3. Table of contents
Campaign Summary
Executive Summary......................................................................1
What is NFC?................................................................................1
Situation Analysis........................................................................2
Secondary Research.....................................................................3
Primary Research.........................................................................3
Key Messages................................................................................4
Target Audiences...........................................................................4
Objective 1...................................................................................5
Objective 2...................................................................................6
Objective 3...................................................................................8
Sustainability Plan.......................................................................10
Conclusion...................................................................................10
Appendix
Meet the Team.............................................................................12
Budget....................................................................................13
Sustainability Plan.......................................................................14
Primary Research........................................................................22
Secondary Research...................................................................36
Social Media Calendar................................................................42
Pre-Campaign Social Media Analytics....................................51
Post-Campaign Social Media Analytics...................................55
Video Recaps..............................................................................68
Buzzfeed..........................................................................71
Interactive Posts..........................................................................74
Website Banners..........................................................................79
Community Events.....................................................................80
Media Relations..........................................................................85
4.
5. Executive Summary
A home means nothing without the community or neighborhood surrounding it. The Neighborhood
Matters Bateman team chose to work with the Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC) in Des
Moines, Iowa, the local affiliate of the national Home Matters America movement. We wanted to
highlight the interconnectedness of the mission of Home Matters and NFC. Understanding that afford-
able housing is not just about putting someone into a house, it is about enhancing communities and
strengthening neighborhood foundations, prompted us to choose the name “Neighborhood Matters” for
our campaign. The combination of the messages from these organizations emphasizes how important
both homes and neighborhoods are in creating a healthy community.
Des Moines is full of distinct neighborhoods with their own character and charm, and residents within
these neighborhoods take pride in where they live. Because these communities are already so import-
ant to residents, it was key to highlight their best qualities. We chose to focus on the Drake Neighbor-
hood because it is one of NFC’s target lending areas with Drake University set in the middle. Our team
felt it was important to promote the valuable service NFC provides for the Drake community because
we understand the importance of the state of the neighborhood as members of the area, and have a
stake in keeping the community within the neighborhood alive and thriving. By limiting our target au-
dience to a direct area, the messages of Home Matters and NFC were able to effectively spread within
the month of February.
As a team we wanted to continue and strengthen the dialogue NFC already had with the area resi-
dents. The successful community relations of the Neighborhood
Matters Bateman team resulted in connecting NFC with the
Drake Neighborhood Association and hosting their monthly
meeting. We also spoke to congregations of churches within
the surrounding area. Due to the success of the neighborhood
association meeting hosted by the Neighborhood Matters team,
NFC will be expanding its presence at neighborhood meetings
in target lending areas in Des Moines by assigning employees
to a each area. We also engaged the community through so-
cial media and established the NFC brand as a helping hand in
the neighborhood. By the end of our Neighborhood Matters campaign, NFC’s average engagement on
Facebook had increased 667 percent and Twitter had gained 4,000 impressions, with an average of one
link, engagement, and favorite per day. The Neighborhood Matters Bateman team continued to broaden
NFC’s social media presence by adding accounts on YouTube and Buzzfeed with successful results. Our
success piqued the interest of a city councilwoman from a neighboring town who expressed interest in
having the Neighborhood Matters campaign become active in her city. Most importantly, we executed
a plan that brought communities together.
“By the end of our
Neighborhood Matters
campaign, NFC’s average
engagement on Facebook had
increased 667 percent and
Twitter had gained 4,000
impressions, with an average
of one link, engagement,
and favorite per day.
”
What is NFC?
Neighborhood Finance Corporation provides unique lending programs and other services to help revi-
talize neighborhoods in Des Moines, Iowa. NFC works through partnerships with residents, govern-
ments, community-based organizations and the business community to offer purchase loans, refinance
loans, home improvements loans and properties through NFC Properties LLC.
Page 1
6. strengths, weakenesses,
opportunities & threats
The following are some of Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats our team identified and used in the development of the campaign.
Page 2
The steady growth of the Des Moines community in the past ten years means there is need for more
residential affordable housing. With more than 284,900 households in the Des Moines area and an
average household income of $76,787, Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s mission is as relevant as
ever. Since 1991, NFC has originated over $222,000,000 in loans and grants while assisting 4,000
housing units in 27 designated neighborhoods in both Des Moines and West Des Moines. Our team
saw the Neighborhood Matters campaign as an opportunity to not only showcase their success, but
build upon it.
Situation Analysis
• NFC has a positive mission that connects with the Home Matters movement by
emphasizing access to affordable housing, and revitalization of neighborhoods.
• NFC has support from local banks and housing organizations that recommend their
services to clients.
• NFC’s partnerships with other local and national organizations give them an advantage
at finding affordable housing for clients.
• The client list for NFC continues to expand as more people move into Des Moines.
• NFC has a lack of social media presence due to the small staff’s limited time and
experience with social media.
• NFC has limited name recognition in the Des Moines community especially among
community members who are not looking to buy a home.
• As a not-for-profit, resources for NFC are limited.
• Affordable housing and home improvements are a continuously needed service.
• Housing is a trending topic in the United States.
• As the economy continues to improve, more people are re-entering the housing market.
• Des Moines is rated a top city to live in, attracting new residents and potential new
clients.
• Even though the economy is improving, there is a potential for downturn in the
housing market.
• Due to inclement midwest weather, there is a shorter time period for homeowners to
make improvements.
• NFC has a few negative reviews on Facebook that could deter potential clients from
utilizing their services.
• Through our primary research we observed a negative perception of “corporation” in
name recognition and understanding the mission of NFC.
S
W
O
T
7. Secondary research
To better understand both the organizations we were promoting and audiences we were targeting, we
looked at several different sources. The Neighborhood Matters team researched Home Matters in order
to fully understand the organization’s mission and goals. We conducted in-depth research on Neighbor-
hood Finance Corporation that revealed their main service is offering mortgage loans for homebuyers
and offering forgivable loans for home improvements with every mortgage loan. The improvement loan
of up to $20,000 is used to help pay for property repairs and improvements. More research on NFC’s
promotion strategy showed that the organization had rarely used social media - it was common to see a
three month gap between posts.
In addition, our team looked at the missions and goals of other affordable housing organizations in Des
Moines, but focused on how those organizations promote their services locally. Finally, to get inside
the heads of our audience, we researched Iowa housing statistics to gain a better understanding of
the issues homeowners and first time buyers face. According to the Comprehensive Housing Market-
ing Analysis of Des Moines, there are 54,750 renter households in the Des Moines metro area, totaling
around 25.5% of the population of Des Moines. In order to reach these Iowans, we planned on
contacting organizations that they may be a part of such as neighborhood associations and church
communities.
Primary research
The Neighborhood Matters Bateman team had two major goals with our primary research. The first
was to find out how other housing organizations in Des Moines promoted their services. We contacted
two organizations, HOME Inc. and the Iowa Finance Authority, and interviewed Debra Dahab, a mar-
keting professional working on housing issues in Des Moines. HOME Inc. emphasized the importance
of targeting messaging to leaders in the neighborhood base to optimize the spreading of information.
The Iowa Finance Authority explained how they create social media content that excites all audiences
by using relatable images and hashtags, despite the fact that not everyone needs their services. Dahab
spoke about the importance of identifying community leaders and influencers which ultimately led us
to work with First Christian Church and the Drake Neighborhood Association.
The second goal of our primary research was to understand the community awareness of Neighborhood
Finance Corporation and the services they provide. We surveyed 132 community members through
an online survey in November and December. Thirty eight men and 81 women participated, ranging
in age from 25-60. The respondents who had not previously purchased a home were far less likely to
know about NFC. Of the 51 participants who recognized NFC’s name, only six had not bought a house.
These results prompted us to focus on alerting first-time home buyers to their services. We sent out
the same survey in March, which showed an increase in name recognition from 41 percent of people
surveyed to 57 percent resulting in an increase of name recognition by 17 percent.
Finally, we conducted in person interviews with 44 attendees of Reggie’s Sleepout, an event to raise
awareness and funds for homelessness in November. Of the survey participants, 16 people had heard
of NFC. Most of the respondents who recognized the name knew about the organization through a
referral or a professional relationship. This result influenced our social media messaging to encourage
our audience to spread the word about NFC to their friends and family.
Page 3
8. Page 4
Key messages
1. Neighborhood Finance Corporation strives to bring communities together by supporting
neighborhood revitalization.
Rationale: We chose this message because of the emphasis that NFC puts on the neighborhoods they
serve. Bringing these communities together is very important to the organization, and therefore we
stressed the importance of neighborhoods.
2. Neighborhood Finance Corporation is for everyone, not just high or low income individuals and
families.
Rationale: When our survey respondents at Reggie’s Sleepout heard “affordable housing,” many who
did not know NFC’s mission assumed the services were specifically for low income individuals. The
Neighborhood Matters team worked to make sure that our audiences knew that NFC’s loans are avail-
able to anyone within their target lending areas.
3. Neighborhood Finance Corporation is now a partner of the national Home Matters movement.
Rationale: NFC had not previously publicized their partnership with Home Matters. Highlighting this re-
lationship was important to us because it emphasizes that NFC brings people together and gets families
in safe homes.
1. Drake Neighborhood residents owning or looking to own a home
Rationale: We targeted the Drake neighborhood because it is a Neighborhood Finance Corporation
lending area and as Drake residents, it is close to our hearts. It also allowed us to more effectively fo-
cus our efforts on a smaller target audience during the month of February rather than trying to reach all
of NFC's target lending areas across Des Moines.
2. Des Moines residents aged 25-65
Rationale: This age group includes people who are likely to be home buyers, whether repeat, first-time
buyers or homeowners looking to remodel.
3. Drake Neighborhood Association Board Members
Rationale: These community leaders are likely to spread the word throughout the organization and the
Drake Neighborhood.
4. First Christian Church of Des Moines congregation
Rationale: This congregation included people from all walks of life - impoverished to wealthy. Explain-
ing that NFC can serve all people, no matter what their background is, was very important to us. The
church is located at the center of the Drake Neighborhood across the street from the Drake University
campus.
target audiences
9. Objective 1
Reach 500 Drake Community members to increase Neighborhood Finance Corporation's
brand awareness between February 1 and February 28, 2015 as measured by attendance at
NFC hosted community meetings, collateral materials dispensed, results, social media impres-
sions and print and broadcast media reach.
Rationale: Only 41 percent of our initial survey respondents had heard of NFC. Based on our primary
research from the interview with Debra Dahab, we knew to target community leaders to get our mes-
sage out for the largest reach and influence.
Strategy 1.1: Increase community relations
• Tactic: Attend and present at a Drake Neighborhood Association meeting.
• Tactic: Testimonial at the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting from Dana Jones, a NFC client.
• Tactic: Host an information session with First Christian Church congregation after a church service.
• Tactic: Have the pastor of First Christian Church make an announcement to the congregation about
the work of the Neighborhood Matters team.
• Tactic: Place door hangers on 250 Drake Neighborhood homes.
Strategy 1.2: Create a social media plan to engage the community
• Tactic: Use #NeighborhoodMatters on all Twitter and Facebook posts.
• Tactic: Encourage the use of #NeighborhoodMatters on social media by Drake Neighborhood resi-
dents.
Strategy 1.3: Utilize the Drake University radio to promote NFC
• Tactic: Develop two PSAs (:30 awareness spots) to promote NFC’s services on 94.1 The Dog, the
Drake University broadcast station.
• Tactic: Encourage radio DJs to play the PSA.
Strategy 1.4 Reach out to local communication outlets for media relations
• Tactic: Send out a press release to university communications.
• Tactic: Publish an article in The Times Delphic, the Drake University student newspaper.
Results for Objective 1: Exceeded
In one month’s time, we increased name-recognition of NFC by reaching 12,238 community members
through community meetings, collateral materials, Qualtrics surveys, and print and broadcast media
reach. Social media impressions increased by 200,844 percent and engagements by 6,583 percent. This
exceeded our goal by 11,748 community members and social media by 199,844 percent impressions and
6,083 percent engagements.
We spoke to 127 people at First Christian Church about the mission of NFC. The pastor is now interest-
ed in utilizing NFC to purchase his first home in Des Moines after learning more about NFC through
the Neighborhood Matters team. We contacted five churches within the Drake Neighborhood at the be-
ginning of our campaign and their congregations were sent surveys to measure their awareness of NFC.
Page 5
10. Results for Objective 1 (cont.)
Staff from NFC assisted us in hosting a meeting of the
Drake Neighborhood Association. In order to promote
the meeting, we created and hung 250 door hangers on
homes in the Drake Neighborhood. NFC provided juice,
cookies and collateral materials for the meeting. Twenty
five people attended the Drake Neighborhood Associa-
tion meeting despite inclement weather, 11 of which were
first time attendees who came after viewing the door
hangers we distributed. The previous month's meeting
only had six attendees, and no quorum. After the success
of the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting organized by the Neighborhood Matters team, NFC
decided to continue to connect their brand with local neighborhoods by assigning “NFC Neighbor-
hood Advisors.” These representatives will attend meetings in their designated lending neighborhoods.
Our creation and utilization of #NeighborhoodMatters on social media resulted in a councilwoman
from a neighboring city contacting us to express a desire to bring the campaign and organization to
her city. The promotion of #NeighborhoodMatters allowed social media for NFC to increase in multiple
aspects:
• Facebook likes went from 95 to 250, an increase of 163%
• Facebook average impressions increased from 24 to 150 impressions per post, an increase of 525%
• Facebook average engagements went from 6 to 46 per week, a 667% increase
• Twitter followers grew from 20 followers to 60, an increase of 200%
• Twitter gained 4,000 impressions during the month of February, with one day exceeding 1,000
impressions
• Twitter averaged one link, engagement and like per day
Our article in The Times-Delphic was printed in 1500 distributed copies, and two PSAs aired within a
3.5 mile radius of campus on 94.1 The Dog and reached a potential 10,336 people in Des Moines. The
PSAs were broadcast on a 24/7 online stream an average of twice per day.
“After the success of the
Drake Neighborhood Association
meeting organized by the
Neighborhood Matters team, NFC
decided to continue to connect
their brand with local
neighborhoods by assigning “NFC
Neighborhood Advisors.”
”
Objective 2
Increase Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s social media impressions by 1000 percent and
engagements by 500 percent on Facebook and Twitter while establishing a presence on You-
Tube and BuzzFeed between February 1st and 28th, 2015 as measured by insights on each of
the platforms.
Rationale: At the start of our campaign, we evaluated NFC’s use of social media and determined that
NFC could better utilize the social media platforms they were on to spread awareness of their mission.
As mentioned in strategy 1.2 we wanted to utilize social media outlets to engage the community, and
cohesively tie the brand of NFC to their mission. When we interviewed marketing professionals at the
Iowa Finance Authority, they told us to create content that would excite our audience which brought
about NFC’s expansion to new platforms.
Page 6
11. Objective 2 (cont.)
Strategy 2.1: Create and utilize #NeighborhoodMatters to encourage engagements across all social
media platforms
• Tactic: Use #NeighborhoodMatters on all Twitter and Facebook posts along with YouTube videos.
• Tactic: Encourage followers to use #NeighborhoodMatters in certain posts to join the conversation
and share their story.
Strategy 2.2: Utilize Twitter to increase impressions and engagements
• Tactic: Increase followers and update profile picture on Twitter.
• Tactic: Use #NeighborhoodMatters on Twitter posts.
• Tactic: Tweet daily on relevant topics.
Strategy 2.3: Utilize Facebook to increase impressions and engagements
• Tactic: Increase likes on the NFC Facebook page by reaching out to community groups and leaders.
• Tactic: Use #NeighborhoodMatters on Facebook posts.
• Tactic: Publish recent posts on affordable housing and other relevant topics
• Tactic: Promote selected posts using 15% of the budget.
Strategy 2.4: Create Youtube videos to be shared on social media platforms
• Tactic: Create an NFC YouTube channel.
• Tactic: Produce a video highlighting a family that has utilized NFC for home improvements from
the Drake Neighborhood.
• Tactic: Film a video utilizing #NeighborhoodMatters with Drake Neighborhood residents.
• Tactic: Share both videos on Twitter, Facebook and the YouTube channel.
Strategy 2.5: Create Buzzfeed post to be shared on other platforms
• Tactic: Title the post as “9 Things You Can Do In a House That You Couldn’t Do in an Apartment”
to highlight Home Matters as an organization.
• Tactic: Include link to Home Matters video at the end of the Buzzfeed post.
• Tactic: Share post on all social media platforms.
• Tactic: Use the budget to boost the shared Buzzfeed post on Facebook.
Results for Objective 2: Exceeded
With a total of 18,085 impressions and 401 engagements across Facebook, Twitter, Buzzfeed and You-
Tube for the month of February compared to 9 impressions and 6 engagements across Facebook and
Twitter for the month of January, we exceeded our social media goals for the campaign and increased
impressions by 200,844 percent and engagements by 6,583 percent.
Our social media results for both Facebook and Twitter surpassed our goals.
• Facebook likes went from 95 to 250, an increase of 163%
• Facebook average impressions increased from 24 to 150 impressions per post, an increase of 525%
• Facebook average engagements went from 6 to 46 per week, a 667% increase
• Facebook boosted posts reached 11,300 people with 74 post clicks and 77 likes, comments or
shares
• Twitter followers grew from 20 followers to 60, an increase of 200%
Page 7
12. Results for Objective 2 (cont.)
We created 4,000 impressions on Twitter with one day exceeding 1,000 impressions and averaged one
link visit, share and favorite per day. Due to the success of the #NeighborhoodMatters campaign on so-
cial media, a city councilwoman from a neighboring city expressed an interest in having the campaign
become active in her community.
Our YouTube channel and videos were a successful addition to the campaign. The first video focusing
on promoting the #NeighborhoodMatters campaign and reached 157 views over 25 days. Forty-three
percent of driving traffic came from external websites such as social media and the top playback lo-
cation with 79% was the YouTube page. The second video featuring Dana and Aubrey Jones, a couple
who used NFC, reached 56 views over eight days. The top source driving traffic came from external
websites such as social media with 45% and the top playback location was the YouTube page with more
than 90% of the views.
The Buzzfeed post gained a total of 269 total views, of which 258 were from social media. The post
was shared through NFC’s Facebook and Twitter pages as well as individual Facebook users over a
three day span.
Objective 3
Tie the Neighborhood Finance Corporation brand to Home Matters for the Drake Communi-
ty by February 28, 2015 as measured through distributed materials, social media impressions
and engagement featuring NFC and Home Matters and community outreach.
Rationale: We wanted to make sure that while we were promoting NFC we were also bringing attention
to their partnership with Home Matters.
Strategy 3.1: Reach out to the Drake Neighborhood community through social media, a Buzzfeed
post and Youtube videos
• Tactic: Use #NeighborhoodMatters on all Twitter and Facebook posts.
• Tactic: Encourage the use of #NeighborhoodMatters on social media.
• Tactic: Design banners for the NFC website to link Home Matters and NFC.
Strategy 3.2: Utilize the Drake University radio station 94.1 The Dog to promote NFC and Home
Matters
• Tactic: Create two PSAs (:30 awareness spots) highlighting NFC and Home Matters.
• Tactic: PSAs to run an average of twice a day in February to promote NFC’s services and the Home
Matters Mission.
Strategy 3.3: Reach out to the Drake Neighborhood community through distributed materials, infor-
mational sessions and community meetings
• Tactic: Host an information session with the First Christian Church congregation.
• Tactic: Attend and present at a Drake Neighborhood Association meeting.
• Tactic: Place door hangers on 250 Drake Neighborhood homes featuring the Home Matters and NFC
logos.
Page 8
13. Results for Objective 3: Exceeded
Each of our posts on social media were tied to the Home Matters brand by either a direct mention of
Home Matters or using the campaign name, #NeighborhoodMatters. With 10 Facebook, 11 Twitter, one
BuzzFeed and two YouTube direct mentions of the Home Matters and NFC partnership, we accom-
plished our goal for the campaign.
Our social media campaign was extremely successful as we saw improvements on every platform.
• Facebook likes went from 95 to 250, an increase of 163%
• Facebook average impressions increased from 24 to 150 impressions per post, an increase of 525
percent
• Facebook average engagements went from 6 to 46 per week, a 667% increase
• Twitter followers grew from 20 followers to 60, an increase of 200 percent
On Twitter, our team garnered more than 4,000 impressions and surpassed 1,000 impressions in one
day. We averaged one link visit, share and favorite per day. Our social media outreach drew the atten-
tion of a neighboring city councilwoman, who conveyed interest in having NFC become active locally.
The YouTube videos we produced tied the Home Matters brand with the NFC. Our first video, which
focused on promoting the #NeighborhoodMatters campaign, reached 157 views in only 25 days. Social
media was the main traffic source for the video, with 43% of the views. The second video featured
a couple from the Drake Neighborhood who used NFC to purchase a home. In eight days, the video
amassed 56 views, with 45% of the traffic coming from external websites. Both videos were viewed
most on the native Youtube page that was linked in our social media posts.
Our Buzzfeed article by the Neighborhood Matters team finished with 269 total views. The post
highlighted the mission of Home Matters and shared a Home Matters video at the end of the post. Two
hundred and fifty eight of these views came from social media posts on NFC’s Facebook and Twitter,
and through individual Facebook posts over three days. The boosted Facebook post highlighting the
Buzzfeed article received 1,500 impressions, 63 link clicks and 40 likes, comments or shares.
The two PSAs we recorded were aired within a 3.5 mile radius of campus, reaching a potential audi-
ence of 10,336 people in Des Moines. The PSAs were broadcast on a 24/7 online stream. Each PSA was
played at least twice a day.
We spoke to 127 people at First Christian Church in the Drake Neighborhood. As a result, the pastor
from the church has since expressed an interest in using NFC to purchase his first home. In addition,
our team met with community members by hosting the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting. We
placed 250 NFC and Home Matters branded door hangers throughout the Drake Neighborhood and
gave out 60 informational NFC brochures throughout the month. At that meeting, 11 of 25 attendees
had never been to a meeting before, and came after seeing the door hangers.
Page 9
14. Sustainability plan
As a part of our social media strategy, we chose to leave Neighborhood Finance Corporation with a
plan for future success. We knew that social media had been a struggle for the organization, so to
continue the momentum started in February, we gave NFC a list of 30 timeless posts for Facebook and
Twitter. Included in the plan are social media tips, the best times to post to reach their target audience,
how to engage with their followers online and suggestions for how to boost social media posts. In
order to interact with their target neighborhoods, we gave NFC a template to introduce their new “NFC
Neighborhood Advisors,” an idea inspired by NFC’s appearance at the Drake Neighborhood Association
meeting. Finally, we left our press release template and local media contacts. The sustainability plan
can be found in the appendix on page 14.
Conclusion
During the month of February, we focused on Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s message of neigh-
borhood revitalization by targeting community leaders and residents. We wanted to show the commu-
nity that NFC had their best interests in mind and were there to help. Hosting the Drake Neighborhood
Association meeting was an effective way of gaining one-on-one interactions with residents. The
presentation to 127 members of the First Christian Church congregation brought the message of NFC to
a larger audience. NFC’s social media allowed us to promote their mission statement to an even broader
audience than the Drake Neighborhood. By the end of February, we garnered a total of 18,085 impres-
sions and 401 engagements across social media platforms. We successfully made NFC a recognizable
name in Des Moines and within the Drake Neighborhood.
The Neighborhood Matters campaign brought the Drake community together, showed people that pur-
chasing a home was possible for anyone and ultimately proved that neighborhoods matter.
Page 10
16. Meet the team
Mary Kelly is a senior public relations major and musical theatre mi-
nor from Chicago, Il. You’ll typically find her in meetings for Bateman,
capstone, PRSSA or promoting the Expect the Unexpected: 2015 PRSSA
Regional Conference. But when she’s not there, she’s planning an annual
fundraiser for a local youth shelter, leading the PR efforts for the Drake
Theatre Dept and searching for a job that will let her combine her loves
of service and theatre. Mary loves the Drake Neighborhood for the sup-
portive community it provides.
Kelly Marble is a sophomore public relations and international relations
major from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She keeps busy being a member of
the Drake PRSSA executive board organizing fundraisers, assisting with
Expect the Unexpected PRSSA regional conference sponsorships and
planning PR Week. Kelly loves the Drake Neighborhood because it is her
home away from home.
Jordan McEntaffer is a first-year public relations major from Wichita,
Kansas. Along with working on the 2015 Bateman campaign, Jordan
helps manage social media for the Student Activities Board (SAB) on
campus and Expect the Unexpected, the PRSSA Regional Conference
being hosted by Drake University this spring. She loves the Drake Neigh-
borhood that surrounds the campus because the residents take an active
part in helping students achieve their dreams and reach their goals of
graduating.
Grace Rogers is a sophomore public relations and political science stu-
dent from Kansas City, Kansas. When not spending copious hours on the
Neighborhood Matters campaign, Grace is a DJ on Drake’s campus radio
station and works as a debate coach at a local high school. She loves the
Drake neighborhood because the wonderful people are always willing to
help each other out.
Hope Waggoner is a junior public relations and advertising account
management student from good old Lincoln, Nebraska. Other than wear-
ing red and cheering for the Huskers she spends her time as an Account
Executive for the advertising capstone, an executive council member for
Alpha Phi Fraternity and a media planning intern at a local Des Moines
advertising agency. Hope loves the Drake Neighborhood because it’s
where her future is being created.
Page 12
17. Budget
$121.94 - Door Hangers
$45.00 - Facebook Promotions
$120.00 (estimate) - Book Printing
$286.94 Total
IN-kind donations
$40 - Cookies and drinks for Drake Neighborhood Association Meeting
from the Neighborhood Finance Corporation
$8 - White board for video from Polly Kelly
Video equipment is free and available to any Drake University student.
Radio PSAs are free and available to any community nonprofit
organizations.
Page 13
18. sustainability plan
Table of Contents
General Tips......................................................................................................................................14
Budgeting Tips..................................................................................................................................14
Facebook Posts.................................................................................................................................15
Twitter Posts.....................................................................................................................................17
Meet the NFC Neighborhood Advisors Campaign........................................................................19
Press Release Template and Media Contacts.................................................................................20
General Tips
• Post on Facebook between 6-9 p.m. for the largest audience.
• Post on Twitter between 8-10 a.m. or 7-9 p.m. for the largest audience.
• Use websites like Tweetdeck and Hootsuite to schedule tweets and Facebook posts to occur
during the optimal publishing windows.
• Use trending topics (in NFC’s context) to your advantage. Stay away from contentious
issues, but viral topics like “The Dress” are great ways to promote your brand.
• Build a relationship with your followers - provide entertaining and engaging tweets before
asking them them to do anything.
• Interact with your followers. Reply to their posts about your brand or favorite their tweets
that relate to you.
• Share content from other websites that relate to your messages i.e. articles about affordable
housing, home buying, etc.
Budgeting tips
Dedicate a small budget of $10-20 each month to promote one or two posts on Facebook.
In order to keep connecting with Des Moines residents and potential clients through the web-
site, post promotion is an easy and effective way to continue connecting with clients. Recently,
Facebook has been decreasing the impressions companies and organizations can have organi-
cally on the website.
Page 14
19. Facebook
• A stable home helps level the playing field. Neighborhood Finance Corporation provides
unique lending programs and other services to facilitate targeted neighborhood revitaliza-
tion through affordable housing options. Learn more about our work by visiting neighbor-
hoodfinance.org.
• Our neighborhoods are important which is why we work hard to make home ownership
and home improvements a reality for our clients. Give us a call and see what we can do for
you!
• Feeling a little jealous of the new roof your neighbor just put in? Is your home starting to
look like the odd one out on the street? Might be time to look into revitalizing your home.
Just give us a call, we can help.
• Is that Iowa cold seeping into your windows and cracks? Feeling a draft in that 60-year-old
basement? We may be able to help. Visit neighborhoodfinance.org
• Our forgivable loan and mortgage programs are not just for low-income households. Our
program is neighborhood and property-driven, not income-driven. If you are in one of our
target neighborhood areas, check us out to see if you qualify.
• We want to make sure you can afford your dream home. Partner with us to see how we can
help you buy or fix up your home to make it safe for you and your loved ones. Check us out
by visiting neighborhoodfinance.org
• Do you wish for that dream home to settle down in? This goal is within your reach with the
help of Neighborhood Finance Corporation. We offer mortgage loans and unique forgivable
loans of up to $10,000. Check out this video showing how our clients have used NFC to
create their own dream home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGaVRtoqQI
• Did you know that we operate as a partner with a national organization working to cre-
ate affordable housing? Learn more about our partnership with Home Matters by visiting
homemattersamerica.com.
• Give your partner the gift of home improvements by talking to us at Neighborhood Finance
Corporation about a forgivable loan of up to $10,000. Visit us at neighborhoodfinance.org
to learn more.
• Ever thought of upgrading from that noisy apartment to a home with a fenced in
yard for that dog you have always wanted? We can help make that happen. Visit
neighborhoodfinance.org
• Dana and Aubrey used NFC to buy their dream home. See their NFC story and share yours
with us today. http://youtu.be/2AGaVRtoqQI
• Still unsure of how Neighborhood Finance Corporation can help you? We provide services
to make housing affordable. Visit neighborhoodfinance.org
• People say dreams don’t come true, but we make them happen at NFC. If you are having
trouble putting a down payment on that dream home, give us a call and see if we can help.
Page 15
20. • Dana explained to us why he loves the Drake Neighborhood. “The Drake Neighborhood is
a great neighborhood. It might not have the newest streets or brand new houses, but it has
great people that we have seen care about each other and care about older homes and care
about revitalizing Des Moines’ older houses.”
• Sometimes apartment living can be a drag, especially when noisy neighbors are throwing a
party. A house gives you privacy and silence. What are you waiting for?
• NFC provides unique lending programs and other services to targeted neighborhoods with-
in Des Moines. Visit us at neighborhoodfinance.org to see if your neighborhood is one of
these key target areas.
• "It's not about profits, it's about getting people into homes and revitalizing
neighborhoods," - The Jones family, speaking about their experience with NFC. Check out
their video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGaVRtoqQI
• Spring is here, and with it comes spring cleaning! Have you noticed a few repairs that need
fixing with that clean out? Our forgivable loan of up to $10,000 may help you out in your
time of need. Give us a call and see what we can do for you.
• “My neighborhood matters because for the last seven years it has been my sanctuary, it has
been my rock in hard times and will forever be the place where my little family started out.
I started building my family in my neighborhood and am so grateful to have a place to call
home.” - Nicole Tapps, NFC Neighborhood Advisor
• NFC is currently lending in 2/3 of Des Moines. To see if we cover your area, check out our
lending area map. If you are currently in one of our neighborhoods, our forgivable loan of
up to $10,000 may help with any home improvements you have in mind.
• “Neighborhood matters to me because it’s important to know that I have people I can turn
to for support and friendship. Having moved to the city on my own I don’t have familial
connections I can turn to and so having neighbors in many ways becomes my family.”
- Renee Sedlacek, NFC Client
• We like to think living in a house is on the rise. Help make this a trend by checking in with
us to see if you qualify for forgivable loans for either home improvements or putting a
down payment on that new house.
• “The people who live and work around me are the people who make the neighborhood,
and they all matter,” NFC Neighborhood Resident
• Are you trying to put a down payment on your first house? NFC can help with a forgivable
loan of up to $2,500 towards down payments and closing costs. Check to see if you are in
one of our lending neighborhoods and qualify.
• “If you're looking to live in the Des Moines city proper, you have to check them out and see
if your desired neighborhood is covered at that time,” - Jake Ernst, NFC Client
• NFC made the process of buying very smooth and helped me out each step of the way. I
had no issues with them at all,” - Jake Ernst, NFC Client
facebook (cont.)
Page 16
21. • “NFC is absolutely excellent! I bought via NFC two years ago and am glad I chose to live
in Des Moines thanks to NFC. The $10,000 forgivable loan was amazing and helped me
update the home I purchased. Better yet, the closing cost forgiveness and split mortgage
resulting in no PMI is the best system ever,” - Jake Ernst, NFC Client
• “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be
questioned,”- Maya Angelou
• “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort,” - Jane Austen
• “Just as important as our society as a whole are our small communities: our neighbor-
hoods, workplaces and schools,” - Jens Stoltenberg http://youtu.be/C7IXXlittVc
facebook (cont.)
Twitter
• Have you had enough of your neighbor from the floor above you keeping you up till 2 a.m.?
Living in a house comes with the benefit of silence.
• Tired of apartment living? Maybe it's time to move into a house! Let us help you finance
your first home. Contact us for more information.
• NFC is currently lending in 2/3 of Des Moines. To see if your area is covered by us, check
out our lending area map to see if we can help.
• “The closing cost of forgiveness and split mortgage resulting in no PMI is the best system
ever.” NFC client Jake Ernst
• Have you noticed some improvements that could be made in your home? Contact us to see
what we can do to help you finance with forgivable loans.
• "It's not about profits, it's about getting people into homes and revitalizing
neighborhoods," - The Jones family, speaking about their experience with NFC.
• Your loans work harder for you at NFC, partner with us to improve your home!
• Give your partner the gift of home improvements by talking to us at NFC about a forgivable
loan of up to $10,000.
• Have a home improvement that needs attention? Call us to see how our advantage loans
can help you finance those repairs.
• With the weather taking a turn for the better now is the best time to focus on those home
improvements you have always wanted to complete.
• Strapped for cash on those spring home improvements? We might be able to help!
• Can you picture that dream home of yours? We can help make that vision a reality!
• “Where we love is home- home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts,” -Oliver Wen-
dell Holmes
• “Love begins at home,” - Mother Theresa
• “If you love community, you will serve your community,” - Stephen Colbert
Page 17
22. twitter (cont.)
• We help finance home improvements and downsizing for homeowners in key target areas.
You can view these key target areas by visiting neighborhoodfinance.org.
• We want to make sure you can afford your dream home. Partner with us to see how we can
help you buy or fix up your home to make it safe for you and your loved ones.
• Is that Iowa cold seeping into your windows and cracks? Feeling a draft in that 60-year-old
basement? We may be able to help.
• “At the end of the day it isn’t where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I’m going and
have never been before,” - Watson Shire
• Looking for some help in putting a down payment on that first home? We can help with
that.
• Just as important as our society as a whole are our small communities: our neighborhoods,
workplaces and schools,” - Jens Stoltenberg http://youtu.be/C7IXXlittVc
• NFC is a not-for-profit mortgage bank that makes mortgage loans to qualified applicants.
Check us out at neighborhoodfinance.org to see if you qualify!
• “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in,” - Robert
Frost
• Apartment life too cramped for you now? A home is calling your name with our help.
• Need some help putting that down payment on your first home? Our $2,500 forgivable
loan can help with that.
• Are all of your friends moving up-and-out of their apartments and into homes? Might be
time for you to do the same.
• “The people who live and work around me are the people who make the neighborhood,
and they all matter,” - NFC Neighborhood Resident
• “NFC made the process of buying very smooth and helped me out each step of the way. I
had no issues with them at all,” - Jake Ernst NFC Client
• “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be
questioned,”- Maya Angelou
• Dana and Aubrey used NFC to buy their dream home. You can too by visiting
neighborhoodfinance.org
Page 18
23. Introduction post template for each of the neighborhood advisors that will be attending neigh-
borhood association meetings.
meet the NFC Neighborhood
advisors template
Post reminders about the Neighborhood Association meetings to Twitter and Facebook after
the NFC Neighborhood Advisors have been introduced.
Template: Don’t forget to join NFC Neighborhood Advisor (NAME) tonight for the
(NEIGHBORHOOD) Neighborhood Association meeting at (PLACE) at (TIME).
Example: Don’t forget to join NFC Neighborhood Advisor Grace tonight for the Drake
Neighborhood Association meeting at St. Katherine of Sienna Church at 7 p.m.
Meet your NFC Neighborhood Advisor template. Meet your NFC Neighborhood Advisor example.
Page 19
24. Press Release template
Drake
Students
Team
Up
With
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
for
National
Competition
Drake
Public
Relations
Students
work
with
local
Home
Matters
affiliate
to
promote
the
importance
of
neighborhoods.
FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
DES
MOINES,
IA
–
(Copy)
About
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation:
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
provides
unique
lending
programs
and
other
services
to
facilitate
targeted
neighborhood
revitalization
in
Polk
County,
Iowa
through
partnerships
with
residents,
governments,
community
based
organizations
and
the
business
community.
NFC
offers
purchase
loans,
refinance
loans,
home
improvement
loans
and
NFC
Properties
LLC.
This
program
is
made
possible
through
partnerships
with
the
City
of
Des
Moines,
Polk
County,
Des
Moines
Area
Banks
and
Neighborhood
Associations.
NFC
is
a
NeighborWorks
Organization
and
Fair
Housing
Lender.
NMLS#
8943
###
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
–
Stephanie
Preusch
NFC
Executive
Director
spreusch@neighborhoodfinance.org
515.273.1372
Media contacts for potential release:
Sarah Dose
Iowa Life Editor
Des Moines Register
515-284-8722
sdose@dmreg.com
Kathy A. Bolten
Metro Communities Editor
Des Moines Register
515-284-8283
kbolten@dmreg.com
Twitter handle: @KBolten
Shaina Humphries
KCCI News 8 Reporter
shumphries@hearst.com
Twitter handle: @Shaina_KCCI
Page 20
37. • Something to do with housing, sounds appealing
• Someone who finances in the neighborhood
• Affordable housing
• Sounds evil
• Help people get first homes
• Provides financial assistance to community
• A community organization
• A small finance company that helps people in small areas
• Sounds like a tax collection agency, not something good
• That they would support low income families in getting a home
• It’s a place where they offer help for housing.
• Low cost housing and rent
• An organization that would help you get into something you couldn’t normally afford
• Help with neighborhood projects like beautification
• Something to raise money to clean up neighborhoods
• Neighborhoods getting better and working together
• Tool lending library
• Taxes
reggie's sleepout survey
• June will be five-year anniversary of working with them, refinanced with them within two
years of purchasing a home; had to take finance courses and managing money classes; lives
in an old neighborhood
• Helped me when another mortgage company tried to take advantage of me; with them for
10 years; no complaints
• Sounded good she looked them up
• Generally good, but I hate paying the high taxes that come with it and ended up going with
a different mortgage company
• I talked to them but didn’t end up using them for some reason, can’t remember why
• I don’t know much; sounds like a co-op to finance homing and micro financing
• I don’t know a lot about it, but I assume its helpful
• Great place, they allow people to improve their home and support renovation
• I’m not sure I could tell you what it does. They help people with loans
• A guy I used to work with used it, he’s a firefighter. It’s a great idea to improve the neigh-
borhood
• Offers options to help people who are new to the area get into homes
• Great, we completed a remodel in Highland Park and heard about it through our financial
advisor
If no, what do you think when you hear “Neighborhood Finance
Corporation?”
If yes, what is your perception of it?
Page 33
38. reggie's sleepout survey
If yes, how did you hear about it?
• I heard through bank and applied through bank
• I heard through State Senator Jack Hatch; my husband and I campaigned for him and he
said they could help us with no charge
• I teach at AIB College and a student showed me the website in non-profit class
• I used to run a tool library and NFC used to advertise there
• I heard about them through the newspaper
• I work with Social Services
• I work for Iowa Homeless Youth Shelters
• I heard through a friend who used NFC to buy their house
• I used them 20 years ago
What type of person do you think uses Neighborhood Finance
Corporation?
• Low-income
• Middle class - $30,000-$60,000
• First-time homeowners
• Anyone in designated area; not based on income
• Anyone that lives in that neighborhood; not so much the people as it is the area
• For low income, at or below the poverty line
• It’s for homeowners
• Anybody or low income
• I think anyone could use it, you don’t have to be poor
Page 34
39. Iowa Finance
Authority interview
The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) is a government agency that offers many different affordable
housing programs across the state of Iowa.
In our conversation with their marketing team, we discussed their social media strategies. IFA holds an
annual social media contest where they ask their followers to tell them about why they love their home.
This conversation inspired us to involve community members in our campaign and directly pushed us
towards the idea for our #NeighborhoodMatters video.
Ashley Jared
Communications Director
Ashley.Jared@iowa.gov
HOME inc. interview
HOME Inc. is a private non-profit that focuses on affordable housing in Des Moines. The organiza-
tion develops afforable housing. They provide counseling and education for renters and homeowners.
In our conversation with the Executive Director, we talked about their target audiences. HOME Inc.
focuses on disseminating information through community leaders. This caused us to look at local com-
munity organizations, and led to our involvement with the Drake Neighborhood Association.
Pam Carmichael
Executive Director
pscarmichael@homeincdsm.org
We spoke with Debra Dehab, a neighborhood marketing professional working to promote neighbor-
hoods in Central Iowa.
Dehab stressed the importance of connecting with community leaders and reaching community mem-
bers on a personal level. This primary research lead us to our involvement with the Drake Neighbor-
hood Association and the local churches.
Debra Dehab
Neighborhood Marketing Professional
ddahab@enquireresearch.com
marketing interview
Page 35
40. secondary research
Home matters messaging
Education
• Disadvantaged environments cause the brain to develop differently.
• Low-income children in their first three years of life, are more likely to have lower cogni-
tive scores and increased behavioral problems.
• Low quality housing has been linked to decreased performance in school.
• Living in an environment of chaos and poverty can increase a child’s stress, leading to
greater risk for chronic diseases later in life.
• Low quality housing has proven to negatively influence health conditions, resulting from
factors such as frequent residential mobility, exposure to lead paint, and poor indoor air
quality.
• Children in low income families that are receiving housing assistance are more likely to
have access to nutritious food.
• Homeless children are more vulnerable to mental health problems, developmental delays,
and depression than children who are stably housed.
health
Public Safety
• States that spent more on housing have experienced lower incarceration rates.
• Prolonged exposure to lead can cause an increase in delinquency, violence and crime.
• Thirty five percent of low-income housing (housing occupied by families with an annu-
al income of less than $30,000) had lead-based paint hazards, compared with 19 per-
cent of housing that is not considered low-income.
economic development
• One in four households that rent are designated as extremely low income, despite the fact
that high cost rental units are decreasing.
• Federal support for low-income housing has fallen 49 percent from 1980 to 2003.
personal success outcomes
• Affordable or supportive housing to people leaving correctional facilities is an effective
means of reducing the chance of future incarceration.
Page 36
41. Iowa statistics on
housing
• 16,238 Iowans were homeless (2012)
• 19,786 Iowans were at risk of homelessness (2012)
• 33,969 people in total were served by homeless organizations (2012)
• In Polk County specifically, 5,137 were homeless and 2,193 were at-risk (2012)
• 583 households (including both those with children and those without) in emergency and
transitional shelters.
• 353 households were in emergency shelters, 230 in transitional housing and 100 house-
holds were homeless but not in shelters. (2014)
• 427 people in emergency shelters and 364 in transitional shelter--totaling 791 people cur-
rently being served by homeless shelters in Polk County. (2014)
• 57,000 renter households in the Des Moines metro area (2009)
• 25.5 percent of the Des Moines population (2009)
NFC Offers:
• Purchase Loans (buying a home)
• Refinance Loans
• Home Improvement Loans
• NFC Properties LLC
• Forgivable loans for home improvements with every mortgage loan.
• Eligible home buyers also receive a forgivable loan up to $2,500 to assist with the down
payment and/or closing costs on a purchase transaction.
Social Media Presence
Facebook
• 72 likes, 7 visits
• Small bursts of activity but 3-4 month gaps in between posts and interactions.
Twitter
• 18 followers, following 20
• 22 tweets, last one 10 months ago - tweeted their blog posts and listings.
nfc background
research
Page 37
42. "2014 Winter Point in Time Homeless Count for Polk County IA." (2014): 1-3. Institute for
Community Alliances, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Biedinger, Nicole. "The Influence of Education and Home Environment on the Cognitive
Outcomes of Preschool Children in Germany." Child Development Index. Hindawi
Publishing Corporation, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Bravve, Elina, Megan Bolton, Linda Couch, and Sheila Crowley. "America's Forgotten Housing
Crisis." (2012): 1-240. Out of Reach 2012. National Low Income Housing Coalition, Mar.
2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
"A Child’s Early Home Environment Has Long-term Effects on Development." Urban Child
Institute, May 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Cohen, Rebecca. "The Impacts of Affordable Housing on Health: A Research Summary."
Insights from Housing Policy Research. Center for Housing Policy, May 2011. Web. 10 Nov.
2014.
Gutierrez, Agatha. "HUD Great Plains Region VII News." (2014): n. pag. United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development, June 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
"Housing and Public Safety." Justice Policy Institute, 1 Nov. 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Labovitz, Gabriel. "Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis: Des Moines, Iowa." (2009): 1-10.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Wardrip, Keith, Laura Williams, and Suzanne Hague. "The Role of Affordable Housing in
Creating Jobs and Stimulating Local Economic Development." Insights from Housing
Policy Research. Center for Housing Policy, Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
"Why Are People Homeless?" Bringing America Home. National Coalition for the Homeless,
July 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
bibliography
Page 38
43. Similar Des Moines
organizations
Youth Emergency Services and Shelter (YESS) - Iowa
• Private non-profit organization serving children and their families in Central Iowa; safety
net of services, providing healing and hope in times of crisis
• Largest youth shelter and the only crisis nursery of its kind in Iowa
• Serves over 2,100 children and families annually
• Provides:
• Crisis Intervention
• 24-hour phone service
• Key goal of YESS is to divert children from shelter care
• Hope to give families sessions to try and heal so the shelter is not needed
• Stabilization Service
• Emergency Shelter
• Four categories:
• Runaways
• Children who have left home due to personal struggles, fear for safety or
challenging family dynamics
• Child In Need of Assistance (CINA)
• Children who have been removed from home due to allegations of abuse and
neglect
• Adjudicated Delinquent
• Children who have come to the attention of Juvenile Court after allegedly commit-
ting a crime
• Mental Health Order
• Children who are court-ordered to shelter care due to extreme mental health issues
• Private placement
• Children who need emergency shelter care or respite-without DHS involvement due
to personal or family crisis
• Case Management
• Counseling
• Offered to those in the shelter and in the community
• Mental Health Therapy
• Community referrals
Page 39
44. Similar Des Moines
organizations
Rebuilding Together (Greater Des Moines)
• The leading volunteer organization that, in partnership with the community, rehabilitates
the homes of low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly, disabled and families with
dependent children
• No cost to qualified homeowners
• Through the repairs provided by their volunteers, they can:
• Maintain low-income homeowner housing for seniors, those living with disability and
families with dependent children
• Address safety issues (falls being a leading cause of injury among elders)
• Enable elderly and disabled homeowners to remain in their homes in comfort and inde-
pendence
• To be eligible for consideration in the program, the income must be no more than:
• One person - $25,550
• Two persons - $29,200
• Three persons - $32,850
• Four persons - $36,450
• Five persons - $39,400
• Six persons - $42,300
• Seven persons - $45,200
• Eight persons - $48,150
• Home safety is primary goal
• Volunteers provide improvements that enhance the safety and comfort of home, not major
structural repairs because it is done all on one day
• Done on National Rebuilding Day; first Saturday in May
Habitat for Humanity (Greater Des Moines)
• Part of a global nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks
to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope
• Dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing,
rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and
by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter condi-
tions
• To be helped, must fit certain criteria:
• Must currently be living in substandard or cost-burdened housing
• Must be willing to volunteer 300-400 hours of “sweat equity”
• Must be able to repay an affordable mortgage over 20 years
• On Website, HFH lists NFC as a resource for housing in Des Moines
Page 40
45. Similar Des Moines
organizations
HOME Inc.
• Mission is to create opportunities for quality, affordable housing.
• Develops affordable housing, and provides both rental and home ownership counseling and
education.
• Provides information, referrals and education so clients understand their housing rights and
responsibilities.
• Facilitates mediation and negotiations between landlords and tenants to prevent evictions
and terminations that lead to homelessness.
• Assists in the development of additional housing units and rent subsidies to increase the
supply of affordable housing.
Iowa Finance Authority
• Emergency Solutions Grant Program: Assists individuals in quickly regaining stability in
permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness (federal pro-
gram)
• Home and Community-Based Services Revolving Loan Program Fund: Assists the develop-
ment and expansion of facilities and infrastructure that provide health and wellness pro-
grams, health screenings, nutritional assessments, adult day services, respite services and
congregate meals for low-income Iowans.
• Main Street Loan Program: Provides funds for lending to Main Street communities in Iowa.
• Shelter Assistance Fund: Supports the rehabilitation, expansion or costs of operations of
group home shelters for the homeless and domestic violence shelters.
• State Housing Trust Fund: Provides grants to advance and preserve affordable single-family
and multifamily housing throughout the state.
Page 41
46. social media
social media calendar
See the attached CD for copies of the videos mentioned in the calendar.
February 1
Facebook: This month we are highlighting our partnership with Home Matters by starting a
month long campaign to discuss why #NeighborhoodMatters. As you’re watching the game
with your friends and family, tell us - why does neighborhood matter to you?
Twitter: Kick off game day by joining us and the @HomeMattersUSA movement to promote
why #NeighborhoodMatters!
February 2
Facebook: The groundhog saw its shadow, so it looks like there will still be some snowy
weeks to come. If you have projects in your home that need work, use the extra couple weeks
of winter to see if we can help make them happen with an NFC advantage loan. http://www.
neighborhoodfinance.org/
Twitter: Do your spring house projects need some extra cash? Check out how we can help! @
HomeMattersUSA #NeighborhoodMatters http://ow.ly/ImgWL (NFC Website)
Page 42
47. social media calendar
February 3
Facebook: A stable home helps level the playing field. Learn more about our partnership with
Home Matters by visiting homemattersamerica.com. #NeighborhoodMatters
Twitter: Have improvements that could be made in your home? Contact us & see how we help
you finance with advantage loans. #NeighborhoodMatters
February 4
Facebook: Mark your calendars for the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting on February
11th at 7pm held at St. Kate’s. All residents are welcome to join, so drop by and hear how we
can help new and existing homeowners hoping to purchase a home or make home improve-
ments. #NeighborhoodMatters
Page 43
48. social media calendar
February 4
Twitter: We want to know, what does your neighborhood mean to you? #NeighborhoodMatters
February 5
Facebook: We want to make sure you can afford your dream home. Partner with us to see how
we can help you buy or fix up your home to make it safe for you and your loved ones. Because
#NeighborhoodMatters and your Home Matters to us. www.neighborhoodfinance.org
Twitter: NFC partners with @HomeMattersUSA. Learn more about our partnership by visiting
http://homemattersamerica.com
Page 44
49. social media calendar
February 6
Facebook: We want to know, what does your neighborhood mean to you? #NeighborhoodMat-
ters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7IXXlittVc (Neighborhood Matters Video)
Twitter: Tell us, what does your neighborhood mean to you? #NeighborhoodMatters http://
ow.ly/IAnFZ (Neighborhood Matters Video)
February 7
Twitter: Your loans work harder for you at NFC, partner with us to improve your home!
#NeighborhoodMatters http://ow.ly/IFIQ9 (NFC Website)
February 8
Twitter: Don’t forget to come to come hear about NFC at 7 pm on February 11th at St. Kate’s.
#NeighborhoodMatters
February 9
Facebook: We know what it meant to this guy. Tell us why #NeighborhoodMatters to you!
Twitter: We know what it meant to this guy, tell us why #NeighborhoodMatters to you!
Page 45
50. social media calendar
February 10
Facebook: Want to learn more about what Neighborhood Finance Corporation can do for you?
Join us at the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting tomorrow night at 7 pm at St. Kate’s.
Hear all about our mission to revitalize Des Moines one home at a time.
#NeighborhoodMatters
Twitter: Come hear about NFC's work in the Drake neighborhood tomorrow, 7pm @ St. Kate’s.
#NeighborhoodMatters @DrakeNeighbor
February 11
Facebook: Don't forget to join us at the Drake Neighborhood Association meeting TONIGHT
at 7pm at St. Kates to learn more about how we can help revitalize the Drake Neighborhood.
Treats will be served!
Twitter: Join us tonight at the @DrakeNeighbor meeting! 7pm @ St. Kate's, treats will be
served! #NeighborhoodMatters
Page 46
51. social media calendar
February 12
Facebook: Thanks to everyone who came out to hear from us last night at the Drake Neighbor-
hood Association meeting! If you missed it, have no fear! Go to our website or give us a call
to find out if we can help make your home ownership dreams a reality. #NeighborhoodMatters
http://www.neighborhoodfinance.org/
Twitter: Thanks all who came to the @DrakeNeighbor meeting last night! Missed it? Give us a
call & see what we can do for you! #NeighborhoodMatters
February 15
Facebook: As part of our partnership with Home Matters, we want to know, what does your
neighborhood mean to you? #NeighborhoodMatters
Twitter: We want to know, what makes your home a home? @HomeMattersUSA #Neighbor-
hoodMatters
February 17
Facebook: Celebrate the National Random Act of Kindness day by telling a neighbor or friend
in about NFC. Because a safe, livable, and affordable home is important.
#NeighborhoodMatters http://www.neighborhoodfinance.org/
Twitter: Celebrate the National Random Act of Kindness day & tell a neighbor
about NFC. Because #NeighborhoodMatters http://ow.ly/JauEw (NFC website)
Page 47
52. social media calendar
February 18
Facebook: Check out why #NeighborhoodMatters to these Drake Neighborhood residents and
tell us why your neighborhood matters to you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7IXXlittVc
(#NeighborhoodMatters video)
February 19
Twitter: See why #NeighborhoodMatters to these Drake residents and tell us what your Neigh-
borhood means to you! http://youtu.be/C7IXXlittVc (#NeighborhoodMatters video)
February 21
Facebook: We sat down with Drake Neighborhood residents Dana and Aubrey Jones to discuss
why they chose NFC and why their #NeighborhoodMatters to them. Check it out and share
what your neighborhood means to you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGaVRtoqQI&fea-
ture=youtu.be (Dana and Aubrey Interview video)
Twitter: Drake Neighborhood residents Dana & Aubrey tell us about the NFC experience &
why #NeighborhoodMatters, check it out! http://ow.ly/JrI4k (Dana and Aubrey Interview video)
February 22
Facebook: "It's not about profits, it's about getting people into homes and revitalizing neigh-
borhoods" - The Jones family, speaking about their experience with NFC. See below for more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGaVRtoqQI&feature=youtu.be
Twitter: "It's not about profits, it's about getting people in homes and revitalizing neighbor-
hoods" - Dana Jones, speaking about his NFC experience.
February 23
Facebook: Only 5 days left of our #NeighborhoodMatters campaign! Tag 5 friends and share
why your neighborhood matters to you.
Twitter: We help finance home improvements and downsizing for homeowners in key target
areas, like the Drake neighborhood. #NeighborhoodMatters
Twitter: Only 5 days left to share why your #NeighborhoodMatters to you! Have you shared
yours yet?
Page 48
53. social media calendar
February 24
Facebook: Check out these simple ways you can brighten your neighborhood today courtesy
of our friends at Home Matters! #NeighborhoodMatters http://health.usnews.com/health-news/
articles/2013/01/11/try-one-of-these-11-good-deeds (US News Article: 11 Good Deeds You Can
Try Today)
February 25
Facebook: Tired of apartment living? Maybe it's time to move into a house! Let us help you
finance your first home, contact us for more information. http://www.buzzfeed.com/neighbor-
hoodfinancecorporation/9-things-you-can-do-in-a-house-that-you-couldnat-1bfpt (Buzzfeed
Article)
February 26
Facebook: Dreaming of having your own fairy tale home? This goal is within your reach with
the help of Neighborhood Finance Corporation. We offer mortgages loans and unique forgiv-
able loans of up to $10,000. Check out this video about how our clients have used NFC to
create their own fairy tale. #NeighborhoodMatters #NatFairytaleDay https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=2AGaVRtoqQI&feature=youtu.be (Dana And Aubrey Interview video)
Twitter: 9 things you can do in a house that you couldn't do in an apartment http://ow.ly/JFdoN
(Buzzfeed article)
Twitter: Check out our video to see a couple's fairytale come true with the help of NFC.
#NeighborhoodMatters #NatFairytaleday http://ow.ly/JyiNv (Dana and Aubrey Interview video)
February 27
Twitter: Why does your neighborhood matter to you? Join us in a discussion with #Neighbor-
hoodMatters. http://ow.ly/JyiXT (#NeighborhoodMatters video)
Page 49
54. social media calendar
February 28
Facebook: Thank you for joining us on our #NeighborhoodMatters campaign! We loved hear-
ing about why neighborhood matters to the Des Moines community. Our neighborhoods are
so important which is why we work hard to make home ownership and home improvements a
reality for our clients. Give us a call and see what we can do for you!
Twitter: Thank you for joining us on our #NeighborhoodMatters campaign this month. We
loved hearing from you!
Page 50
58. pre-campaign analytics
There were no pre-campaign analytics available for Twitter, as NFC had not activated Twitter
Analytics yet. The Buzzfeed account and YouTube channels were created specifically for the
#NeighborhoodMatters campaign, so there were no available analytics for those platforms
either.
Page 54
64. facebook analytics
Our boosted posts can be seen in the lists of posts above. We paid to boost the viewership of
three posts. The first, on February 18, promoted our #NeighborhoodMatters video. The sec-
ond, on February 22, promoted our video interview with Dana and Aubrey. Finally, our last
post linked to our Buzzfeed Article, “9 Things You Can Do In A House That You Couldn’t Do
In An Apartment.”
Page 60
72. Aubrey and Dana were asked these five questions.
1. What led you to use NFC's services?
2. Tell us about your experience with Neighborhood Finance Corporation.
3. Why did you choose to live in the Drake Neighborhood?
4. Why does your neighborhood matter to you?
5. For you, what makes a home feel like home?
interview questions
interview pictures
Page 68
83. website banners
These banners were posted on the Neighborhood Finance Corporation website for the month
of February.
Page 79
84. community events
Door hangers
DrakeNeighborhood
Association
- monthly meeting -
February 11
St Catherine of Siena
We will be hosting a
speaker from the
Neighborhood Finance
Corporation, a local agency
that makes affordable housing
feasible in our neighborhood.
Dessert will be provided.
Join us
7:00PM
Front Back
Page 80
87. Drake neighborhood
association pictures
Neighborhood Finance
Corporation Executive
Director Stephanie
Preusch attended the
Drake Neighborhood
Association meeting,
and future NFC
Neighborhood
Advisor Nicole came to
her first meeting.
Dana Jones spoke
about his experience
with NFC at the Drake
Neighborhood
Association meeting.
Page 83
89. media relations
Press release
Drake
Students
Team
Up
With
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
for
National
Competition
Drake
Public
Relations
Students
work
with
local
Home
Matters
affiliate
to
promote
the
importance
of
neighborhoods.
FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
DES
MOINES,
IA
–
Five
Drake
University
public
relations
students
have
teamed
up
with
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
to
promote
the
Drake
Neighborhood.
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
(NFC)
is
a
local
not-‐for-‐profit
mortgage
company
that
originates
mortgage
loans
for
qualified
applicants
in
order
to
improve
Des
Moines’
neighborhoods.
In
order
to
promote
the
Drake
Neighborhood,
the
#NeighborhoodMatters
campaign
has
been
created.
The
#NeighborhoodMatters
campaign
encourages
residents
to
share
why
their
neighborhood
matters
to
them.
The
goal
of
this
campaign
is
to
remind
people
of
how
much
investing
in
their
own
home
improvements
can
improve
the
overall
quality
of
a
neighborhood.
“The
Drake
students
involved
in
the
Bateman
Competition
have
captured
the
importance
of
homeownership
and
neighborhood
revitalization,
and
I
appreciate
their
enthusiasm
for
NFC’s
mission,”
said
Stephanie
Preusch,
NFC
Executive
Director.
Residents
can
participate
via
social
media
by
liking
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
–
NFC
on
Facebook
and
following
@NFCDM
on
Twitter.
The
Drake
students
participating
in
the
2015
Bateman
Public
Relations
Competition
include
senior
Mary
Kelly,
junior
Hope
Waggoner,
sophomores
Grace
Rogers
and
Kelly
Marble
and
first-‐year
Jordan
McEntaffer.
About
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation:
Neighborhood
Finance
Corporation
provides
unique
lending
programs
and
other
services
to
facilitate
targeted
neighborhood
revitalization
in
Polk
County,
Iowa
through
partnerships
with
residents,
governments,
community
based
organizations
and
the
business
community.
NFC
offers
purchase
loans,
refinance
loans,
home
improvement
loans
and
NFC
Properties
LLC.
This
program
is
made
possible
through
partnerships
with
the
City
of
Des
Moines,
Polk
County,
Des
Moines
Area
Banks
and
Neighborhood
Associations.
NFC
is
a
NeighborWorks
Organization
and
Fair
Housing
Lender.
NMLS#_8943
###
Media
Contact:
Hope
Waggoner
Member
of
the
2015
Bateman
Competition
Team
Hope.waggoner@drake.edu
402.570.5509
Page 85
90. Times-Delphic Article
Bateman Competition tests PR majors
Written by Grace Rogers
If you have noticed the hashtag #NeighborhoodMatters popping up on your social net-
works lately, you can thank a group of Drake University students. These five public relations
majors are participating in the national Bateman Competition.
“Bateman is a national case studies competition that happens yearly,” said Kelly Mar-
ble, a sophomore member of the team. “It happens with about 50-60 teams from around the
country. It’s an opportunity for students to plan, evaluate, and implement a full-scale public
relations campaign.”
While some schools require their students to participate in the Bateman Competition, it
is optional for Drake students.
“The unique thing about Drake’s Bateman team is that we do it as an extracurricular
activity, while a lot of other teams around the country do it as their senior capstone” Marble
said. “For us, we have everyone from freshman to seniors on the team and it allows everyone
to get an experience.”
“I think Bateman is an awesome opportunity for PR students who are really motivated
to go the extra mile to see a project through from beginning to end,” said Public Relations
Professor Jennifer Glover-Konfrst. “I think it’s important that they can do that in an environ-
ment where they get to actually see their results.”
This year, the team was allowed to find a client close to home.
“The overall client this year is Home Matters, but we were allowed to either focus on
Home Matters or incorporate a local affiliate of theirs,” said Jordan McEntaffer, a freshman
on the team. “So we chose to add the Neighborhood Finance Corporation which is here in Des
Moines.”
“Neighborhood Finance provides low interest and forgivable loans to people who might
not otherwise qualify,” Marble said. “For example, one of their clients didn’t have a credit his-
tory, so the bank normally would not give them a loan to buy a home. Through Neighborhood
Finance, they were not only able to get a loan to buy a home in the Drake neighborhood, but
they were also able to get a forgivable loan to make improvements to their house.”
Participating in the Bateman Competition allows students to gain experience they may
not get in their regular classes.
“We do a lot of public relations planning in classes throughout the major, but with
Bateman you actually get to implement the plan, which is something you don’t always get to
do,” Glover-Konfrst said. “So it’s a really great opportunity to see your ideas in action.”
“I was told it was a great way to gain PR experience,” McEntaffer said. “It seemed like a
way for me to figure out if I truly wanted to do PR, and so far, it’s been amazing.”
To find out more about the Bateman campaign, you can follow the Neighborhood
Finance Corporation on Twitter - @NFCDM – or like them on Facebook. The competition runs
through the end of February.
Page 86
91. Page 87
Included on this CD:
• Copies of the #NeighborhoodMatters and Dana and Aubrey Interview videos
• Radio PSAs
• Facebook analytics
