2014-­‐15  Hunger-­‐Free  Iowa    Communication  Plan  

by  Richard  Swearinger  

Overall Goal Make Iowa the state with the lowest rate of hunger in America, increase meal packaging sales, and extend brand awareness of Outreach to general population of Iowa and beyond.

Objective

Year  One  • Have three meal packing events/dialogues in three counties in Iowa. • Establish contacts with people representing 50 percent of all Iowa counties. • Submit 5 grant applications. • Identify 5 foundations. • 10-15 dialogues scheduled by Aug 15, 2015. • Build website. • Build Facebook page audience to at least 300 people.

Decision Makers People who can make our objective a reality by taking a specific action or changing a specific behavior:

• Food bank executives, county public health officials, and community leaders.

Context Assets and challenges that may impact our outreach strategy:

Assets  • Hunger-Free Iowa Initiative is a great name, tells exactly what org is about. • Staff is enthusiastic, articulate, and willing to travel. • Large network of contacts, lots of goodwill in world of hunger. • Part of an extensive network of hunger groups both locally and nationally.

 Challenges    • Low name recognition for Outreach. • Small budget. • Limited research on public opinion toward hunger. • VISTA workers move on after 1 year.

2014-15 Hunger-Free Iowa Communication Plan

External Scan What is already happening outside our organization that may impact our strategy:

Assets  • Universal agreement that hunger needs to be addressed. • Most people are comfortable with the concept of food pantries. • Natural disasters raise awareness of problem but NOT of Hunger Free Iowa

Initiative? • Universal endorsement by religions and secular humanists who see feeding

poor as non-negotiable.

Challenges • Hundreds of other organizations are working on the same problem. • Misinformation about hunger is rampant

o Undercounting o Idea that “Poor people are lazy”

• There are other more “authentic” opportunities for people to get involved include various hunger walks, events around state.

• Stories in the news media about poor misusing SNAP benefits, etc.

Strategic Choices Audience Target: Who must we reach to achieve our objective?

• Outreach staff. • County leaders, both those who are elected, and local “movers and shakers” • Grassroots folks who can donate and are the workforce for our events. • Leaders of student groups • Mid-level leadership at service clubs—i.e. committee chairs and vice

presidents who might be willing to work as liaisons to Hunger-Free Iowa. • Foundation executives. • Leaders at other food charities such as food banks and local hunger

organizations (those listed in the Iowa Hunger Directory)

Core Concerns Existing values we can tap into to engage and resonate with our target audiences and existing beliefs that are barriers we have to overcome

Values  • Outreach emphasis on personal responsibility for recipients. • Governor wants to make Iowa the healthiest state, and health starts with diet. • Healthy workers make Iowa more productive.

2014-15 Hunger-Free Iowa Communication Plan

• Outreach/Hunger-Free Iowa treat fighting hunger like a business. • Taps into religious and moral values. • Iowa has long history as a Progressive state.

 Barriers  • Many feel that material relief and ill-informed charity promotes laziness. • Volunteer apathy—overwhelmed by other demands. • Compassion fatigue. • Individuals don't think they can make a difference.

Theme The overarching theme we will use to reach our audience(s):

• Together we can make a difference.

Message The key points we want to make with our target audiences:

• Join with us and together we can make Iowa the state with the lowest hunger rate in the nation.

Messengers Who will best connect with our audiences:

Floyd and Kathy CEOs Rick McNary Peers at his level Carissa Shoemaker Community and local government

decision makers Jessica Stika Schools, colleges, universities Erik Miller Grant agencies Lance Kramer Businesses and corporate foundations Ahmad Nieves Volunteers

 

2014-15 Hunger-Free Iowa Communication Plan

Communications  Activities  

Social Media • Weekly blog posts on HungerFreeIowa.org • Engagement with others in the hunger fight via Facebook comments and

Twitter @s. • Guest posts on other hunger blogs. • Facebook updates—Hunger-Free Iowa postings will be made when they don’t

interfere with meal packaging event relationship-building posts. Posts will send readers to HungerFreeIowa.org or Outreachprogram.org as appropriate.

• Twitter: Daily postings with hashtags #hungerfreeiowa #hunger #foodsecurity, and #stophunger; other hashtags as needed. We will leave space open during the day for posts by Union staff. Approximately half the Tweets will direct recipients to HungerFreeIowa.org or Outreach websites.

Earned Media • When meaningful progress is made or when making entrance to new area,

pitch stories to local news outlets.

Paid media Newspaper and television ads in towns in which we will be operating. Twitter and Facebook ads targeted to towns in which we will be operating.

One-To-One Contact Via Phone and Meeting Floyd and Kathy CEOs Rick McNary Peers at his level Carissa Shoemaker Community and local government decision makers Jessica Stika Schools, Colleges, Universities Erik Miller Grant agencies Lance Kramer Businesses and corporate foundations Ahmad Nieves Volunteers

Budget $3,000

Marketing Materials T-shirts, Stickers, Brochures—possibility of more to come.

Outcomes Results of outputs that demonstrate incremental progress toward objective:

• Increase in number of meal packaging events booked in Iowa • Measurable reduction in Iowa's hunger rate