NGO campaign: How Can You Stay Home If You Don’t Have One? Praksis Greece

I. Introduction

The non-profit organization I have chosen to work with is Praksis. The organization tends to exclusively work with minority groups, and those in need, and emphasize how essential it is to elevate their role in our society. The campaign specifically focuses on the preservation of the homeless under the conditions of the pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 rose unprecedented levels of anxiety and paranoia amongst the crowds, on an international level. Greece managed to contain the situation during the initial wave that hit Europe in March adequately well, keeping the situation under control. However, the second wave submerged the country and its economy, leaving it with little to no choice but to declare another lockdown.

One of the most popular slogans that circulates on every social media platform, and in every news-release is ‘Stay at Home,’ and it quickly brought people together under these circumstances. A sense of collectivity and relatability tends to provide people with a sense of ease, because they feel like they have something to grab onto. Following these events, Praksis has initiated many programs in order to give aid to those who do not have the possibility to seek it on their own, such as refugees, orphans, etc.

The idea of this PR campaign precisely focuses on people with no homes, trying to survive under these conditions. It is called ‘How Can You Stay Home if You Don’t Have One?’ It prioritizes medical assistance provided to the homeless, all around Greece and not just in the main cities, whilst seeking for volunteers with medical degrees.

II. Organization’s Profile

A. History

Non-profit organization Praksis was founded in 2004 by Tzanetos Antipas. He was the president of the organization, until his passing in 2017. The organization is of Greek origin, and solely operates along the Greek borders, specifically covering all of Attica, Patra, central Macedonia, Lesvos, Samos and Chios. Nonetheless, they are providing their services to whomever seeks for them regardless of location within Greece. The organization has not been operating for many years, compared to some others, however it has a very respectable reputation. It is currently actively running 47 programs for minority groups, whilst there are 560,000 people who benefit from them annually, (PRAKSIS, 2020).

B. Mission and Vision

Their mission of Praksis is to formulate medical and humanitarian programs, which are targeted towards high-risk social groups in hopes to preserve and support their social rights, and subsequently elevate their role. This non-profit organization more closely advocates for the rights of refugees, homosexuals, drug users, sex workers, people who are HIV positive, orphans, the homeless and many more people who are at risk. The vision of the organization primarily aims at reducing homelessness by providing a roof and supplies to those who lack them. Additionally, they try to provide medical assistance and contribute to the inclusion and strengthening of the groups in need. In fact, there have been many campaigns highlighting the urgent situation refugees are in, who are in desperate need for medical maintenance. Finally, the organization seeks to aid children living under dangerous, inappropriate or poor conditions.

C. Values

The values of the organization are simple and straightforward, giving a blueprint on how people should behave. Primarily, there is free provision to those who need it. There is propulsion of reciprocity and volunteering because non-profit organizations cannot function without volunteers. Additionally, there is cooperation with other organizations to work towards a common goal. Finally, there is cooperation with local authorities and regions, in order to efficiently operate their programs.

D. Objectives

Their primary objectives are to communicate their vision to the public, by raising awareness about specific issues.

· Raise awareness and sensitization about public health issues like HIV or hepatitis

· Provide provision of primary health care for refugees, and people who cannot afford it

· Support children who are experiencing social or economic exclusion, living in precarious conditions, victims or potential victims of trafficking

· Raise awareness by advocating against discrimination, prejudices and stigmas regarding mobile populations, such as refugees, asylum seekers etc.

Then, the behavioral objective is, if the awareness has worked, to get people to volunteer and actively contribute.

E. Target Audience

The target audience of non-profit organizations can be vastly broad, or extremely narrow accordingly. Subsequently, it can be divided into primary and secondary target audiences, “The beneficiaries of the NGO fall into the first category, while funding agencies, the target audience or the government fall into the second category,” (Sleurink, 2002). This practically means that the primary client of a non-profit organization is the people its programs refer to, or also known as the beneficiaries as mentioned. Eventually, we move to the secondary clients, who are essential when constructing PR campaigns. Often NGOs work with local government officials, or spokespersons who are of a specific reputation. Usually, the target audience is sensitized people, who are interested in advocacy.

As far as the target audience for Praksis goes, the primary client is the minority and high-risk social groups. The 47, already running, programs of the organization are referring directly at them. Now, the secondary clients are people willing to volunteer, and contribute to their projects. The same goes for donors; there are primary donors and secondary donors.

F. Stakeholders and Competition Benchmarking

The stakeholders of a non-profit organization are essential, since without them the organizations would not be able to operate. They are usually foundations, companies or governmental institutions that fund them, in order to execute their services. In this case, Praksis’ stakeholders are the Hellenic parliament, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, LDS charities, Latsis Foundation, Citi Foundation, World Jewish Relief, GIVMED, and the Food Bank Foundation (PRAKSIS, 2020). The organization is funded by many private foundations; however, it is also funded by the government.

Praksis has, in fact, collaborated with a few actors and influencers in Greece, for their campaigns to sensitize the public. One of their campaigns, in collaboration with respectable actors like Alekos Sissovitis, was to raise awareness for AIDS and hepatitis. Additionally, they have also worked with Akis Pretetzikis, well-known chef all around Greece, for a campaign to support refugees.

As far as competition benchmarking goes, which is a “careful comparison of performance data, usually against other local authorities, but in some cases also against the private or voluntary sector,” (Bovaird, 1998, p. 6). Usually, benchmarking is useful when you want to see where you stand in comparison to other competitive brands/companies/organizations. In this case, the world of non-government organizations is very wide internationally. In Greece “there are 40 non-government organizations currently active in the camps on the Greek islands and the mainland,” (Wallis, 2020). In the case of NGOs, benchmarking is useful because it facilitates the detection of risks or weaknesses. Usually, an organization that is non-profit must be transparent. When something is transparent, it means that it has the ability to easily see through it. This mainly has to do with funding principles. The non-profit sector has been characterized to be going through “a crisis of accountability and transparency,” (McGann and Johnstone, 2006, p. 66). Praksis has not undergone such a crisis, withholding a respectable reputation to the public eye. They claim that 86% of the funds are spent on the ongoing programs, whilst 14% is given for administrative and operating expenses (PRAKSIS, 2020). They have full reports on their revenues and expenses for every year starting from 2007, on their website. This provides the audience with a clear overview of where they stand.

G. SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Usually, the strengths and weaknesses are an internal evaluation, whilst opportunities and threats inspect the external factors. When identifying the strengths and weaknesses, you must analyze “resources, capabilities, core competences and competitive advantages, using a functional approach to review finance, management… reputational factors and innovation,” (Sammut-Bonnici & Galea, 2015, p. 1). As far as opportunities and threats go, you must evaluate competitor environment, and subsequently come up with opportunities or threats that must be grabbed or avoided at all costs.

a. Strengths

· The mission and vision of the organization

· A respectable relationship with its stakeholders, the government included

· Transparency

· Ongoing activities are successful

· Partnership with European programs (Right After Care)

· Good website

b. Weaknesses

· During lockdown, since most donations went towards hospitals, in order for the medical staff to support the healthcare system, donations towards organizations like Praksis have been reduced. This means that funds collected were not enough to support all the programs.

c. Opportunities

· Support from the media, which is a sure way to get through to the public nowadays

· Good community response

d. Threats

· COVID-19 has restricted face-to-face interactions, therefore some programs cannot be run to their full potential

H. PESTEL Analysis

PESTEL analysis stands for political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and ethical. This is another form of analysis and it is a framework to assess external influencing factors on the organization.

Political factors inevitably have a huge impact on organizations and how they operate. The government system under which Greece operates right now, facilitates the operation of these organizations. This is because liberal democracy grants the citizens with more freedoms than any other political system. In addition, European integration is strong.

Economic factors have just as big of an impact as political factors, if not more. We are living under a capitalist economy, where mostly everything is privately owned. Whilst the economy was picking up, after years of trying to recover from the recession crisis, the outbreak of the coronavirus jumpstarted a crisis worse than the last one. Unemployment has risen again.

Social factors for Greece are not very ideal and have not been since the crisis. The average income levels are not sufficient, pensioners are being cut off money, and refugee numbers are increasing. This eventually signifies that the camps are filling up. Praksis has programs exclusively supporting people experiencing social and/or economic exclusion, as well as many programs to help refugees and improve their preexisting living conditions in Greece.

Technology is evolving and getting refined all around the world. In fact, Greece is a well-developed country as far as technology goes. “Citizens and tourists alike can rely on the same high level of digital connectivity as in any other European country,” (Bush, 2019).

Legal factors always affect the way a society operates, and therefore how everything within it operates. “For the most part, Greek law is codified and, unlike Anglo-American common law, only enacted laws either in the form of codes or other statutes are the sources of law,” (Business law in Greece, n.d.)

Finally, the environmental factors are also essential. Greece has, in fact, been involved and has signed quite a few agreements on the conservation of the environment. “Overall, this means that Greece actually stands within international expectations for environmental policy,” (Bush, 2019).

I. Challenge/Opportunity

Praksis has many implemented programs and works with a lot of different social groups. When working with homeless people specifically, the real challenge is making sure the person is really in need. Therefore, they must work with the relative governmental institutions in order to gather the appropriate data of the number of people that truly lack a roof over their heads. It is very common to see people on the streets, who claim they are homeless, but are not. Even though this practically does not harm anyone, these people would be taking the resources from people who desperately need them.

ΙΙΙ. The Campaign

A. Brief Summary

This campaign is about the preservation of rights of high-risk social groups, susceptible to danger and more prone to diseases. To be more specific, the whole focus revolves around homeless people, who do not have access to a home in the midst of this pandemic, during which we are all instructed to stay at home. Those who do not have a roof over their head cannot comply by those instructions. This campaign called ‘How Can You Stay Home If You Don’t Have One?’ is dedicated towards providing medical aid to homeless people all around Greece, and not just in the big cities like Athens and Thessaloniki.

B. Mission

The main mission of the campaign is to create program, for which doctors from around the country will volunteer. This program will be for the homeless people all around Greece to get the medical assistance they should, like check-ups, any prescription drugs that they might be in need of. Living, or rather surviving without a roof over your head in the midst of a pandemic, during which everything is on lockdown, must be nearly impossible.

C. Vision

The vision according to the campaign is to increase the provision of healthcare to homeless people around the country, in order to specifically help them survive the COVID-19 outbreak. Basic healthcare is unattainable for them; therefore, it is vital to offer them the opportunity.

D. Objectives

The objectives of a campaign can be seen as the goals. There are a few characteristics they must abide by, in order for them to be accurate. Primarily, they have to be specific and well-defined, so the goal is clear. They have to be measurable, so it can be pinpointed if the goal has been exceeded or has not been met in the first place. Furthermore, objectives should be attainable, meaning that a goal should support the organization’s resources, so that they can be achieved. In addition, they must be relevant and timely. This means that they should in line with the organization’s mission, vision and values, as well as be attainable within a reasonable timeframe. Overall speaking, when conducing a campaign there are two types of objectives to take into consideration: impact and output. “Impact Objectives demonstrate how your organization has changed participants’ attitudes, knowledge, or behavior in the short term… Outcome objectives help measure quantifiable progress against benchmarks and goals grounded in measurable data,” (SMART Objectives - New Mexico Department of Health. n.d.).

a. Impact objectives

· Informational Objectives

Ø To inform at least 15% of doctors and medical students in big cities of the need homeless people are in due to the pandemic.

Ø To sensitize the doctors and make them feel as if they have a social responsibility, by 10% in the first running month of the campaign.

Ø To raise awareness of the risks homeless people are exposed to, now more than ever, by 10% in the first month of the campaign.

Ø To inform doctors and/or medical students about what they can do to help by 40% in the first 2 months of the campaign.

· Attitudinal Objectives

Ø To generate a positive approach towards the organization and subsequently the campaign, in medical staff and doctors who would be willing to volunteer, by 35% during the first month of the campaign.

Ø To formulate positive attitudes towards the preservation and maintenance of the homeless by 30% in the first month.

· Behavioral Objectives

Ø To have at least 50% of doctors and medical students respond to the personalized letters the organization will send, to ask for their help, in the first 5 months of the campaign.

Ø To have at least 35% of the target audience visit the website of the organization, praksis.gr, by the end of the campaign.

Ø To persuade at least 50% of the target audience to volunteer in the campaign, so homeless people around the country can get the help they need, by the end of the campaign.

b. Output Objectives

Ø To send selected general practitioner doctors, and medical students in their last year of studying, personalized letters in order to let them know the campaign needs them to work.

Ø To make flyers and posters and distribute/hang them in hospital grounds, or medical schools in order to inform them of the campaign.

Ø To post information about the new campaign on their social media platforms, i.e. Facebook

Ø To create an online event to inform the target audience further and mobilize them.

Ø Distribute an email, praksis@gmail.gr, in order for them to send their volunteer forms.

Ø Create t-shirts for the volunteers

E. Target Audience and Segmentation

The target audience of a campaign is one of the most important elements to take into consideration. “Audience is the bedrock upon which every business is built,” (Rohrs & Stewart, 2013, p. 8). This is due to the fact that everything is tailored according to them. From the main message, to the objectives and everything in between.

When trying to reach a target audience, an audience segmentation is important. “It is the process of dividing a large audience into smaller groups of people- or segments- who have similar needs, values or characteristics,” (How to Do Audience Segmentation, n.d.) This ensures that the message will be tailored according to the characteristics and will efficiently reach the audience. The narrower the target group is, the easier it will be.

In this case, there is a primary and a secondary audience. The primary audience for the campaign is doctors, ages from 40 to 55, with a general practitioner specialization. They live and work in the big cities like Athens or Thessaloniki but are willing to travel around the country to provide their services. These people are voluntarily pleased to offer provision, and perhaps are already involved in other philanthropic actions. It is in their beliefs to help those in need.

The secondary audience is medical students, who are not necessarily needed to help the homeless, but perhaps are needed to offer assistance service to the doctors. These students are in their last year of their general studies, before picking a specialization. They are usually in their early 30s and seek for a chance to gain experience in the field, especially next to specialized doctors. Surely, this group of people also has similar beliefs that we should help when we can, and those who are in need.

As far as geographical location goes, the doctors and the students are most likely be living and working in the big cities, but are willing to travel, since the campaign covers the entire country.

Regarding the financial aspect, surely the campaign will need funding. This will come from the already existing sponsors.

F. Main Message and Strategy

The main message of the campaign is the first thing that reaches the audience, and it should be catchy in order to spark attention and mobilize the audience. It will be “the homeless can’t #stayhome.” The message will be used on the site, on social media, and printed on the flyers and the posters that will be distributed.

The use of hashtag not only is a way to connect everyone under the specific theme, but it is used in the same way it was used by everyone during quarantine. #stayhome circulated on every single platform, and it was even seen on top of the TV screen next to the channels. In addition, it was placed next to the networks on cellphone screens. Since everyone is familiar with the slogan, the message that claims that homeless people do not have the choice to stay at home, like we do, it will have an impact.

The campaign calls for unity within the medical world, since they are the only people who have the qualities to provide medical assistance. In this sense, there must be available platforms in order to provide them with the appropriate information, and subsequently help them make the decision of whether they want to volunteer or not.

The campaign will last for a few months, starting in January 2021, since it can be said with uncertainty when this pandemic will end. For starters, it will be held until the summer of 2021.

G. Tactics

New media, like platforms online including social media, and the site of the organization, will be used to reach the medical students. These students are in the generation of millennials. This generation has a satisfactory relationship with social media and are a part of their everyday life.

· Online Media

A page will be added on the official Praksis website, under their campaigns. It will talk about the purpose behind it, and how it is significant to contribute in any way we can and better the society we are a part of. The posters that will be printed, will also be posted in a digital version on social media, with the message of the campaign “The homeless can’t #stayhome.” Since posts under the same hashtags appear under the same page, it will be seen by a lot of people. The main point is to stir attention in the medical community.

Additionally, an online event will be held after enough awareness has been raised, in order to provide more thorough information to the target audience. This is important because the event will be held for those who have made a subscription, without meaning that they have volunteered yet. During the event, they will be informed of how the campaign will play out and what they will need to do.

· Posters and Flyers

The posters for this campaign are a useful too because they will be hung in hospitals and medical schools, in order to inform people that the campaign is in action. Furthermore, they are there to attract attention to the issue of the homeless struggling to survive under the COVID-19 crisis. The message of the campaign is presented in the posters, and overall they are composed of darker colors whilst also using hints of red which is the color of the organization. This seems to attract the eye someone walking by, especially if these are put up in hospitals. More specifically, they will be placed in big public hospitals like KAT Hospital, Attikon General Hospital, Chalkida General Hospital, Volos "Achilopouleio" General Hospital, and generally in many hospitals in the bigger cities of Greece. This does not mean, however, that the campaign singlehandedly focuses on the homeless people in those cities. The doctors will be asked to travel to near areas of their city, of course knowing that before they volunteer.

As far as medical students, the same posters and flyers will be handed out in medical schools. The same information will be placed on social media, emphasizing how the students must be fully educated on the matter and should be in their last year of their main studies.

Poster 1:

Poster 2:

Flyer:

· Personalized Letter

Using the target group profile, certain general practitioners around the country will be chosen and will get sent a personalized letter, asking them if they would be willing to volunteer in the campaign. Those people will be doctors, who are involved in other philanthropic causes as well, and are between ages 40-55. It will read:

Dear Doctor…

We are Praksis, a non-profit organization that operates in Greece. We are currently running 47 programs in relation to high-risk social groups. Our mission is the eradication of economic and social rejection of vulnerable groups. As a result, we are implementing a new program, which will revolve around the provision of healthcare for homeless people, who are currently struggling to survive the Coronavirus outbreak. The campaign is called “How Can You Stay Home If You Don’t Have One?”

We are addressing you, through this letter, to become a volunteer in this campaign, for you to contribute to our great deal of effort to help homeless people around the country. General practitioners from big hospitals around Greece are being called to volunteer in this project, in an attempt to extirpate the risks homeless people are exposed to during these times of need.

For more information you can visit praksis.gr or email us at praksis@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns. You can find us on social media for further details.

We hope you will join us.

King regards,

Praksis

· T-Shirts for the Volunteers

H. Evaluation

The evaluation for this campaign will play out as such. Primarily, interaction on social media will be monitored, follows, likes, views and comments. In addition, the website visits will be monitored. Since there will be an online event held before volunteering begins, it will be easier to see how many people the tactics have reached. The numbers of flyers will be counted, to get a rough estimate how many were handed out.

Surveys can be emailed to the doctors who will attend the online event, in order to ask for feedback and if they were left satisfied enough with Praksis’ services and are thinking about volunteering.

Works Cited

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Bush, T. (2019, June 24). PESTLE Analysis of Greece. Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-of-greece/

Business law in Greece. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://www.nordeatrade.com/en/explore-new-market/greece/legal-environment

How to Do Audience Segmentation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://www.thecompassforsbc.org/how-to-guides/how-do-audience-segmentation

McGann, J., & Johnstone, M. (2005). The power shift and the NGO credibility crisis. Int'l J. Not-for-Profit L., 8, 65.

PRAKSIS. (2020, May 26). Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://praksis.gr/

Rohrs, J. K., & Stewart, M. (2013). Audience: Marketing in the age of subscribers, fans and followers. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.acg.idm.oclc.org

Sammut‐Bonnici, T., & Galea, D. (2015). SWOT analysis. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-8.

Sleurink, A. (2002). E-business for NGOs. IICD Research Brief, 2.

SMART Objectives - New Mexico Department of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/general/4925/

Wallis, E. (2020, June 18). NGOs in Greece told to register or cease operations. Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/25447/ngos-in-greece-told-to-register-or-cease-operations