JP4 Foundation
Project Overview
Conducting Secondary research goals for Foundation. Setting strategy guidelines for the organization to implement current goals and future goals using Primary research available.
Role & Methods
Secondary User Researcher, U/X Strategy Maps, Prototyping
Remote Interview with Client, Prototyping, Touchpoint Strategy Mapping, Strategy Implementation Map,
UX Team
Barbara Guttman, Melanie Bethke, Kate Arneson
Tools Used
Figma, Zoom, Google Slides
Website:
About Foundation
JP4 Foundation mission is to enrich the lives of youth in undeserved communities through healthy activity, healthy meals and healthy relationships.
— Opportunity Areas
Helping JP4 to find community center partners looking to host engaging, effective summer program and camps.
JP4 Foundation is looking to implement current and future goals using the Primary research. They are looking for help in producing evaluative steps to guide them with the current UX research.
Our goal was to create a simple, repeatable framework of communication to make outreach easier for the JP4 Foundation.
— Discovery
In conducting Secondary research the UX team and myself looked into Recreation Centers and Community Organizations to see if the goals are being met through the organization. Seeing what is lacking or needed within the Foundation and those local organizations.
Strategy Statement
All user experience touchpoint for JP4 will help community organizations and rec center leaders and decision makers to feel confident and/or excited so that they are able to strengthen and unite community youth.
We will do this by focusing on developing community partnerships and identify new community resources.
As a result we hope to see a change in the number of community partnerships and visibility.
Touchpoint Strategy - Created by me
Touchpoint Strategy
Creating a user visualization that shows their interaction within the foundation. This Touchpoint Map helped see the areas in which we created more connections within the user and the foundation.
Strategy Implementation Map
We did competitive and comparative research with several similar organizations, as well as research into local Twin Cities Rec & Community organizations.
The main difference was often one of scale. JP4 offers impactful programming but lacks resources.
I developed a road map tailored to JP4’s needs as a leaner, more nimble organization, which can be used as a guide for the future, as well as a resource bank to meet JP4’s changing needs.
Strategy Implementation Map - Created by me
— What we found
Currently, rec centers and community organizations mostly find JP4 through existing relationships with board members or family. In looking at the ways places can interact with JP4, we discover opportunities in existing spaces to create new additional touch points.
By communicating in a more personalized and engaging way, the first connection with JP4 can be more meaningful and instill them with excitement and confidence in working together.
Building a network of relationships
Consistent approach to connections
Immediate implementation & impact
— Visibility
The cornerstone of the plan revolves around increasing visibility. We developed a one-pager template that can be easily modified to use to introduce the JP4 foundation to organizations that may have never heard of them before.
When exploring social media, we found JP4 does a good job of explaining its mission and updating with relevant, interesting information. We recommend JP4 keep going in this direction and look into expanding in the future.
Templates created by Barbara Guttman
— Maintaining Relationships
JP4 has an existing newsletter with upcoming events, seasonal updates, and funding goals. These newsletters are informative, but general. We recommend a twice yearly newsletter or email geared specifically towards rec & community centers, with content specific to their role.
We also recommend personalized thank yous to all orgs, regardless of their status in partnership.
Created by Melanie Bethke
— Community Relationships
The Twin Cities are a wealth of resources, but for a lean team it can be difficult to sort through. With that in mind, we’ve created a resource bank to help identify potential partners and information sources. We’ve looked for rec centers and nonprofits who could provide a variety of resources, from new mentors to specialized volunteers.
Created by Kate Arneson
— Next Steps/Takeaway
Moving forward, short-term strategies can be evaluated, refined, and implemented, working in combination with touchpoint strategies for JP4’s other user types. And with future growth, longer-term strategies can be explored and realized, strengthening JP4 and the work it does, and helping to enrich the lives of underserved youth for years to come.
To further improve these strategies, including research within rec centers and community organizations would be next steps. Seeking out how they determine best practices within foundations that supply programs for underserved children. Figuring out what they look for and reasons why they would not sign up for programs like this one. This would include talking to the decision makers and seeing how many programs they partner with and their experience.
