AN ANALYSIS OF ONLINE STRATEGIES USED BY BOSTON-AREA FEEDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Feeding Families in Need Meghan Johnson MS/MPH Health Communication Tufts University

Feeding Bostons Homeless and Needy Haley House Community Servings Boston Rescue Mission

What do they have in common? A mission to feed and serve Bostons homeless and low- income population with dignity and respect.

Where do they work? Boston Rescue Mission Haley House Soup Kitchen Haley House Bakery Cafe Community Servings

What are their differences?

*This number include pro-bono, interns, volunteers, and paid staff.

What are their differences?

Social media usage Haley House Community Servings Boston Rescue Mission

What are their differences? Social media followers

What are their differences?

Haley House

Strengths Weaknesses Visually appealing website Consistency in branding across multiple platforms Excellent use of photo 5 web personnel Difficult to navigate website Underutilized social media outlets (ex. Yelp, Blogger, LinkedIn) Poor tracking and feedback mechanisms Haley House

Opportunities Threats Compelling client stories Connections to hunger, nutrition, public health & social justice communities Downturn in the economy focused national attention on food assistance and poverty Access to numerous universities for steady stream of interns/volunteers Competition: Other organizations in the Boston region are involved in hunger/nutrition community Downturn in the economy may limit funding or pro- bono efforts Haley House

Recommendations Improve navigation and create site map Expand social media presence Create digital communication goals and start tracking against them Better integrate blog into online communications Create feedback solicitation systems

Community Servings

Strengths Weaknesses Uses many social media channels Clean and consistent look & feel Dynamic, engaging content Larger budget and 3 available web personnel Use of recipes Fundraising and event pages feel disconnected Lack of tracking & feedback systems Out-sourcing web design to pro-bono firm Lack of video/blog presence across channels Community Servings

Opportunities Threats Hunger network Bostons foodie community Numerous health-focused undergrad and graduate students in Boston Downturn in economy has put a spotlight on food assistance AIDs crisis garners media attention Saturated health & nutrition community in Boston Downturn in the economy may limit incoming funding or effectiveness of fundraising appeals online Community Servings

Recommendations Create a consistent look and feel for event and fundraising pages Incorporate engaging media (slideshows and video) Highlight Feeding a Crowd blog Create mechanisms to solicit and collect feedback from users

Boston Rescue Mission

Strengths Weaknesses Clean site appearance Easy navigation & site map Good use of photo & video Prominent donation and newsletter buttons Consistent access to engaging volunteer and client stories Social media channels are out-dated, not regularly updated Lack of staff devoted to online presence Minimal followers/engagement on exiting social media channels Boston Rescue Mission

Opportunities Threats Collaborative approach within hunger community Access to social justice, anti-hunger, & poverty advocates Down-turn in the economy has focused national attention on food assistance and anti- hunger programs Economic downturn may limit incoming funding or effectiveness of fundraising appeals online Competing organizations in the Boston with similar missions Boston Rescue Mission

Recommendations Regularly update existing social media channels Increase number of personnel devoted to online presence Replace or expand upon testimonials through a blog Improve systems to track usage and collect user feedback

THANKS FOR LISTENING! Questions