A Different Kind of Experience
Issue date: 9/20/04 Section: Community
Georgia Journey: Marketing the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving
By Diane Stoner, Evening MBA
dstoner@umich.edu
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) is a small (8 people) non-profit organization with an objective to increase awareness of the needs of caregivers-people who provide care for their disabled children, elderly parents, etc. If you think of all of the people you know, you probably know at least one caregiver, and you may (or may not) be aware of the emotional, physical, and financial obstacles that person faces. In spite of its achievements and its affiliation with Mrs. Carter, the RCI is unknown outside of southwest Georgia. My task was to identify ways the RCI can publicize itself nationally given its very small budget.
From the moment I arrived, I was given carte blanche to do most anything I thought necessary. In fact, I was asked to "wear a variety of hats, and I loved it. I talked with internal and external stakeholders, board members and the university president. I evaluated the organization's current marketing efforts, conducted research, and made recommendations. I was asked to edit a series of caregiving booklets to be published with Johnson & Johnson. I helped the organization refine its grant-writing process. And I provided recommendations to help the organization take best advantage of its board of directors' talents and connections.
I did, however, discover the realities of working for a small non-profit organization. The organization's mission is important and the staff are truly dedicated to their concern for caregivers, and that keeps them in the ring. But severe resource limitations mean the staff are overworked, undercompensated, and eternally exhausted, and such limitations mean the RCI seems perpetually only millimeters beyond the reach of being able to do something big.
While life in rural Georgia may not be for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. In addition to the challenging, interesting, and important contribution I was making at the RCI, I did some fun personal things. I heard President Carter teach Sunday school at his Baptist church in Plains. I drove to Lumpkin, on the west side of the state, to hike around "The Grand Canyon of the Southeast." And some friends and family met me for a weekend trip to Savannah (during Hurricane Charley, but that's another story). And I saw the international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity, which are located in Americus. Most importantly, I learned that the challenges non-profit organizations face are really just disguised opportunities to test your mettle.
By Diane Stoner, Evening MBA
dstoner@umich.edu
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) is a small (8 people) non-profit organization with an objective to increase awareness of the needs of caregivers-people who provide care for their disabled children, elderly parents, etc. If you think of all of the people you know, you probably know at least one caregiver, and you may (or may not) be aware of the emotional, physical, and financial obstacles that person faces. In spite of its achievements and its affiliation with Mrs. Carter, the RCI is unknown outside of southwest Georgia. My task was to identify ways the RCI can publicize itself nationally given its very small budget.
From the moment I arrived, I was given carte blanche to do most anything I thought necessary. In fact, I was asked to "wear a variety of hats, and I loved it. I talked with internal and external stakeholders, board members and the university president. I evaluated the organization's current marketing efforts, conducted research, and made recommendations. I was asked to edit a series of caregiving booklets to be published with Johnson & Johnson. I helped the organization refine its grant-writing process. And I provided recommendations to help the organization take best advantage of its board of directors' talents and connections.
I did, however, discover the realities of working for a small non-profit organization. The organization's mission is important and the staff are truly dedicated to their concern for caregivers, and that keeps them in the ring. But severe resource limitations mean the staff are overworked, undercompensated, and eternally exhausted, and such limitations mean the RCI seems perpetually only millimeters beyond the reach of being able to do something big.
While life in rural Georgia may not be for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. In addition to the challenging, interesting, and important contribution I was making at the RCI, I did some fun personal things. I heard President Carter teach Sunday school at his Baptist church in Plains. I drove to Lumpkin, on the west side of the state, to hike around "The Grand Canyon of the Southeast." And some friends and family met me for a weekend trip to Savannah (during Hurricane Charley, but that's another story). And I saw the international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity, which are located in Americus. Most importantly, I learned that the challenges non-profit organizations face are really just disguised opportunities to test your mettle.
