2. Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................... 1
The Intern ............................................................................... 2
The Organization ............................................................ 4
The Event .................................................................................. 6
The Internship .................................................................... 8
Evaluation ............................................................................... 16
3. IntroductionThroughout this summer, I have enjoyed collaborating with others to
advocate for The Cahaba River Society, promoting the organization
and its biggest fundraiser of the year.
I have learned so much this summer. Working remotely in
Tuscaloosa, with the main office in Birmingham, challenged me to
become a better communicator and prove my professionalism and
organizational skills. Monica Carmichael, director of development,
was a wonderful mentor and boss. When she resigned from the
organization mid-way through my internship, I learned to work with
new personalities in the office and further developed my flexibility
and interpersonal skills.
I will always be grateful to have been selected for such a rewarding,
challenging and beneficial program. I am thankful for The Curtis and
Edith Munson Foundation for pairing with The University of Alabama
and nonprofits in the area and giving me more opportunities this
summer than I could have ever imagined.
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4. The Intern
Lauren Williams
I’m Lauren Williams, a rising
senior at The University of
Alabama. I am a double major
in hospitality management and
public relations, with a
specialization in digital
communication management.
Previous internships,
knowledgeable professors and
particpation in the nationally
affiliated, student-run
Capstone Agency have all
prepared me for The Munson
Foundation Internship with The
Cahaba River Society (CRS).
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5. The Intern
Experience
Assistant Director of Media Relations
Capstone Agency, January 2016-Present
Media Relations Coordinator, LessThanUThink
Capstone Agency, September 2015-Present
Media Relations Coordinator, Juice Bar
Capstone Agency, January 2016-Present
Marketing and Events Intern
The Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival, May-July 2015
Sports Marketing Intern
The University of Alabama Athletic Marketing Department,
January-December 2014
Relevant coursework
Introduction to Public Relations, Strategic Thinking, Insights and
Investigations, Principles of Design, Public Relations Writing, News
Writing and Reporting, Technology and Digital Communication
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6. The Organization
Cahaba River Society
Cahaba River Society (CRS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, founded in 1988.
It connects people with the Cahaba River for stewardship, recreation
and education. It promotes building water-smart
communities that sustain the river for people and wildlife. CRS
collaborates to increase partnerships and resources for meeting the
Cahaba’s challenges.
The Cahaba River and its ground water are a primary drinking water
source for the Birmingham Water Works and metro area cities. The
Cahaba is globally significant for freshwater wildlife, with more
species of fish per mile than any other river of its size or larger in
North America.
Mission
To restore and protect the Cahaba River watershed and its rich
diversity of life.
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7. The Organization
Monica Carmichael
Beth Stewart
Helen todd
For the first half of the summer, I worked under Monica Carmichael,
director of development. Monica leads the strategic planning,
management and coordination of CRS’s fundraising efforts.
After Monica’s departure, I worked with Beth Stewart, executive
director. In addition to leading organizational management and
community relations for CRS, she contributes to CRS’ programs,
providing policy advocacy, education, and collaboration for low
impact development.
Lastly, I also worked with Helen Todd, Fry-Down Coordinator and
board member. Helen is the owner of Helen2O:Fluid Communica-
tions, a communications consulting firm in Birmingham. As a long-
time public relations professional, Helen was a wonderful resource.
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8. The Event
the fry-down
My main focus during my
internship was preparing for The
Cahaba River Fry-Down. The event
was created in 2010 and has
become CRS’ biggest fundraiser.
CRS wanted to create a fun event
that built support for the
organization, built partnerships to
sustain work in the future and
educated people about water
quality, wildlife habitat and
drinking water.
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9. The Event
Sponsors
Competitors and judges
With 13 teams and eight judges last year, CRS is hoping to increase
the numbers of teams and judges in this upcoming year. The event
has been growing in popularity in recent years, fueled by a move in
location for the event. During board meetings, we discussed having
two sets of judges. This will allow for growth in the event, a
better experience for the judges and lead to building more
relationships with the community leaders who serve as judges.
Fry-Down has been gaining traction as a urban “foodie” event in the
area. CRS hopes to promote this image with high quality competitors
and judges.
There are 8 levels of sponsorship, ranging from $250 - $10,000,
with various benefits at each level. Sponsorship opportunities are
also offered by becoming a corporate team in the catfish-frying
competition. Last year, Fry-Down had 40 sponsors.
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10. The Internship
Situation analysis
My first task in my internship was a situation or SWOT analysis. I
opted to do this intially so I could become familiar with not only CRS,
but the industry as a whole. Bringing a fresh eye to the organization,
I was able to be objective and look at CRS in a different way than
staff who had been there for years.
Strengths
- Well-known in the area
- Variety of ways to enjoy the
river and support CRS to appeal
to different people
Opportunities
- Grants, sponsorships,
alliances
- Cause marketing partnerships
Weaknesses
- Lack of consistent social media
use
- Outdated website
- Budget constraints
Threats
- Lack of or possible removal of
funding
- Economic crises, governmental
regulations
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11. Keeping a constantly updated media list is vital. CRS has an
extensive list of contacts to utilize in informing the public about CRS
happenings and events. These contacts are used when news releases
go out.
Media List and advertising
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12. news releases
I have written a series of news releases to be released to local
Birmingham media about Fry-Down. I decided to write news releases
focusing on CRS’ needs for help at the time. This includes: an
introductory release, gaining corporate sponsors, registering teams,
signing up volunteers and, finally, a reminder of the event and
overall description again. Each release was written in a print and
audio format.
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13. Calendar coverage
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To ensure the event was on the public’s minds, I submitted the event
to local calendars like Birmingham 365, Weld and My Green Birming-
ham and also created a Facebook event for it. These outlets were all
free of charge and are effective ways of communicating the event’s
details.
14. One of my first tasks was to curate a marketing plan for the event.
I utilized previous years’ marketing plans and feedback from the
board, the committee and previous attendees of the event, as to what
worked and what could be improved upon.
I researched advertising packages and pricing to find a perfect
balance of coverage and cost. Some organizations’ media kits had
nonprofit rates and some did not. I needed to search for that and also
contact last year’s outlets to see if prices would be honored or had
increased. I also focused on reaching a balance of traditional and
digital media outlets, keeping respective audiences in mind as well.
Advertising/Marketing Plan
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15. Fry-down website update
At my first Fry-Down committee meeting, I realized that the website
for Fry-Down had not been updated to the 2016 dates, times and
details. I recognized this as a major problem, as sponsorship
packets and information were already going out; should companies
or the public want to find out more information, everything would be
outdated. I took it upon myself to update the website so that it
accurately portrayed 2016 information.
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16. Informational Flyer
While there is a sponsorship packet full of information, it is
pages long, detailing each sponsorship level. The Fry-Down
Committee wanted a brief flyer to be able to summarize the
opportunities available to corporations, as well as other options to
support CRS, should Fry-Down not be what a company is looking for
at the moment. I designed a two-sided flyer. On one side was details
about CRS, the mission, what it is and who it helps. The other side
includes ways to contribute, both related to Fry-Down and separate.
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17. board meetings
Every two weeks, the board members and staff on the Fry-Down
Committee met to plan the promotion, marketing and execution of
the upcoming event. The team discussed the progress in gaining
sponsors and teams, marketing efforts, volunteer coordination for
day-of, logistics with the layout and set-up of the event, activities for
children and adults, live music performances and the judging panel,
among other details. These meetings were very round-table; it was
interesting to hear others’ perspectives and ideas, as well as
gratifying to contribute my ideas to the group.
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18. Evaluation
Working as an intern for The Cahaba River Society has been such a
wonderful experience. It exceeded my expectations and I truly felt
included as a valued member of the team. From working with local
media, meeting deadlines and participating in board meetings, I had
a glimpse into the professional world. I am honored to have worked
for a nonprofit and contributed, even a small amount, to the good
CRS does for the community.
I am incredibly grateful for The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation
and its partnership with The University of Alabama for giving me this
opportunity of a lifetime.
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