MISSOURI
CAN.
What can MoCAN do for you?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
•
Members are educated and passionate
about the cause, but also limited on the time
and energy they can commit to MoCAN.
•
Newsletters are a great way to inform and
inspire organization members.
•
Email communication is still king.
•
Websites are often an organization’s most
effective tool to communicate value to the
public and to members.
•
Networking and professional development
events provide valuable incentives for
MoCAN members to be involved.
•
The recruitment process is a personal one.
Most people connect with an organization
through referrals.
SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Media campaigns
Connection to the University of Missouri
Resources and toolkits
“Seasonal and Simple” phone app
Contributions to policy changes
Specialization of seven work groups
Good source of information
Overwhelming amount of information
Lack of leadership guidelines in work groups
Website is tough to navigate
Mail-in membership form process
Time is volunteered to MoCAN
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Direct impact to their community
Nationwide contributions
Education
Member networking
Collaboration
Reach out to more organizations
Environment
Time as a barrier
Meeting location
Lack of perceived value
Comparable public health organizations
Lobbying stance
Communication.
WEAKNESSES
In terms of internal communication, members perceive
communication from the organization to be lacking or difficult
to access. The biweekly newsletter contains a lot of varied
information that can be overwhelming to members. Many will
not read it because they don’t have time to sift through it to
find the information that is actually applicable to them. Sending
the report as a PDF in an email may inhibit members from
opening and reading it. Since each work group is charged with
managing their own communications, the levels of action and
communication vary for each group. Members may hesitate to
take on leadership roles within their work groups without any
leadership guidelines in place. On the website, content could be
kept more up-to-date. Information for members, specifically the
membership form, is difficult to find. The mission, vision and
accomplishments of MoCAN should be more clearly
communicated and prominently placed. Recent successes
should be highlighted more strongly and prominently to
increase awareness and convey the value of MoCAN’s efforts.
Recruitment methods
The process to complete and mail in the membership form may
be inefficient for timepressed professionals. The website could
use more content about member benefits and value to inform
and persuade potential members.
Time and commitment restraints
Members are limited in the time and energy they can devote to
MoCAN, since most volunteer their time to MoCAN and hold
fulltime careers. The level of commitment varies greatly among
members and among work groups. Members may have
difficulty making quarterly meetings because of their location.
Website.
Recruitment.
Time.
Impact.
Education.
Connections.
Reach.
OPPORTUNITIES
MoCAN offers members the opportunity to make direct impact
in communities with the support and collaboration of other
health organizations. This impact may be most directly seen in
the media campaigns implemented in schools, workplaces and
livable areas. The involvement of many individuals and groups
gives MoCAN statewide presence. With expertise and
resources, MoCAN has the opportunity to implement future
media campaigns. These programs are lasting ways to directly
benefit communities and gain recognition. MoCAN has the
opportunity to impact on a national level. It has contributed to
policy and legislation change nationwide in the past and plans
to continue to do so in the future. A key facet of MoCAN is
education. It has the combined knowledge and resources to
educate current members, potential new members,
policymakers and the general public through its
communications and initiatives. Since members come from
varied areas of public health, MoCAN consists of professionals
who can educate people on all kinds of public health topics.
MoCAN provides opportunities for member networking. When
these connections are made, organizations have more
opportunity to collaborate and make changes in their direct
field. While MoCAN is comprised entirely of health
organizations now, there is opportunity in the future to reach
out to other community organizations that could add new
expertise and perspective to issues and initiatives. For example,
the Built Environment Work Group could benefit from
community organizations related to nature and outdoor
activity. The health issues that MoCAN strives to improve apply
to a vast individual and organization, and there is definite
opportunity for more people to take part.
THREATS
Like any organization, MoCAN faces challenges that threaten its ability to
accomplish its mission. The first set of challenges occur in the environment
where MoCAN works to replace unhealthy school lunch programs and
increase the freshness and quality of student food. MoCAN has developed
workplace wellness toolkits to combat habits that inhibit good health. In
communities, things like fast-food campaigns, opposition to health-related
legislation and overall habits that lead to obesity are examples of threats to
its mission.
When it comes to member involvement and new member acquisition, time
is often the biggest barrier. The majority of MoCAN members are
volunteering their time and resources to MoCAN outside of the time spent
at their regular jobs. Therefore, there must be a perceived value of being a
member. Ineffective communication or a lack of perceived value threaten
MoCAN’s ability to retain current members and attract new members.
MoCAN holds quarterly meetings, but as a statewide organization, one
location cannot be convenient for all members. Work groups are charged
with scheduling their own forms of meetings, which often occur via
teleconference due to the varied locations and time constraints of
members.
MoCAN also competes with comparable Missouri organizations for the time
and attention of current and prospective members. Some groups doing
similar public health-oriented work include: Missouri Public Health
Association, Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies and
Missouri Foundation for Health.
Since MoCAN can’t lobby for legislation and policy changes, there is a fine
line as to whether MoCAN is educating or endorsing. Not all members may
understand the limit of their involvement with policy change or that MoCAN
does not lobby. Additionally, a member’s employer may have a different
policy stance than MoCAN. There is always the threat that policies it works
toward will not get passed, or that legislation will counter MoCAN’s efforts.
Environment.
Time.
Location.
Comparable
organizations.
Lobbying
stance.
LENGTH OF INVOLVEMENT WITH MoCAN
INVOLVEMENT
Of the 53 percent who did not want to
be more involved in MoCAN, their
reasons why:
75
17
Percent
Percent
cited “no time
available”
said their “time goes to
other organizations”
ANOTHER
17
Percent
didn’t see
any benefit
25 percent of respondents chose “other.”
NETWORKING EVENTS
• Getting members engaged is key by
having fun events that encourage
members to bring a friend, we can
grow
• Messaging work group ideas to for
monthly events centered around
living and eating in healthy ways
• Meet monthly in difference
regions to hike
• Have a nutritionist meet with
members
• Ask a personal trainer, aerobics
or yoga instructor to do
monthly classes
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Website Refresh with Public and
Private Side
• Newsletter
• Email marketing inviting based on
lifestyle to events in their area
• Network radio to reach the masses
• Social media strategy that involves
members sharing information
• Events
• Monthly that are fun, lifestyle
oriented
• Encourage members to invite
friends
WHAT TOOLS COULD MoCAN PROVIDE
FOR RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS?
From our situation analysis and primary research, we
learned that the individuals and organizations that
make up MoCAN share its vision of educating and
motivating Missourians to lead more active, healthy
lives. While these members make up a variety of
demographics, they share a passion for public
health and community activism, as well as a desire
to implement change locally.
MEET: THE ACTIVE ADVOCATORS
These Active Advocators come from all across
Missouri and work in a variety of public health fields.
Here are some at-a-glance stats of Active
Advocators:
•
•
•
•
•
Age: 25 to 45 years old
Male and female
Live in Missouri
Work in public health fields
Have a higher education degree
Let’s dig a little deeper. These Active Advocators are
public healthcare professionals, which means they
are college and possibly higher educated. For most,
it also means they are balancing full-time careers
with personal and family lives. The Active Advocators
offer their time and energy to MoCAN on a
volunteerbasis. This extra commitment
emphasizes that MoCAN members are
involved because of their underlying
passions for public health; however, it also
creates time and involvement limitations.