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FoodWorks-Graduation-Class-29

The Maryland Food Bank is a major force throughout Maryland and distributes enough food to provide more than 37 MILLION meals throughout the state annually. In 2010, they decided they wanted to do even more and started FoodWorks, a 12 week culinary training program with job readiness and placement support. They have prepared 200+ graduates for culinary employment since the program’s inception.

The Maryland Food Bank is committed to targeting the root causes of hunger in Maryland beyond their major feeding operations. They are working with our Catalyst Kitchens consulting team in 2019 to widen their scope across Maryland.

“The secret sauce to our program is that we meet students where they are and match them to the opportunity that provides the best chance to start a successful career,” said FoodWorks Executive Director Tim Regan. “We know we can grow the operation to meet more of the need for talent in the culinary and hospitality industries in Maryland.”

Cantelope in Kitchen

Their success is a combination of hard work, dedication, and collaboration within the Baltimore community. They are one of the leaders of the Baltimore Ecosystem Initiative, a group of local foodservice job training programs working together to identify employer partners, areas of need, and opportunities to collaborate for their common cause. Involved programs include City Seeds, Moveable Feast, Living Classrooms, The Choice Program at UMBC, Paul’s Place, and more.

We are excited to welcome them into Model Membership as they exemplify our three core values: empowerment through job training, the importance of community engagement, and sustainability through social enterprise.

Citations: 

 

Copy of Building Your Giving Tuesday Campaign (1)

#GivingTuesday is on November 27th, 2018. Is your program ready to take advantage of this national movement? Giving Tuesday provides a major fundraising opportunity for the non-profits in our network and can raise thousands to help programs train more students. Since social media is a major component of any Giving Tuesday campaign, we’ve complied some strategies to help you build momentum online in the days leading up to November 27th. Read on for some advice around getting out your Giving Tuesday messaging and how to thank your supporters for their donations.

Before Giving Tuesday: Get Started

1. Set Your Goals

Gather your team and determine what your fundraising goals are. How much would you like to raise? Are you trying to reach new donors or engage your existing donors? What would you like the public to know about your organization through this campaign? Your goals do not need to be only monetary, they can also involve acquisition or communications. Your organization’s goals will determine your strategic plan.

2. Consider Your Channels

Make a plan for what kinds of content you’d like to post on each social channel. Each channel requires different content and frequent posts to be successful. Plan it out in advance to prepare for the big day.

  • Social Media

    • Facebook/Instagram: These sites are a good avenue for student stories, mission moments, and inspirational videos. Use Instagram or Facebook stories to show off your program in the weeks leading up to Giving Tuesday.
    • Twitter: Use the #GivingTuesday logo and hashtag. Post frequently with intriguing images and quick tidbits about your program.
    • Optional: LinkedIn, Snapchat, & Pinterest.

Tip: Study your analytics for the right times to post on various channels.

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  • Email Marketing

Talk to your audience that is already engaged in your communications. Student stories and testimonials tend to work well in this forum; consider sharing a heartfelt story about a graduate or outline a major initiative your organization has accomplished. Past donors would like to hear about where their money is going and how the organization has used previous donations to benefit their students.

  • In Person Events

Utilize an existing donor event like a recurring Guest Chef Night or plan a kick off event for your giving campaign.

  • Through your Organization’s Businesses

Create fliers promoting the event at your restaurant or through communications with contract meals vendors if appropriate. Utilize your existing supporters!

  • Website

Add a feature on your website promoting the campaign – a hero image on your main page could do the trick, or create a page dedicated to the upcoming campaign with an opportunity to donate.

3. Establish a landing page for your fundraiser

Create a landing page for donors to learn more about your program and donate money directly on the site. Include photos or video, an engaging headline that outlines your mission statement, and a clear call to action for donations.

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Example from Charity: Water. Source: https://unbounce.com/landing-page-examples/non-profit-landing-page-examples/

Before Giving Tuesday: One Month before Giving Tuesday

Social:

  • Begin posting 2-3 times per week on various channels to build momentum.
  • Keep your content varied and fresh, make it obvious that it is part of your larger fundraising campaign.
  • Identify top supporters and encourage them to post for your campaign. Create a social media toolkit for your campaign to get them started. Think about creating a call to action for these supporters, such as “post a selfie with our logo to support our cause.” Find ways for them to be a part of your campaign.
  • Change your profile photo and/or cover photo to one with the Giving Tuesday logo.

SM example

Email:

Send an email about a month before your campaign as a “one month away” notice. Include the landing page for donations and identify ways for your audience to engage in the campaign, either through patronizing your businesses, donor events, volunteering, etc. Get people excited about supporting you!

 

During Giving Tuesday: The Big Day

It is Giving Tuesday! Get ready for social media to buzz with nonprofit campaigns. Make sure your campaign stands out by posting early and often.

Social Media:

  • Plan your content ahead of time with some flexibility to respond to what is happening during the day.
  • Focus on lunchtime and after work, people tend to be on social media and donate more at these times.
  • Give updates throughout the day about your progress – “we are 30% to our goal!”
  • Brand your content with the Giving Tuesday logo.
  • Engage your audience! Respond to tweets that are promoting your campaign, reply to comments, and like your supporter’s content. Keep the “social” in social media.
  • Twitter: post every two hours, starting between 5am-7am. Make sure to use the hashtag, #givingTuesday, and engage followers throughout the day. Retweet their posts if they feature you, respond to comments, and show you are excited about their support.
  • Facebook/Instagram: post 4-5 times throughout the day. Student stories and videos are successful on these platforms. Plan a time to go live at least once to feature a piece of your program or get your development department to say a “thank you to our donors”.

    giving tuesday post example

    Source: @treehousetweets

Email:

Send two emails throughout the day:

  1. In the morning to announce that today is Giving Tuesday, this is our campaign goal, thank you for your support, etc.
  2. Mid-late afternoon with an update on how far along your campaign is towards your goal.

 

After Giving Tuesday: Report Your Success

You made it! You’ve successfully managed a Giving Tuesday campaign and raised money for your organization. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, but your work is not done just yet.

Social Media:

  • Post thank you graphics on your social networks featuring the Giving Tuesday logo the day after Giving Tuesday.

Email:

  • Email your donors: Thank them for their donation, or even call them for a personal touch (this could be a volunteer task as well!).
  • Email your non-donors: If you did not reach your fundraising goal, target those on your email list who did not donate and extend the campaign an additional week to potentially receive a few more donations.

Other Channels:

  • Update your landing page with a “Save the Date” for next year’s Giving Tuesday campaign.
  • Write a blog post about your campaign’s success. Highlight what the money raised will allow your program to do – your audience will want to know how their donation has made a difference.

Reward yourself for all the work you’ve done!

thank you wednesday

Your Giving Tuesday campaign can be as big or as small as you’d like, depending on your organization’s fundraising goals and bandwidth. We hope that these tips & tricks are helpful as you manage your end of year fundraising. Your programs are doing important work in your community, we hope you find community support for your efforts this holiday season!

Citations:

application-3685436_1280The Catalyst Kitchens model is designed to create long-term pathways out of poverty rather than quick fixes. We know that hard culinary skills can help get a student a job and soft skills, like teamwork and communication, will help them KEEP a job. Catalyst Kitchens training programs provide this support to develop long-term career plans with wage progression and career advancement.

What happens when people with barriers to employment can find jobs without our training programs? Recruitment during low unemployment is a challenge across our member network.  This year unemployment hit a record low of 3.7% in September 2018. Low national unemployment rates show that jobs are more readily available than ever. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily linked to the overall wage progression that our programs focus on achieving for people in the long run.

We held a session to discuss this very topic at our CK² National Summit in September. Below are a few major takeaways to support your program’s recruitment efforts.

Recruiting during Low Unemployment_4_edited

Get the Word Out

Tell your program’s story straight from the source

Graduates are your program’s best advocates. No one can tell their stories like they can, so bring them on recruitment visits to speak to potential students at social service agencies, recovery centers, or retention centers. Graduates can show potential students the long-term effects of the program by sharing where they are today versus where they started. Model Member DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) has hired a previous graduate as one of their student recruiters who can meet people where they are. As a result, “we honestly don’t have a big problem with recruitment” says Liz Reinhart, Director of Workforce Development at DCCK. Enough said.

Hold regular open houses or orientations

Consistency is key. There could be many people interested in your program who have no way to access information about the program. Hold a regular orientation on the same date each week, month, or quarter so interested students know when they can attend. If they miss an orientation because of last minute schedule changes, they’ll know the next time to attend. Interested students may disengage if it is not clear the next time they could learn about the program and potentially enroll.

New Student Orientation Every Monday 10am

Incentives Go A Long Way

Raise program wages based on participation

Student enrollment fluctuates all the time, even more so during low unemployment with the temptation of accessible low-paying jobs. Keep your students invested in their future by basing their wages during the program on their participation rates. No missed days equals a larger stipend for the week or incentives like gift cards or stipends for transportation. If your program does not pay a wage during the program, find ways to mark student progress to create the sense of accomplishment when milestones are achieved. It can be difficult to commit to a long-term training program when students want jobs right now, let them know their time will pay off.

Client finder fees

Remember when we said that graduates are your best advocates? Your current or previous students may have friends or connections to people who are interested in stable employment. Institute a referral incentive for students to recruit their friends into the program. Tell students that they will receive their referral bonus once their friend completes the program to establish something akin to mentorship. This helps ensures that only committed students apply. Community Kitchen Pittsburgh brought this idea to the CK² National Summit and has increased their student census and added a bonus mentorship component.

Lean on Your Network

Show your partner agencies your results, don’t tell 

Invite your partner agencies to a public student graduation to witness the effects of your program firsthand. Your referral partners have the most contact with your potential students; make them some of your best advocates through education and inspiration. Invest in your relationship and they will be more likely to suggest your program to qualified candidates.

Graduate of DC Central Kitchen

Happy graduate from DC Central Kitchen graduation ceremony.

Vocational culinary programs

The name of the game is community. Partner with local vocational programs that are seeking a culinary outlet or identify community colleges that want to provide culinary training and don’t have the capacity. Partnering with similar programs can create new student avenues into your program and expand your potential student pool outside of service providers and referral partners.

These suggestions and many more were shared by Catalyst Kitchens and Feeding America members at our CK² National Summit. Our network is built on the great ideas and conversation among our member organization. For more information on our Membership Program or our National Summit, visit us at www.catalystkitchens.org.