African-American African-American MentoringMentoring

Research-Based RecruitmentResearch-Based Recruitment

Agenda

• Welcome

• Overview of African-American Mentoring

• African-American Male Mentoring Research Study’s

Findings and Recommendations

• Response to Recommendation

•African-American Mentoring Principles

• African-American Male Mentoring Assessment Tool

Strategic Direction

“We believe the right relevant messages can help us transition from being known for “what we do” to being known for “what we achieve,” positioning BBBS at the heart of urgent, socially relevant issues in our communities.”

• 2007 – 2010 BBBS Nationwide Strategic Direction

The Children We Serve

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1995 2006

Caucasian

African-American Hispanic

Other

African-Americans Served and Serving

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

2000 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010

Littles

Bigs

African-American Male Volunteer Research

Funded by The Gap Foundation

African-American Male Research Objectives

• Understand the perception of BBBS in the African-American community

• Explore the barriers that prevent African-American males from volunteering with BBBS

• Understand strategies that can motivate more African-American males to get involved with BBBS

• Understand what messages and visuals would best promote BBBS to African-American males

• Understand which “message senders” could best promote BBBS to African-American males

African-American Male ResearchMethodology

• MEE Productions led the independent research

• Conducted in three cities – Philadelphia– Baltimore– St. Louis

• Six Groups segmented by: Bigs, Contemplatives and Prospects

• Research complete

African-American Male Research Key Learnings

Presence in the Community• BBBS lacks an image and presence in the urban

areas• Opportunity to use relevant media (i.e., black radio,

signs on transit, black newspapers)

Messages• “You don’t have to change your life to change a

child’s” is the strongest message• Men need to be convinced that they have something

to offer• Telling how many children are on the waiting list isn’t

motivating (“There are hundreds of children waiting”)

African-American Male Research Key Learning

Engaged recruiting • Fraternities and congregations are key

opportunities• Events work• Form an Ambassadors Group• Current Big Brothers asking others to sign up• Persistence pays off—keep mailing, keep

calling, keep in contact

African-American Male ResearchKey Learning

Obstacles• Not sure what they have to offer• Fear of the unknown• Fear of inappropriate accusations• Belief that BBBS is in suburban locations not inner city• Emphasis on structure and screening (“I am not a saint”)• What will the child be like?• Don’t want to be another kid’s father

African-American Research Completed Summer 2007

The research recommends that BBBS:

1. Address its candidate relations and management process.

2. Develop more culturally-relevant marketing strategies.

3. Create new marketing messages and materials.

4. Use African-American Bigs and Littles as recruiting resources.

5. Form alliances with organizations that have credibility in the black community.

Is there anything about the process we used to get this information you

do not understand?

Let’s Hear From the Participants

Response to Research Recommendations

Recommendation #1

Address Volunteer Applicants Relations and Management Process

Cindy Mesko, Vice President, Agency Development

Sandra LaFleur Director, Program Development

What Can We Do

• Know the Yield Rate for:– All Volunteers– African-American Men– African-American Women– Any other populations we are interested in

serving

• Set goals for yield rates and retention rates

• Set a goal for response time for male inquiries

• Develop a plan to achieve the goals

What Can We Do

• Review customer relations messages to:

– All Volunteers– Men– African-American men

• Review feedback from volunteers – Those that are matched– Those that are not matched

What Can We Do

• Develop a plan for constant communication between recruitment/partnership and customer relations functions

• Make certain that all inquiries have closure, even if they are not candidates to become Bigs.

• Provide additional training for customer service staff to ensure they are equipped to – Learn why the volunteer is calling– Answer all the volunteer’s questions– Schedule an interview

Recommendation #2

Develop More Culturally-Relevant Marketing Strategies

Jessiah StylesAssociate Director, Cause-Related Marketing and Strategic Partnerships

What Work is Being Done to Develop Them

• Share best practices throughout our network • Identify viable media outlets and/or radio personalities to provide BBBS African American leaders the opportunity to express the importance of mentoring

• Produce templates for local agencies to leverage media contacts to key messaging to the target audience

What Local Agencies Can Do NOW

• Develop relationships with local African-American media outlets.

• Place advertisements on African-American media outlets that are culturally sensitive to African-American men.

• Become more relevant within the African-American

community.

Recommendation #3

Create New Marketing Messages and Materials

Jammie O’Brien

Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications

What the National Office is Doing

• Campaign for Men

• Replacing tags on current national ad campaign with

people who resonate more with the community, example

Hill Harper

• Adding elements to the national website that profile current

Bigs that would answer some key questions of what it is like

to be a Big Brother and highlight the importance of structured

programs

• AAM microsite project

What You Can Do Now

• Utilize current African-American Big Brothers in “testimonial” campaigns so that African-American men are the ones sending the recruitment message and that other Black men can “see themselves” as Big Brothers.

• Update your website and materials to more reflect the population you are trying to attract

• Take advantage of the materials that have been and will continue to come out to support male volunteer recruitment

Please type in your questions now

Recommendation #4

Use African-American Bigs and Littles as a Recruiting Resource

Mark Scott

Director, Community Partnerships

What the National Office is Planning to Do

• Work with three agencies to create African-American Big Brother ambassador groups.

• Ambassador groups are for Big Brothers to be able to hang out with one another, share ideas about activities, and talk about how to encourage others to get involved.

What You Can Do Now

• Take current Big Brothers and Little Brothers to recruitment events to tell their story and encourage others to sign up as Bigs.

• Form African-American Big Brothers ambassador groups for Big Brothers to be able to hang out with one another, share ideas about what activities, and talk about how to encourage others to get involved.

We would like you participate in a quick poll

Recommendation #5

Form Alliances with Organizations that have Credibility in the Black

Community

Mark Scott

Director, Community Partnerships

What Are We Doing

• African-American Advisory Council and Task Force• Alpha Phi Alpha• BBBS Amachi• Developing relation with other four African-American

fraternities• Develop relationship with African-American

business/professional organization. Strongest consideration right now is given to:

- National Black MBA Association- National Bar Association - National Association of Black School Educators

What You Can Do Now

• Use Brother Lowell Perry’s Black and Gold paper to reach out to and deepen relationship with local Alpha Phi Alpha chapters

• Engage community leaders to become involved with BBBS by creating a local task force

• Build partnership with local chapters of the four other African-American fraternities, congregations, and business/ professional associations

Poll question:What Kind Support Do You Get from

the African-American Community?

African-American Male Mentoring Assessment Tool

• What is it and what does it do?– Tool to aid for your own planning– Follows the recommendations of the research– Show you how to:

• Evaluate• Set your goal• Make a plan

• We look forward to your feedback on the tool

African-American Mentoring Principles

• To help us see the Big picture of what we can be a part of achieving

• Follows the recommendations of the research

• Please share your feedback on the African-American mentoring principles

Next Steps

• African-American Male Volunteer Research Suggestions How to Use to allow the research to have an impact on your agency

• Send the Agency Follow-Up Action Form to Mark Scott mark.scott@bbbs.org

Almost Done…

Please take this time to type in any additional questions

Thank YouThank You