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Why Build A Community Relations Program? Community Relations is becoming a standard business practice in this country - approximately 90% of big companies in the U.S. are making some type of investment in community relations efforts. In addition to simply "being a good neighbor" by "doing the right thing," there are tangible business arguments for supporting and investing in a community relations program. Corporate Community Relations Programs both develop community and also make good business sense.

Why Build A Community Relations Program?

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Why Build A Community Relations Program?. Community Relations is becoming a standard business practice in this country - approximately 90% of big companies in the U.S. are making some type of investment in community relations efforts. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Why Build A Community Relations Program?• Community Relations is becoming a standard

business practice in this country - approximately 90% of big companies in the U.S. are making some type of investment in community relations efforts.

• In addition to simply "being a good neighbor" by "doing the right thing," there are tangible business arguments for supporting and investing in a community relations program.

• Corporate Community Relations Programs both develop community and also make good business sense.

Page 2: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Spectrum of Involvement• Lower Level

– Episodic financial investment– Limited front-line staff involvement, no senior management involvement– No organizational staff support– No mission-related activities

• Middle Level– More consistent financial investment– Front-line staff participates in city-wide service events and low levels of

senior management involvement – Portion of a staff’s responsibility is to manage community involvement.– Few mission-related activities

• High Level– Highly consistent financial investment (budgeted)– High level of front-line staff & senior management involvement– A dedicated Community Relations department with full-time staff– Programs strategically integrated with mission of institution– Advocates policy change

Page 3: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

What are the Benefits to a Business?Organization:• Increases visibility within your market• Develops a stronger brand value• Enhances reputation as a good neighbor and corporate citizen

Employees:• Fosters an “Esprit de Corps”: develops teamwork, raises

morale, interdepartmental co-operation and company pride • Attracts and helps retention of high caliber employees• Creates opportunities for employee personal development• Develops knowledge and skills through experiences outside of

company culture• Helps to position business as employer of choice

Page 4: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

What are the Benefits for the Community?

• Develops a healthier community by extending resources

• Adds new skills and energy to problem-solving• Provides an additional source of volunteers• Builds productive links with your business network• Improves the quality of community services• Develops greater mutual trust and respect

Page 5: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Community And Your Mission

Ensure that your rationale for community engagement is reflected in your business, vision and/or mission statements.

If it is important to your organization, then it should be part of the core mission and values of the company.

Page 6: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

The University of Chicago Hospitals Mission

Our mission is to provide superior health care in a compassionate manner, ever mindful of each patient’s dignity and individuality.

To accomplish our mission, we call upon the skills and expertise of all who work together to advance medical innovation, serve the health needs of the community, and further the knowledge of those dedicated to caring.

Page 7: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Office of Community Affairs: Mission

The University of Chicago Hospitals Office of Community Affairs is committed to building strong and meaningful relationships with the surrounding community and recognizes that these relationships enhance its position at the forefront of medicine.

Page 8: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Develop A Comprehensive Strategy

1. Build Top-Down Support2. Define Your Community3. Know Your Community4. Understand Perceptions5. Develop Philosophy6. Benchmark Peers & Identify Resources7. Define Success

Page 9: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Build Top-Down Support

The level of leadership of a company’s community relations efforts is a reflection of the company’s true commitment. If the efforts are important, then they must have voice & influence through senior level staff.

• Buy-In from Board, CEO/President, Senior Management, Leadership & Frontline Staff

• Incorporate Community at Leadership Table• Integrate community message into all of the key strategic

decisions of the company• Commit Resources to Community Relations

Page 10: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Define Your Community1. Is it where your company is located?

• Neighborhood• County• City• County

2. Is it your service area?• Primary• Regional• National• Global

Page 11: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

University of Chicago Hospitals:Our Neighborhood

UCH Neighborhood UCH Primary Service Area

Page 12: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Know Your Community1. What is the history of your community?2. What are the geographic boundaries?3. What are the demographics, i.e., race, socio-

economic?4. What are the issues that most greatly impact your

community (health, economic development, employment, education)?

5. How does your product, service or core competencies relate to the community?

6. How are you perceived by the community? Why?7. Who are the formal and informal leaders and

institutions in your community?

Page 13: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

History of our Community• Chicago’s South Side became known as the capital of Black America.

– Largest contiguous settlement of African Americans in the U.S.– Home to nation’s outstanding black leaders and entertainers:

• Joe Louis, Mahalia Jackson, William Dawson (the first black U.S. Congressman)

• The country’s most prominent black newspaper, The Chicago Defender, was established and published in this neighborhood (Bud Billiken Parade).

• The country’s largest black church, Olivet Baptist, was located here.

• The neighborhood was nationally known for its retail and entertainment.– Half dozen shopping districts including 47th and 63rd streets.– Home of the Regal Theater & the Savoy

• Some of the best jazz in the country was played.

• By the end of the 1960s, unsuccessful efforts at urban renewal left many of these neighborhoods former shadows of themselves.– Blacks moved out into other parts of the City.– Many wealthier blacks began to move out of the neighborhood in large numbers.

Page 14: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Our Neighborhood Profile• Population

– 228,829 (constitutes about 30% of the Hospital’s PSA)– Declined 30% in last 20 years (like City of Chicago).

• Race– Today, overwhelmingly African American (88%)– City’s total African American population is only 36%

• Income– Our neighborhood is comprised of working class people with a median

income of about $20,000. – However, there are meaningful percentages of households with incomes

well over $50,000 a year.

Page 15: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Our Neighborhood Profile (Continued)• Health Insurance

– 25% of our neighborhood is privately insured. – Medicare and Medicaid are the predominant forms of insurance coverage

• 27% Medicaid• 11% Medicare• 35% Uninsured

• Health status – Public health concerns that one would expect in a lower income community:

• High rates of low birth weight babies• Absence of prenatal care• High rates of death due to heart disease, stroke• High rates of HIV/AIDS

• UCH Employment– U of C & UCH are the largest employers on the city’s Southside, each employing

over 5,000 people. (as of June 2002, 17% of UCH employees lived in our neighborhood).

Page 16: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Assets: Pockets of Relative AffluenceAlthough our neighborhood remains predominately economically poor, there are pockets of relative affluence throughout the area. This graph shows that there are meaningful percentages of households with incomes greater than $50,000 in every community area in our neighborhood. The areas with the most significant increases in income were Grand Blvd (13%), Kenwood (16%) and Washington Park (11%).

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

ChicagoOakland

Fuller Park

Grand Blvd.

Kenwood

Wash. Park

Hyde Park

Woodlawn

So. Shore

Englewood

% H

ouse

hold

s

1990 2000

Page 17: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Assets: Increasing Housing PricesThis graph shows the increase in housing sales prices in the neighborhood. The blue bar represents sales price changes for detached, single family homes since 1994. Sales prices have increased dramatically since 1994 in Grand Boulevard and Kenwood (200%), Hyde Park (100%), South Shore and Woodlawn (50%).

Change in Sale Price

-25

25

75

125

175

225

Fuller Park

Grand Blvd.

Kenwood

Hyde Park

Woodlawn

So. Shore

Englewood

% C

hang

e

Since 1994

Page 18: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Understand PerceptionsInternal:• What are the Internal Perceptions of the community among employees?• Identify existing relationships between the company and the

community…Formal? Informal? What are your people already doing?• Are there any fears, biases, stereotypes, barriers that employees have

about the community?• Are there any internal dynamics or internal politics that could have a

bearing on how employees perceive the community?

External:• How does the community perceive you?• What are the perceptions based on? History? Inconsistent

Involvement? Unkept Promises?• What are the community’s expectations of your business?

Page 19: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Develop Philosophy

• This is a crucial step in the process– Philosophy will help you establish your approach– Form the lens through which you view the community– Establish guidelines that help you engage with the

community

• Important to establish basic principles that will define and guide your efforts in building strong community relationships.

Page 20: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Develop Philosophy: Deficit-Based Model

Page 21: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Develop Philosophy: Asset-Based Model

Page 22: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Benchmark Peers & Identify Resources

• What are other companies doing? Why?

• What resources already exist? – Points of Light Foundation: www.pointsoflight.org – Center for Corporate Citizenship: www.bcccc.net– Chicago Cares: www.chicagocares.org

• Are there opportunities to leverage resources? Other funding Sources? Add to Employees current Efforts?

Page 23: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Define Success

• What change do you envision in the community and at your company?

• What are your baseline measures?• How will you evaluate your efforts?• How will you demonstrate the impact on

the community and in your company?• How will you celebrate success in the

community or in your company?

Page 24: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Define Success: A UCH Example• SMART Goals

– Specific– Measurable– Achievable– Relevant– Time-bound

• Goal 1: Increase the number of active volunteers to 650 (15% annual increase) by FY’07 to support the culture of service and improve the patient experience at UCH.

• Goal 2: Engage 20% (1,000 employees) by FY’07 under the name of UCH in service to the community which helps to position UCH as an employer of choice.

Page 25: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

UCH Community Relations Activities

• Day of Service & Reflection• Pediatric Mobile Medical Unit• Hospital Tours for Schools• Service Learning Initiative• Preparing For Adolescence• Health Communities Access

Program (HCAP)• Principal-For-A-Day• Expo For Today’s Black Woman• Bud Billiken Day Parade• Summer Health Fair Series

• Adopt-A-School: Tutoring• Small Grants Initiative• Community Fitness Program• Community Speakers Group• Science Fair Judging• Community Bus Tour• HIV/AIDS Education• Hyde Park Academy Shadowing• NBC 5 Health & Fitness Expo• Adopt-A-Pediatrician• Community Sponsorships

Page 26: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

UCH & Community Involvement: Progress Over 4 Years

220 200

490

373

852

474

750

575

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06

Employee Volunteers (in Community)

Community Volunteers (at UCH)

Page 27: Why Build A Community Relations Program?

Take the First Steps: Get Active1. Add community relations programming to your agenda

• Executive Board Meeting• Senior Management Meeting• Departmental Staff Meeting

2. Develop a inter-departmental community relations task-force• Develop diverse team• Research employee involvement and interests

3. Plan a service day• Partner with another organization• Gardening, bagging groceries for people with HIV/AIDS, organize donated

clothing, prepare food for the homeless, build a playground, clean up the shoreline, participate in a walk-a-thon