Samuel Thornton Strategic Plan Rough Draft The Hope Center in Moscow, ID Situation: As of last year the Hope

Center in Moscow Idaho has seen some great growth, particularly concerning some former public relations issues. Last year the Hope Center had the benefit of a full time volunteer who ran PR and communication for the center, including a campaign involving everything from fundraising to web presence. Because of this the center has over the last year seen a 51 percent increase in sales. They have a new and contemporary website. They have a well-maintained Facebook page and twitter account. And overall, the store has been running more efficiently. Still, in spite of all this, the Hope Center sees problems and could use PR involving its resource ministry. The Hope Center is a Christian inter-denominational non-profit cooperative that exists in order to be, Helping Others Pursue Excellence. In order to accomplish the ministry has three specific, smaller ministries: a thrift store, recovery programs, and resource ministries. Due in part because the poor economy brings more customers and in part because of a very successful fundraiser during last spring, the thrift store is where they have recently seen the most growth. The recovery program is similar to the 12 step A.A. program but it is based on the Beatitudes of Christ. The program emphasizes biblical truths and personal responsibility in order to guide people through the recovery processwhether it be from drugs, alcohol, relationships, or otherwise. The third ministry, the resource ministry, is where the hope center hopes to expand. The resource ministry of the Hope Center helps down and out people get back on their feet. The resource ministry has a program called the SEP program, which offers various assistance to participants in exchange for their assistance (usually this assistance is time spent serving in the thrift store). There is also an emergency relief program, a development program that tutors, trains, and mentors, and there is financial assistance for those who cant pay bills. The resource center currently has a problem with its resources. It needs donations and funding for all that it does, including paying participants rent, medical bills, utilities, and etc. The center also hopes to expand its services to offer biblical counseling. And lastly, for all that the center does, their current building is barely large enough, which gives the center very little room to expand. In short, the center seeks to, in the short term, raise more money for the resource ministry and offer free biblical counseling and in the long term, hopes to expand its physical building.

Objectives: Raise $20,000 for the resource ministry Find two local biblical counselors who are willing to spend some time each week volunteering at the Hope Center o Have these counselors partner with the Hope Center Ask that they would volunteer their office (this expands the Hope Centers location)

Offer those who seek biblical counseling a ride to counseling at two specific times a week Look for two volunteers who each will once a week volunteer their time and car to drive people to and from counseling Young college student a great option

Audiences: College students who are looking for ways to volunteer o Club members o Church members o Greek members Churches who look to partner with local missions Local business owners who can partner with the center financially Community members who can volunteer time or money to the center *The most important audiences for this plan are the churches and the local business owners

Strategies and Tactics: The main strategies and tactics will revolve around community and personal connection. In this the center looks to the community the way they want to look to those the ministry serves. There are two main parts of this that will be done in order to accomplish the objectives. For raising the money: o Host two fundraisers One near Thanksgiving One near Christmas o Two hundred people at each fundraiser $50 per person = $20,000 raised o Thanksgiving fundraiser $50 a plate dinner Sponsored by local restaurants Presentation about the Hope Center from Steve Share need and current situation Share two stories of lives changed due to resource ministry Host at local church o Christmas fundraiser Christmas concert Christmas carols by local choir Other local band/musician Again, Steve shares about Hope Center Again, two stories of success Host at local church o Use the money to sponsor the resource ministry o At WSU and U of I do on campus promotion for these events

CCE, posters, CUB digital displays At local churches and community volunteer groups give handouts or ask for announcements For the biblical counselors: o Compile a database of local biblical counselors *local meaning within a twenty mile radius of Moscow/Pullman Invite these counselors to attend the Thanksgiving fundraiser for free o Use phone interviews to decide who is most likely to be involved Ask about time availability o Based on those with the most availability and who sound most interested invite them to grab coffee or lunch with Steve or some representative from the center Let the rep explain the hope for offering biblical counseling Ask the counselor to partner with the center o Announce the partnerships at Christmas fundraiser o

Calendar/Milestones: The timeline of the fundraisers will be specific. The Thanksgiving fundraiser will take place two weeks before the universities go on Thanksgiving break. The Christmas fundraiser will take place the week before the universities go on Christmas break. The documentation of and inviting of the biblical counselors to the Thanksgiving fundraiser will need to be finished five business days before the event takes place. The meeting with the potential counselor prospects will need to be finished two weeks before the Christmas event and one week before it two counselors should be committed to partnering with the center for a period of at least Jan. 2012 through May 2012. Also, make church and campus connections to find driving volunteers after the new year by January 18. November 10 All counselors compiled, called, and invited to Thanksgiving fundraiser November 17 Thanksgiving fundraiser December 1 potential counselors met with December 8 Two counselors partnered with December 15 Christmas fundraiser January 18 Have two committed driving volunteers

Budget: General expenses will include about 10 meetings with biblical counselors including lunch or coffee, and the possible need to rent venues for the events (although this is unlikely), and lastly the tables, chairs, utensils, cups, plates, and drinks for the events. Everything else involves volunteers. Here is an estimated breakdown of these expenses: Meeting with counselors Renting of venues All the resources needed to serve a dinner (Thanksgiving fundraiser) 10 * $20 2 * $500 200 people each needing 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 fork, 1 knife, 1 spoon, and three drinks = 200 plates, 200 cups, 200 forks, 200 knifes, 200 spoons, and 600 drinks. Thus, $25 for plates, $30 for utensils, and $200 $1000 $130

Total initial expense Add in 10% for safety net Total final expense Evaluation:

$75 for drinks (these prices are estimates based on average priced paper and plastic utensils, and regular priced soda at Dissmores). +

$1,330 $133 $1,463

The entire plan will be evaluated by a few simple questions. In order to answer the why of these questions, it would be in some cases beneficial to do some surveys, but the available budget of the Hope Center will not permit this so they will have to be answered from an inside perspective. Did we have 200 people at the Thanksgiving fundraiser? Why or why not? Did we have 200 people at the Christmas fundraiser? Why or why not? Did we raise our goal of $20,000 for the resources ministry? Why or why not? Have we partnered with at least two local biblical counselors for a period of at least five months? Have we found two people who will consistently volunteer as drivers?