand its program. As a result, analysis is provided for SCORES to diversify its funds sources.

Chart 5: SCORES Seattle Funding Sources

Opportunities

In order to best approach this issue, three phases of research were undertaken as defined in the Statement of Work:

1. Analyze six youth non-profits in Seattle to determine their breakdown of revenue sources. a. Compare and contrast with America SCORES Seattle to determine areas of

strength/weakness. b. Based on the analysis suggest ways target underfunded donor groups.

2. Suggest ways to increase awareness and improve SCORES Seattle’s major funding events. a. Auction & Gala Night. b. SCORES Cup.

3. Analyze three creative ways to solicit and diversify funding. In addition to SCORES Seattle, six non-profits were analyzed to better understand the composition of their revenue sources (Table 2). The analysis addresses SCORES Seattle's strong and weak revenue sources.

12 Projected 2017 Fiscal Revenues

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Table 2: Non-Profits Funding Sources

As previously mentioned, SCORES Seattle organizes two major events on a yearly basis to raise funds for their programs expenses, the Auction & Gala and the SCORES Cup. Revenues for both events are projected to be $172,000 (Appendix 7). The SCORES Auction takes place in the spring and accounts for nearly half of their revenue and the SCORES Cup is a soccer tournament that brings teams sponsored by local companies together to compete. Both events are quite successful at drawing revenues, therefore SCORES Seattle can further leverage these events in creative ways to generate additional revenue. SCORES Seattle uses the Greater Giving mobile fundraising platform for their online donation page. Greater Giving's Online Payments is a simple and affordable tool for non-profit organizations and schools to collect and raise funds online.13 Online Payments provides SCORES Seattle with a secure, real-time online payment system that can be used alone, or in conjunction with a live event. SCORES Seattle’s donation page attracts most of the organization's individual donations and is a cost effective way for the program to collect revenues. Beyond the donations page, additional recommendations for individual donors are included to solicit further donations.

Recommendations

01 FUNDING ANALYSIS After examining six Seattle-based non-profits, it is clear that organizations draw on revenues from many different sources. Table 2 shows that "Special Events" (aside from Water1st) account for less than 40% of their organization's respective revenues, SCORES Seattle accounts for nearly 60%. All of the organizations have "contributions, gifts, and grants" that account for over 20% of revenues. Based on the non-profit organizations analyzed, SCORES Seattle could target 20-25% of their annual budget from contributions, gifts, and grants, including corporate contributions. Detailed descriptions on how to solicit further corporate contributions will be provided in the section on Corporate Sponsorship. Ways to diversify further contributions and gifts will be emphasized in more detail later in this section. SCORES Seattle should continue to emphasize its special events as a way to generate revenues.

02 (a) AUCTION & GALA SCORES Seattle's Auction & Gala night has been successful; therefore, if SCORES Seattle can create more awareness around the event it has the potential to be a greater success.

13 greatergiving.com

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● Attendees of the SCORES Seattle Auction & Gala have heard about the event predominately through word of mouth. Many auctions are creating an online presence for their silent auctions. It's easier to purchase tickets and reach a broader audience. SCORES Seattle is using a CRM platform called Little Green Light (LGL)14. LGL has many functions including creating interactive event forms. An illustration of such an event form was created on LGL and can be found in the appendices (Appendix 8). SCORES Seattle could create a similar form using their CRM to help reach a broader audience.

● In addition to the current auction items, SCORES Seattle can add auction items and services

relevant to the audience: Organizing a tombola (similar to a raffle) by selling ticket denominations of $5 to

$50, with the aim of selling additional tickets during the event. Front row seats at upcoming graduation (high school, college, or university). Lunch with an executive (can be one of the members or companies represented on

the board) or a Sounders player (Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris, etc.). Signed jerseys by all the players with the name and preferred number stamped on

the jersey. Wine tours (appetizers and wine testing); Washington state is known for its

wineries and that could be attractive for potential individual donors. Home dinner for four guests with a chef from a top restaurant. Ceremonial opening kick-off for a Sounders game during one of the local rivalry

games (either Vancouver or Portland.) Balloon rides (fundraising rides); a great experience to get a birds-eye view over the

Pacific Northwest15.

02 (b) SCORES CUP

America SCORES has created a unique event in the SCORES Cup and Seattle's tournament has had some great participants in previous years16. The Cup is a win-win for participants and companies; companies benefit from increased morale of its employees as well as getting the chance to support SCORES Seattle’s program. The following are recommendations to help further the success of the SCORES Cup tournament:

● SCORES Cleveland has a promotional flyer to encourage corporate sponsorship. A flyer detailing the benefits of the SCORES Cup is listed in the appendices (Appendix 9). SCORES Seattle can circulate the flyer to companies in the Seattle area leading up the July event (Appendix 10). The flyer can also serve as an invitation for the event and offers additional sponsorship opportunities beyond registration (e.g. Title Event Sponsor, T-Shirt Sponsor, Field Sponsor, and Goal Sponsor).

● The SCORES Cup is an excellent opportunity to create exposure and publicity for the winning

team and company as well as SCORES Seattle. The winning team should be showcased on SCORES Seattle’s Cup link page with photos from the day (i.e. SCORES Cleveland17). The winning team is currently invited to a Sounders match, this could also be parlayed into a brief introduction prior to the game at center field. If SCORES Seattle can leverage this through

14 littlegreenlight.com 15 http://www.fundraisingrides.org/ 16 http://www.americascoresseattle.com/scores-cup.html 17 http://www.americascores.org/affiliates/cleveland/news-events/scores-cup/scores-cup-17

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their partnership with the Sounders, it will create positive recognition for the winning company and will also push the message of SCORES Seattle to a larger audience. In addition, the winning team could be offered a lunch with a group of SCORES Seattle students as a way to connect deeper with the charity, photos from the luncheon would be great to circulate on both parties social media.

03 DIVERSIFY FUNDING

America SCORES and its affiliates, including SCORES Seattle, use a distinct, red “Donate Today” button, giving a uniform feel to the different cities that make up the national organization. When you select “Donate Today” on the Seattle site it takes you to the page powered by Greater Giving. On this, page there is a section labeled “Donor Level,” which describes what each contribution buys the program18. SCORES Seattle could take this a step further by creating a “wish list”. Other non-profits have some innovative wish lists which help solicit larger donations and give individuals and companies multiple places to donate. Girls on the Run of Puget Sound has a creative wish list which we modeled SCORES Seattle’s after19 (Appendix 11). A wish list is a direct way of covering program expenses and individual donors can see directly how their contributions will impact the program.

Several non-profits create year-end email campaigns and there are two reasons for this:

1. People are more charitable around the holiday season 2. For individual tax implications (Appendix 12)

Targeting individual donors with an email campaign is a strategic play for SCORES Seattle, especially in the last two months of the year. Donations should be made prior to calendar year end in order to be considered for tax savings of the same year. The campaign should be emailed to individuals who attended the Spring Auction, SCORES Cup, and individuals in the SCORES Seattle's database.

Many non-profits focus on recurring gifts, which are donations that organizations automatically receive each month or a determined period. It reduces the pressure of asking one-time donors for more funds and can also be automatically processed. A monthly giving program can be beneficial to SCORES Seattle, because recurring donors tend to be more loyal and to give more over time. Also, they feel more engaged and might be more willing to give additional gifts and do volunteering for the organization. It is estimated that 70% of all donors never return to make a second gift, therefore, it is important to target more recurring donors and keep them engaged.20 SCORES Seattle has a small recurring donation checkbox on their donation page, however organizations like the Red Cross have a page dedicated to monthly recurring donations and information about its effectiveness21. Given the appropriate resources, SCORES Seattle should create a dedicated button and webpage to recurring donations.

18 seattlescores.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/79504/Default.aspx 19 girlsrun.org/donate/our-wish-list 20 fundraising123.org/files/NFG-Recurring-Giving-Guide.pdf 21 http://www.redcross.org/donations/ways-to-donate/ways-to-donate-and-fundraise/monthly-giving

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Strategic Partnerships

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS

Current Environment

Seattle is consistently ranked as one of the most charitable cities in the United States, as the region is headquarters to a vast assortment of corporations who take pride in giving back to their communities. While there is certainly no fault with Seattle’s propensity for generosity, there is a downside when taking the perspective of smaller non-profit organizations in the area: there are just as many, if not more, charities competing for corporate sponsorships than there are companies granting them. Additionally, the environment for a handful of these smaller organizations can be extra tumultuous, because many charities in Seattle are rather similar; as is the case with SCORES Seattle. Therefore, it is important for the organization to consider corporate sponsorships which might be off the radar currently used by SCORES Seattle and their rival non-profits.

Opportunities There were four phases of research involved in assessing the potential of corporate sponsorships, as defined in the Statement of Work:

1. Identify the major corporate sponsors of successful America SCORES affiliates and how they contribute.

2. Research potential, local corporate sponsors who best align with the SCORES Seattle mission by identifying:

a. Soccer/sports, poetry/literacy, and community service related activities and events in the region and who their sponsors are.

b. Companies affiliated with the owners and senior managers of the Sounders. c. Companies associated with SCORES Seattle board members. d. Organizations in Seattle not listed in Puget Sound Business Journal’s “75 Companies

Named Top Corporate Philanthropists” article.22 3. Research ways successful non-profits reciprocate and/or recognize sponsors for their

contributions. 4. Identify practices utilized by successful non-profits to acquire corporate partnerships.

As a result of this research, a list of companies was developed as suggestions for SCORES Seattle to contact regarding their potential to be major sources of funding for the organization. These companies were selected based on a number of factors, including their being based in the Seattle area, charitable mission aligning with that of SCORES Seattle, amounts they have raised from past funding, a consistent history of giving, diverse fundraising techniques (beyond one-time contributions), leverageable resources (e.g. social media marketing), and their involvement in pertinent activities (e.g. soccer, literacy). While many corporations fit these criteria, a dominant factor taken into account was the number of non-profits the companies are already involved with, especially organizations which are direct competitors of SCORES Seattle. For this reason, more blatant sponsors, such as those directly related to the Sounders (Microsoft, Delta Airlines) and

22 http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/04/12/75-companies-named-top-corporate-philanthropists.html

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companies associated with SCORES Seattle and their board members (Expedia, PwC), were excluded from our recommendations as they already support numerous non-profits, many of which include SCORES Seattle’s rival organizations.

Recommendations

The following is a list of the three companies SCORES Seattle should pursue as corporate sponsors, along with relevant details and statistics regarding each company’s charitable history. Immediately following these primary suggestions, three other local companies worth consideration as potential corporate sponsors in the future, along with a few details about each. 01 SELLEN CONSTRUCTION

“Our vision is to build and improve our community... in the ways that we reinvest time, energy and money back into our neighborhood.”23

Sellen Construction has a proven track record of consistent and generous contributions to organizations which focus on community development and the arts. Furthermore, the company recently launched the Sellen Community Foundation, whose main objectives cater directly to the SCORES Seattle mission. Listed below are details of the aforementioned, along with other notable data regarding Sellen’s charitable culture: Employee Contributions: In 2016, 359 Sellen employees donated $105,500+ to the ArtsFund over the course of two weeks with corporate adding an extra $10k to the total. Between employee contributions and corporate matching, Sellen generated more than $279,000 for the ArtsFund between 2014 and 2016. In 2015, 378 employees raised nearly $242,000 for the United Way of King County, which contributed to around $667,000 in total donations between 2013 and 2015 to the organization. Beyond financial support, Sellen’s employees volunteer on a number of non-profit boards and committees. Community Foundation: The Sellen Community Foundation24 was founded in 2015 and their top three focus points are pertinent to SCORES Seattle’s mission:

1. Community Health: Support organizations devoted to improving the health of our community.

2. Arts and Culture: Support the vibrancy and competitiveness of our local community in partnership with organizations who create arts and cultural experiences.

3. Education: Foster education opportunities which ensure that people have an equal chance to succeed.

Notable Resources: Sellen has their own print/online publication: Craft Magazine,25 which includes both ads for sponsored organizations and a Community Impact section detailing employees’ contributions to society. Moreover, Sellen publicizes their charitable culture via social media accounts and generates posts about organizations they support.

23 http://www.sellen.com/why-it-matters 24 http://www.sellen.com/why-it-matters/sellen-community-foundation 25 http://www.issuu.com/sellenconstruction

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02 PEMCO INSURANCE “Not only do we work locally, we live locally. From our rigorous community events program to donating

generously to charitable causes, we’re proud to serve the Northwest...”26

PEMCO Insurance has a well-established charitable history and they raise money for organizations and events in a number of diverse ways. This ability, coupled with their often light-hearted manner, is evidence of PEMCO’s enthusiasm for achieving their charitable mission. The following are examples and details regarding the above, as well as other information highlighting their generous tendencies: Corporate Contributions: Each year PEMCO donates 5% of its increase in surplus to Northwest charities that primarily benefit education, youth, public safety, and health. In 2015, PEMCO donated $5,000+ to the Hugo House, which is a creative writing based organization, whose vision is to "...open the literary world to everyone who loves books or has a drive to write."27 Employee Contributions: Employees are granted eight hours of PTO/year for them to volunteer at a non-profit of their choice. Fundraising Methods: PEMCO’s “Non-profit of the Month” initiative grants $1,000 to a different non-profit every month (plus voluntary employee donations).28,29 They also launched a Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes, which grants $500 to individual teachers and $5,000 to the partnering non-profit, Schoolhouse Supplies.30 Sounders Affiliations: PEMCO is a sponsor of the Sounders FC Rave Green Run, which is a huge fundraising event for the Washington Global Health Alliance.31 They have also been the presenting sponsor of the Sounders FC Scarf Drive, which is an annual event benefiting YouthCare.32 Finally, PEMCO has hosted the Foos Cup, which was a season long foosball tournament held outside of Sounders’ home games.33,34 While the Foos Cup apparently didn’t benefit any charity directly, it is proof of their willingness to devote capital to marketing and develop brand awareness in unique ways. Notable Resources: Beyond being active on a number of social media platforms, PEMCO invests time in blogging and publishing a newsletter, the PEMCO Perspective.35 Their allocation of resources towards the latter two outlets is proof of their commitment to social media marketing.

03 BARTELL DRUGS “We’re proud that our charitable partnerships, community events and sustainability efforts all go back to

[our community]... As a local business, we realize that our customers are also our neighbors...”36

26 http://www.pemco.com/about-us/community 27 http://www.hugohouse.org/about/mission-vision-values 28 http://www.blog.pemco.com/blog/sharlyn-petit/our-november-nonprofit-of-the-month:-cocoon-house 29 http://www.blog.pemco.com/blog/sharlyn-petit/our-october-nonprofit-of-the-month:-mary%E2%80%99s-plac 30 https://www.pemco.com/northwest/news/pages/PEMCO-and-Schoolhouse-Supplies-award-teachers.aspx 31 http:///www.ravegreenrun.com/sponsors 32 http:///www.soundersfc.com/scarfdrive 33 http://www.blog.pemco.com/blog/justin-dellinger/dragons-of-the-west-burn-through-the-2013-foos-cup-competition 34 http://www.behance.net/gallery/3381803/PEMCO-FOOS-CUP 35 http://www.pemco.com/northwest/perspective 36 http://www.bartelldrugs.com/community

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Bartell Drugs has a unique ability; the power to promote an organization via their 64 storefronts in the Puget Sound area. Utilizing Bartell Drugs’ previous experience and infrastructure for implementing in-store campaigns, they can run tangible supply drives, percent of sales donation initiatives, etc. with relative ease. On top of this advantage, they recently announced a partnership with Amazon Prime Now, which is proof of their willingness to advance, adapt, and do new things. Listed below are details of the aforementioned, along with other notable data regarding Bartell Drugs’ philanthropic capabilities: Fundraising Methods: For the past two years, Bartell Drugs ran a promotion during the month of October, which donated a percentage of sales from the purchase of Oberto Sausage Company products. This promotion was publicized by both companies, and, as a result, this initiative has raised around $50,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital.37 Also, Bartell Drugs offers ‘B’ Caring Cards, which donate up to 4% of a sale to a charity the customer has predetermined when they swipe their card at checkout.38,39 Finally, in August 2016, Bartell Drugs raised more than $55,000 during their annual World Vision’s “School Tools” drive, which they have been dedicated to for fourteen years.40 Notable Resources: Bartell Drugs frequently posts high-quality content on their social media platforms, which includes posts regarding charities they support (especially in the midst of a promotion they are running for the organization). Additionally, beyond digital publicity, the company invests in traditional, print advertising, which still has an impact, but is often ignored. Amazon Prime Now: On November 11, 2016, a partnership between Bartell Drugs and Amazon was announced,41 which both expands Bartell Drugs’ potential to promote their sponsored non-profits and provides proof of their forward thinking mentality and willingness to continue evolving beyond a 126-year-old drug store.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS Gravity Payments: Gravity Payments’ employees are allotted funds to donate to a non-profit of their choice each year based on their tenure. Also, if the employees volunteer at the organization, they receive more money to donate. Moreover, the company matches up to $500 per employee to those charities.42 Smith Brothers Farms: Smith Brothers Farms is a sponsor of Northwest Folklife, which celebrates art and culture in the Northwest.43 They also partnered with Seattle Reign FC player, Jess Fishlock, which emphasizes the correlation between nutrition and physical fitness.44 Finally, Smith Brothers Farms has a strong social media presence and they pay for advertising on platforms such as Instagram. Talking Rain: Talking Rain is a Seattle Marathon sponsor and they have donated $50,000 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.45 Also, CEO, Kevin Klock, solidifies the company’s dedication to wellness by funding his employees’ health and fitness activities.46 37 http://www.bartelldrugs.com/events/event/bartell-drugs-oberto-team-to-help-kids-and-seattle-childrens 38 http://www.bartelldrugs.com/b-caring-program 39 http://www.escrip.com/merchants/identity/bcaringcard/index.js 40 http://www.bartelldrugs.com/events/event/more-than-55000-raised-to-help-children-in-need-through-school-tools 41 http://www.bartelldrugs.com/services/primenow 42 http://www.gravitypayments.com/gravity-gives 43 http://www.smithbrothersfarms.com/supporting-local 44 http://www.smithbrothersfarms.com/Farm-Feed/fueling-the-pros-meet-jess-fishlock 45 http://www.talkingrain.com 46 http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/health-care-inc/2016/08/talking-rain-ceo-offers-tips-for-improving.html

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SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC PARTNERSHIP

Current Environment

Similar to the turbulent corporate sponsorship environment in the Seattle area, the challenge of obtaining a meaningful partnership with the Seattle Sounders FC is extremely competitive for local non-profits. Fortunately for SCORES Seattle, their relationship with the Sounders is already established and the team’s Chief Operating Officer, Bart Wiley, is positioned on the SCORES Seattle board, which certainly strengthens this connection. However, none of this means the organization can sit back and relax, because other comparable partners, such as Washington Youth Soccer’s Soccer for Success program,47 are still competing for the exact same resources.

Opportunities In order to best approach this issue, three phases of research were investigated, as defined in the Statement of Work:

1. Analyze how successful America SCORES affiliates are leveraging their relationships with their respective regional Major League Soccer organizations.

2. Research the most prominent Seattle area non-profits who are competing for the Sounders’ resources and determine what resources the Sounders organization is allocating to them.

3. Identify opportunities for SCORES Seattle to improve their relationship with the Sounders by identifying:

a. Potential partnerships between SCORES Seattle and other non-profits currently competing for the Sounders’ resources.

b. Potential opportunities for interaction between SCORES Seattle and the Sounders. c. Potential partnerships between SCORES Seattle and the corporate sponsors of the

Sounders. As a result of this research, a variety of ways in which other SCORES affiliates and non-profits are interacting with, and leveraging the resources of, their respective MLS teams were discovered. Unfortunately, many of these opportunities are asset exhaustive for the non-profit organizations and wouldn’t be effective for SCORES Seattle to implement at this point in time. Additionally, these prospects tended to exert considerable resources from the MLS teams, which would make it more difficult for them to commit. However, after careful consideration, three recommendations taking into account the aforementioned constraints were developed, so SCORES Seattle can build upon their relationship with the Sounders and better interact with team. Furthermore, these concepts are coupled with methods to leverage the Sounders’ resources (e.g. social media) and two of these suggestions have the added benefit of generating revenue. One final note: it is important to consider that while the team is certainly participating in philanthropic endeavors for the greater good, these interactions are also opportunities for publicity, therefore creating press worthy events should increase the Sounders’ dedication.

47 http://www.washingtonyouthsoccer.org/programs/soccer_for_success/

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Recommendations

The following is a list of three courses of action SCORES Seattle should pursue in order to build upon their relationship with the Sounders. As aforementioned, these recommendations were selected on account of the minimal resources required for SCORES Seattle to initiate, along with the relative ease of their implementation by the Sounders, predisposition for media coverage, ability to leverage the Sounders’ resources, and as potential revenue generators.

01 SMALL FIELDS. BIG IDEAS. The RAVE Foundation, which is the Sounders’ charitable organization, intends to develop a number of “…small, accessible soccer fields in urban areas that provide free play to shape young citizens, strengthen communities and encourage physical activity…”48 In July 2016, a ceremony was held at the Yesler Community Center, which is a few blocks away from SCORES Seattle school, Bailey Gatzert Elementary, announcing the launch of the initiative and declaring Yesler as the debut location. Unfortunately, neither SCORES Seattle nor Bailey Gatzert were mentioned in any press regarding the inaugural site, except for being listed as an afterthought with other partners near the bottom of an article. This lack of recognition is why SCORES Seattle must be vigilant and take the necessary actions for their name to stay at the tips of the tongues of initiative organizers, so these facilities being constructed near their schools becomes a trend. Beyond having dedicated places to play soccer in their neighborhoods, SCORES Seattle participants would have the opportunity to interact with the Sounders at the ribbon cutting ceremonies for each new facility (this level of interaction is being pledged by the team for each unveiling, along with continued maintenance and support of the facilities). While such interaction would likely be limited to a one-time publicity event for each new site, the launch of these facilities have potential to foster a great deal of brand awareness, as was the case with SCORES Bay Area’s similar initiative “The Field of Dreams.” Thus far, they have opened eight fields, whose inaugural events are attended by players of their local MLS team, the San Jose Earthquakes, who play with the kids, sign autographs, and so forth. Not only are these events covered by the Quakes’ social media accounts, but they have earned airtime on the Evening News of San Francisco’s Fox affiliate.49 In addition to this type of potential exposure, the Sounders also implemented a social media campaign surrounding the Yesler event. As copied from a press release: “Fans in attendance at next week’s events are encouraged to share photos on their personal social media channels using #SoundersInSeattle. Fans who share a photo and use [the hashtag] may win Sounders FC tickets or swag.”50 While the exact development specifications are currently not known for the creation of a facility, detailing how one of these sites will benefit multiple SCORES Seattle locations will surely strengthen the organization’s argument. As an example, Map 2 is a adaptation of the previously introduced Map 1: Schools by Neighborhood, which has been augmented to illustrate multiple zones within 6-12 blocks of current SCORES Seattle schools (left), as well as the overlap of potential additional schools, if the organization decides to implement the expansion plan recommended in the Increased Impact section (right). Presently, the only area of overlap is between MLK Jr. Elementary and Dunlap Elementary, but if schools are added to the program, it is evident from this map that one facility can

48 http://www.soundersfc.com/post/2016/07/21/sounders-fc-announces-launch-rave-foundation-schedule-events-ahead-full-

stadium 49 http://www.ktvu.com/news/4735275-story 50 http://www.soundersfc.com/post/2016/07/21/sounders-fc-announces-launch-rave-foundation-schedule-events-ahead-full-

stadium

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impact multiple SCORES Seattle schools. Unfortunately, the proposed Yesler site (blue star) is only within walking distance of once SCORES Seattle school, regardless of expansion plan.

Map 2: Illustration of Zones to Benefit Multiple Schools

02 TEAM MANAGER PROGRAM Individual Sounders players serving as “managers” of their own SCORES Seattle school is a concept which has the potential to cover a wide range of opportunities for interaction between team members and poet-athletes. Furthermore, this low-risk initiative provides ample possibilities for increasing brand awareness by leveraging the Sounders’ social media capabilities and also has the potential to generate revenue. This program would launch with the Sounders players meeting their respective school near the beginning of the season at a regularly scheduled meeting. They would then provide the participants with tips on soccer via drills and scrimmages, the importance of teamwork to succeed, etc. Also, at this point in time, the players and accompanying staff would gather as much media as possible on the kids, school, community, teachers, etc. As a result of this one meeting and the material obtained, the Sounders athlete would have the ability to make social media posts regarding their school throughout the duration of the SCORES program, if not the entire MLS season. The spread of the players’ interaction level can range from a one-time meeting at the onset of the program to weekly encounters throughout the season. However, regardless of the frequency of their meetings, their participation level would have to be frequent; players should stick to a fixed schedule of posting (e.g. once per week) their content derived from their initial meeting, which would ideally range from excerpts of SCORES participant’s poems (possibly haiku and/or limericks that would fit within character limitations); stories about the kids (depending on legal stipulations); stats on the school, community, and/or the SCORES program in general; information about the teachers; etc. Another consideration for further content generation would be for SCORES Seattle staff, teachers, and/or parents to gather media throughout the season and provide this to the proper point of contact at the Sounders organization.

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While the above interaction and participation would be sufficient, the best case scenario would include the same content as above, but with more “real time” details on the progress, improvement, impact (of the program and their presence), up-to-date photos, etc., which would be gathered over the course of multiple visitations by the players to their respective teams over the season. Additionally, the opportunity exists for the Sounders players to participate in end of season events, which could include playing against each other at the Fall Frenzy and/or SCORES Cup as well as sharing their personal poems and favorite experiences from the past season at the Poetry Slam event. Furthermore, the Sounders’ presence at these last few events might help draw an audience and would certainly assist in attracting the press in the case of the SCORES Cup, which would require spectators to purchase tickets, thus generating revenue.

03 MOBILE-FRIENDLY AUCTIONS While the potential for actual player-student interaction is slim, leveraging the Sounders resources to host online, mobile-friendly, recurring auctions throughout the MLS season is being recommended. This simple fundraising technique would be very beneficial to SCORES Seattle and consume limited Sounders’ capital. Additionally, beyond acquiring funding for SCORES Seattle, this recommendation is both a source of visibility for the organization and exposure for existing and potential sponsors. This past 2016 MLS season, D.C. United made use of mobile-friendly auctions to raise money and awareness for their America SCORES affiliate, DC SCORES.51 While D.C. United promoted these auctions at their home games, where the items were physically on display, the majority of publicity was via social media where hyperlinks and hashtags in posts led directly to the items on the mobile auction platform they were utilizing, Gesture.52 This program is certainly an acceptable option, however it is being suggested to use the mobile bidding capabilities of the Greater Giving fundraising platform,53 which SCORES Seattle already uses. While social media promotion of a mobile-based event is a given, SCORES Seattle should ensure the proper accounts are being leveraged and effective language and calls to action are being implemented as will be recommended in the following Brand Awareness section. Beyond SCORES Seattle and the Sounders’ accounts, other partners should be considered, for example: the competing MLS team and their America SCORES affiliate, SCORES Seattle’s partners/sponsors, Sounders’ partners/sponsors, the RAVE Foundation, MLS Works, and individual Sounders players. Additionally, auctions should be promoted during matches on stadium screens and on the team’s mobile app if possible. As for auction items, these could include prizes similar to those mentioned in the Diversify Funds section, which might comprise autographed memorabilia, priority seating at games, sponsor's products/services, etc. Also, something to consider might be auctioning off apparel and equipment used during the respective game(s) during which the auction is being held. If implementation of this recommendation is pursued, contacting the DC SCORES affiliate for their experiences and insight on the process and roles played by both DC SCORES and D.C. United should be considered. Another resource worth contacting is SCORES Bay Area, as one of their primary

51 http://www.dcunited.com/post/2016/04/20/dc-united-offer-new-mobile-silent-auction-platform 52 http://www.gesture.com 53 https://www.greatergiving.com/en/solutions/online-bidding

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corporate sponsors, The Sak Brand Group, has held similar auctions, via eBay, in the past54 and they might have suggestions about this concept worth taking into consideration.

Brand Awareness

BRAND STRATEGY

Current Environment

SCORES Seattle’s identity is based on providing elementary school students from underserved communities with an after school program combining literacy, athletics, and community service. It seeks to give every student the opportunity to achieve their goals and unleash their full potential. The America SCORES brand and identity has a strong reputation nationally; locally SCORES Seattle can take steps to emphasize this brand further. Social media is an easy and cost effective way for a non-profit to increase their brand awareness. In 2015, 28% of time spent online was on social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter55. Users frequently share stories and “like” non-profits that are of interest to them and other users view and interact with this content, thus creating brand awareness. Traditional media sources, like print and television, are not as prominent as they once were, however many potential donors still continue to watch TV and read the newspaper. Although more expensive than social media marketing, strategically placed advertisements can attract relevant donors and create brand awareness. These media channels can bring more attention to the public, especially those who are not active on social media platforms.

Opportunities Overall, SCORES Seattle’s brand strategy must support the organization’s mission, enhance their partnership with the Sounders, not compromise the quality of the programs, and be financially viable and achievable. In order to best approach these issues, three phases of research were undertaken as defined in the Statement of Work:

1. Research non-profit competitors and compare their social media branding strategies with SCORES Seattle.

2. Identify ways to improve SCORES Seattle’s web search and social media (Facebook and Twitter) to increase impact.

3. Research print media and broadcasting channels to develop relationships with.

Non-profits use their brand primarily as a fundraising tool, but a number of different organizations are developing their awareness strategically through their social media accounts by using their brand to create greater exposure. The brand is somewhat like the face of the organization; a good brand is prominent on social media and will make the audience feel connected to it. 54 http://www.missomnimedia.com/2010/07/ca-711-the-bolinas-world-cup-party/ 55 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brandawareness.asp

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Several local non-profits were analyzed to see how they were using social media to spread their message and brand. While the majority are on social media, some organizations have a broader reach and are using all platforms to convey their message, as shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3: Non-Profit Social Media Presence

Google Analytics is a service that provides insight on how to best optimize search engine visibility and shines light on locating and reaching potential donors through understanding data analytics. The service tracks the number of web page views and uses keywords to increase the likelihood that when entered, the organizations website will appear at or near the top of the Google Search. SCORES Seattle can use their current social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to build connections with current students, alumni, and volunteers. This will allow the organization to engage, converse, and socialize with their participants and donor base while publicly increasing their online presence. Facebook recently added the ability to live stream events with their application Facebook Live. For a non-profit to use Live, the account needs to be verified (SCORES Seattle is a verified charitable foundation on Facebook, as indicated by the checkmark on its Facebook page)56. Once the account is verified, SCORES Seattle can fundraise through the application. It allows the organization to connect a fundraiser or live event directly to their donation page, displaying a donate button and progress in combination with the live video. The application is in its infancy but will be worth monitoring as it develops. Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform with more than 100 million users in the United States. Users can upload pictures, videos, and stories. Tumblr is another social media platform that uses “microblogging”, where users can create multimedia and short blog posts to share and have interested parties follow. As of January, 2016 the website has 555 million visitors57. The Seattle Times is the largest circulated daily newspaper in Washington State. The organization’s participation in the non-profit industry includes investigating issues that matter to make a difference

56 http://www.facebook.com/help/100168986860974 57 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr

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in community impact and commitment to education. Their contributions include the Greater Good Campaign, which promotes learning and literacy to students, and prioritizes K-12 education funding58. The paper also provides fundraising and sponsorships for local non-profit organizations. Local media broadcasting channels, like KUOW 94.9FM, provide in-kind, on-air support for non-profit events happening in the Greater Seattle Area, and help promote discourse and increased participation rates59. Print media such as the Seattle Business Magazine present Community Impact Awards annually to honor and reward Washington state organizations that are making tangible, measurable impact on the local community60. Awards include those for Social Entrepreneurship, Youth Development, and Non-profit of the Year, which are presented in conjunction with PwC (a company that currently has an employee on the SCORES Seattle board). Being recognized for an award by local media would generate name recognition for SCORES Seattle and as a result increase its brand awareness.

Recommendations

01 COMPETITION As our analysis shows, SCORES Seattle is off to a good start and has created a presence across social media platforms to help spread their name and brand more effectively. (Table 3) indicates that SCORES Seattle is one of the few local organizations analyzed that have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with respect to their peers. Although they do have do have a presence on the aforementioned social media platforms steps should be taken to make sure content is updated regularly and links are working effectively. Greater brand awareness will be created if SCORES Seattle can actively engage its audience on these platforms. Below are some recommendations on create further audience engagement.

Social Media Icons: America SCORES should continue to predominately display its logo on its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Pages. The audience should always be certain that they arrived on the right profile. For example, the banner photo on SCORES Seattle’s Twitter account is currently a "Give Big" ribbon. This banner may have been part of a previous campaign, a more effective banner photo would be to display a child performing poetry or a team playing soccer to showcase the organizations brand and personality. Banner photos and cover photos should be updated periodically around specific events and campaigns to keep its social media audience fully engaged.

Show Donors Action: Showcase pictures and videos of programs services and events on

SCORES Seattle’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profile; donors want to see where their money is going. Pictures engage the audience and show what the organization is all about. For instance, provide a slideshow after large events like Poetry Slam or SCORES Cup in close proximity to its donation page. Seattle SCORES should keep its social media content updated routinely with pictures and videos. A staff member (possibly the Development Management Associate) or volunteer should be assigned with the responsibility of keeping social media content updated. The last update for the Facebook page was July 2016 and Twitter content was updated in August 2016. Staff and volunteers should also be encouraged to share content on their respective social media profiles as well as "like" content which will help increase the visibility and awareness the program.

58 http://greatergood.seattletimes.com 59 http://kuow.org/media-sponsorship-program 60 http://seattlebusinessmag.com/2016-community-impact-awards

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Brand SCORES Seattle’s Emails: SCORES Seattle uses Constant Contact; they can use this tool to drive recipients to their website and donation pages reflecting its brand. SCORES Seattle logo can be easily incorporated into emails as well as colors and pictures to match the brand and message. SCORES Seattle should also brand its staff member emails with social media logos so email recipients can click the icon provided and land on their social media accounts.

02 WEB SEARCH & SOCIAL MEDIA

Online presence: can be improved by expanding the organization’s online platform and its usage. The organization can audit its website for Search Engine Optimization best practices to include relevant content and make sure their images are displayed correctly. Web search can be optimized using Google Analytics. “Keywords” like “after school program”, “non-profit”, “soccer”, and “poetry” should appear in the Google results page.

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: SCORES Seattle should create a calendar to schedule social

media posts managed by the aforementioned Development & Management Associate. The DMA can work with the ED to integrate a social media strategy for any upcoming events and campaigns. Content should be planned and the DMA should interact on social media using keywords and hashtags to increase the visibility of posts and campaigns. For example this past Tuesday, November 29th was "Giving Tuesday". Which comes on the heels of "Black Friday", where individuals are encouraged to donate to their favorite charities. There is a lot of awareness and buzz created on social media about this day using the popular hashtag #GivingTuesday. In 2015, over 700,000 people donated $116,000,000 in over 70 countries61. The power of social media and creativity created are a great agent for charitable causes. SCORES Seattle should participate fully in social media campaigns like "Giving Tuesday" to create further organizational awareness.

Facebook Live: Is a great new way to stream important mission moments that might

otherwise go unnoticed62. SCORES Seattle could add a donate buttons to their own posts (Appendix 13). These buttons will link to the organization’s Facebook page, where the public can donate and learn more about the programs and the SCORES Seattle brand.

03 PRINT MEDIA & BROADCAST CHANNELS Seattle Times: The Seattle Times is committed to helping out the Puget Sound community

thrive as an independent media company and Seattle's only major daily print. The paper has several community impact initiatives including, Newspapers in Education, The Greater Good Campaign, and The Fund for the Needy. The Fund for the Needy initiative has raised over $20million over the last 37 years with 100% of all proceeds going to local charities63. There are twelve charitable organizations involved including Big Brothers and Sisters, Childhaven, and Treehouse, throughout the fall and winter the Seattle Time will print a story on how these twelve charities make a difference for thousands in the Seattle area. Should SCORES Seattle have available resources it should take steps to getting involved with the initiative. This Seattle Times initiative creates significant brand awareness for the respective charities. A list of the writers involved in the project and their contact information is detailed in the appendix (Appendix 14).

61 https://www.givingtuesday.org/ 62 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caroline-avakian/facebook-live-video-for-n_b_9132748.html 63 http://ffn.seattletimes.com/

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KUOW 94.9FM: SCORES Seattle can apply to KUOW 94.9FM’s Media Sponsorship Program (Appendix 15) as an opportunity to promote the organization’s events such as the SCORES Cup and Poetry Slam. KUOW provides on-air support for non-profit events happening in the Seattle Broadcast region. Not only is this in-kind donation provided by KUOW a great low cost way for a charitable organization to promote an upcoming event but it also exposes the organization to a diverse array of listeners throughout the Puget Sound.

Seattle Business Magazine: SCORES Seattle could also take steps to participate in the Seattle Business Magazine's Community Impact Awards, which is awarded on an annual basis to organizations that are committed to making their communities are better place (Appendix 16). Last year’s winner and runners up were ArtsFund, Childhaven, and Neighborhood Greenways, respectively. The Seattle Business Magazine currently circulates 17,200 copies a month which includes newsstand, paid subscribers, and c-suite executives. Applying for the recognition is a great way for SCORES Seattle to increase its impact.

Conclusion The preceding report represents the magnitude to which diversifying funds, strategic partnerships, and brand awareness were researched and illustrates recommendations that were developed as a result of this exploration. These suggestions will not only assist in increasing SCORES Seattle’s impact, but do so in a manner which will be feasible with organization’s current constraints. Furthermore, while these recommendations were designed for their relative ease of implementation, they were also structured in a way which enables them to evolve in complexity as SCORES Seattle advances and fulfills their potential of helping more schools and children. The tailored strategy in this report makes the organization’s objective to expand more achievable by implementing one or more of the recommendations detailed in this report, which will provide great benefit towards SCORES Seattle's mission to expand their current program and further impact the community by helping my schools and children.

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Appendices Appendix 1: English & Language Arts Proficiency

Appendix 2: SCORES Seattle Ethnicities

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Appendix 3: Future P&L Statement The P&L statement below models out expenses and revenues until 2021. The models works backwards because the expenses were modeled out first to determine the costs off adding 1 additional school to the program from 2018-2021. This is modeled out in the additional program costs each of the next four years. SCORES Seattle should also take notice of the additional Salaries, Benefits, & Taxes specifically in 2018 and 2019 which is due to the addition of the Development and Management Associate (2018) and Program Coordinator (2019). All of the remaining costs increase by the price of inflation (3%) until 2021. After the expenses were determined we modeled out our revenues based on the requirements to add the additional schools and staff. Because there is no consistent pattern with revenues from any of the previous years a straight line approach was used to cover expenses. By modelling out the expenses first SCORES Seattle could set revenue goals each based on the requirement to cover the expenses. Lastly this model is also assuming that the economy carries on without a recession in any of the following years. Targets should be adjusted periodically based on these types of considerations.

2 3 4 4 4

76,693 77,459 67,337 69,358 71,438

6 7 8 9 10

10,142 10,446 10,759 11,082 11,415

FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021

153,385 232,378 269,350 277,430 285,753

60,850 71,296 81,742 92,188 102,634

6,320 6,636 6,968 7,316 7,682

3,175 3,270 3,368 3,469 3,573

14,400 15,120 15,876 16,670 17,503

500 515 530 546 563

18,900 19,845 20,837 21,879 22,973

1,100 1,155 1,213 1,273 1,337

2,280 2,394 2,514 2,639 2,771

1,740 1,792 1,846 1,901 1,958

12,324 12,940 13,587 14,267 14,980

274,974 367,342 417,831 439,579 461,728

FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021

52,000 52,000 60,000 70,000 80,000

20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000

120,000 140,000 150,000 160,000 170,000

52,000 70,000 80,000 85,000 90,000

15,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000

2,150 2,150 2,150 2,150 2,150

288,150 351,150 399,150 444,150 489,150

$13,176 -$16,192 -$18,681 $4,571 $27,422

Key Assumptions

Number of Staff

Sa laries , Benefi ts , Taxes Per Staff

Number of Schools

ProgramExp Per School

Revenues

Total Expenses

Expenses

Bui lding & Occupancy

Equipment

Profess ional Fees & Consulting

Travel

Communications

Staff Retreats

Other

Salaries , Benefi ts , Taxes

Program Expenses

Affi l iate Expenses

Conferences & Meetings

Profit / Loss

SCORES Cup

Auction

Grants Foundations

Individuals

Board Donations

Corporate Sponsorship

School Fees

Others

Total Revenues

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Appendix 4: Development & Management Associate Job Description

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Appendix 5: Program Coordinator Job Description

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Appendix 6: Job Descriptions In addition to the organizational chart, detailed job descriptions for the Development & Management Associate and Program Coordinator are provided below. In order to add the descriptions to Seattle Universities career service website (Redhawk Network) Justin Dolce can be contacted. Justin Dolce: Graduate Student Career Advisor Email: dolcej@seattleu.edu Phone: 206-296-2184 Additional information needed:

1. The date SCORES Seattle wants students to apply by. When does SCORES Seattle want the posting deadline to be?

2. Method of receiving resumes. Justin can have students submit their application via Seattle U's online job system and then send SCORES Seattle a bundle of all applicants at the job posting deadline, he can have students email someone directly, or he can just direct students to apply back to a company career website.

3. Who should the main Point of Contact be for? 4. Any specific screening criteria such as major, program, undergrad or graduate student, etc.

Appendix 7: Projected Revenue FY 2017

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Appendix 8: Little Green Light

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Appendix 9: SCORES Cup Document

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Appendix 10: SCORES Cup Cleveland Flyer

Appendix 11: SCORES Seattle's Wish List

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Appendix 12: Tax Structure In order to optimize tax payments, individuals can donate to qualified charitable organizations. However, in order to be eligible for the tax deduction, the gift has to be made during the previous year. Remember, it's always better to give than receive. The glory of charitable donations is that you offer and obtain at the same time. The actual cost of the donation is reduced by your tax savings depending on your tax bracket. For example, if you are in the 33% tax bracket, the actual cost of a $1000 donation is only $670 ($1000 less the $330 tax savings). The current tax system makes contributions more attractive to individuals in higher tax brackets. There are concerns related to donation limits if the individual donates more than 20% of his/her gross income. Appendix 13: Fundraise Using Facebook Live

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Appendix 14: Seattle Times Contacts Below are a list of writers and their contact details who took part in the Fund for the Needy.

Appendix 15: KUOW 94.9FM Media Sponsorship Program Application http://kuow.org/media-sponsorship-program

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Appendix 16: Seattle Business Magazine Community Impact Award Nomination Form http://seattlebusinessmag.com/community-impact-awards-2016-nomination-form