Page 10-11 - 2012-2013 Bi-Annual Report

In the past two years, we were able to expand our marketing and advertising efforts both
online and off.
In 2012, with the support of the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, we launched our newly
rebuilt website, advokid.org. We now have in-house content management, up-to-the-
minute status, and scrolling social media updates right on our homepage. Many thanks to
LevLane for creating such a visually appealing website. We have also become much more
active on social media, re-launching our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest pages,
updating them daily. Follow us online and be sure to share the videos we developed and
produced to spark donor engagement and sponsorship.
Offline, we were able to reach hundreds of thousands of new prospects through an
outdoor billboard generously donated by Steen Advertising and designed by LevLane. We
participated in the Center City District Banner Program, showcasing the same compelling
imagery on banners throughout downtown Philadelphia.
MARKETING
TRAINING
To volunteer at Child Advocates, all attorneys
are asked to attend our full-day “How to
Handle a Child Abuse Case” Volunteer
Training Workshop. Our own Child Advocates
staff joins with local colleagues to teach
the basics of child welfare practices and
victim services, and accompanies interested
volunteers to Courtroom Observations. More
than 100 new volunteer attorneys joined the
effort to advocate for the children in our care
in this two-year period.
Our staff provided a host of other training
sessions attended by more than 2,000
professional and lay colleagues.
Currently in its seventh year, the Outcomes
in Behavioral Health Project is led by
Coordinators Allie Dolan and Laurie Ayler
and promotes understanding of and access
to behavioral health services. The project is
supported by grants from The Pew Charitable
Trusts, Genuardi Family Foundation, Hess
Foundation, 1675 Foundation, North
Penn and Phoenixville Community Health
Foundations and the George W. Rentschler
Foundation, and includes free trainings such
as “Preventing Vicarious Trauma and Burn-out:
Supporting Yourself as You Support Others”
and “Behavioral Health Issues in Dependency
Cases”. These trainings are very attractive to
agencies throughout the region.
Director of Social Work Tracey Thomasey
and Social Worker Supervisor Devon
Ferguson presented “Advocacy for Child
Crime Victims” at the Pennsylvania Pathways
for Victim Services Statewide Conference
and at the 37th National Organization for
Victim Assistance (NOVA) conference in
Alexandria, Virginia. Here, they trained the
audiences to understand the developmental
and therapeutic needs of victims and how
their needs impact testimony. Tracey and
Devon also discussed how to identify factors
and dynamics that can deter successful
engagement of families and victims, and how
to overcome these obstacles.
Child Advocates Social Worker Mili Roca
leads the LGBTQ Youth Project , which works
with children who are marginalized due to
sexual orientation, gender identity or gender
expression. Mili has presented trainings titled
“Best Practices with LGBTQ Youth in Care”
locally as well at the National Independent
Living Conference in Georgia and Florida. Her
trainings address the unique needs of LGBTQ
children and the challenges they face in the
child welfare system. The project is funded by
generous individuals and foundations including
the Carpenter Foundation, the Samuel S.
Fels Fund, the Thomas Skelton Harrison
Foundation, the Hoxie Harrison Smith
Foundation, and Women’s Way.
Director of Research and Evaluation
M. Christine Kenty, Ph.D. presented “Program
Evaluation for CACs and MDTs” at the National
Symposium on Child Abuse and Neglect in
Alabama. Chris was asked by the Northeast
Regional Advocacy Center in Philadelphia
to write a research brief on child advocacy
centers. The brief was later published by the
National Children’s Alliance and is used by
local and state legislators to show the value of
high-quality, multi-disciplinary investigations.
Our Executive Director Frank Cervone has
been busy presenting trainings all over
the country. Frank and others presented
“Protecting Pennsylvania’s Children,” hosted
by the Chester County Bar Association. He
also led “Professional Responsibility in Public
Interest Practice” which was hosted by
Penn Law School, and he joined colleagues
to present “Dispelling the Myths: Counsel
for Children and GALs in Domestic Relations
Cases” at the Family Law Institute. Frank
also held child abuse and neglect trainings
in Charlottesville, Virginia and Nashville,
Tennessee. He covered many topics such as
confidentiality, best interest client-directed
advocacy, whole-child representation,
contemporary approaches to the evaluation of
outcomes and ethical dilemmas.
In June 2013, the Child Advocates Board of Directors approved Vision 2020, a strategic
plan that will guide the agency for the next seven years. Led by Board members Amy
Fox and Ilene Wasserman, the plan was developed over a year and a half of discovery,
analysis and appreciative inquiry. The discovery phase included a comprehensive
interview process with over 40 stakeholders who are involved in the work of Child
Advocates. Five main areas of critical planning include: Mission Statement, Finance
and Fundraising, Staffing and Volunteer Management, Marketing and Public Relations,
and Policy. The adaptable plan will be reviewed as we face future opportunities and
challenges in the coming years. To learn more about Vision 2020, visit advokid.org.
STRATEGIC PLAN
We were ecstatic to welcome 318 new donors in FY12 and 471 in FY13. Our Development
department worked tirelessly to gain new support, led by Director of Development and
Communications, Moira Mulroney, who was featured in the November 2011 issue of
Fundraising Success magazine.
At the end of each year, we sent out holiday cards designed by students from the Russell
Byers Charter School in Philadelphia as part of our annual fundraising appeal. Thanks to
many generous supporters, these cards helped us raise over $100,000 each year!
Our Major Gifts Program is continuing to grow. In FY12, we had 20 individual donor
households who gave significant gifts of $5,000 and above. In FY13, that number grew
to 31 donor households, helping to raise more than $255,000 for our annual fund. Many
thanks to all our generous contributors!
FUNDRAISING