TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background
.1-4

Situation Analysis and Core

Opportunity5

Goals and
Objectives
.6

Key Publics and

Messages
.7

Strategies and
Tactics
8

Sample Messages and

Surveys..9

Budget and
Calendar..
10

Communications
Confirmation
11-12

Evaluation
..13
1 | Page
Background
- Industry:

In the crowded nonprofit industry, organizations need to stay

ahead of the competition for donors, grants, and mindshare. Nonprofit
education is vital to a strong workforce. Investing in human capital
through continuing nonprofit education is an investment in the future.
The value of any nonprofit is dependent on the value of its people; if
people are the greatest asset to an organization, investing in them is
critical. Known as human capital, organizations compete for business
through the people they employ, and continuing nonprofit education is
one method of attracting and retaining qualified and effective
employees.

- External environment:

Breakthrough Houston is a nonprofit organization that offers its

service to students free of charge. Therefore, it relies solely on
donations for the resources it requires. For this reason, its relationship
with Episcopal High School, St. Johns School and HISD (which provide
facilities, meals, and transportation) is of great importance. Without a
strong relation with these organizations, Breakthrough cannot survive
under current circumstances.
Breakthrough Houston receives the majority of its funding
through about 15 corporations and charity foundations, all of which
donated at least $10,000 for the 2008-2009 school years. There were
roughly 62 individual donors for the same school year, which is very
few considering Breakthrough Houston has a network of well over a
thousand former students and teachers, not including families.
However, it lacks the detailed records to connect with such a network.
Concerning Breakthrough Houstons student publics, because it
targets low-income students, there are potential challenges to
overcome family systems that do not value education enough to
dedicate the time and attention required for such a rigorous program.

- Product or program:

Established in the summer of 1996, Breakthrough Houston

began working with 30 fifth and sixth-graders. Co-sponsored by
Episcopal High School and St. Johns School, Breakthrough Houston
works closely with HISD, relying on the participation of teachers,
counselors, and others to help identify and recruit students.
Breakthrough Houston aims to prepare students who possess high
academic potential, but limited educational resources for competitive
high-school programs and college admission.
A Six-Year Commitment is made to each student, beginning in the 6th
grade. One of the keys to Breakthrough Houstons impact is the

2 | Page
 Students-Teaching-Students model: all of the teaching is done by high
school and college students.

Breakthrough Houston is a member of the nationally known

Breakthrough Collaborative, free to students, they offer innovative
classes during a six-week summer program and hold
classes/workshops throughout the school year. Students receive
individual tutoring, test preparation, and college counseling as part of
its Six-Year Commitment to their success. More than 200 students from
Houston schools attend the six-week, intensive summer program and
year-round Saturday School classes taught by high school and college
students. Students commit themselves to Breakthrough Houston
during the summer prior to their seventh-grade year. They take
challenging classes in English, science, math, social studies, and
foreign languages, while receiving exposure to life skills, and test-
taking tools in their elective courses. The program keeps students
connected to the classroom, their friends, and their mentors while
helping them reach their goaladmission to competitive high schools
and college.
Breakthrough Houston is a locally supported nonprofit
organization. Breakthrough Houston has grown from an enrollment of
30 middle-school students in 1996 to over 200 students in 2009. St.
Johns School generously houses the summer program, while the
school year program operates 12 Saturdays at Episcopal High School.

- Market situation:

Breakthrough Houston is funded through local foundations,

businesses and individuals. St. John's School, Episcopal High School
and HISD provide in-kind space, facilities and transportation. Featured
supporters include [MN] Interactive and Shell Oil Company.
Breakthrough requests in-kind donations as well whether its money,
food, tickets to events or supplies. Key partners include St. Johns
School, Episcopal High School, The Breakthrough Collaborative and
H.I.S.D., who provide free transportation and food services to all middle
school students during the summer program. Given the current
economy, funding for nonprofits as a whole has naturally decreased,
though not as much as the financial markets. The economic downturn
has limited the individuals short-term and long-term ability to donate
to nonprofits, especially so with the rise in unemployment, loss of
assets and consumer debt. Fear has stricken individuals confidence in
the security of their future and their perception of their ability to give.

- Current trends:

A recent study, High Achieving Students in the Era of No Child

Left Behind (Tom Loveless, The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, June
2008), makes a strong case for the need for programs like

3 | Page
 Breakthrough Collaborative, which increase the numbers of high-
achieving, college-bound low-income and minority students. The
Fordham study analyzed the demographic makeup of high-achieving
students and found that students in the top 90th percent on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress are overwhelmingly white
(82 percent) and non-poor (90 percent) and that African-American and
Hispanic eighth graders make up only one-fifth to one-fourth of the
expected proportion of high achievers.

By providing rigorous academics and comprehensive support to

high-potential, low-income and minority students during middle school
(65 percent of Breakthrough Houston students qualify for free or
reduced lunch; 92 percent are students of color; and 58 percent are
the first in their family to attend college) and ensuring these students
go on to college preparatory high school programs and four-year
colleges, Breakthrough Collaborative remedies the huge disparities
highlighted in the Fordham study.
The study also found that high-potential, low-income and
minority studentsBreakthrough Houstons target populationare the
students who teachers are most concerned about falling through the
cracks. Sixty percent of teachers said that academically talented
youngsters from low socioeconomic backgrounds are often overlooked
they fall through the cracks because no one advocates for them.
Without Breakthrough Houston, these students may indeed fall
through the cracks; however, one of the most important tenets for
Breakthrough Houston staff and teachers is to know their students.
Breakthrough Houston students have committed advocates and
mentors in their Breakthrough Houston teachers and staff. Although
the Fordham study presents a discouraging picture of the status of
high-achieving students in generaland high achieving, low-income
and minority students in particularthe study also provides a strong
rationale for Breakthrough Houston in todays educational landscape.

- Intervening publics and available resources:

Since Breakthrough Houston is a community of people working

toward the same goal, almost every person involved is an intervening
public. Some stand out more than others but in general even the
middle school students carry out Breakthrough Houstons message to a
targeted audience. If a student is in the Breakthrough Houston
program, they obviously are there because they are trying to better
themselves; strong-willed kids tend to want to be around other strong-
willed kids meaning that the Breakthrough Houston message and
mission statement can be transferred from one person to another
easily.
Most important of the intervening publics and probably the most

4 | Page
 important available resource Breakthrough Houston has at its disposal
are the parents of young teachers and students. Other important
resources are the people who are involved in its mission, its spring and
fall fundraisers and its Facebook pages.

- Demographics and psychographics of potential publics:

All students who share a genuine love of learning and

demonstrate both personal and educational promise in the Houston
surrounding area are potential publics. Parents are also included in that
they must be able to commit with their child to the program whether it
be transportation or helping with homework. The program targets low-
income students, including many who will be the first in their families
to earn college degrees. Approximately 50 percent of students qualify
for free or reduced lunch, and 99 percent are students of color. Relative
gender percentages are typically 60 percent female and 40 percent
male.

- SWOT Analysis:

Strengths
Weaknesses

Very driven work staff Lack of credibility

Strong board of advisors Lack of man power
Good cause Lack of funding
Generous donors Lack of records
Division of a successful
program

Finding alumni Program shutting down

Increase awareness Lack of donations
Cultivate donors Reputation in jeopardy
Possible alumni teaching
candidates
Increase credibility

Opportunities
Threats

5 | Page
Situation Analysis
Much of Breakthrough Houstons data that had been gathered
since the program began in the summer of 1996 was destroyed during
Hurricane Ike in 2008. This data included all of their records of alumni,
students and faculty. Current information is limited to recent
Breakthrough Houston participants (students and teachers) and payroll
records of past teachers. Recovering this data could be a valuable
asset for promotion and fundraising. Statistics regarding success rates
of Breakthrough Houston students would aid in crafting persuasive
grant proposals. A larger network of people will provide a larger pool of
potential donors. Also, having access to a network of former
Breakthrough Houston participants will provide students with potential
mentors and teachers with potential career networks.
The current dilemma with the alumni tracking is a lack of a
cohesive plan along with little funding and manpower. The possibility
of hiring a communications/marketing department is out of the
question as the majority of funding is tied up in the daily events of the
Breakthrough Houston program. Because it is free to use and has the
potential to reach the majority of former Breakthrough Houston
participants, social media is the most manageable tool for connecting
the dots between available information and desired information.

Core Opportunity
Recreate the culture and foundation that Breakthrough Houston
has established through the use of social media in order to gather
more support and sponsorship for the program, where as if left
unrealized could result in loss of participation and funding.

6 | Page
Goals
1. Collect all information concerning past alumni.
2. Create an avenue for Breakthrough Houston alumni to rejoin the effort.

Objectives
1. Audience: Past students.
Behavior: Make contact with other students and obtain their contact
information and join Breakthroughs Facebook page.
Time: January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011

2. Audience: Past and/or current teachers.

Behavior: Make contact with other teachers and students and obtain
their contact information and join Breakthrough Houstons Facebook
page.
Time: January 1, 2011-June 30, 2011

3. Audience: College students majoring in education and/or have the

desire to work for nonprofit seeking an internship.
Behavior: Act as a chairperson and administrator to create a working
team of former Breakthrough Houston students and teachers to find
lost alumni.
Time: January 1, 2011-April 2, 2011

7 | Page
Key Publics and Messages
1. Alumni
- Breakthrough Houstons past is the key to its future.
a. Breakthrough Houston currently has no record of past
participants, and the voice of the alumni is essential in
authenticating that Breakthrough Houston is an important
program that works.
b. The most important criteria for determining the success of an
educational program is the success of its former students
(including student-teachers).
c. Establishing a track record of success will build a reputation that
reflects to outsiders what an exceptional program Breakthrough
Houston is.

2. Breakthrough Houston Teachers

- Stay connected with Breakthrough Houston, become connected
with like-minded professionals.
a. The Breakthrough Houston network is full of former students and
teachers just like you who are now working professionals.
b. Even when youre no longer with Breakthrough Houston, we
want to hear from you. The success of former teachers is just as
important as the success of former students.
c. Encourage others who have been involved with Breakthrough
Houston to join the network. The more comprehensive the
network becomes, the more opportunities it will provide.

3. Breakthrough Houston Staff and Advisory Council

- Grow the network, grow the program.
a. The voice of the alumni is essential in authenticating that
Breakthrough Houston is an important program that works.
b. Establishing a track record of success will build a reputation that
reflects to outsiders what an exceptional program Breakthrough
Houston is.
c. Given the lack of records, every contact that may be reached is
valuable in extending the Breakthrough Houston network. Join
the Facebook page and encourage anyone you know that is or
have been involved with Breakthrough Houston to do the same.

8 | Page
Strategies and Tactics
1. Strategy: Have past and/or current teachers contact other former
Breakthrough Houston teachers. (Phase One)
Tactics:
- Hire a non-paid intern to act as a chairman and administrator
and assemble a group of past teacher volunteers to undertake
the task of tracking down former Breakthrough Houston
teachers.
- Give chairman a lead sheet of contacts (consisting of names of
many former teachers, dating back to 2001), creating a starting
point for the assembled team.
- Have working team of volunteers track down, by whatever
means, those listed on the lead sheet with goal being to have
them like/join the Breakthrough Houston Facebook page.
- Challenge any other known Breakthrough Houston participants
and contributors to also like the Facebook page.

2. Strategy: Create referral system to encourage any new contact to find

unknown former Breakthrough Houston participants. (Phase Two)
Tactics:
- Any new like on the Facebook page resulting from Phase I will
be sent a short survey to collect their information, along with a
message alerting them of the current problem and a challenge
to find other former members.
- Each subsequent contact that joins the page will be sent the
same survey/message.
- At the end of each survey will be a question asking who
referred/informed them of the alumni tracking project.
- As student information is logged in a database/spreadsheet, the
name of their referrer will also be logged.
- The top 20 names that appear most frequently as referrers will
be awarded a Shell gift card, with the top five receiving higher
amounts.

9 | Page
Sample Messages and Surveys
Thank you for becoming a fan of our Facebook page! As a result from
Hurricane Ike, we lost much of our information regarding past alumni. As we
approach our 15th anniversary, we are excited to reconnect all Breakthrough
Houston alumni! Please fill out this short survey to help us rebuild our
records. We also encourage you to help us by inviting other Breakthrough
Houston alumni to join our page! Be sure to invite your former Breakthrough
classmates (students and teachers) to join as well as our efforts cannot be
completed without your help! Those who refer the most former Breakthrough
Houston participants will eligible to receive one of 20 Shell gas cards as a
reward for helping our cause.

(If you did not participate in the Breakthrough Houston programs, please
disregard this message, though we thank you for supporting us!)

1. Name:
Email:
Phone:

2. What school year(s) did you attend Breakthrough Houston?

3. Who referred you to join?

Greetings Fellow Breakthrough Houston Alumni!

Breakthrough Houston has been a great success thanks to your past

efforts! Two years ago, Hurricane Ike had an impact on many lives and
businesses in Houston, but unfortunately, Breakthrough Houston was not
immune to its damage. Among the damage Breakthroughs office
endured, the loss of contact information of past teachers has grown to be
critical. As Breakthrough enters its 15th Anniversary we are excited to roll
out an effort to reconnect our alumni. Reconnecting with Breakthrough
Houston is not only essential for our organization to build up credibility
through your testimony, but a great opportunity to network and most
alumni are now working professionals in many fields! If it werent for your
dedication, Breakthrough would not exist. We ask now that you dedicate
yourself once again to our organization, five minutes to join our Facebook
page and fill out a short survey. Once you join our page you will have a
chance to win one of five $100 Shell gift cards or one of 15 $25 Shell gift
cards! Check our Facebook page for details! We cant wait to hear from
you!

1. Name:
Email:
Phone:

2. What school year(s) did you attend Breakthrough Houston?

10 | P a g e
 3. Who referred you to join?

Budget
Due to the strategies and tactics not requiring any financial need, an increase
in man power through an internship and volunteers will be needed.

Calendar
The following are key dates and deadlines:

January 3, 2011: Begin Phase One

February 25, 2011: Deadline to find intern
February 28, 2011: Intern to begin team assembly
April 4, 2011: Begin Phase Two
April 4-December 31, 2011: Bi-weekly updates
December 31: End Phase Two

11 | P a g e
 Communications Confirmation
1. Key public: Alumni
Self-interest: Pride
Primary messages: Breakthrough Houstons past is the key to its future
Influentials: Breakthrough Houston alumni
Objectives: Make contact with other teachers/students and
past/current teachers to obtain their contact information and join
breakthroughs Facebook page.
Strategies: Create referral system to encourage any new contact to
find unknown former Breakthrough Houston participants
Tactics:
- Any new like on the Facebook page resulting from phase I will
be sent a short survey to collect their information, along with a
message alerting them of the current problem and a challenge
to find other former members.
- Each subsequent contact that joins the page will be sent the
same survey/ message
- At the end of each survey will be a question asking who
referred/informed them of alumni tracking project

2. Key public: Breakthrough Houston Teachers

Self-interest: Networking
Primary messages: Stay connected with Breakthrough Houston,
become connected with like-minded professionals
Influentials: Breakthrough Houston teachers
Objectives: Make contact with other teachers and obtain their contact
information and join Breakthrough Houstons Facebook page.
Strategies: Have past and/or current teachers contact other former
Breakthrough Houston teachers.
Tactics:
- Hire a non-paid intern to act as a chairman and administrator
and assemble a group of past teacher volunteers to undertake
the task of tracking down former Breakthrough Houston
teachers.
- Give a chairman a lead sheet of contacts (consisting of names of
many former teachers, dating back to 2005), creating a starting
point for the assembled team.
- Have working team of volunteers track down, by whatever
means, those listed on the lead sheet with goal being to have
the like/join the Breakthrough Facebook page.
- Challenge any other known Breakthrough participants and
contributors to also like the Facebook page.

12 | P a g e
 3. Key public: Breakthrough Houston Staff and Advisory Council
Self-interest: Philanthropy
Primary messages: Grow the network, grow the program
Influentials: Advisory Council and their potential contacts
Objectives: Act as a chairperson and administrator to create a working
team of former Breakthrough Houston students and teachers to find
lost alumni
Strategies: create referral system to encourage any new contact to find
unknown former Breakthrough Houston participants. Have past and/or
current teachers contact other former Breakthrough Houston teachers.
Tactics:
- Hire a non-paid intern to act as a chairman and administrator
and assemble a group of past teacher volunteers to undertake
the task of tracking down former Breakthrough Houston
teachers.
- Give a chairman a lead sheet of contacts (consisting of names of
many former teachers, dating back to 2005), creating a starting
point for the assembled team.
- Have working team of volunteers track down, by whatever
means, those listed on the lead sheet with goal being to have
the like/join the Breakthrough Houston Facebook page.
- Challenge any other known Breakthrough Houston participants
and contributors to also like the Facebook page.
- Any new like on the Facebook page resulting from Phase One
will be sent a short survey to collect their information, along with
a message alerting them of the current problem and a challenge
to find other former members.
- Each subsequent contact that joins the page will be sent the
same survey/ message
- At the end of each survey will be a question asking who
referred/informed them of alumni tracking project

13 | P a g e
Evaluation
At the end of the year the set objectives will be measured to determine
if a sufficient number of alumni were reached, and whether the volunteer
team was effective. The first year will be the benchmark for evaluation, due
to the fact that there is nothing to compare statistics to. After the first year
Breakthrough Houston staff will use what is recovered from the initial
campaign (Phase I) to decide what changes need to be made when repeating
Phase II.

14 | P a g e