Building Community Partnerships to Support the Child Nutrition Program

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Building Community Partnerships to Support the
Child Nutrition Program

• A self-guided study

Developed by the N.C. Division of Public Health
with funding from Child Nutrition Services, N.C.
Department of Public Instruction In accordance
with Federal law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture policy, these institutions are
prohibited from discriminating on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, age or
disability. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 800.795.3272
(voice) or 202.720.6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.
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In this self-guided study, you will

• Gain insight into why its important to have a
  planned, public-relations strategy
• Gain insight into why building community
  partnerships is critical to your success

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For your time, you will receive

• Recognition for the good things you do
• Community support for the good things you do

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It will take time

• This self-guided study will take about 1 hour to
  complete
• The associated activities can take 40 hours or
  more to complete over a one-year period

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It will take time

• But your investment in both this self-guided
  study, and
• Follow-through on the exercises and activities
  will pay dividends as
• Positive press
• Positive community support for your program

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Public Relations is

• doing good and getting credit for it
• a planned activity that results in good-will
  among an organization or program and its
  audiences, customers and/or stakeholders

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What happens if you dont plan?

• Without planned activity that results in the
  creation of good will, anything can happen
• Sometimes, what happens ends up being negative,
  or perceived that way

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Building Relationships

• Why build relationships?

Sometimes the most effective voice for your
program is someone other than you.
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Whats your goal in building relationships?

• Visualize what you would like to have happen as a
  result of building solid community relationships
• Is it
• An engaged community that rallies to support the
  Child Nutrition Program financially, politically
  and personally?

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Stop now and write down your VISION or GOAL on
the worksheet provided.
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Supporters await!

• Often times, we get busy and forget that there
  are good people out there who can help us
• Meanwhile, there are people out there who can
  help they simply need direction

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Who are your audiences, customers and
stakeholders?

• Anyone who uses your products or services
• Anyone who supports or could support your
  products or services
• Anyone who has influence over your products or
  services

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Potential Community Partners

• NC Cooperative Extension Family Consumer
  Science Agents
• County health department Health Promotion
  Coordinators or others working in school health
• Healthy Carolinians Coalition members
• Eat Smart Move More NC Coalition members
• PTA members
• Physicians
• Business leaders
• Parent advocates
• NC Action for Healthy Kids members

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Stop now and write your list!
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Now that you know who

• You need to think about
• What each audience wants to know
• How the message for each audience can be tailored
  to that audience
• How to answer each audience members most burning
  question Whats in this for me?

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An example
Wants to Know
Audience

• How do I buy lunch at school?
• Are the lunches healthy?
• Why does my lunch cost more?

• Teacher

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Another example
Wants to Know
Audience

• How does school meals program operate?
• How can I provide information about school lunch
  to the families I serve?

• NC Cooperative Extension Agent

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Helpful Hint

• We have provided a list of Frequently Asked
  Questions in your Promotion Toolkit that will be
  helpful in developing the questions and
  information each audience member wants to know
  about the Child Nutrition Program

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Stop now and write the answers to the three
questions you think each audience member most
wants to know.

• There may be more than three, but lets start
  with three for times sake.
• The answers to these questions become your
  MESSAGES.

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Whats Next?

• Now you have your
• Goal
• Audience/stakeholders
• Messages
• You also have your NC Child Nutrition Promotion
  Toolkit

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How to Build

• After you have identified who you would like to
  partner with, you should schedule a one-on-one
  meeting with your list of potential partners.

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How to Build

• Prepare for your meeting by drafting an agenda
  with your desired outcome stated at the top, and
  discussion points identified.

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Stop now and on your worksheet, write at least
one benefit of a potential partnership for them.
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How to Build

• Conduct the meeting Arrive at the meeting with
  an agenda, with your desired outcome stated at
  the top, and discussion points identified.

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How to Build

• Conduct the meeting Include the benefits of the
  partnership, next steps and a timeline

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How to Build

• After the initial meeting, follow-up with your
  contact with a letter that confirms next steps

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How to Build

• Do your part!

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Other relationship-building ideas

• Other ways to find potential partners and build
  relationships
• Informal conversations
• Networking
• Presentations to other agencies
• Host meetings or events

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Summary

• Public relations is doing good and getting
  recognized for it.
• Relationship-building is central to good public
  relations.
• Building community partnerships helps you get
  your messages spread more widely and more
  effectively to the publics you need to reach.
• Using these techniques can help you build solid
  community support for the Child Nutrition Program.