Everyone needs a little help now and then, including people who rush to help others at the sound of a bell. But what about nonprofits created to help those people who rush to help others? Where do charities turn when they need a hand when the going gets rough? Jericho Road Pasadena, that’s where.
No stranger to providing professional and technical assistance to those in need, Jericho Road Pasadena (JRP) plays a very important – and incredibly humbling – role in the Los Angeles area. “It’s only in the past 15 years have people started to realize that nonprofits are indeed businesses and need to be guided like a business,” says JRP director Melanie Goodyear. “We help to facilitate that and hopefully assist them in setting up a long-term solution so they can continue to give back to the community.” And that’s exactly what JRP did for the Widows & Orphans Development & Marketing team.
In 2015, the charity found itself short-handed and in need of cost-effective solutions for its social media platform. According to Melanie, “social media is one of the most inexpensive ways nonprofits can market their goals, while at the same time stay in touch with their community,” so JRP immediately understood their needs. Melanie connected the team to Pasadena-based marketing and SMO expert, Sarah Emery Bunn, through a program where professionals are assigned a one-time project assisting a non-profit for free! As the owner of Bliss Mission Website & Communications Consulting, Sarah relies on her 17 years of experience helping businesses leverage every tool at their disposal to promote their message so the community will know where to turn during times of need.
And Sarah was more than eager to dive right in: “I sat down with them and we talked about the type of things they needed. I took a lot of notes and wrote a plan … a 30,000-feet view they can share with their board to explain why social media matters.” Sarah recognizes each nonprofit can benefit from a focused and efficient marketing plan. “My business provides communication for small business and nonprofits. A lot of social media is involved. Some of it is writing newsletters, some of it is for website content,” explains Sarah.
It’s thanks to the match-making skills of Jericho Road Pasadena that innovative professionals like Sarah can be paired with nonprofits who may need a hand in making their operations run as smoothly as possible, especially those with limited staff. From finances to IT to strategic planning, “we help the nonprofit get itself on a clearer path to where they like to see their business go,“ shares Melanie. With only six years in the Los Angeles area, JRP has certainly made its mark helping the helpers who keep the community safe, healthy and growing. And Widows & Orphans couldn’t be happier they’re here to lend a hand.
For more information about Jericho Road Pasadena, visit them at jrpasadena.org.
To learn more about social media and marketing expert Sarah Bunn, visit BlissMission.com.
By Candace Nicholson