The Crohns and Colitis Foundation

Organization Analysis

2012 Authored by: Brianna Westlake

The Crohns and Colitis Foundation

Communication Audit

Objective
To determine the strengths and weaknesses in the organization communication plan. Through this report, details on the effectiveness of the current climate will be included as well as suggestions for further growth.
Does the current communication plan work for the organization? Does the current plan hold value to the organization? How useful are the existing communication tools to potential donors? If asked, what communication tools would staff request in order to be more productive? How consistent is the current communication plan delivered to staff and volunteers? What tools or trainings do the staff of the CCFA need to be more effective in their communication delivery?

In this audit, the internal communication plan between chapters and staff and then staff and volunteers will be analysed. The external communication plan including press releases and other public relations mediums will be reviewed. How does the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America show a direct need to the public? In addition, staff and beneficiaries will be interviewed to determine individual needs.

Organization Mission
The mission of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to

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Scope

improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. This mission statement acknowledges a need. It identifies the target audience is those affected by the diseases. The mission statement lacks direct reference to the mode of productivity. How is the CCFA going to improve life quality of its beneficiaries? The mission statement holds value in its commitment to a cure, but lacks confirmation it its delivery. A revised mission should be considered by the organization. I would recommend the following:

The mission of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is to

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cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis by establishing funding for research and programs to improve the quality of life for children and

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adults affected by these diseases.

Goals, Objectives, and Financial Plans

Revenue Goal: Achieve $70 million in revenue by December 31, 2013 with a goal of raising $100 million by December 31, 2015 by increasing overall annual revenue by 20% each year. Strategy I: Expand the major donor giving program and accelerate growth in revenue from individuals and foundations.

Interviews
Shana Spencer- Endurance Manager, TEAM CHALLENGE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What does the CCFA do especially well in its communication with staff? What could the organization do better in its communication with staff? Does the advertising and communications plan for the CCFA stand out from its peers? What methods does the CCFA use to communicate with its beneficiaries? How well does the CCFA communicate with its donors? The Crohns and Colitis Foundation | 9/19/2012

Click the name and title of the individual to see interview transcript

Kris Walker- Executive Director, Rocky Mountain CCFA

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What does the CCFA do especially well in its communication with staff? What could the organization do better in its communication with staff? Does the advertising and communications plan for the CCFA stand out from its peers? What methods does the CCFA use to communicate with its beneficiaries? How well does the CCFA communicate with its donors?

Brian Platt- Ulcerative Colitis Patient- Beneficiary of the CCFA

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

How were you introduced to the organization? What support have you received directly from the organization? How effective do you feel the organization is in communicating with its beneficiaries? What programs would you like to see offered by the CCFA? Throughout the year, how many times do you receive information from the CCFA?

Inventory and Analysis Existing Communication material Update from the President- September Update from the President- October Team Challenge Corporate Sponsorship Team Challenge Logo Promotional Video- Team Challenge Triathlon Team Challenge Half Marathon Promo Video

Analysis of Material
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Monthly Updates Pros: Received positive feedback from beneficiaries on monthly newsletters. Allows for an easy, inexpensive communication between foundation and its constituents. Keeps beneficiaries and donors aware of current fundraising and research projects. Cons:

Unlikely that material is being viewed by a majority of newsletter recipients

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Analysis of Material Continued Logos

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E-mail format may seem impersonal and lack the necessary tools to engage the community. Too many constituents are distrustful of giving email addresses to organizations for fear of junk email. Corporate Sponsorship Packet Pros: User friendly packet designed for nonemployee participants to solicit funds for the organization from community businesses. Giving Guidelines have been established for the community business to determine gift level Incentives have been provided based upon the amount the community business is willing to donate, or sponsor. Cons: There is no pitch to accompany the packet to give to non-experienced fundraisers. This could become a problem if the pitch is not present and a participant simply hands this to a business owner and expects them to give in large quantities. This model is effective only for soliciting donations for a specific Team Challenge participant. CCFA lacks company sponsorship in other areas.

Pros:

The logos are unique to the organization. They do not closely resemble those of other organizations.

The logo contains the spellings of the diseases, which is important since Crohns is commonly misspelled. Cons: The diseases are widely unknown, and the logos do not reflect the nature of the disease. There are several logos used for the same organization Websites Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
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Team Challenge Take Steps Camp Oasis Website Usability

There are several websites that promote the mission of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. The general site contains an array of information for newly diagnosed patients and long term patients alike. Two other websites contain information on fundraising programs for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. Finally, a website for a program called Camp Oasis has not yet

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been created. This website could be invaluable to the organizations mission statement. The general website for the CCFA is regularly updated, is easy to navigate, and presents all the organizations essential information in a manner that quickly meets the needs of the user. The URL is accessible and easy to remember. The Team Challenge website appears less professional than the CCFA website. It is a simple design which uses the organizational colors of orange and blue. Links are less integrated and it is less interactive. The website could use major renovation to create a more effective communication style with participants. The URL is somewhat accessible and easy to remember. The Take Steps website appears more professional than the Team Challenge website, and is basically functional. It lacks the organizational flow of the CCFA website. More importantly, it lacks an easily accessible URL and it is not easy to remember. Lastly, the camp oasis website is non-existent. There is basic information on the service located on the CCFA website, however a website focused on the camp would be ideal to promote communicational support to family of those affected by Crohns and Colitis.

Communication Challenges
Through research of the organizational structure and communication materials, effective and non-effective communication strategies are present with the organization. The top 5 non-effective areas per the executive director are listed below: 1. Public Awareness 2. Team Challenge Alumni Participation

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3. Take Steps Alumni Participation 4. Donor Return 5. Seminar Attendance These communication challenges can be overcome with a better developed communication plan to reach out into the community through press releases and frequent updates to the web page.

Communication Findings
Existing communication tools used by the Crohns and Colitis Foundation are well executed by a national team of non-profit professionals. Unlike small non-profits, The Crohns and Colitis Foundation has a an established plan that is mission focused, focused on future fundraising, and determined to create awareness in the community. The questions we set out to answer are below.
Does the current communication plan work for the organization?

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The current communication plan does work for the organization. With minor improvements including changes to the webpages and focus on expanding the donor database, the foundation will continue to grow.
Does the current plan hold value to the organization? Yes, the current plan holds value to the organization by implementing expanding strategies to gain donors and supporters, as well as an expansion to the programs available for beneficiaries of the programs. How useful are the existing communication tools to potential donors? Improvements should be made to existing tools to potential donors. New strategies for donor recruitment are necessary, If asked, what communication tools would staff request in order to be more productive? Staff would prefer to have a more user friendly software system to produce the newsletters, chapter webpages, as well as the weekly updates for participants. How consistent is the current communication plan delivered to staff and volunteers?

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The communication plan is consistent between all local chapters of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation because it is created by a national office and distributed. What tools or trainings do the staff of the CCFA need to be more effective in their communication delivery? The Crohns and Colitis Foundation need to be more effective in their communication with local news agencies. Databases need to be created to encourage timely press releases, as well as promote scheduling events well in advance.

More review of existing communicational and financial strategies can be found here in the 2011-2012 Strategic Plan

Situational Analysis
Brianna Westlake
Examining the External Environment The Demographic Forces

The demographic who donate most regularly to the organization are middle aged women. The demographic who raise the most money for the organization are women aged 25-40 who are physically fit and generally health conscious. The foundation

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The Crohns and Colitis Foundation exists in order to support patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Those that benefit from the foundation are those who seek the support of groups, symposiums, kids camp, or other programs designed and implemented by CCFA staff. There has been a shift and change in the population the organization serves. With access to the organization via the internet, the program has changed drastically since it was founded. This means that information needs to be readily available to beneficiaries of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. The more well informed our beneficiaries can be, the better chances there are for disease management.

obtains most of its fundraisers through Team Challenge, and endurance training program. It is easy for this demographic of people to find the program because the Crohns and Colitis Foundation recruits its participants from 5k races and other similar sport events. The demographic has changed over the years as awareness of the diseases is spreading. Previously much of the research and programming was funded directly from patients and families. Now, it is becoming easier for someone who lacks a connection to the disease to raise funding as more people become aware and willing to support a cause which benefits those with the diseases. The Economic Forces The primary source of funding for the organization is through research grants with an amount of $33,059,332 in assorted research funding in 2011. Charitable annuities, or regularly scheduled donations, amounted to $408,700 in 2011. One time pledges gained the organization $4,051,402 in 2011. The smallest sector of individual giving is the charitable remainder trust. The total amount of funds given through a trust equaled $316,555 in 2011. The total amount of planned giving equaled $4,776,657 in 2011. Individuals donate to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation because they perceive the organization to be effective in its mission to cure the diseases through research, and more importantly they trust the organization to allocate funds to children and adults suffering from Crohns and Colitis. $34,127,292 was spent in 2008 by the Crohns and Colitis Foundation on various programs. These include educational symposiums, support groups, and camp programs. According to the foundation, Eighty-two cents of every dollar CCFA spends goes to research, education, and support services. This statement is heavily represented in fundraising materials. The

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confirmation and knowledge that this funding is going to the right place and not to salaries is important to donors. Technological Forces The latest trend in business technology is innovation that allows the organization to be more efficient in administrative tasks. In the Journal of Technology in Human Services, information technology can be employed to attract donors and to manage nonprofit organizations resources and capabilities in more effective and efficient ways and to improve their services and internal operations (Pinho & Macedo, 2006). An innovation in database control was the most popular desire amongst a sample of nonprofit organizations. At the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, there is a strong need for a more user friendly program for the chapter web page and newsletter generator. They currently use Convio, and executive director Kris Walker has shared their displeasure with the software. An updated software for the webpage and newsletter could mean a substantial difference in the direct following the organization has. If information is not being communicated effectively, the organization is not effectively raising and distributing funds. The chapter webpage needs substantial improvement. With a more updated, interactive, and user friendly page, the CCFA would be able to ensure a more direct following. For example, Kris Walker would like to implement a program that would allow the page to automatically update with a new article or bit of information. That way, each time a repeat visitor came back they could find new information on the diseases or the programs the foundation offers. Political Forces Current political healthcare priorities affect the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. For example, new penalties will be charged to

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hospitals who have too many boomerang patients. As a result, more hospitals are joining forces with local doctors offices and other programs to ensure that once patients leave the hospital they are equipped with the proper support system to prevent readmission to the hospital. The CCFA can benefit from this scenario because joining with larger organizations helps to spread the message. If hospitals gain a referral system, they can include health foundations on their list of resources. It is possible organizations like the CCFA can gain membership from these references, while patients can prevent readmission by education and support received through the organization. Of course with the upcoming presidential election, the ruling on medical regulation could change again and this partnership may become, once again, underutilized. Internal Environment Management Objectives There is a strategic organization plan that guides the work of the organization. It was created in 2010 to project tasks through 2012. There are clear management objectives, including but not limited to growth goals, budget goals, organization communication, and mission goals. Staff members are aware of the management objectives for the organization. They are also aware of how this affects their job duties and performances. They relate to the program objectives in several ways. For example, the endurance manager of Team Challenge approaches her duties from the perspective of a patient. She has Crohns disease and therefore approaches each goal with the mission in mind. The endurance manager of Team Challenge Triathlon approaches her duties and goals from a financial background. She benefits the organization because she comes to the table with logical organization of funding and budgeting. She can foresee financial struggles or opportunities far in advance and is therefore a reliable and effective fundraiser.

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Human Resources The staff comes from a variety of backgrounds. Executive Director Kris Walker comes from a variety of director positions. She was the director of Major and Planned Gifts at the American Diabetes Association, National MS Society, and the Gamma Phi Beta Foundation. Shana Spencer, Team Challenge Endurance Manager came with experience in events working as the National Production and Logistics Manager at Mountain Sports International. Nina Nelan, Endurance manager for Team Challenge Triathlon and Team Challenge Colorado Springs, comes to the CCFA with a background as a tax lawyer. Jeremy Stern, Senior Walk Manager, has experience in community affairs and a masters degree in sports administration. There is training provided for staff and frequent meetings which promote communication about essential functions of the organization. Though we have a wide range of experience in our staff, we lack someone with the time to focus projects such as public relations. The position of Development Coordinator will open in January of 2013 and will allow the core staff to focus on their own projects. The development coordinator will be required to maintain databases of PR contacts, assist on large projects, locate major giving sources, etc. Financial Resources The organization is currently devising a plan to establish stronger financial footing. Currently, the budget does not cover all existing activities. The organization pays its expenses in a timely manner. The organization has a reserve fund in the form of investments. The organization has a core group of supporters and donors. The supporter and donor base needs to be expanded and diversified. The disease does not currently receive the same support that other autoimmune diseases do, and therefore does not receive the same funding. This is a weakness in the organization that will be addressed in the SWOT analysis.

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Physical Infrastructure The organization does not have enough workspace for staff, consultants, and temporary workers. The office has three permanent office spaces, and three more office spaces divided by cubicle walls. The space is not conducive to teamwork. Frequently staff find themselves shouting at each other between offices to attempt to communicate. There is adequate light, air, and heat. There is space to hold a private conversation in one of the individual offices. The neighborhood appears safe to work odd hours. There is room to expand in the office building, though the cost is unknown. Beginning next year, many of the staff will be working as a mobile work force. The purpose of the mobile work force is to send staff to public areas to work. For example, they may choose to spend their day working at Starbucks. The hope is that it will cut down on office costs, as well as promote the programs by speaking about them in public. The choice was made at a national level, and does not seem to be popular amongst the full time staff. Technology Infrastructure
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People do have adequate computers to perform their jobs, however they lack necessary software to maximize productivity. Staff often complains about lack of success with their website, newsletter, and donor database software. Frequently work is lost while creating necessary documents. Full time staff member Shana Spencer said she had worked for hours creating the new newsletter, and when she uploaded it, the program lost all her changes. She said I wanted to cry. Executive director Kris Walker said you should have cried, you lost a lot of work! The phone system does meet the needs of the organization. There are no special equipment needs that should be addressed at this time. SWOT

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Strengths of the organization include a solid mission statement, a relatively unique fundraising method, and strong staff commitment to the mission. Weaknesses of the organization include a lack of focus on media relations. They also face the quintessential problem of a nonprofit organization; Too much to get done, not enough staff or time to do it. Opportunities that exist in the next 18 months include a growth in patient programs including a new peer program. This opens up doors for growth in the donor pool as more people will be exposed to programs offered by the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. Threats that exist in the next 18 months include an introduction of a new position within the office which may disrupt the current job duties of full time staff. Also, there is a need to raise $100,000 by January 2013 to meet budget requirements. Without this income, the office will be unable to hire a full time staff needed to manage the Take Steps walk team in Salt Lake City, UT.
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Opportunities Strength s Weaknes ses New Mission Based Programs New programs being established without funding

Threats Committed Staff removed from office Too many programs, not enough time or money

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Target Audience Report

The Crohns and Colitis Foundation Rocky Mountain Chapter
Demographic Information: Children and adults suffering from Crohns Disease and/or Ulcerative Colitis as well as their immediate support system including parents and families. Those who are affected by Crohns or Colitis but have not yet reached out to the CCFA Individuals who have no prior knowledge of the diseases

Geographic Information Rocky Mountain Chapter serves Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The office is located in central Denver, CO.

Psychographic Information
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Supporters are bound by a common goal to find a cure for IBD Many are physically fit, interested in participating in first time endurance sports. Women are the most commonly recruited for training programs.

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Framing Analysis
1. State the organizations mission statement: To cure Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. 2. Identify four key themes for the organization:
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Patient support Research Disease Awareness Program Funding

3. How the organization frames the issue. a. What is the problem/cause/solution as articulated by the organization? The problem is the painful gastrointestinal diseases that affect their constituents, at this point they have not identified a specific cause, and the solution is medical research to locate a cure. b. Framing: Thematic

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c. Public Policy : Emphasis needed on disease existence and prevention through healthy living. 4. How other organizations frame the issue a. What is the problem/cause/solution? Large national campaigns are framed by employing the power of pathos. In the case of the national Humane Society, we see pictures of abused and neglected animals with heart wrenching music in the background. People are generally unaware of the commonality of these tragedies. b. This Framing is thematic. c. Community: Access to program information is essential 5. How does the media frame the issue? a. Is there more than one public frame? i. Yes. Most chronic illnesses framed in the media apply to all diseases. b. What is the problem/cause/solution? i. Media seeks stories that customers want to see. Therefore, the problem may be a specific individual working for the cause. For example, Cloverton the Deaf Dog has his own team for the Bike MS program. He was featured on the news as a dog, raising money for MS to find a cure for the disease.
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c. Media frames these issues in an episodic manner. d. Where is action needed: i. Individuals should reach out to the media to spread the word on the causes and programs that are important to them.

Name of Publication/Source : __Long Island Business News__ Title: __Long Island Foundation is Ensuring Crohns Disease and Colitis Sufferers are Not Alone__ Date:__8/19/2005__ Type of Piece: __ news feature__

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1. What spokespeople are mentioned: Executive Director of Long Island chapter of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, Edda Ramsdell 2. What is the core position of the article: The position of the article is to educate the community and communicate support to patients with IBD. 3. What catch phrases are used? Awareness 4. How does the piece describe the problem/cause/solution? The problem is the struggle to cope because of the nature of the diseases and the solution is to build a support net for patients. 5. Is the framing episodic or thematic? The piece is thematic 6. How does the piece characterize the source of the problem? According to the piece, the source of the problem is that previously IBD was categorized as solely psychological disorders rather than a physiological disease. 7. How does the piece characterize the solution to the problem? The executive director is quoted saying patient education is key. The writer of the article also claims that the chapter has formed good relationships with the media, and therefore has great publicity which is essential to gain the funding to provide micro patient support and macro disease research. 8. What does the piece predict the outcome will be? The piece predicts that the foundation will be around to help many patients suffering from IBD from all walks of life. 9. What are the core principles underlying in the piece? The executive director states that the biggest challenge is the need for funding for ever expanding number of hands we hold. In other words, every chapter of the CCFA will always be in need of finances. 10. Whats not being said? Where are the inconsistencies in the arguments being advanced in the piece? Since this piece was a general description of the disease and the foundation, there are many issues that are not discussed in depth. The piece leaves out numbers of affected patients. They mention that many children are receiving the Shining Stars Legacy award and they have watched many of these children grow up and go to law school and get married. Little emphasis is put on the actual nature of these diseases which require hospitalization and medication.

WORDS CURRENTLY USED TO DESCRIBE OUR ORGANIZATION OR THE WORK WE DO

Cure Research Awareness Gut Pain

WORDS TO AVOID WHEN TALKING ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK THAT IT DOES

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Charity Give Disease

NEW WORDS THAT COULD HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON OUR TARGET AUDIENCE

STATISTICS COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

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CURRENT ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

The CCFA is a foundation which provides patient services and support to patients through established programs, as well as maintain funding for the medical community to continue research on the diseases.

What is the impression the organization wants to make? The organization wants to appear organized and thoughtful in their production of patient services and communications with the medical community. What themes describe what the organization wants everyone to know about them? 1. The CCFA seeks to eliminate feelings of isolation when diagnosed with a disease like IBD, and to remove the taboo feelings associated with the symptoms of the diseases. 2. The CCFA has provided the greatest amount of financial funding for medical research grants, leading to the discovery of over 170 genes connected to the diseases. This information moves us closer to finding a cure for these diseases in our lifetime.
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3. The programs established by the CCFA are vital to maintaining the ongoing physical and mental health of the children and adults who seek the services offered by the organization. 4. The CCFA has a history of fiscal responsibility and a high percentage of each dollar raised going directly to patient services and research.

NEW 20 WORD ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

The CCFA seeks to facilitate a community conversation on the topic of IBD which affect 1 in 200 individuals in the U.S.

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TARGET AUDIENCE: ____Untapped Diagnosed Patients____ DESIRED CHANGE: ____Get Them Involved___

Part 1. The patients who have been diagnosed with Crohns or Colitis but have not yet utilized the services offered by the CCFA are a large audience that could be a great fundraising resource. Left unassociated with the organization we are losing a significant opportunity for raising vital funds. Part 2. The audience should care because they have been diagnosed with the diseases and can offer important peer support. Though they may not feel they need the CCFA at this point in their personal health, they should reach out to the CCFA to provide their own testimonial for other patients. Part 3. I want my audience to desire a supportive community so that when they are in need of support, they are connected to the organization which can provide them that support. Due to the nature of the diseases, the need for support can come with little warning.
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If you suffer from Crohns Disease or Colitis:

We need you to connect to our community here at the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. You know where your journey with these diseases has taken you, and we need you to communicate your experience with those who look to us for support. You hold more value to our organization than you might know. We know you may not need us today, but we want to be here with open doors when you do. Consider supporting this organization today in order to create positive conversations, healing support,

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Vehicles and Dissemination Strategies

New E-Newsletter Header:

Improvements: Simplified for a local audience Remove overused photos Community focused

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Old E-Newsletter Header:

Why this current header is bad: Removed from local audience Unidentifiable images Too focused on medicalization

Goal: Encourage existing patients to reach out to the CCFA Vehicle: Postcards to be distributed at gastroenterology offices to encourage patient participation

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Goal:

Bring awareness of the diseases to individuals who have not previously heard of Crohns or Colitis

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Vehicle:

A public service announcement which features two Ulcerative Colitis patients

Watch the PSA Here

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