Center for Independent Living of Central PA Receives Nonprofit Innovation Award
(Camp Hill, Pa.)—The Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP) was recently recognized for its innovative program, Living Well With A Disability, at the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2009 Nonprofit Innovation Awards ceremony. CILCP, a nonprofit organization, which is made up of and serves people with all types of disabilities, won the award for the “Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign” category.
The entries in the “Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign” category were judged on factors such as: how innovative the campaign is; its purpose; how it furthers the mission of the organization; its benefits to the community; changes that have been brought because of it; its ability to be a model to other organizations; and results that weren’t anticipated.
In partner with Suasion, a marketing and communications firm focused on non-profits and social services, CILCP recognized they were challenged by the lack of understanding of the organization’s name. “With Suasion’s support, we understood that the “Center for Independent Living” is a phrase that few outside of the independent living arena understand. Relative to the number of people who could benefit from CILCP’s services, few were aware of our services,” stated Theo Braddy, Executive Director of CILCP.
In addition, most social services organizations are very program-focused, which is largely due to the way these organizations operate. CILCP is no different in this regard. Each program within the organization may operate fairly independently and not take advantage of the efficiencies and shared resources inherent in a more collaborative approach. As such, CILCP’s previous marketing efforts were largely made up of individual program managers acquiring new consumers for their own program, with little cross marketing or sharing of consumers between programs.
In an effort to communicate the organization in a way that resonated with their target audience, and to provide an umbrella that would attract people to all of its programs, a new brand identity and marketing campaign was developed: Living Well With A Disability - One Call. Countless Resources. Endless Opportunities. The unique concept describes exactly what CILCP supports people in doing, and provides a single point of entry for all of CILCP’s services and programs.
Living Well With A Disability is a one-stop resource designed to make sure all individuals with disabilities are living well. By calling a toll-free number (1-877-TO-LIV-WELL), an individual can arrange for a free Living Well With A Disability assessment. The assessment, conducted face-to-face by a Living Well specialist looks at all aspects of a person’s life including housing needs, transportation, employment, social life, hobbies and even dreams and aspirations. Following the assessment, a plan is prepared by the consumer with the assistance of a Living Well specialist. They identify areas of improvement, and outline resources and activities to achieve the consumer’s goals. The consumer is directed to the appropriate programs within CILCP for services in support of this plan. Outside resources are also recommended, as needed. This system ensures that all the appropriate services offered by CILCP are benefitting the consumer. It is a one-stop resource where no request is too large or too small.
The outcomes of the branding continue to exceed prior records. The number of CILCP consumers has increased by 330% in one year, and the program was recently launched by Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Center for Independent Living.
About Center for Independent Living of Central PA
For over 20 years, CILCP has been serving people with all types of disabilities who live in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Mifflin, and Juniata counties. It is a consumer controlled, cross disability organization dedicated to assisting people with disabilities to achieve and maintain independent life styles. From achieving a small task to accomplishing a life-changing goal, CILCP is helping people with disabilities exceed their lifestyle expectations through one point of contact. For more information on Living Well With A Disability visit www.LivingWellWithADisability.org, and for more information on CILCP, visit www.cilcp.org.
For more information regarding this press release or organization, please contact Megan Kurtz at 717-432-2468 or email Megan@TheSuasionWay.com.
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