Massachusetts Broadband Institute !Bridges to Benefits: Outreach + Digital Literacy !Prepared by: BYO consulting!Prepared on: 14 March 2012!

Digital Bridges:! !!

1!

Our digital bridges ensure that all veterans – from digital natives to those who have never turned on a computer before – have the knowledge and awareness needed to access the portal. !

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Types of Bridges to Benefits Campaigns:!

Physical Bridges:! !!

Website:! !!

Although the portal is a digital initiative, we are focusing heavily on physical outreach so that we can meet our veterans and their family members where they are. !

BYO will build a wordpress site to host all of the above resources as needed by our various audience members. This website will act as a hub that supports and chronicles our outreach efforts. !

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Prepared  by  BYO  consul4ng  LLC  2011    

When the MBI launches the Benefits Finder they will also announce their affiliated outreach efforts – the “Bridges to Benefits” Campaign. The name weʼve chosen is intentional and will give people a sense of our vested interest in connecting people with information – all of our outreach efforts can be seen as creating a “bridge to benefits. !

Digital Bridges:! !!

1!

Our digital bridges ensure that all veterans – from digital natives to those who have never turned on a computer before – have the knowledge and awareness needed to access the portal. !

3  

Physical Bridges:! !!

Website:! !!

Although the portal is a digital initiative, we are focusing heavily on physical outreach so that we can meet our veterans and their family members where they are. !

BYO will build a wordpress site to host all of the above resources as needed by our various audience members. This website will act as a hub that supports and chronicles our outreach efforts. !

2! 3!

Prepared  by  BYO  consul4ng  LLC  2011    

Types of Bridges to Benefits Campaigns:!

When the MBI launches the Benefits Finder they will also announce their affiliated outreach efforts – the “Bridges to Benefits” Campaign. The name weʼve chosen is intentional and will give people a sense of our vested interest in connecting people with information – all of our outreach efforts can be seen as creating a “bridge to benefits. !

Digital Bridges:! !!

1!

Our digital bridges ensure that all veterans – from digital natives to those who have never turned on a computer before – have the knowledge and awareness needed to access the portal. !

4  

Physical Bridges:! !!

Website:! !!

Although the portal is a digital initiative, we are focusing heavily on physical outreach so that we can meet our veterans and their family members where they are. !

BYO will build a wordpress site to host the digital literacy modules as well as information about our other Bridges to Benefits campaigns. This website will act as a hub that supports and chronicles our outreach efforts. !

2! 3!

Prepared  by  BYO  consul4ng  LLC  2011    

Types of Bridges to Benefits Campaigns:!

When the MBI launches the Benefits Finder they will also announce their affiliated outreach efforts – the “Bridges to Benefits” Campaign. The name weʼve chosen is intentional and will give people a sense of our vested interest in connecting people with information – all of our outreach efforts can be seen as creating a “bridge to benefits. !

Campaign Development Pillars!Focus on Veterans - We have designed each campaign to be accessible and attractive to our unique community. !!Build Community - Weʼve integrated traditional organizing methods so that 1) we reach the specific audiences we need to reach our deployment goals 2) outreach is not just limited to one instance of communication but rather sustained by a strong community of supporters and 3) creates meaningful change. !!Create meaningful bridges to benefits - Our most important goal is to help veterans use the web to access the services + benefits they need and deserve. All of our campaigns are designed to be a bridge to those benefits. !!

1. Veterans + Family Members !This is our core user group who will use the portal to find information about the benefits and services. !!Low Need Veterans: Low need veterans are relatively stable and less in need of services and benefits. However, it is important that they know about the portal and share it with others who might be in need. !!High Need Veterans: High need veterans need our services but may not have access to the information or resources to do so. It is important that we connect with them in the places they reside, and connect with the people who surround them. !!Family Members: Family members may have service needs and may also be searching on behalf their loved ones. Conducting outreach to family members, and giving them an opportunity to participate in outreach will be critical to our success.!

3. Advocates !This is the group of people who will ensure that veterans, their family members, and our content providers know about the portal. !−  Faith-based leaders !−  Elected Officials !−  Educational institutions!−  Non-elected government

officials in MA !−  Service providers outside

of MA !−  Military officials (Defense,

Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, etc) !

−  Family Readiness Groups !−  Veteran Serving

Organizations (national advocacy + policy groups, American Legion, VFW, etc) !

−  Employers !−  Concerned Citizens !−  Individuals (Craig

Newmark, etc) !−  Foundations!

2. Content Providers!This is the group of individuals and organizations who we will rely on to provide information to the portal. !!VSOs: VSOs often have high case loads, and are looking for a high quality resource to use. They are veterans, and care about the wellbeing of their brothers and sisters in service. Our job is to make their lives easier, and get them invested in the success of the portal. !!Service Providers: Service providers are at the front-lines helping veterans, and similar to the VSOs it is critical that they are invested in the success of the portal. !

Weʼve identified three audience categories critical to success:!

Outreach Goals!1. Provide access to high quality content !

!Veterans + families: Access the benefits !!Content providers: Provide and maintain content !!Advocates: Spread the word about the finder!

!2. Reach a large percentage of veterans + families in MA!!Veterans + families: Share with loved ones!!Content providers: Refer veterans + family members!!Advocates: Spread Advocate for support in MA !

!3. Sustain the site in MA and share the model nationally !!Veterans + families: Advocate within their veterans community!!Content providers: Advocate to service providers and MA leadership!!Advocates: Spread Advocate strategy in other states !

!

Activities of daily life* !!Social Media!!!Events!!!Mobile Devices !!!Email !!!Workplace !!!Professional Networking!!

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Reaching Our Users!

*Civil service jobs, grocery stores, gyms, hospitals, clinics, homeless shelters, etc. !

Locations:! Users ! Advocates!Content Providers!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!!

!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!

!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!!!x!

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

In the following section we will describe all of our

Bridges to Benefits Outreach Campaigns. !

1. Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

We have two components to our digital literacy campaign:! !-  Basic Digital Literacy - all

the info users need to navigate the web to the portal !

-  VSO Digital Literacy - web-based tools that will help VSOs improve their workflow !

 !

1.  Digital Literacy!2. Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

Our social media toolkit gives the Benefit Finder community manager everything they need to know to plan, execute, and evaluate social media campaigns on the following platforms: !-  Facebook!-  Twitter!-  Linkedin !-  Tumblr ! !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3. Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

Online influencers will help us get the word out to a large community of people interested in Government 2.0, Open Government, Technology, and Veterans Issues, giving us the traction we need to create a sustainable movement around the Portal. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!

4. Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The Email Content Strategy will result in a content calendar for the types of information to be shared with the various communities we will be engaging. Furthermore, this strategy will include recommendations for Email Management systems and metrics to measure the efficacy of email campaigns. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5. Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The launch committee will be comprised of our most important advocates who will write op-eds, speak at the press conference, and write blog posts in coordination with the portal launch, creating a surge of publicity for us. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!

6. Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The advisory committee will be comprised of individuals who are a sounding board for the project, and who provide feedback and advice on the ongoing direction of our efforts. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!

7. Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The Proxy Team will represent the project at networking events throughout the veterans, government, design, and technology communities and conduct outreach to veterans and their families. We will provide them with all the information and tools they need to represent the Portal. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8. Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The Community Links Program will be comprised of community members, veterans, and family members who will help distribute packets of information to “everyday” locations across MA, and will represent the portal at community events. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9. Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The Roadshow will be one of the most cost (if not time) effective ways of getting the word out. A kit + script will need to be developed for the MBI community manager to attend events and conferences to talk about the project. !

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !

10. Unconference*!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing!

The Finder will belong to a class of websites that are changing the way that people access government services. Its not just a one-stop-shop for information – it is a guided experience that makes sense of complicated information. !Convening helps build community and spreads the word.!!* Phase II campaign!

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition*!12. Story Sharing!

The Open API will be a great opportunity to engage veterans and family members who have iOS and Android programming experience in this work generating income for the developers and a mobile interface for our users.!!!!* Phase II campaign!

1.  Digital Literacy!2.  Social Media Toolkit!3.  Online Influencers!4.  Email Content!5.  Launch Committee!6.  Advisory Committee!7.  Proxy Team!8.  Community Links!9.  Roadshow !10. Unconference!11. App Competition!12. Story Sharing*!

This concept is to collect uplifting stories of recovery from veterans who have returned from service. This will highlight the importance of accessing benefits and services, and provide an emotional reason to share the information about the portal. !!!* Phase II campaign!