Public Relations Case Study

The Robin Hood Foundation

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Organizational and PR Overview

The Robin Hood Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises money through public and private donations to combat poverty in New York City. This organization uses many public relations elements to communicate with its publics and raise awareness about its mission with the community. Although the organization has a very specific target public in New York City, it continues to gain publicity and high acclaim nationally through its efforts. This nonprofit organization utilizes a variety of public relations techniques to foster a beneficial relationship with its publics. The foundation’s main channels include social media outlets, hosting charity events and fundraisers, and traditional media, such as the television program 60 Minutes.

Robin Hood is the largest poverty fighting organization in the city and 100 percent of its donations go directly to programs helping those in poverty because the organization’s Board of Directors funds all of Robin Hood’s administrative expenses. Its Board of Directors is made up of several well-known, wealthy individuals. Paul Tudor Jones founded the foundation in 1988 with the help of Glenn Dubin; both are notable New York hedge fund managers. After a stock market crash in 1987, Jones feared our country was headed for a severe financial downturn in the form of a depression, and thus began a foundation that would assist those in need. Although Jones was incorrect in predicting a depression, it was the best mistake he could have made. Jones told Fortune, “The biggest error I’ve ever made had the best possible outcome” (Serwer, 2006). Today, the Robin Hood Foundation has raised more than $1.1 billion to fight poverty through hundreds of organizations around New York City.

There are approximately 1.8 million people living in poverty in New York City. According to the Robin Hood Foundation website, 1 in every 6 New Yorkers relies on daily emergency food, 40 percent of New York’s public school students will not graduate on time, and 365,000 New Yorkers look for work each day. The Robin Hood Foundation mission, written on its website, states that Robin Hood’s mission for more than 20 years has been “to fight poverty in New York City” (“The Robin Hood,” 2012). Robin Hood’s focus is to not only raise money to help New Yorkers in need, but to raise awareness of the existence and prevalence of

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poverty in New York. Perhaps one of the foundation’s most difficult tasks is identifying which poverty fighting

programs to assist. There are more than 25,000 such organizations in New York City and Robin Hood must evaluate which programs will utilize its money most readily and efficiently to best combat poverty. The Robin Hood Foundation has chosen to fund and support approximately 200 of these organizations to date, which include programs that offer help to the homeless, job training to the unemployed, and better education and motivation for children. According to the Robin Hood Foundation, 92 percent of people who enter a Robin Hood funded housing program do not return to shelters, Robin Hood programs increase individuals’ chances of passing the GED by 75 percent, and its job training programs are 2 times as effective as others (“The Robin Hood,” 2012).

Something that sets apart the Robin Hood Foundation from other poverty fighting organizations is its continuous success in raising impressive funds for its programs. Robin Hood’s Board of Directors not only pays every single administrative expense for the organization, but also contributes vast amounts to the foundation’s donation funds. This permits a 15:1 return on every dollar donated to the organization, and ensures that each and every donation to Robin Hood is funneled directly into one of its programs, rather than funding any administrative costs whatsoever. In addition, the foundation raises a substantial amount of money at its annual benefit dinner at the Jacob Javits Center. It is often considered a success if a charity can raise any amount of thousands of dollars in one night, but Robin Hood’s annual charity dinner raises tens of millions of dollars every year. Board of Directors chair Lee S. Ainslie told Fortune, “When we tell people their dollars are going to help their city, that every cent to those in need, that the board pays expenses, and that we hold our grantees accountable, you are talking about very powerful selling points” (Serwer, 2006). Other organizations analyze and use similar business techniques to those of Robin Hood due to Robin Hood’s enormous success as a nonprofit organization. The Robin Hood Foundation continues to grow and help New Yorkers in poverty every day.

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Robin Hood Percentages at a Glance

History of the Discipline

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Public relations is an ever-changing discipline. People have been using forms of public relations since the start of ancient civilizations. However, nonprofit public relations did not become popular until the 1900s. When nonprofit public relations did become standard, public relations as a whole moved into a “relationship” era (Smith, 2004). Previously public relations served as a discipline to help organizations with their publicity, sharing of information and product/service advocacy. The timeline below shows the evolution of public relations mission as a discipline:

It is important to note that, “public relations is becoming more research based and more a function of the management and leadership of an organization, rather than simply the implementation of communication tactics” (Smith, 2004). This trend has clearly caught on at Robin Hood. In one of our interviews, Patty Smith described how she is in constant contact with management. They review the PR plans often to ensure that the messages created match Robin Hood’s mission. Robin Hood is a perfect example of a nonprofit organization that utilizes relationship style public relations to reach out to its publics. Robin Hood does not simply strive for publicity, or one-way informative communication. Furthermore, Robin Hood does not just advocate how their services are good, but demonstrate how they form relationships with anyone that gets involved with Robin Hood, either as a donor or a recipient. Robin Hood illustrates how nonprofits use public relations to their advantage.

PR Role at Robin Hood

Public relations plays an integral role in carrying out Robin Hood’s mission to eradicate poverty in New York City. The Robin Hood Foundation relies heavily on public and media relations to spread its vision to New York City and beyond so that it may accrue even more funds to disburse to organizations in need. Although public relations is an important component of the Robin Hood Foundation, it does not serve as a major influence within the operations of the actual company. Robin Hood strives to place carrying out its mission above the coverage it receives as a result of its public outreach – its reputation comes second to its actual mission of helping poverty stricken New Yorkers. Its positive public and media relations are certainly pluses– they are, however, only a byproduct of decisions made within the company.

Robin Hood tends to approach public relations with a “go with the flow” –type attitude: Decisions about funding, their primary role as a foundation, are made completely independently of the public relations department. The foundation never makes decisions about sponsoring or dropping organizations based on the PR they will receive. Rather, they deal with each issue individually and take the coverage as it comes to them. Robin Hood employees make it a point to first prioritize their mission, and then worry about PR implications later. They simply go about their business and then publicize it accordingly.

The role of public relations within the Robin Hood Foundation is two-fold. First, Robin Hood recognizes the importance of raising awareness and money to combat poverty in New York City and beyond – this is, of course, its avowed mission. Second, Robin Hood aims to generate positive media coverage (as a byproduct of its decision-making) so that the foundation may get its name into the public eye as much as possible. Robin Hood wants to make people aware of who they are and the work that they do so that it may acquire even more donors and

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raise even more money to fight poverty.

In terms of an actual public relations department, Robin Hood employs only 1 public relations professional, our interviewee, Patty Smith. Her role as managing director for marketing & communications involves several facets of public relations. In addition to Patty, Robin Hood payrolls several communication personnel. The jobs and duties that fall under both of these job descriptions are listed in the following figures:

Recently, Patty Smith and the Robin Hood Foundation decided to hire a public relations agency so that it could more effectively reach out to the media and its publics. Robin Hood approached several public relations agencies and asked them to give presentations based on what these agencies thought about the Robin Hood Foundation and where it should head in terms of public relations. Robin Hood then asked 6 of these agencies to present their ideas to them, and picked 3 favorites from those. In making a final decision, Robin Hood evaluated the agencies by which they thought had the smartest ideas and an approach that best met their preexisting ones.

Ultimately, Robin Hood chose Edelman – the foundation was pleased with Edelman’s large nonprofit practice as well as their solid connections within the media. Media connections were a big point for Robin Hood in choosing a public relations agency because of the sensitivity and importance of spreading Robin Hood’s mission and values throughout New York City.

Currently, Robin Hood is introducing Edelman to its foundation and working with them to come up with new pitch ideas, reach out to the press and also to draft op-ed pieces. Edelman is also beginning to manage Robin Hood’s metrics as well as media monitoring. Robin Hood is presently in the midst of a large-scale event, the 12-12-12 benefit concert, and will become further involved with Edelman at the conclusion of the event. Patty works very closely with Edelman to manage their management, so to speak, as well as to make sure they are acclimating well to the foundation and get a better sense for how the foundation operates and at what angles the public relations agency should begin to pitch from for the foundation.

Media Coverage Overview

The Robin Hood Foundation’s status as a major poverty fighting organization has earned the foundation an abundance of media coverage and attention from the public, especially from New York-based media outlets. Noteworthy news organizations such as Forbes, Fortune and Bloomberg, among others, have each released stories about the foundation. Financial publications’ focus on Robin Hood can be attributed to the wealth and status of Robin Hood’s Board of Directors, as several are multi-millionaires or even billionaires.

Much of Robin Hood’s media coverage is a result of company outreach to media outlets, whether through their own communications staff or via Edelman, whom Robin Hood recently hired to outsource its public relations management. Reporters will also approach the foundation seeking information for current or future coverage on either the organization itself, or about benefactors of Robin Hood’s efforts and donations. Traditional city reporters with publications such as The New York Times, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal routinely contact Robin Hood. To maintain positive relationships with the news media, Robin Hood will invite reporters and news executives to its events not only so they may produce stories for the immediate future, but also so the media may establish sufficient background on the organization and so that they are more inclined to follow Robin Hood for

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future coverage. Our interviewee Patty Smith is Robin Hood’s primary contact for the press.

Media Coverage Zoom-In: 60 Minutes

A year or so ago, CBS approached Robin Hood about possibly featuring the foundation on its popular, award winning television program 60 Minutes. Robin Hood originally declined CBS’s offer, as certain teams within the foundation felt they could not substantially satisfy CBS’s requirements for its program. However, the communications team mobilized and finally convinced the company as a whole to sign onto the program.

The 60 Minutes coverage is relatively out of Robin Hood’s hands, seeing as the program may choose to portray the foundation from any angle it chooses. However, Robin Hood has put its best foot forward in terms of evaluating what exactly it is they want the public to know about its organization and mission. Participating in the program has required a “tremendous amount of work” on the part of Robin Hood’s employees, as well as many of its benefactors whom the program will also mention and show footage of. CBS has filmed over 40 hours’ worth of footage for the segment, which is set to air in early 2013. Robin Hood has spent a significant amount of time evaluating what elements are needed to best portray its story to the American public, and also to raise awareness of the foundation to acquire more funds and become a more successful organization. Thus, Robin Hood is utilizing 60 Minutes not only to publicize the organization so that it may acquire more funds to distribute, but also to raise awareness of poverty in general and to mobilize the public toward contributing to and seeking an end to poverty.

To provide the 60 Minutes reporters with plentiful background information on the organization, the Robin Hood Foundation invited the 60 Minutes team to its Workforce1/Veteran’s Initiative conference, and also sat them down with nine or so community partners so that the team could learn more about how Robin Hood works directly from its benefactors. Much of the communications and marketing teams’ preparation for 60 Minutes consisted of sitting down and rehearsing with potential interviewees, including students who attend a charter school that Robin Hood supports, in addition to their principal. Robin Hood communications professionals versed the interviewees about potential questions the 60 Minutes reporters could ask, and helped them to assess thoughtful and acceptable responses. The 60 Minutes reporters also spent a significant amount of time speaking to one of the Robin Hood founders, Paul Jones, who is known to be “very quotable.” Perhaps most notably, 60 Minutes spoke with the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, about the Robin Hood Foundation for its feature.

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PR Models and Theories

When discussing public relations theories related to the Robin Hood foundation, there are several that apply. Because this organization is a nonprofit, its main public relations goals consist of developing awareness of its purpose of combating poverty, enticing the use of its services, raising funds, and recruiting members, donors, and volunteers. The Robin Hood Foundation, like all nonprofits, does not function to make a profit to distribute. It serves as philanthropy to help a problem within the country, and for this reason, it must persuade publics to adopt the behavior of supporting its cause.

The persuasion theory that best relates to Robin Hood’s practice is the diffusion theory, which according to our textbook explains how people make decisions to adopt new ideas through a series of steps including awareness, interest, trial, evaluation and adoption. First, Robin Hood must raise awareness of its name and mission so that people are informed of its existence and purpose. Next, Robin Hood must generate interest through creative elements. Trial is when people actively try out supporting the foundation, such as by mentioning it to a friend to see his or her reaction or attending a Robin Hood Foundation event. Evaluation consists of assessment of the awareness, interest and trial steps and then making a decision about whether or not to support the cause. Moreover, this step takes into account interpersonal communication, as it is likely that the individual going through the process will mention the foundation to a friend for feedback. The final step in the persuasion theory is adoption, when an individual has decided to change his or her behavior to support the cause and actively do something about it, such as volunteer or make a donation. Additional factors of this theory are that channels such as the media are more influential in the first stages, and that family and friends are more influential in the later stages. This means that channels such as television and print advertisements can successfully be used to provide awareness, spark interest and induce trial, but positive word of mouth and reputation of the organization is vital in the later stages that consist of evaluation and adoption.

Another theory that can be applied in the case of the Robin Hood Foundation is the systems theory. Again, according to our textbook, this theory is relationship-based and asserts that organizations cannot survive alone. It stresses that foundations are interdependent and must interact with others to be successful. It is particularly crucial for nonprofit foundations to maintain positive relationships with other organizations near and far for when it comes time to ask for donations, whether they be small – such as gift baskets for prizes – or large, such as venue space. Robin Hood works tirelessly to continue to find the best organizations to which to disburse its funding. Robin Hood seeks out celebrity supporters, and is working to create a campaign to inform the entire city and beyond of its goals and objectives. They clearly operate with an open system. The Robin Hood Foundation has a solid reputation – however, it is aware of the need for mutually beneficial relationships between itself and other organizations as well.

One last theory that the Robin Hood foundation exemplifies is the social exchange theory. Our text says that this is another persuasion theory asserting that people assess consequences before acting. Another key point of the social exchange theory is that people want to keep costs low and rewards high. It exhibits how a general member of the public can keep his or her costs low – for example, a small donation to the Robin Hood Foundation – yet his or her

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reward high, which in this case would be the good feeling from giving. Fundraising and asking for donations is an incredibly large portion of a nonprofit’s funds for their cause. Foundations must exhibit exemplary protocol when asking for donations. For example, if it is a donation-seeking letter, it must be kept short, sweet, and interesting. There should be a large emphasis on the donor’s importance and how useful his or her donation will be. If possible, the foundation should provide incentive such as recognition or other nonmonetary rewards. Lastly, the foundation should make the process as easy as possible for potential donors. A good example of this is providing a return envelope with a prepaid postage stamp for him or her to mail back the donation. These are all ways to uphold the social exchange theory by keeping costs low and rewards high.

Values

There is no specific space on the Robin Hood Foundation’s website dedicated to avowing any sort of values, but it is a strength of this company that its values are made so obvious to the public – Robin Hood very much “shows” rather than “telling.” We asked our interviewee to describe the Robin Hood foundation’s values in 3 words. First, Patty described Robin Hood as generous because it is an organization that promotes philanthropy, volunteer ethic, and selflessness. Second, Patty described Robin Hood as tenacious, as its goal is not at all an easy one; defeating poverty in New York City is a large task to accomplish. However, Robin Hood goes about working to achieve its mission with dedication and commitment and never steers away from its mission. Finally, Patty described Robin Hood as optimistic. This is because it can be extremely difficult at times to work in an environment where the goal is to fix such a large problem, especially one as heavy as poverty, and which affects so many people. It is crucial to keep up the company’s morale and energy, and to always remain optimistic in every situation.

RPIEResearch:

Robin Hood uses a holistic research approach to obtain information on the issue of poverty in New York City and its publics. Robin Hood stays updated on the statistical information regarding the number of impoverished New Yorkers. This data allows the foundation to shape its goals and objectives so that they can be SMART. Research on New York City residents allows Robin Hood to focus their advocacy type public relations at the right audience. Robin Hood has two groups within the primary public of New York Residents. They conduct research to split New Yorkers into two general categories: potential donors/volunteers, and residents who are not informed enough about the city’s poverty. Robin Hood uses their data as motivation. They strive to increase the number of New Yorkers involved in helping Robin Hood achieve its goal, and decrease the number of people falling below the poverty line in the city. In addition to researching about key publics, Robin Hood does research on the needs of the impoverished people of New York City. In order to relieve people from daily struggles, they research what poor people need most. These items include shelter, food and clean water. Robin Hood then helps to fund programs in the city that provide these items and services most efficiently.

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Robin Hood conducts extensive research on programs and organizations in New York City that combat poverty. They strive to fund the most productive, organized programs to help them grow even stronger. It is crucial that Robin Hood researches the groups they give money to, because there is always the threat that some programs are not completely ethical with the use of their donated money. Obviously Robin Hood does not want to donate to groups who do not put the money toward poverty stricken New Yorkers.

Research is a never-ending task at Robin Hood. Research feeds the organization with priorities that then help them to establish their objectives and goals. With defined objectives and goals, Robin Hood can employ the most applicable strategies and tactics possible. In addition to fueling the mission of Robin Hood, research allows for public relations and management at Robin Hood to work on planning all their events.

Planning:Standing Plans:

Annual Benefit Galao This annual benefit gala is held in the Jacob Javits Center in New York City

which raises millions of dollars each year Robin Hood Rocks

o Since 2001, Robin Hood has had annual concerts with big-name artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Sting, and The Jonas Brothers to spread awareness about Robin Hood’s mission and raise funds for its poverty-fighting programs

One-Time Plans: 12.12.12

o Upcoming Sandy Relief Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12th. The concert will be available to view to one billion people across six continents. Highly acclaimed artists such as Coldplay, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, and more will perform. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief fund, which aids victims who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The Concert for New York City o Concert organized by Robin Hood five week after 9/11, which raised more than

65 million dollars, to be given to families who lost loved ones in the attacks. Robin Hood made a vow that every family of every casualty of 9/11 would receive a $5,000 check before the holidays and successfully did. The foundation continues to raise funds to be donated to those in need of mental health due to 9/11 events to this day.

GOAL: To fight poverty in New York City.

PUBLICSPrimary

Impoverished New Yorkers

New York Donors

OBJECTIVES-Spread awareness about Robin Hood and the programs they donate to-Raise funds to be

STRATEGIES-Coordinate annual events such as Annual Benefit Gala & Robin Hood Rocks concerts-Use social media to

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Average NYC Citizen

Secondary Potential donors

& grantees Residents in the

NYC metro area

donated to the most effective programs-Alleviate poverty

promote cause and foundation-Maintain relationships with donors & grantees-Invest in the most effective organizations that fight against poverty

Implementation:In terms of implementation under the RPIE 4-step process, The Robin Hood Foundation uses

many tactics and tools to accomplish their planned goals and objectives. The Robin Hood foundation uses the following social media outlets:

A comprehensive website Facebook page Twitter Instagram Google+ LinkedIn Tumblr Newsletters and e-newsletters

Robin Hood uses these tools to accompany the organization’s strategies and put their plans into effect. The company has increasingly relied on using social media sites to implement their plans and create awareness of their many projects and events. In addition, the organization holds various events, rallies, galas, benefit concerts and meetings throughout each year to execute its goals. By using these various tools, The Robin Hood Foundation is able to put their plans into action by effectively reaching and communicating with its identified publics.

Evaluation:The Robin Hood Foundation’s effectiveness as a nonprofit organization can be measured

in various ways. Overall, Robin Hood’s goal of eradicating poverty in New York City corresponds with its positive reputation. Patty Smith iterated that her job is very difficult in many ways. Going into communities and hearing heart-wrenching stories and dealing with a challenging population of people are not for everybody. It is ideal for people who want to make a difference and work in a rewarding environment. The Robin Hood Foundation has established itself as the largest poverty fighting organization in New York City, and with this comes a strong reputation. The company’s goals are related to its reputation and work correspondingly to yield the most beneficial results.

Specific objectives are measured differently according to the different portfolios The Robin Hood Foundation funds. For school-based projects, objectives are measured by how many students they are able to help and how those students are improving in terms of reading and writing. With soup kitchen projects, success is measured by how many people they are able to serve and how many meals they offer to recipients. For its work with medical clinics, effectiveness is measured by how much staffing Robin Hood provides to increase the number of patients that they treat and the quality of the care they give to patients. For all of Robin Hood’s projects and events, success is not solely measured by the amount of money donated; rather, the

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organization measures its objectives by how the money is being used. The organization strives to use the money it collects in the most beneficial way for a majority of the impoverished people they cater to. In addition, the desired messaging match copy in materials. The company’s messaging is reflected in its press coverage. Patty Smith stated that the company’s public relations department can only attempt to set the company’s agenda. Robin Hood’s agenda and specific messaging are reflected in the way they are portrayed and covered in the media. Robin Hood’s success and effectiveness are measured in many different ways with respect to the many types of programs and events they help fund.

AnalysisSWOT Helpful to Achieving the Objective Harmful to Achieving the Objective

Internal Origin STRENGTHS-Generally has a positive reputation as a charitable organization-Very well known in the city and its relevant metropolitan areas, such as New Jersey and Connecticut-Enjoyed very successful campaigns in the past-The largest poverty fighting organization in New York City

WEAKNESSES-Much of the work is “behind the scenes” to a large extent-Lack of employee visibility in the public eye-Perceived by some as a “rich person’s charity” that already has the support of enough successful and wealthy donors-Do not work directly with citizens affected by poverty; rather they provide the funds necessary for other organizations to do this

External Origin OPPORTUNITIES-Growing social media use and popularity-Growing use of Smart phones-Expanding the organization to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy-60 Minutes program & 12/12/12 concert-Consulting with other groups similar to Robin Hood

THREATS-The recession- more people are in need of help and there are less people able to donate-Ineffective programming (misappropriation of funds, etc.)

Media & Social Media Analysis

Overall, the Robin Hood Foundation’s website is easy to navigate. It has a news/media section, and includes links to its social media outlets, which formulates a very well developed site. It is relatively easy to understand and effectively presents the content being communicated. It is very neat, organized and colorful, which appeals to Internet users and makes it a suitable place to search for information. Right away it is apparent to viewers that the website uses advanced techniques and is very up to date. The homepage depicts the Robin Hood logo and all of the subsequent writing and headlines are in either blue or bright green font that corresponds with the colors of the logo. There are also many action photos and pictures on the site, which make it very aesthetically pleasing to the viewer.

4 main tabs comprise the homepage: The Problem, Our Approach, Our Impact, and Take Action. It is very simple and straightforward, which is an advantageous factor because people will be more likely to make use of the organization’s website. Furthermore, on the homepage there is a large banner that reads “TARGETING POVERTY IN NEW YORK CITY.” Thus, visitors are instantly aware of what the organization fundamentally represents. There are other additional sections that are presented on the homepage; however, they are not as noticeable as

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the main four. These smaller tabs reveal information about news, programs, initiatives, and ways to donate.

Scrolling down a bit, the visitor can see all of the recent news, such as the organization’s efforts to help Hurricane Sandy victims, and posts from the company’s Tumblr and Twitter accounts. There are also links to the organization’s Facebook page and Google+, although there are no direct posts or quotes visible on this page. These links are easy to find and are constantly updated so that viewers are exposed to the most recent news and information. This is significant because it allows for visitors of the site or reporters to follow the progress of Robin Hood through social media outlets, which are a great way to keep readers informed of important details and information about the organization. The social media forms that Robin Hood uses (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Google+) are all extremely popular, especially with younger people, and are essential to its organizational success in the media. Robin Hood uses these channels to connect with its publics and can even receive feedback from users who participate. The company’s social media posts are very interactive and include everything from photos, letters, and links to information about how to donate. After analyzing this portion of the website, it is clear that the Robin Hood Foundation relies heavily on social media. This makes it easy for others to stay informed and get involved. Reporters or journalists would find it helpful when looking for news or recent information about Robin Hood to cover. All of the organization’s social media tools are presented and publicized by the website, which is a useful facet for reporters as well as potential donors.

In terms of news and media coverage, Robin Hood’s website has a News tab in the upper left hand corner. However, the tab is fairly small and is most likely difficult for viewers or reporters to locate right away. Compared to the aforementioned 4 tabs, this tab does not stand out and fades in with the rest of the website. Despite this, the news section proves very informative and up to date. The first highlight was submitted within the last week and was a letter from the Chair of the Board of Directors writing to update readers about what the organization has been up to. They also provide quarterly progress reports and updates regarding their initiatives, activity and developments. All of this information is delivered in a straightforward manner and is relatively simple for visitors or reporters to find.

Although the website is generally useful, there are a few small barriers to making it more useful. The first barrier is that the News tab is relatively small in comparison to the other sections. It is a very useful and valuable section for users of the site, however, not all visitors may notice the tiny icon. People who glance over the website and do not find it are missing out on vital information and are not exercising the website to its fullest extent. Another barrier is that at times the website can be slightly overwhelming, as there is a lot of information present and some readers may be discouraged from reading the dense information that is under each tab. On one hand, an organization needs a comprehensive website that is full of detail and description; however, this much information could be excessive and may deter readers. The final possible barrier is that the website may be too advanced for older generations to understand and use. There is a heavy reliance on social media as a source of information and older generations may not be familiar with these more modern channels.  The Robin Hood Foundation’s website is very dependent upon their Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages and that may put off the company’s older supporters from using the site. A more equal balance between social networking sites and traditional forms of news may involve making the website more applicable and appealing to a wider audience. However, use of the website and social media sites is very popular with the

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majority of its audiences and Robin Hood has succeeded in attracting tens of thousands of followers on its various forms of online media.

Conclusion & Insights

After further analysis of The Robin Hood Foundation, it was decided that working for the foundation would be a very rewarding job as well as a fantastic and fulfilling opportunity. The foundation is very organized and efficient in following its mission, which is crucial in maintaining a successful nonprofit organization. According to Patty Smith, the PR department at the Robin Hood Foundation focuses on increasing awareness of the foundation’s efforts and success stories. For example, Patty told us the story of a 13-year-old boy in Bedford-Stuyvesant who was able to go to a highly reputable school free of charge and receive a great education. He continued to one of the best high schools in the country and was the first in his family to break the cycle of poverty, all thanks to Robin Hood.

Robin Hood is also responsible for organizing and executing special events for the foundation, such as its annual benefit dinner at the Jacob Javits Center and concerts like 12.12.12 and Robin Hood Rocks. Smith states that she enjoys working for the foundation because she’s making a difference in people’s lives, not just selling a product or service. Working for a nonprofit organization like The Robin Hood Foundation would be a great experience for a job after college.

Throughout this case study project we were able to gain abundant perspective into the management and operations of Robin Hood. Robin Hood is a major nonprofit foundation that does great things in New York City and the surrounding area, and our group really was able to gain a lot of insight into how this particular nonprofit foundation works in terms of its upper level management and more importantly about the inner workings of its public relations functions and department. We also were able to gain a lot of perspective into the breadth and depth of the work that they do for impoverished New Yorkers. Patty Smith, the managing director for events and communications for Robin Hood, was extremely instrumental in helping us to understand not only the inner workings of the Robin Hood Foundation and the great things they do, but also of the public relations industry and what it takes to succeed as a public relations professional. Overall, we really enjoyed learning about such an amazing foundation and what they are doing to help eradicate poverty, and how they are working with public relations to do this.

Works Cited

12-12-12 Sandy benefit to be aired on 34 outlets. (2012, December 3). Retrieved from The Huffington Post website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121203/us-music-sandybenefit-concert/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage. The robin hood foundation. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.robinhood.org.

Serwer, A. (2006, September 08). The legend of robin hood CNN Money, Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/18/8386204/index.htm.

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Smitko, K. (2012). Donor engagement through Twitter. Public Relations Review, 38(4), 633-635. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.05.012.

Smith, B. G. (2012). Public relations identity and the stakeholder–organization relationship: A revised theoretical position for public relations scholarship. Public Relations Review, 38(5), 838-845. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.06.011.

Smith, P. (2012, October 29). [Telephone interview by E. Smith].

Watson, T. (2012). The evolution of public relations measurement and evaluation. Public Relations Review,38(3), 390-398. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.12.018.

Yaxley, H. L. (2012). Exploring the origins of careers in public relations. Public Relations Review, 38(3), 399-407. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.11.014.

Appendix Interview InformationInterviewer: Emily SmithInterviewee: Patty Smith, Managing Director for Marketing, Communications and Events for the Robin Hood FoundationPhone interviews, October 29, 2012 at 3:30 pm and December 2, 2012 at 8:00 pm Questions:What primary services and/or products does the organization provide?What is the organization’s market share and who are their primary competitors?How many communications employees does the organization have?SWOT or challenges/opportunities facing organization…What is the organization’s public relations/marketing/advertising budget(s)?What current PR campaigns are they running?Who are their key target publics?What are the objectives and primary strategies for a particular campaign?How important is writing in your career?What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?Did your education prepare you for working in PR? How?What has surprised you the most about working in PR?What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?How has PR changed since you entered the field?How does technology affect your daily work?What professional organizations are you involved in?What’s your most and least favorite part of your job?How does the organization deal with planning? Are there standing plans and/or one-time plans?What types of tactical plans do they use? such as events, newsletters, etc.How well do practitioners identify the PR?

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Goals and Objective the PR team has…What strategies does the PR team use in order to complete their goals and objectives?What are the company’s vision and values?Does Robin Hood have an online press release kit?How are the company’s objectives measured?What are some potential opportunities and threats?Do the goals of the company correspond with its reputation?Has the company ever experienced any crisis situation regarding ethics?If you had to pick three words to describe Robin Hood’s values, what would they be?Its function/s inside the organization; major priorities for PR function…Use of outside counsel/PR firm/consultants - Tell us about hiring the PR agency.Education/training of practitioners/Professional affiliations/professional development opportunities/prioritiesWhere do PR functions fit in the organization?Critique of effectiveness of PR functions

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15THE ROBIN HOOD

FOUNDATION