Section I: Organization Information

Name of Agency: Spiral Q Puppet Theater
     
Name/Title of Contact: Tracy Broyles, Executive Director

Address:  3114 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
     
Phone Number: 215-222-6979

Email Address:  tbroyles@spiralq.org
     
Web Address:  www.spiralq.org

Total Number of Staff Members: 5 FTE
     
Total Agency Budget: $432,643

Agency Mission: To mobilize communities, empower marginalized people, and illuminate the victories, frustrations, and possibilities of living in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and similar urban settings through the construction of full-scale giant puppet parades, toy theater, and neighborhood park pageantry.

Fellow’s Job Title: Marketing and Communications Assistant


Section II: The Nitty Gritty

1. Will fellow be working at the same address listed above? If not, please list the address for the fellow’s worksite.
Yes.

2.  Will the fellow have:   

A. ___Own Office?              __X__Shared Office?            ____No Office?  

B. _X_Own Desk?               ____Shared Desk?              ____No Desk?

C. _X__Own Computer?       ____Shared Computer?      ____No Computer?

3. Please state name and title of fellow’s immediate supervisor.
Liza Goodell, Production/Communications Manager

4. Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

_33%_Independently      _33%_As a team member in a group setting   

_33%_As a team leader in a group setting

5. Will fellow be expected to travel as part of his/her position?

If so, will travel be: _X_Within Philadelphia?  ____Outside Philadelphia?

How often will they need to travel?
Sporadic travel may be required to attend Spiral Q events and meetings with partners throughout the city.

Will fellow need: ____a car?   ____a transpass?  _X_occasional tokens?

Will the agency provide or reimburse for these expenses?
Yes.  Travel required will be minimal and will be reimbursed.


Section III:  Community Need
Please submit a one paragraph response for each question.

1. Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly affected by the problem.

Philadelphia has one of the highest poverty rates among cities in the U.S.  According to the Census Bureau, the Philadelphia poverty rate is nearly double the national rate, with 25.1 percent of city residents in poverty last year. These low-income constituents are less likely to have access to arts and cultural activities and are also likely to feel disenfranchised from civic engagement and various forms of “activism.”

2. Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

Spiral Q addresses the need for both civic engagement and access to the arts by working in partnership with community organizations to mobilize local residents. Through collaborative workshops in giant puppetry, neighborhood parades, and public pageants, Spiral Q helps residents come together to learn from each other, develop their creative potential, and advocate for the concerns of their communities. The work of the Fellow will increase Spiral Q’s capacity in the area of marketing and communications, enabling Spiral Q to deepen and expand its engagement of low-income communities. Spiral Q already reaches more than 4,000 individuals through direct services as well as audiences of at least 20,000, but the organization is seeking both to deepen its impact on its current constituency and to market its programs to a wider audience. Specifically, the Fellow will be responsible for assisting in the development of marketing strategies to reach community members who do not typically see themselves as “activists” or “artists” and engage them in Spiral Q’s programs and activities.

3. Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project.
While this position involves working in an office setting, it also requires that the Fellow take a hands-on approach to community outreach. The Fellow will take an active role in coordinating Spiral Q’s community volunteer program and supporting outreach efforts at local and community events.


Section IV:  Job Description

1. Please outline in list form the fellow’s duties and responsibilities.

-Assist in the planning and development of a comprehensive marketing campaign for Spiral Q Puppet Theater, including the identification of Spiral Q’s differential advantage, segmentation of Spiral Q’s target audiences, and development of key promotion messages
-Monitoring and managing Spiral Q’s data system.
-Assisting with Spiral Q’s ongoing communications activities, including drafting press releases, writing initial copy of promotional materials, drafting a monthly e-newsletter and researching the development of press contacts.  
-Developing and exploring new marketing opportunities, particularly web-based promotion strategies such as listservs, online networks and other new media approaches.
-Support volunteer recruitment and coordination
-Market organization at community events

2. Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in this position.

-Excellent written and verbal communication skills
-Strong commitment to both social justice and community arts
-Experience working in community-based settings
-Initiative and ability to work as part of a closely-knit team in a non-traditional office structure
-Excellent computer skills, including knowledge of databases, spreadsheets, and web design software are highly desirable.  
-Some experience or education in marketing preferred.
-A valid driver’s license
-Knowledge of Spanish is a plus.  

3. Please outline your agency’s plan to orient and train the fellow.

The fellow’s supervisor, the Production & Communications Manager, Liza Goodell, will provide an orientation to both Spiral Q and the communities we serve. The fellow will also be provided with an orientation packet, including existing background materials on the organization, such as the strategic plan, an overview of the organization, and a recent grant proposal. During the first two weeks of the fellowship, the fellow will have the opportunity to meet with other staff members to learn about the organization from their perspective. Other professional development opportunities will be provided throughout the fellowship period.


Section V:  Supervision/Resources

1. Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow.
The fellow will be supervised by the Production & Communications Manager, Liza Goodell, who will have weekly meetings with the Fellow to check on progress and provide guidance as needed. As per Spiral Q’s personnel protocols, the Fellow and his or her supervisor will conduct quarterly progress reviews. These reviews will include both a written and oral component and will provide an opportunity for mutual feedback (both the Fellow providing feedback for the supervisor and the organization, and the supervisor providing feedback for the Fellow on progress to date).

2. What methods, information, or data will you use to evaluate the fellow’s success in their position?
The key method for monitoring the Fellow’s progress will be the completion of the milestones and outcomes outlined below. In addition, on an ongoing basis, the Production& Communications Manager will monitor the Fellow’s progress and level of activity in completing data entry, press releases, and other day-to-day communications activities.


Section VI: Project Plan

Please outline goals and results you expect the fellow to achieve and the measures you will use to evaluate performance. These goals must address the community need stated above.

1. Please describe the proposed project goal you expect the fellow to achieve.

The Fellow will work in three areas to improve Spiral Q’s capacity in the area of
communications/marketing:

(1) The fellow will be responsible for assisting in the planning and development of a comprehensive marketing campaign for Spiral Q Puppet Theater.  Elements of this process will include identifying Spiral Q’s differential advantage, segmenting Spiral Q’s target audiences, and developing key promotion messages.  This process will build Spiral Q’s capacity by providing the organization with a comprehensive plan to position and market Spiral Q as a leading community arts institution in the Philadelphia area.

(2) The fellow will be responsible for the monitoring and management of Spiral Q’s data system.  The database has recently been redesigned and reconstructed to better address Spiral Q’s needs, and now the new system needs to be implemented through appropriate data entry, reporting, and use.  This will build Spiral Q’s capacity by enabling the organization to disseminate promotion messages more effectively and to target specific audiences for appropriate events, solicitations, and promotional materials.  The increased communication capacity will enhance all aspects of Spiral Q’s work, including the fulfillment of the organization’s mission to mobilize and connect communities and the
expansion of the organization’s revenue base, particularly in the area of individual donor cultivation.

(3) The fellow will also be responsible for assisting with Spiral Q’s ongoing
communications activities, including drafting press releases, writing initial copy of promotional materials, and maintenance and development of press contacts.  As part of these duties, the fellow will also develop and explore new marketing opportunities, particularly web-based promotion strategies such as listservs and other new media approaches.

2. Please list significant milestones for this project and dates by which they will be accomplished:

-Complete and submit preliminary research report on Spiral Q’s target audiences and competitors (i.e., similar organizations), including initial suggestions on key marketing strategies – August 2007
-Revise, update, and expand list of press contacts – October 2007
-Assist consultant and staff in development of key marketing messages for marketing plan and awareness campaign – December 2007
-Building on marketing plan, develop and implement web-based promotion strategies – March 2008
-Develop and complete Spiral Q public relations and communications handbook outlining all major procedures for communications and public relations. – June 2008