The Challenge

The difference that Downtown Streets Team has been making in Silicon Valley is absolutely astounding, and the facts prove it. Since operating in the city of Palo Alto, there has been 50% reduction in crime, 75% reduction in panhandling, and a 54% reduction in homelessness. But they aren't resting on their laurels, they're committed to even bigger and better things in 2015 and that's where we come in!

Downtown Streets Team is growing and expanding across cities with new contracts and want to get more people involved on a regular basis. The team is slowly changing perceptions about homelessness, person by person- but how can they reach audiences on a wider scale and then respond efficiently? Downtown Streets Team reaches so many audiences and they want to encourage people to get involved through the website, social media and in-person presentations.

Wired Goals

Hard Goals

Homelessness is more expensive, due to its drag on our health and legal system, than it would be to house and feed homeless people.

• Goal 1- Raise awareness, it’s going to take everyone to end homelessness
• Goal 2- Celebrate 10 years

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Soft Goals

• Engage recurring donors (4x$25 is better than $100) and retain them.
• Focus on People- by educating individuals we can change perceptions of the homeless and low-income people living in our communities.
• Expand the message into new cities.
• Wants the website to be more inclusive (becoming membership based). Right now it’s geared exclusively towards volunteers and donors.

Project & Deliverables

Campaign

• Bring awareness of homelessness- “You’re not you when you’re homeless.”
• Tech sector focused campaign- change their perceptions so they can help.

• Create awareness of the environmental aspects of the programs

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  Website

• We’re going to completely overhaul the website to make it responsive and give it a compelling, modern look.

• Stronger messaging

• What they do to help the community

• The impact of the organization

• How people can get involved

• Stronger call to donate

• Uses ‘Classy’ donation platform

• Volunteer management

• Need to be able to see when events are happening

• Needs to be able to remind folks

• Needs to allow users to ‘volunteer’ (subscribe, or RSVP)

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  Print

• Volunteer Shirts/Supporter Shirts:

• Volunteers: actual volunteers in the community.

• Supporters: people who donate.

• Paper

• Mailers (Donor Thank you card)

• Tri-fold (Informational)

• Flyers (Postcard sized for team members)

• Posters (11x17)

• Ad

• Design an ad to fit across a bus

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  Social

• A social media campaign encouraging donation.

• Newsletter- Templates and campaigns. (curPrint

• Volunteer Shirts/Supporter Shirts:

• Volunteers: actual volunteers in the community.

• Supporters: people who donate.

• Paper

• Mailers (Donor Thank you card)

• Tri-fold (Informational)

• Flyers (Postcard sized for team members)

• Posters (11x17)

• Ad

• Design an ad to fit across a bus

• ( Currently using Constant Contact, but open to switching to MailChimp) Media- Website, email, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Vimeo images talking points and donation appeals. #hashtags Video- 30-60 second clips using existing footage with lead-ins, Jingle

Project Insights

Here is some background information that will help us accomplish our project goals. Since its inception in 2005, Downtown Streets Team has grown exponentially. They sprouted from humble beginnings as part of a goal to reduce panhandling and homelessness in Palo Alto and have since began to grow deep roots throughout the Bay Area. Learn more about their history.