Finance Highlights 2008 0729 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Promoting Childcare Centers: DSFRC does not promote its childcare services to the community. A significant number of DSFRC's childcare center clients are pre-qualified and referred by other agencies according to strict protocol. The prequalification process done by referring agencies ensures that families meet certain income level and other criteria requirements, which will then qualify them to use subsidized childcare services through the Center. Traditional marketing is not appropriate for this group of clients since they can't be directly influenced to use these particular childcare centers. The same is true for agencies that refer to the subsidized childcare centers. They do so according to strict policy, and marketing to them would not affect Center usage. Two of the four childcare centers fall into this category. The other two childcare centers are unrestricted and open to families in the neighborhood who can pay for the service. Because these centers are always full and have a waiting list, DSFRC does not advertise them to the community. Instead, parents are kept informed of the sites' services via the schools where they are located. Promoting Other DSFRC Programs With the exception of the two restricted childcare programs, DSFRC's services are generally open to the public. Some programs are for specific populations, such as the medically uninsured. DSFRC does not formally market its services directly to clients, relying instead on other community organizations, agencies, fundraising activities, and word-of--mouth to drive Center usage. Marketing/Public Relations Efforts to Raise Funds DSFRC's formal public relations efforts are almost always bundled with fundraising objectives. These campaigns have a dual purpose to raise unrestricted funds (as a primary objective) and to build community-level awareness of the Center. DSFRC monitors these campaigns by tracking the unrestricted dollars collected per effort. This is an excellent strategy - to pair PR and fundraising not only because the two go hand-in- hand logically, but because it's more cost effective to use exposure opportunities for both purposes simultaneously. Below is a chart of marketing campaigns launched over the last 18 months. The DSFRC database holds between 6,500 and 7,500 names used for marketing/PR mailings and fundraising. The Development Department, which heads marketing and fundraising functions, confirms that the costs listed include personnel and other expenses. It's easy to see that these fundraising campaigns yield net profits and are worthwhile. It is safe to assume that the PR effects are equally important and positive (keeping DSFRC in the minds of the people in the community). Sustainability Study: Davis Street Family Resource Center - 4/08 Page 14 of 96