Case study
Missing Children’s Network
Overview
Since 1985, the Missing Children’s Network has worked with families, law-enforcement, and social service agencies to assist in the search for missing children, and to educate the public about children’s personal safety and the prevention of their exploitation and disappearances.
Mandate
In 2016 the Missing Children’s network was sitting at a crossroads facing a number of challenges that motivated them to reach out to us. What started with a logo design ended with a new communications plan, a website overhaul, and harmonized marketing tools for fundraising and advocacy. Phil also provided creative support for a new prevention program, and facilitated a workshop to the board members about the culture of philanthropy in the organization. Since collaborating on the organization’s rebranding, Phil continues to support the Missing Children’s Network with website improvements and other communications mandates.
Deliverables
Logo
Initially, The Missing Children’s Network was going to go with a new logo made by a different creative team. However, after a session with Phil, they felt the mission of their organization was better reflected in the logo we proposed. The Missing Children’s Network exists primarily to find and bring home children, while also keeping children safe in their communities. Hope, therefore, is an integral part of their mission, which Phil incorporated into the new image with the colour green, the colour of hope. Volunteers, partners, and supporters, have all given positive feedback and feel the image captures the hope they put into the work they do to keep children safe.
Communications Plan
Phil helped the Missing Children’s Network to look at how they are communicating with donors, volunteers, and supporters. Utilizing social media under a structured plan has brought in a spike of Facebook followers, and has enhanced their presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Strategic use of these tools, combined with the new website, is elevating their support from the community, because for the first time, they are sharing their success stories. Rather than just asking donors for money, they also share the impact their previous donations have had. The organization has begun to circulate a newsletter a few times a year, sharing details of current projects and the results they’re seeing. Phil also worked to revamp the organization’s internally created safety documents for parents and professionals. Previously, the documents had different images, and beyond the message itself, the tools had no common thread. Phil harmonized the documents, allowing the Missing Children’s Network to have consistency and coherency in what they say and in how they present information.
Website
In 2016, when Phil first came on board to assist the rebranding of the Missing Children’s Network, the website was not optimized for mobile use or video sharing. This supported the organization in promoting their ongoing programs and campaigns, as they are now well equipped to encourage donations to come in through the new website. Now, they can easily promote activities such as their 3rd annual Giving Tuesday campaign and various peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Pina Arcamone, Executive Director at the Missing Children’s Network says she has “definitely seen an increase” in online donations since launching the new website and materials. “I cannot remember the last time we raised a million dollars,” she said, but in 2017 alone, the organization generated over a million dollars in funds for a single campaign in the name of Jesse Galganov, a young man from Montreal who went missing while hiking in Peru.
SHINE
According to Pina, 2017 “was our best fundraising year.” The Missing Children’s Network received a substantial three year grant which they invested into the creation of SHINE (Self-esteem, Healthy relationships, Independence, No means no, Empowerment) – a sexual exploitation program designed for students. Phil designed the logo for the SHINE program, and collaborated with staff on the creativity and layout of the documents used in the toolkit for educators. The program gained traction in Montreal as it launched concurrently with Fugueuse, a television show about runaway teens, predators, and exploitation, and Ludivine Reding, the leading actor in the show, got in touch looking to be an ambassador for SHINE.
Results
In 2016, when the Missing Children’s Network became a client of Phil, they had experienced a 2.9% increase from the previous year, in donations received through their annual Dragon Boat Challenge. However, they had experienced an overall decrease of 50% in donations from 2015 to 2016. How incredible, then, that after rebranding, the team at the Missing Children’s network brought in over 1 million dollars in funding in 2017. When you combine the revenue from 2015 and 2016, the Network saw an amazing 110% increase in revenue in 2017. If success truly attracts success, then the numbers show the Missing Children’s Network has a very bright future ahead.
Testimonial
We are very very grateful for Kim and her entire organization and for what they’ve done for us. It’s a monumental gift that they’ve offered the organization at a very critical time in our history. It’s like we’ve been resuscitated, we’ve come back to life. It was the oxygen that we needed to give us the push and the confidence to keep fighting through a more positive lens. Many times through the year I can contact Phil – with a visual that a volunteer makes for example, and they share their comments on that, which is invaluable. And it allows us to know that we are on the right track, for example. I appreciate that they remain so available to the organization.