Transition your Peer to Peer staff from a focus on production and operations to making relationship building their number one priority.

1. The ALS Association
OPERATION:
The ALS Association and Armbruster Consulting Group, Inc.
execute OPERATION: DEFEAT
The 2013 Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council Conference
ALS Association
OPERATION:

2. Operation: DEFEAT
The situation
• The Walk to Defeat ALS® events in key major markets
have 30%+ revenue goals for FY12.
• Obstacle for growth: Staff priorities not in alignment with
ALS Association
OPERATION:
fundraising goals.
• In 2011, the Walk Immersion team launched a test
program to a targeted group of chapters called
OPERATION:DEFEAT. (created by Armbruster Consulting
Group, Inc.)

3. Operation: DEFEAT
The solution
ALS Association
OPERATION:

4. Operation: DEFEAT
mission
Inspire and motivate the chapters
to focus on relationships
ALS Association
OPERATION:

5. OPERATION: DEFEAT
the plan
• 30 days of e-communications outreach focused on key
objectives that will deliver tangible results
– Provide daily “Mission Messages”
– Encourage specific talking points
• An incentive program to help motivate the chapter teams to
take action.
– Participants who completed at least 90% of the missions were entered
into a raffle for the Grand and Runner-up prizes (iPad, $200 stipend
for annual ALS Association Leadership conference, $250 airline
voucher)
• Track results, provide progress updates and announce winners
• A post-event review to identify key actions, missed steps, and
opportunities for future campaigns
ALS Association
OPERATION:

6. Operation: DEFEAT
Execution: E-Communications Plan – Sample Mission
Subject: OPERATION: DEFEAT Mission-focused
Mission: Your best prospects are sometimes right in front of you.
Today, go talk to your patient services team in the office. Ask them
about patients that have participated but could perhaps benefit
from the community-building and passion surrounding the walk.
Call to Action: Talk with Care Services and identify 5 patients that
are not yet registered for the walk.
Talking Points: We are looking for patients that might benefit from
participating, and getting more involved in the walk event. Families
are looking for an impactful way to express support for their loved
one and become more involved with The ALS Association
ALS Association
OPERATION:

7. OPERATION: DEFEAT
• MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
ALS Association
OPERATION:

8. OPERATION: DEFEAT
2011 Reporting & analysis
• 100% Staff Participation at 90% or more mission
completion
• Clear understanding of priorities, alignment with
Chapter Executive and Development Directors
• Revenue increase for year over year trends
• A post-event review was conducted to identify
– key actions
– challenges
– opportunities for future campaigns
ALS Association
OPERATION:

9. Operation: DEFEAT
Key Take-Aways
• Peer to peer competition internally and cross-
Chapter motivated success with program
• Executive Director/Development Director
engagement key to staff success
• Professional Development opportunity for Walk Staff
• Aligned Walk Staff with Executive
Directors/Development Directors on priorities
• Aligned fundraising activities with Walk Activity
Timeline
ALS Association
OPERATION:

10. Operation: DEFEAT
2012
ALS Association
OPERATION:
• New Year new mission
• Grow walk revenue Nationally by X%

11. Operation: DEFEAT
The situation
• Lofty Walk to Defeat ALS® revenue goals
• Enhancing programmatic support from NSE
Department for the entire Chapter network
• Obstacle for growth: Staff priorities not in alignment
with fundraising goals.
• In 2012, the National Signature Events Team
launched OPERATION:DEFEAT nationwide.
ALS Association
OPERATION:

12. OPERATION: DEFEAT
2012
• The National Signature Events Team launched an
organization-wide OPERATION: DEFEAT version 2.0
• Daily mission messages were sent via Survey Monkey
– Each message included two Mission options, staff were to
ALS Association
OPERATION:
complete one per day
– Final week “Double Mission” days
• Further testing continued…
– Organization-wide support
– Revised tracking tool
– Dashboard report
– Activities aimed at Spring and Fall Walks
– Daily outreach/motivation/inspiration to Walk Staff via internal
Facebook events group

13. OPERATION: DEFEAT
Service support
• OPERATION: DEFEAT Squad
ALS Association
OPERATION:
– Chapter Leadership
• Executive Directors
• Development Directors
– National Signature Events Team
• Internal Program lead
• NSE Department Coordinator
• Armbruster Consulting Group, Inc. wrote, loaded and
launched survey messages

14. OPERATION: DEFEAT
Command & signal
ALS Association
OPERATION:
• Tracking tool
– Previously utilized excel and National Signature Events
Team tracked participation
– With expansion of program, tracking must be automatic
– Survey Monkey was used to send daily mission messages
and reporting capabilities
• Dashboard report
– Daily and weekly reporting was utilized by the National
Signature Events Team to track participation and
determine which missions made the most impact

15. OPERATION: DEFEAT
2012
• MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
ALS Association
OPERATION:

16. Operation: DEFEAT
2012 Reporting & analysis
• 57 participants representing 37 chapters
• 36% of participants achieved 90% or above mission
ALS Association
OPERATION:
completion
• Walk staff and Chapter Leadership executed more than 1,400
touch points with key constituents across the nation.
• As a result, they increased outreach for three main categories
within the Walk Core Components: Patients, Family Teams,
and Corporate Sponsors/Teams.

17. OPERATION: DEFEAT
2012 Reporting & analysis
• Post Campaign Analysis
– Separate Surveys sent to Targeted Groups
• Executive Directors/Development Directors
• Walk Staff
– Program debrief with National Walk to Defeat ALS® Peer Group
– Town Hall discussion with Chapter Staff at 2013 Winter Walk Forum
ALS Association
OPERATION:

18. OPERATION: DEFEAT
Key take-aways
• To continue improving the program, additional
options of tracking and sending mission messages
include
• Texting mission messages and tracking participation
through text (ex: Poll Everywhere)
• Three tracks for alternate timing and chapter needs build
on DAY ZERO/Walk Date
• Encourage organization-wide participation
ALS Association
OPERATION:

19. OPERATION: DEFEAT
Key take-aways
• Optimize incentives and recognition opportunities
• Recognition vs. Incentives
• Weekly prizes and/or full mission prize
• Communication with Chapter Executive Directors
• Transparent reporting of staff results/progress
• Shared goals
• Sr. Level peer to peer leadership
ALS Association
OPERATION:

20. OPERATION: DEFEAT
QUESTION & ANSWER
ALS Association
OPERATION:

21. OPERATION: DEFEAT
Contact Information
Armbruster Consulting Group, Inc.
Rachel Armbruster
President & CEO
512.944.3417
rachel@rachelarmbruster.com
www.armbrusterconsulting.com
@rarmbruster
The ALS Association
Natalia McNeill
Major Market Associate
National Signature Events
415.596.9445
nmcneil@alsa-national.org
www.walktodefeatals.org
ALS Association
OPERATION:

22. OPERATION: DEFEAT
ALS Association
OPERATION:
• Keep it fun!
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