Shelter the

Homeless
Transformation

A public relations plan by Megan McNulty

 Research Summary
● Overall negative public perception
● Implementation of Operation Rio
Grande
● The Road Home viewed as a cot and
meal
● Homeless people viewed as lazy,
Fact incompetent or addicted to illegal
SLC Police Officers are substances
being paid an average of
$300,000 per month in
● Community generally uneducated
overtime to get the Rio about the Scattered Service Model
Grande neighborhood
under control. ● Do not want new centers near their
neighborhoods
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
● Generous funding to start with ● Difficulty covering expenses
● Response to Operation Rio Grande ● Failure in collecting significant donations
● New, state-of-the-art resource centers ● Failure to obtain press coverage
● Strong board of directors
● Collective Impact approach

Opportunities Threats
● Partner with SLC community/opinion ● Negative public perception of
leaders, T.V. stations and local celebrities homelessness
● Encourage audiences to match ● Protests for those who don’t want
dollar-for-dollar homeless shelters in their neighborhood
● Educate audience about benefits of ● Economic crisis
Scattered Service Model
● Inform audiences of what is happening
with donation money
● Convince audience homeless people do
want to change
STH’s Goal
Proactively and strategically increase
awareness of the needs of Utah’s homeless
population and the resource center solution
being led by STH to gain support and help in
raising funds to make it a reality.
Who are the Homeless?
● Domestic violence victims
● Children
● Families
● Unaccompanied youth
● Veterans
Objectives
● Increase awareness of the new scattered service center model by 20 percent by the end of
2018
○ Receive 500 new donations by June 2019
○ Gain 50 new donors by June 2019
○ Gain 2,000 new followers on Facebook and Instagram accounts by end of year
● Secure at least 20 media stories in print, broadcast and online about the resource centers
and campaign by the end of 2018
● Plan and execute at least one quarterly media event in 2018
● Help STH reach its fundraising goal of $10 million by the end of 2018
Target Audiences
1. Utah community (all ages)
○ Community and opinion leaders
○ Families
○ Business owners
○ Government officials
Fact
Utahns give over a 3.3
billion to charity every
year (Independent
Sector, 2016).
Messaging
1. “A Home For Change”
○ Opportunity for real change and growth
○ Foster idea of hope instead of pity
2. Rally around community support
○ Educate public about new resource centers and where their money is going
○ Not inserting homelessness into your community
○ Not just a relocation shelters operated by The Road Home
3. Our services go beyond a meal and a bed
○ Caseworkers and individualized support
○ Exit with employment
4. Scattered Service Model will better serve Utah’s homeless population
○ Target to diverse populations
○ Meet specific needs
○ Welcoming and safe neighborhoods
Strategies
● Create branded Facebook and
Instagram accounts built around social
video
● Reach out to community and opinion
leaders for endorsements and
cosponsorship of fundraising events
● Create effective pitches and PSAs for
local newspapers and T.V. stations
● Plan meaningful events that
incorporate “transformation”
Tactics: Media Relations
1. Compile updated media list of SLC reporters covering community issues
● Katie McKellar (Deseret News), Christopher Smart (Salt Lake Tribune), Candice Madsen
(KSL)
2. Partner with ABC4 for free PSA air time
● Kim Fischer (nighttime anchor) supporter of sexual assault, domestic violence and other
issues
● PSA’s crafted around resource center education
● Incorporates Collective Impact approach
● Includes donation instructions
● Delivered by local celebrities (Ricky Rubio, David Archuleta, Julianne Hough, David
Stockton, Kyle Beckerman, Kyle Whittingham)
Tactics: Community Relations
1. Gift all donors with free “I Support ‘A Home For Change’” yard sign and sticker
2. Invite key audiences to resource center open house
3. Continue fostering relationships with potential donors
Tactics: Social Media
1. Create branded, nonprofit Facebook and Instagram accounts centered around social video
● Focus on hope, empathy, education and children
2. Social videos of interviews outlining transformation stories, family and construction
updates
● Include donation instructions
3. Experiment with small-scale Facebook and Instagram donation ads
● Minimal budget — can boost a social video for as low as $5 per day
Social Video Proposal

Bringing families Transformation Construction

together stories process of new
resource centers
Sponsors
Tactics: Events
● Partner with Rocky Mountain Power
and Zion’s Bank
● Gala dinner at The Leonardo (SLC)
● Keynote speaker: Jewel
● Jewel struggled with homelessness
● Week before Thanksgiving = National
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness
Week
Tactics: Events
● Grand Finale: Resource Center opening
● Ribbon cutting and open house tours
● Keynote speakers: Gail Miller and
Spencer Cox
● The end of our transformation story
Timeline
June 2018 August 2018
Launch branded social Reach out for PSA
media accounts endorsements

Start planning Jewel event Partner with ABC4

July 2018 September 2018

Compile media lists and Start posting social video
weekly pitch ideas
Air PSA’s
Film social video
Timeline
October 2018 December 2018
Experiment with Facebook Reach $10 million goal
and Instagram donation ads

November 2018 January 2019

Host Jewel Event during Budget for yard signs and
National Homelessness stickers
Awareness Week
Timeline
April 2019 June 2019
February 2019
Prepare for Resource Host Resource Center
Continue weekly pitches of
Center opening opening
resource center updates

March 2019 May 2019

Reach out to community Advertise completion of
leaders for private Resource Centers
donations