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THE SHARE THE PROSPERITY CAMPAIGN
STRATEGIC PLAN
Core Elements of Five Year Strategic Plan
The Personal Counter-Poverty Program and Internet Site
Resource List and Internet Site for Personal Counter-Poverty Program, possibly including "virtual tours" of organizations and communities
Poverty Database for media, the public and organizations
Lists of events for the public and journalists
Networking place for organizations
Legislation alerts
Guide to available services for the poor
A core element of CMPFP's work is the Personal Counter-Poverty Program, to which all our public education and media efforts seek to steer the public. This is individual action allowing every person, business or institution to find a personal role in poverty relief with which he, she or it is most comfortable.
An extensive options list will be available under broad categories. Individuals and businesses will be encouraged to undertake one or more of the options. The broad categories are
(1) Public Policy Advocacy and Organizing;
(2) Donations to Organizations;
(3) Personal Volunteer Assistance and,
(4) Hiring and Training. Individuals will be able to target their efforts to issues or organizations of their choice, as listed in the CMPFP database.
While CMPFP will encourage participation, it will not make recommendations or favor any particular organization. For example, it will not recommend donations or volunteer work to one foodbank or homeless shelter over another. Nor will it advocate public policy support or lobbying for any single issue over another, such as for more public resources for housing over childcare or food stamps. Individuals will be encouraged to follow their hearts as to where to place their resources and time and what policy options, if any, they favor.
CMPFP eventually will create a printed resource manual and will continue to build the current website into a more extensive web site detailing the options for the public in personalized, easily digestible form. Ultimately we want to assist folks to answer the question: "If you could help relieve just one aspect of poverty, which would it be?" and list a broad range of options under the four categories above, from childcare, to housing to food preparation and provision, to mentoring and many others. We are in the process of preparing such options. Neighborhood lists of poverty relief organizations and volunteer opportunities will also be made available as we build the site over the next year (2004) By answering a series of simple questions, the user will be guided to exactly the opportunities that comports with his/her desires to help and manner in which he or she wants to help.
Alongside the CMPFP personal choice Internet database we will eventually create an interactive community bulletin board and additional database that would have three purposes:
Supports Media
a. The website as soon as feasible will give a broad overview of community groups, especially poverty organizations. This would include descriptions about groups, areas of work, leadership, spokespersons, and the like.
b. A community calendar will list upcoming events, issues, research papers, etc., by area and by subject (i.e. immigration issues, or welfare issues, or SF Valley, etc.).
Supports Public and Residents
c. Databases pertaining to community issues would be accessible.
Supports the Poor
CMPFP's guide will also as we build it list organizations seeking help from the public.
Direct offers from individuals and businesses participating in a Personal Counter-Poverty Program would be posted.
Job offers would be posted.
Supports Community Organizations in Other Ways
a. Creates networking opportunities to share research, issues, contacts, problems and solutions.
b. Funding resources list.
c. Links to government, university, research and policy sites.
ListServe links to allow ongoing conversations and input on relevant issues facing communities and organizations.
CMPFP is in discussion with local universities on training seminars to teach reporters and editors how to use the website for online research into poverty issues. The seminars, held in community resource centers, would also introduce participants to selected organizations in the area and to their representatives.
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Resource Material Development For the Public, the Media and the Poor
Creation of print and resource materials, including Unknown LA, an education and training manual on the poverty landscape in the Los Angeles region.
Video/film/slide presentations about poverty and welfare reform in Los Angeles.
A widely distributed manual for the poor listing available services and means of applying.
Although CMPFP will prepare an array of print materials, Unknown LA will be the primary resource tool of our public and media education efforts. It will offer a graphic overview of poverty in Los Angeles County in human interest terms likely to elicit empathy and a desire to assist the poor. Both an information resource and workshop training manual, it will be the"calling card" for our community and media outreach and training efforts.
Among the offerings:
Current data on impoverished populations, including easily understood graphs and charts.
A broad look at the faces of poverty and the impact on all communities and populations in LA: hunger, homelessness, lack of healthcare, children in DCFS system, not enough childcare, poor education, crime, drugs, gangs, etc.
A reflection on some of the solutions - those working, not working and some not yet tried - of organizations, projects and public agencies involved in poverty awareness and mitigation work.
Recommendations for how individuals and businesses can adopt a Personal Counter-Poverty Program and get involved.
CMPFP seeks to develop film, video and slide presentations.
Public Outreach and Group Education
One-hour presentations to civic groups, from the Kiwanis to Jewish centers to homeowners groups, about the range and nature of poverty in the region utilizing Unknown LA as primary resource.
Workplace presentations at lunch or other times, utilizing Unknown LA.
Training for volunteer presenters.
Speakers Bureau, to recruit and schedule local poverty organization leaders for educational presentations, separately or in conjunction with Unknown LA presenters.
Enlisting people at all public presentations into adopting a Personal.
Counter-Poverty Program
CMPFP will create a one-hour audience presentation/performances that will provide a clear overview of the nature of poverty and the core issues in the Los Angeles region. The presentation is intended to dispel myths and to fill in the knowledge gaps on the part of the vast majority of the public. CMPFP staffers will undertake to line up presentation opportunities throughout the community and they will begin training others in giving the presentations.
A specialized 30-45 minute version of the presentation will be crafted for workplaces to be given at lunchtime.
Separately, CMPFP plans to organize a Speaker's Bureau of volunteer individuals - largely from community organizations - who are knowledgeable about various aspects of poverty. CMPFP will undertake to obtain speaking engagements for these individuals, including as follow-up speakers to audiences and groups that have already experienced the core CMPFP presentation/performance.
Moreover, CMPFP will organize industry specific and professional specific subcommittees that will seek to outreach to and mobilize their colleagues to participate in a Counter-Poverty Relief Program. As one example, Deborah A. Klar, a partner in Miller & Holguin, has agreed to chair such an effort among the legal profession.
Input on the presentations and materials is being provided by collaborating community organization leaders, including those on the Board of Advisors, and by participating public relations/advertising professionals.
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Media and Public Relations
One hour specialized presentations about the range and nature of poverty in LA County for editors, producers and reporters at all major electronic and print news outlets in LA County.
Long-term PR campaign effort (with assistance provided by pro-bono PR professionals) consisting of advance event logs (looking forward six months), alerts to stories and legislation, assistance with feature and human interest stories.
Van tours for reporters and editors to community poverty-relief organizations.
Workshops and training for reporters and editors.
Op-ed article development and placement.
Booking TV and radio talk show appearances and presentations.
CMPFP understands that for best results for its efforts, the L.A.-area media, and particularly broadcast media, will need to be roused from attitudes of indifference to and ignorance about poverty issues. Doing so will take imagination and persistence.
CMPFP will craft a specialized media-oriented version of its basic poverty overview presentation. Our goal is to provide these presentations to key personnel (editors, producers, assignment editors and select reporters) at every media outlet in the L. A. region. More intensive workshops on issues and facts for reporters and editors will also be mounted, most likely in collaboration with local universities. The presentations and workshops will give media representative a broad grounding in the realities of poverty, of public policies and of community and service organizations.
CMPFP will also undertaking a five-year PR campaign effort on a template provided by its advisory group of public relations professionals, drawing on data culled by its researchers and input from service organizations. Such campaigns are based on well-in-advance of events media alerts, including to legislative events; identification and availability of accompanying human interest stories; a series of backgrounders on key players, organizations and legislation, and historical background materials putting into context the specific issue being addressed by the reporter. Such campaigns are designed to make it easy for reporters and editors to cover a story. From time to time they are enlivened by specialized tours arranged for reporters and producers.
An important component of a media strategy is the writing and placement of op-ed articles in print media and bookings of spokespeople on electronic media talk shows and other venues. CMPFP will undertake to coordinate such articles and bookings, drawing on the talent in the service and policy organizations as well as its own staff.
Sponsorship and Advertising Campaign
Commercial sponsors for specific campaigns including values-oriented product marketing - Newspaper ads, radio and TV spots designed by professionals.
Businesses will be solicited to participate via their product marking (messages in or on their packaging or on their advertising or mailers). The messages will support the Personal Counter-Poverty Program and reference the CMPFP website for options for direct poverty relief. CMPFP will seek to sign up market leaders in each industry for this program.
In addition to values associated marketing and advertising, CMPFP will solicit as much donated print space, public billboards or airtime as can mustered to support its own direct-advertising campaign. If need be, CMPFP will seek to raise a specialized fund outside the normal grant process to purchase additional airtime and print space.
The messages of the campaign will be around broad themes intended to stir the public to participate in the Personal Counter-Poverty Program as well as create general awareness about the local reality. The sponsoring and advertising campaign will be a joint product of CMPFPís public relations/advertising advisory board working with the assistance of the CMPFP staff and with members of our poverty relief organization advisory board.
Entertainment Business Campaign
Sensitizing TV, Film and Music executives, artists and producers to the issues.
Fundraising events.
Enlisting celebrity endorsements and support.
A model for this campaign is the Environmental Media Association, which has had modest success in sensitizing writers, producers and other entertainment business figures to use their scripts and creative endeavors in ways that support environmental consciousness. EMA also has had a direct impact on the environmental practices of the industry and in the recruitment of celebrity talent for environmental causes and organizations.
CMPFP will work in a similar manner with the entertainment industry around issues of poverty. Educational efforts will seek to influence what audiences see and hear. Presentations will also be made to enlist industry companies and individuals in the Personal Counter-Poverty Program. CMPFP will also move to expand the pool of celebrities willing to endorse and assist individual poverty relief agencies.
Media Trainings and Assistance for Organizations
Basic training and assistance in press releases and in pitching the media
Assistance coordinating joint media efforts of organizations.
Although from time to time a number of other organizations have provided media training to some poverty relief organizations, this has never been a consistent resource in the L.A. region. CMPFP will routinely offer such training to organizations in need of assistance, likely in workshop forms..
As CMPFP expands its pool of pro bono public relations professionals, these people will be called on to provide such training with the assistance of CMPFP staffers.
In addition, CMPFP will conduct workshops in using the Internet to build organizational and issue awareness and recruit support and donations.
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