Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania Communication Audit

Organization Overview

Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania opened in 1888 as a branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of America
to serve the youth in Western Pennsylvania. Its mission is to “activate and advance the potential in every
child by doing whatever it takes to ensure that they have great futures” (Boys and Girls Clubs of Western
PA, About Us). BGCWPA operates six standalone clubhouses, five school clubhouses, more than ten
daytime programs, as well as youth workforce centers.

Since 1888, BGCWPA has dedicated itself to the youth throughout Western Pennsylvania. BGCWPA
serves thousands of youth annually in Allegheny and Somerset Counties. Through our programs,
services and outreach, BGCWPA activates and advances the potential of the youth. All aspects of the
organization share the vision of “provide[ing] a world-class club experience that assures success is
within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from
highschool with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy
lifestyle” (Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, About Us).

Programs and Services

The organization’s programs were built to maximize opportunities for youth to learn, build self-esteem
and grow into caring citizens. Currently, there is a large emphasis on STEM in BGCWPA programming. In
the past year, BGCWPA has served over 700 teens.

Before and After School Programs: These programs were created to provide workforce families with after
school programming that went beyond traditional childcare and tutoring (Boys & Girls Clubs of Western
Pennsylvania, Before & After School).
● Power Hour: This program provides homework help and tutoring with qualified staff.
● Money Matters: This program teaches youth financial literacy.
● Diplomas2Degrees: This is a college readiness program that prepares youth for after high school
graduation.
● Project Learn: This program focuses on providing a fun space to learn and build cognitive skills
outside of the classroom.

Summer Camp: The organization offers nine weeks of summer camp throughout Allegheny and
Somerset Counties. Each week focuses on a different category of activities including STEM activities,
field trips, games and competitions, literacy and enrichment, sports and recreation and movies and
media (Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, Summer Camp).

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Great Futures Preschool: This program is for children ages three to five to engage in full day
programming with a ten to one child-to-teacher ratio. It provides age-appropriate curriculum and
developmental activities facilitated by highly trained and certified staff (Boys & Girls Clubs of Western
Pennsylvania, Great Futures Preschool).

Community-Based Programs: BGCWPA has numerous community partners that help provide outreach
services during and after school. These patterns include Brookline Teen Outreach, Center of Life, Clairton
City School District, Foundation of Hope, Homewood Children’s Village, Larimer Consensus Group,
Neighborhood Academy, North Hills School District, Passport Charter and Reach Cyber Charter (Boys &
Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, Community-Based Programs).

STEM Programs: STEM concepts and practices are integrated into almost all of BGCWPA’s programming.
This allows STEM programming to be more accessible for all students in and around the Pittsburgh area.
By having an emphasis on STEM, students can explore and master skills in conceptual thinking, data
analysis, coding, research and design, problem solving and interactive design (Boys & Girls Clubs of
Western Pennsylvania, STEM).

Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Initiatives

Nellie King Golf Classic: Held on June 6, 2022, this golf outing has been founded and chaired by Nellie
King, professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This past year was the event’s 45th
anniversary, and it has raised over $1 million for BGCWPA.

Annual Giving: BGCWPA has a system in place for donors to sign up to give annually. This way, donors
don’t have to try to remember when to give – it’s automatic.

Amazon Wishlist: This is a fundraising feature that allows people to purchase items that BGCWPA need
such as dish soap, backpacks or paper plates.

Corporate Giving: BGCWPA has a page that explains the “5 Easy Steps to Apply for Tax Credit.” This is an
informational, easy way for corporate donors to make contributions.

Bold Plays: This is a strategic plan to solidify a vision for the future of BGCWPA. Accompanied by a
launch video, the key messages for this campaign include: “We believe that the future of our youth IS the
future of our region. We believe that every child is worthy of a great future. We believe that Bold Plays are
required to create lasting solutions'' (Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, Bold Plays: Strategic
Vision).

Publics
BGCWPA has many different publics that it serves. Specifically, these are:
● Youth ages 3-24
● Parents in the workforce
● Residents of Allegheny and Somerset counties
● K-12 schools in Allegheny and Somerset counties
● Companies in Allegheny and Somerset counties that have a focus on workforce development
● Foundations and grantmakers in Allegheny and Somerset counties
 ● Local and state government officials and agencies
● Corporate donors
● Individual donors
Profile 1: A 40 year old single mom living in Pittsburgh who wants to have an after-school program that
does more than watch her kids while she works.

Profile 2: A 35 year old dad of two kids working in the tech industry who wants his kids to experience
STEM learning.

Profile 3: A 60 year old woman living in Pittsburgh who has grandchildren who attend BGCWPA summer
camps. She has recently retired in the past few years and is now looking for a way to invest back in her
community.

News Articles
BGCWPA had a lot of positive news coverage in the past year. Much of the coverage is from local
publications. Most of the recent coverage has been positive and focuses on programming updates,
success stories of people who attended BGCWPA and BGCWPA’s impact on their community. Some
specific examples include:

Title: Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania facing challenges to fulfill its mission
Description: Ann Belsner, a reporter for Next Pittsburgh, published an article on August 4, 2022
highlighting BGCWPA’s Shadyside location, its history and the current capacity challenges it’s facing. The
tone of the article remains positive and optimistic even though it talks about current challenges.

Title: 30 Under 30: Meet Sarah Welsh, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania
Description: On March 18, 2022, Richard Cerilli, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Business Times, published
an article highlighting BGCWPA program development events manager after she was named as one of
Pittsburgh’s 30 under 30. The tone is very positive about her and the work that BGCWPA does for the
community.

Title: Pitt senior tackle Carter Warren, teammates hang out with little ones at Millvale’s Boys and Girls Club
Description: Jerry Dipaola, Trib Live reporter, wrote a piece that was published on June 29, 2022 about
Carter Warren and his teammates returning to BGCWPA that he attended when he was a youth. Warren
hopes that the BGCWPA has the same positive impact on today’s youth as it did on him.
This article has a positive tone and highlights how BGCWPA provides a safe environment that launches
youth into extraordinary futures.

Title: Youth Organization reacts to new Steeler Kenny Pickett: “He’s a great guy”
Description: On April 29, 2022, Tori Yorgey, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter, published an article
telling the story of former University of Pittsburgh quarterback, Kenny Pickett. Pickett came back to
Pittsburgh as a Steele, and is a supporter of BGCWPA. He visited a clubhouse last summer to interact
with the kids and donated 200 “Pickett’s Partners” shirts. This article was positive because Pickett
endorsed the club saying that he was once a ‘club kid’ in New Jersey and regardless of where he ended
up, he would continue to give back and help support BGCWPA.

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Title: Nonprofit Spotlight - Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania
Description: The Forbes Fund published an article on March 23, 2022 written by Emily Francis. The article
depicted what BGCWPA did to listen to families to determine what would meet the needs of more than
10,000 local youth club members. BGCWPA created “Club on the Go,” a mobile service that delivers
essential supplies plus portable versions of programs and services to more that 5,000 families. This was
positive coverage that reinforced that the BCGWPA actively listens to their constituents.

Title: Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania opens three Preschool Programs; New programs support
working parents
Description: On November 10, 2021, Jessi Marsh, a Pittsburgh Parent reporter, published an article
explaining the major step the organization has taken by expanding the organization’s program model.
With the launch of the Great Futures Preschool Program, up to 60 children can be accommodated across
the three programs. This article was positive and showed that BGCWPA is expanding after past success.

Title: At Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA, we mobilized to support a learning hub during the pandemic. It’s
here where I saw inequities playing out up close.
Description: On March 17, 2021, Juan Perez, a reporter for the Public Source, produced an article that
showcased how the Club was able to still provide the programs and essential supplies to thousands of
families across Western Pennsylvania. This was a positive article on BGCWPA because while the
pandemic displayed the inequities going on, BGCWPA were able to be there to provide a safe space.

Title: Bridgestone employees, grants help teens with car knowledge

Description: On July 24, 2022, Jane Milner, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, published an article
on Bridgestone’s donations to BGCWPA. It also mentioned how Bridgestone was participating in the
organization’s Learn and Earn program by teaching teens about car maintenance basics. This was
positive coverage for BGCWPA because it showed how community businesses were investing in their
programs.

Title: Boys and Girls Club to open slots for Pitt employees’ children
Description: On September 2, 2021, Susan Jones, a writer for the University Times, described the
partnership between BGCWPA and the University of Pittsburgh. This was positive news coverage for
BGCWPA because it showcased that Pitt hopes to build on this partnership for years to come.

Title: Feel the love: Quaker Valley high school student named Pennsylvania Youth of the Year
Description: On April 29, 2022, Emma Polen, a writer for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, published an article
about a Quaker Valley high school student who was named a finalist of Pennsylvania Youth of the Year.
The student is a member of BGCWPA. This was positive coverage for BGCWPA because it showed a
success story of BGCWPA.

Press Releases
In the past year, BGCWPA has compiled many press releases in their online newsroom. These releases
include partnerships, holiday celebrations, grants, youth highlights and more. Some specific examples
include:
● July 27, 2022: BGCWPA and Per Scholas launched a program to connect underrepresented
individuals to the growing field of IT careers.
 ● June 1, 2022: BGCWPA celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This
release highlighted a series of cultural cooking classes that BGCWPA offered during Asian
American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
● June 1, 2022: The Richard King Mellon Foundation awarded $250K to BGCWPA to support youth
programming.
● June 1, 2022: A local student was named Pennsylvania Youth of the Year. This release highlights
Paige Frank and the impact that BGCWPA had on her future after she won the statewide level of a
Boys and Girls Clubs competition.
● June 1, 2022: BGCWPA was given the GOLD level Pennsylvania’s Equity in Early Childhood
Education Champion award by the Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning. The
organization received this award because of its diversity, equity and inclusion, scholarship and
community outreach efforts.
● Dec. 5, 2021: A release stating Highmark Wholecare was providing scholarships to BGCWPA. The
release gave descriptions for how to qualify for the funds and generally summarized Highmark
Wholecare and BGCWPA.
● October 6, 2021: SHOWTIME announced in a press release that, for the first time ever, it would be
partnering with BGCWPA to give away 650 scholarships to youth members. The reason for this
was because American Rust was filmed in Pennsylvania, and the company has a SHOWTIME
Scholars Initiative.

Social Media Audit

Instagram (1,078 followers): BGCWPA uses Instagram to raise awareness and inform their audience
about the latest events and activities it hosts. In August, the organization was more active than usual
with 19 posts total. The like ratio ranges anywhere from 0-18.

Facebook (1,678 likes, 1,991 followers): Many of BGCWPA’s Facebook posts are repurposed from
Instagram. It’s consistently active on Facebook, but it does not receive as much engagement as other
platforms. This is unusual because BGCWPA has more followers on Facebook than any other platform.

Twitter (746 followers): The organization tweets approximately every 4-5 days. These posts are
repurposed from its other social media pages. It does a good job of tagging accounts, hashtagging
relevant keywords and reposting content relative to its organization’s audience.

LinkedIn (568 followers): The organization lacks consistent posting on LinkedIn, with the last post being
from three weeks ago. The content, like the other platforms, is repurposed. The implementation of
LinkedIn best practices, such as embedded text hashtags, could be beneficial to reach a broader
audience.

TikTok (44 followers, 54 likes): The organization has seven videos posted to this account. It’s not
consistent with posting content, but the videos that are posted have good engagement. Its first video of a
BGCWPA event had the most interaction with 822 views.

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Young Men’s Christian Association of Greater Pittsburgh
Communication Audit

Organizational Overview
For more than 165 years, the Young Men’s Christian Association has addressed the community's social
issues related to improving community health, saving lives, growing future leaders and upholding
achievement . The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh is one of the community's leading nonprofits that better
the region through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all (YMCA of Greater
Pittsburgh). The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh participates in a variety of community-based collaborative
efforts to make sure everyone of all ages, no matter income or background, has the opportunity to learn,
grow and succeed, regardless of financial status.

Programs and services

The YMCA ignites change in communities, youth, families and older adults through its health and fitness,
aquatics, kids and teens, arts and education, and the child and adult food programs.

Health and Fitness: There are many fitness opportunities offered through this organization. These
include crossfit, group exercise classes, les mills programs, member challenges and personal training.

Aquatics: Members can get a lifeguard certification through this organization, as well as swimming
lessons.

Kids and Teens: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has many programs available for kids and teens. It offers
before and after school childcare, hosts overnight camps and summer day camps, hosts youth sports
leagues and implements healthy eating programs as well.

Arts and Education: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh offers dance lessons and has an open recording studio
for children interested in the arts and music.

The Child and Adult Food Program: This is a United States Department of Agriculture Program. It
reimburses child care centers, family and group daycare homes and at-risk centers for meals and snacks
provided to members.

Public Relations, Marketing, and Fundraising Initiatives

Reds, Whites, and Brews Fundraising Event: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh raised money for YMCA’s
financial assistance and community outreach programs through its 2022 Annual Campaign (YMCA of
Greater Pittsburgh, Programs).

Turkey Trot: This organization’s Turkey Trot supports the effort to provide food security to children,
families, individuals and seniors in Pittsburgh (YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Programs).

Hope For All: Around 3,000 individuals and families are aided annually by YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s
Hope For All event. This event serves people in need with support and resources to address emergency
and basic needs (YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Programs).

Y On The Fly: This is a mobile, pop-up summer camp that brings learning opportunities to children in
underserved neighborhoods (YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Programs).

Y Achievers: This organization created Y Achievers as a national academic achievement and career
development initiative of the YMCA of the USA is to help teens achieve academic and career
accomplishments (YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Programs).
Publics
YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh serves a variety of different publics. These include:

● Families
● Youth of all ages
● Parents in the workforce
● Residents of Pittsburgh
● K-12 schools in Pittsburgh
● Companies in Pittsburgh that have a focus on workforce development
● Foundations and grantmakers in fellow counties
● Local and state government officials and agencies
● Corporate donors
● Individual donors

Profile 1: A 40-year-old single dad living in Pittsburgh who wants to have an after-school program that has
many opportunities for his kids.

Profile 2: A 70 year old man who grew up participating in different sports at his local YMCA and wants to
give back.

Profile 3: A family of 4 who is in the middle class, both parents work full time and need a place where
their kids can go in the summer while they’re at work.

News Articles
The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has had an abundance of media mentions for its organization
throughout the past few years. The majority of this coverage has shown the organization in a positive
light and is about the YMCA’s programming or celebrating milestones. Some examples include:

Title: Bj’s Wholescale Club Invests in Pittsburgh Community with More Than $140,000 in Charitable
Donations
Description: On April 19, 2022, Berkshire Hathaway company wrote an article highlighting the YMCA of
Greater Pittsburgh getting a donation from BJ’s Wholescale Club as an investment in the organization.

Title: Hill District Thelma Lovette YMCA celebrates turning 10 with rooftop party, open house
Description: On April 19, 2022, Jordana Rosenfeld from Pittsburgh City Paper wrote an article on April 19
2022 celebrating the 10th anniversary of the YMCA being in the Pittsburgh area.

Title: Living Here: After renovation, the old Centre Avenue YMCA is really home
Description: On October 7, 2021, Linda Wilson Fuoco, a reporter at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, wrote
about the renovation to a YMCA house – the old Centre Avenue YMCA.

Title: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh offering scavenger hunt in parks through April
Description: On April 1, 2021, Michael DiVittorio, a Tribune-Review staff writer, describes how the YMCA
organized a scavenger hunt in hopes to get families outside of the home.

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Title: The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s new president and CEO says the effects of COVID and staffing are
two big priorities
Description: On May 16, 2022, Gavin Kevin from 90.5 WESA reported on YMCA talking about how it is
shifting to internal growth instead of contracting out work, which had to be done after the staffing
shortages caused by COVID-19.

Title: Summer day camps changing plans due to heat

Description: On June 15, 2022, Jillian Hartmann, a reporter for WPXI-TV, showed how the YMCA was
making sure kids were staying out of the extreme heat and staying hydrated during its ten summer
camps.

Title: Amy Kienle brings strong family roots to her role as first women to head YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh
Description: On May 15, 2022, Hannah Wyman, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes about
the new leader of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Amy Kienle and how she gives a strong family roots
for the organization.

Title: Local summer camps challenged by staffing shortages as enrollments near pre-pandemic levels
Description: On June 17, 2022, Alex Koller from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette states the challenges
streaming for local summer camp attendance because of staff shortages and enrollment declines.

Title: Pittsburgh YMCA picks its first female leader in the organization’s 168-year history
Description: On May 10, 2022, Julia Zenkevich, a reporter from 90.5 WESA, writes that this is the first
female leader since the organization was founded. Zenkevich states that the organization is excited for
the changes and to have a new leader.

Press Releases
In the past years the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has compiled many press releases. These releases
include partnerships, holiday celebrations, grants, youth highlights and more. Some specific examples
include:

Title: YMCA Lighthouse Project Receives $100,000 Grant from Mac Miller Fund
Description: The YMCA Lighthouse project gets a grant from Mac Miller Fund that will be distributed
throughout a three year time period.

Title: YMCA: Rising Above Bankruptcy, Pandemic with David Bluemling

Description: David Bluemling, Chair, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Board of Directors talks about how it
pulled out of bankruptcy from the pandemic.

Title: YMCA Partners with P3R for 30th Annual Turkey Trot
Description: YMCA explains its partnership with P3R for its 30th annual Turkey Trot presented by the
organization's UPMC Health Plan.

Title: Y Partners With Fogo De Chao for Emergency Food Delivery

Description: The Y and Fogo De Chao worked together to provide families and seniors facing critical and
chronic food insecurity with prepackaged meals ready for pickup or contactless delivery.
Title: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Names Amy Haralson Kienle As Next President and CEO
Description: Amy Haralson is the first woman to hold the YMCA’s CEO position. She has 25 years of
experience working at the YMCA in various capacities and looks forward to nurturing relationships with
Pittsburgh community leaders and organizations.

Title: Legendary Pittsburgh Gym Makes Comeback

Description: Centre Avenue Housing’s gym went through a much needed renovation after Dick’s Sporting
Goods provided a multi-million dollar fund to make the space new again. This space was the spot where
professional basketball player D.J. Kennedy nurtured his skill growing up.

Title: Admiral Discusses Plans for Naval Ship USS Pittsburgh

Description: U.S. Navy Admiral Thomas J. Anderson visited one of the YMCA’s after-school STEM
programs for elementary students to talk about USS Pittsburgh, the new vessel being built.

Title: Y on the Fly Takes Off

Description: Y on the Fly is a van-based pop-up that provides fun and safe activities for kids to participate
in, as well as a snack. The program is free and open to kids of all ages.

Title: Centre Avenue YMCA renovation kicks off Feb. 14th.

Description: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh states it is undergoing a $7 million renovation over the next 10
months. The organization says the plan has 73 housing units and community-oriented space.

Title: YMCA Turkey Trot held on Pittsburgh's North Shore

Description: Pittsburgh Action news shared a story about the annual YMCA Turkey Trot in Pittsburgh's
North Shore. This event includes a one-mile family run and a 5k.

Title: YMCA Healthy Kids Day to return April 30

Description: Staff Reports explains the YMCA will host its 30th annual Healthy Kids Day in hopes to
improve the overall health and wellness for the kids and families.

Social Media Audit

LinkedIn (2,159 followers): This page is active and posts news and information multiple times a week.
The content is relevant to the target audience and serves as an informative source rather than an
entertaining one.
Facebook (4,620 followers): Many photos are posted to the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s Facebook
account, and these posts are accompanied by program information. The organization is the most
consistent with posting on this page in particular. This is likely because of the significant amount of
followers in comparison to other accounts.

Twitter (1,095 followers): There aren’t many insights to be made about this account because this page
hasn't been active since 2020. The posts from that year include news and information about the YMCA of
Greater Pittsburgh.

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Instagram (1,569 followers): The Instagram for this organization is mainly just repurposing content from
the other platforms. The content doesn’t get a ton of engagement, and the follower count is significantly
lower than LinkedIn or Facebook.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Communication Audit

Organizational Overview
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded in 1960 by Danny Thomas in Memphis, Tennessee
and opened its doors in 1962 to provide services to children in need through research and medical care.
Its mission is to “advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic disease through
research treatment” (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, About Us). There is only one official St. Jude
Hospital, however, there are eight affiliate clinics across the United States, and the physicians and staff at
these sites work in close collaboration with St. Jude.

Since 1955, St. Jude has been based on Danny Thomas’ belief that “no child should die in the dawn of
life.” After opening the doors in 1962, the hospital has made incredible strides and has helped improve
the survival rate of childhood cancer from 20% to 80%. The organization treats 8,000 patients a year with
77 beds in operation. The organization is now recognized as, “a world leader in developing new, improved
treatments for children with cancer, and creating more clinical trials for cancer than any other children’s
hospital,” (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, How St. Jude began).

Programs and Services

The organization’s programs were developed on the basis of supporting the teens battling cancer.
According to St. Jude’s statistics, 33% of the patients being treated for cancer, or other life-threatening
diseases are teenagers, and in the U.S., more than 5,000 teens from the ages of 15 to 19 are diagnosed
with cancer each year.

Teen Programs: “We’re inspired by our teen’s courage and committed to meeting their medical,
developmental and emotional needs” (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Teens and St. Jude).
● Teen Rooms: This is a program that allows teens to have a place for themselves within the
hospital, as being a teenager can require the need for privacy.
● St. Jude Teens: This involves a private social networking site where teen patients can connect
with one another, as it can be hard to make friends inside of a hospital.
● Child Life Specialist: Implementing a child life specialist program has improved patient
experience at St. Jude. Specialists explain to the teens what is going on with treatments and tests
and plan activities for the patients.
● Teen Formal: This program provides a major dance event where teen patients get to dress up and
go to prom. Some may miss out on school dances due to safety precautions, so this gives teens
an opportunity to have that experience.

Child Life Program: The organization offers nineteen full-time child life specialists at the St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital. These specialists work closely with both the children and teens in order to
provide age appropriate clarification and preparation. These interactions create an intimate bond that
allows the patients to know what to expect in this time of change (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
Child Life Program).

St. Jude School Program: This program is for children and teens, to provide opportunities for students to
continue a normal educational experience. It provides hospital bound and homebound educational
services, school reintegration services and advocacy services (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, St.
Jude School Program).

High School and College Research Immersion Program: This academic based program offers a unique
experience for Memphis-area highschool and college students through monitored research projects in St.
Jude laboratory, psychology, epidemiology, clinical or data science research programs, with a primary
goal of providing access and opportunities to work on mentored research (St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, High School and College Research Immersion Program).

St. Jude Cancer Education and Outreach Program: The purpose of this program is to increase diversity of
the biomedical workforce by addressing the inequities in K-12 STEM education. Through intentional
school partnerships, the program engages in curriculum co-design projects and out-of-school time
programming (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, K-12 Cancer Education and Outreach).

Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Initiatives

Suit Up for St. Jude: Held virtually on March 1-31, 2022, this fundraising event has been sponsored by
STITCHED, a suit tailoring business in Las Vegas. This past year was the event's third anniversary, and it
raised $56,461 for St. Jude.

St. Jude Walk/Run Pittsburgh: This is a hybrid nationwide 5K being held on September 24, 2022. This
event has raised $108,575.70 so far with 72 teams and 590 participants.

AmazonSmile Charity List: This is a fundraising feature that allows a secure way for shoppers to donate
to St. Jude directly to the hospital. With 0.5% of the purchase price of items shipped from the donation
list donated to St. Jude by Amazon.

Tax Deductions: St. Jude has a page on the organization’s website that explains the ins and outs of
donating. This is an informational and simple way for donors to understand how to contribute to the
organization.

St. Jude Strategic Plan 2022-27: This is a strategic plan to chart a path for clinical and scientific program
growth, infrastructure expansion and reimagined international outreach efforts. This $12.9 billion
commitment will support 2,300 additional jobs, provide $2.3 billion on construction, renovation and
capital needs; and open new areas of research.

Publics
St. Jude serves a variety of publics. These include:
● Financially struggling families that include a child with cancer
● Adolescents and young adults ages 21 or younger
● Residents of Memphis, TN
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 ● Parents with sick children
● Single parents of a child with cancer
● Parents who work and have a child with cancer
● Local and state government officials and agencies
● Corporate donors
● Individual donors

Profile 1: A 35 year old mother living in Memphis whose child is now cancer free after receiving treatment
from St. Jude.

Profile 2: A 45 year old father whose child passed from cancer, but wants to help other children going
through the same thing his son went through.

Profile 3: A 65 year old retired researcher who worked at St. Jude for 30 years and wants to invest in
others continuing the work he did.

News Articles
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has had a positive role within the news this past year. The coverage
is from a variety of news source outlets around the country. Most of the recent courage has revolved
around the hospital’s mission, success stories of patients that attended St. Jude and partnerships with
other businesses. Some specific examples include:

Title: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Upcoming Gala Showcases Patient Experiences at Centene
Stadium
Description: Maggie Peters, a reporter for Ladue News, published an article on September 15, 2022
showcasing the St. Jude Miracle Under the Stars Gala and the experiences of the patients within the
hospital through virtual reality and patient artwork. The overall tone of the article remains positive
throughout the entire read and adds extra appeal to the event.

Title: New partnership is a win-win for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and local Memphis restaurants
Description: On August 15, 2022, Patricia Cobe, a reporter for Foodservice Director, published an article
highlighting the partnership between St. Jude and the Memphis restaurant community. Dubbed “Local
Eats,” 14 local restaurants took over one of the hospital’s cafes to offer their specialties.

Title: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital tops list of most trusted nonprofits
Description: On June 17, 2022, Cision PR Newsroom wrote a piece on St. Jude’s ranking of trust
compared to other nonprofits. Measuring brand trust across industries, with the report’s takeaway stating
that “nonprofits must do what they say and say what they do.”

Title: St. Jude ranked No. 2 best pediatric cancer hospital in nation by US News & World Report
Description: On June 14 2022, Corinne Kennedy, a reporter for Memphis Commercial Appeal, published
an article describing the No. 2 ranking that St. Jude received for the best pediatric cancer hospital in the
nation. Factoring in patient outcomes and an adherence to best practices and available clinical
resources.
Title: Palm Golf Co. and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital join forces for a great cause
Description: Autumn Scott, Memphis News Channel 3 reporter, wrote a piece published on March 29,
2022 about a group of Ukrainian children arriving at St. Jude. A group of four Ukrainian children, ages
6-17, suffering from cancer arrived at the hospital with their families for treatment. St. Jude is the first
hospital in the U.S. to receive patients from Ukraine.

Title: St. Jude lounge opens at Memphis International Airport

Description: The Action News 5 Staff wrote a piece published on March 8, 2022 describing a new lounge
opened in the Memphis International Airport, Concourse B, provided by St. Jude. The lounge provides a
place to relax for patients and their families traveling to and from Memphis for treatment.

Title: Veris Residential Announces Headline Sponsorship of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Walk/Run 5K at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2022
Description: Yahoo Finance wrote a piece on September 19, 2022, highlighting Veris Residential
announcing themselves as the headline sponsor of St. Jude’s Walk/Run 5K. Veris Residential is seeking
to raise $100,00 in support of St. Jude and sponsoring the organization’s Walk/Run 5K at the start and
finish line.

Title: A closer look at the impact St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has on families
Description: WDRB published an article on August 22, 2022, describing the story of Cooper Redmon, a
patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. With an initial survival rate of 25%, Cooper was
diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. After 17 months in the hospital, Cooper has been able to live
with “no evidence of disease” for 11 years.

Press Releases
In the past year, St. Jude has compiled a multitude of press releases in its online newsroom. These
releases include:

Title: St. Jude began as a bold dream; we continue to boldly dream for the future
Description: St. Jude has grown exponentially since it first began serving children. It has always been
bold and always been a place of possibility and will continue to by continuing research projects that will
transform the future.

Title: New chemical technology leads to better targeted therapeutics against high-risk leukemia in the lab
Description: St. Jude researchers recently received the latest chemical technology that will help them
develop a drug for children with high-risk blood cancer T-cell acute leukemia.

Title: St. Jude environmental services department receives national recognition

Description: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Department of Environmental sciences received the
2022 Environmental Services Department of the Year Award from the Association for the HealthCare
Environment of the American Hospital Association for the first time.

Title: St. Jude Walk/Run hybrid events planned across the US during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Description: St. Jude is hosting 75 run/walk events for Childhood Cancer Awareness month. These are
the first in-person events the organization has had since 2019.

13
Title: Chip and Joanna Gains to rally support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during Childhood
Cancer Awareness Month
Description: Joanna Gaines, and her daughter Ella designed a t-shirt to commemorate pediatric cancer
patients and survivors in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Title: At St. Jude, research drives clinical care, but what drives the researchers?
Description: This is a video that focuses on two St. Jude physicians talking about how the families
inspire them to search for better treatments.

Title: U.S. News & World Report ranks St. Jude as outstanding pediatric cancer hospital
Description: The U.S. News & World Report’s 16th Annual “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital as number two for pediatric care.

Title: Relay FM Podcastathon in final stretch toward achieving $2 million lifetime fundraising goal for St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Description: Relay FM podcast network planned a 8-hour live podcastathon for St. Jude that will stream
on Twitch to raise funds for research.

Title: St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center receives Merit Extension Award from NCI
Description: St. Jude received a Merit Extension Award from the National Cancer Institute, which
extended its current five year Cancer Center Support Grant for another two years because of its
sustained, extraordinary progress.

Social Media Audit

Instagram (533,000 followers): St. Jude uses Instagram to raise awareness and inform their followers
about patient’s stories, fundraisers and events. This past month, St. Jude has posted a total of 36 times,
usually posting at least twice a day.

Facebook (2.4 million followers): Many of St. Jude’s Facebook posts can also be found on Instagram as
well. With a constant and active presence on the platform, it somehow gains less traction than Instagram
even though the organization has more followers on Facebook.

Twitter (435,000 followers): The organization tweets approximately 4-6 times a day. These posts are
repurposed from its other social media platforms, along with retweets. It keeps up with people that have
attended their events, hashtagging, promoting the organization’s website and reposting content relevant
to the organization.
LinkedIn (52,447 followers): The organization posts approximately once a day or every other. The content
mostly highlights the work of the organization, patient stories and possible research and job
opportunities. Much like Twitter, St. Jude keeps up with hashtagging, promoting the website and pushing
donation and fundraising opportunities.
TikTok (439,000 followers, 4.1 million likes): The organization posts every few days and has a variety of
videos. While the content being posted is not always consistent, the likes and views are, with the most
popular video garnering 1.2 million views and 78,000 likes.
Compare and Contrast
While BGCWPA, YMCA and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are all nonprofits that serve children
and youth, they do so in varying ways. This section will explore the similarities and differences between
these three organizations.

Programs and Services

BGCWPA, YMCA and St. Jude’s programs all serve children and youth. Though BGCWPA and YMCA’s
programs are more similar in function, St. Jude shares the heart of all of these organizations’ programs,
which is offering youth a place where they can grow and socialize in a safe environment.

BGCWPA’s programs are more centered around academic growth, while YMCA’s programs are more
about physical fitness and education. Are similar to the YMCA’s, in terms of promoting health, however, it
is specifically geared toward making the lives of children who have cancer the best that they can be
through social opportunities along with unique exposure to specialists and research.

Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Initiatives

The public relations and fundraising techniques for these three organizations are similar in a number of
ways. For example, both St. Jude and YMCA host a walk/run event annually to raise money, while
BGCWPA’s biggest annual event is a golf outing. Also, each of these organizations have some sort of tax
exemption fact sheet or Q&A document available to donors. The strategy behind this is to take the
confusion out of claiming donations on taxes.

A great program that St. Jude does is the “St. Jude Cancer Education and Outreach Program.” This
program is focused on providing STEM education to youth K-12. BGCWPA could benefit from using this
approach by partnering with local schools in the Pittsburgh area to provide STEM education. Not only
would this bring more awareness to the club, but it would also establish credibility.

Publics
BGCWPA, St. Jude and YMCA all have two target audiences in common – individual and corporate
donors. Each of these organizations aren’t profitable, so having these donors is essential to the success
of the organizations. In addition to this, each of these organizations target various age ranges of youth
groups. The YMCA and BGCWPA target families where both parents are in the workforce. This is because
many parents need childcare before or after school in order to provide for the family. Also, lower income
families utilize these organizations, each for different reasons, but the services are aimed to aid families
that can’t afford the services provided.

News
Most of the coverage between all of these organizations resides mainly in the events being hosted. A big
event with a high monetary number raised seems to generate the most media attention. St. Jude
receives high volumes of coverage for medical ranking awards, whereas BGCWPA and YMCA gain more
media coverage for topics like executive role changes and large monetary donations. BGCWPA especially
capitalizes on alumni stories pertaining to successful athletes. All of these organizations, despite the
diversity in the topics that make the news, have an extremely positive feel overall.

15
Social Media
BGCWPA, YMCA and St. Jude’s social media platforms all share a similar niche in how the organization’s
are portrayed on social media. The majority of the posts are similar, varying between infographics,
pictures of youth and fundraising. All three of these organizations draw awareness to the programs and
events that each organization offers in a similar way. BGCWPA, YMCA and St. Jude all take a real world
approach to the posts on Instagram, posting pictures of the children and youth that are impacted by
these organizations.

There are many differences amongst these organizations' social media accounts, especially with
followers and engagement. St. Jude has the largest following, an average of 25-50 comments per post,
and hundreds of likes on each post. BGCWPA gets little to no engagement on each post, with few likes
and even fewer comments. Despite BGCWPA having the lowest follower count and least amount of
engagement, they frequently post real pictures of youth in the program and show the impact the program
is having on the youth. St. Jude does something similar by sharing results on how every donation makes
a difference in the lives of the youth.
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