Analysis

We designed three general groups of recommendations based on database research and expert insight. Each group is further divided into specific categories to provide targeted strategies. These recommendations foster new strategies that may encourage more parents to respond.

The newsletter recommendation is listed first as it would be sent out via email, which is the same form of communication parents already use. Messaging strategies follow, as they are more direct and would not be sent via email. Finally, incentives are listed last because they are the most direct approach you can have with parents.

Increasing Engagement with a Newsletter

Our team wanted to find a way to increase engagement throughout the Brownsburg BSA Units. Throughout our research, we found that newsletters may be a good option for them. The Units would be able to include information that they want the parents to receive each week.

This chart, "How BSA Parents Would Want a Newsletter Delivered", shows how people would be interested in receiving this type of communication. This question allowed parents to choose multiple responses, which a few did. The most common response was email, with 20 parents, followed by a text message, 8 parents, then a social media post, 5 parents, and lastly a paper copy, 3 parents. There were 36 boxes checked of how parents would be interested in receiving a newsletter; however, 6 parents said that they would not be interested in one at all.

Benefits of a Weekly Newsletter: Increased Engagement

Weekly newsletters have many benefits when it comes to communication and engagement of a company or organization. Effective communication is something that is crucial for the success of BSA units; the Brownsburg unit is looking for more engagement from the parents when they share important information.

Sharing a newsletter can lead to more engagement throughout a company or organization. An article published by Cerkl, and written by Penny Swift (2024) states, "By implementing an internal company newsletter, organizations can reap many benefits, ultimately leading to a more engaged, informed, and productive workforce" (np). This website does focus mostly on companies, but all of the information could easily be used for an organization, such as the BSA. An article published by Forbes (2024) agrees with what Penny Swift mentioned involving engagement: "A newsletter can significantly boost customer engagement," they also go on to say, "By providing valuable, relevant content on a consistent schedule, brands can develop trust with readers over time" (np). This article focused on the benefits of sharing a newsletter for brands, but the information could also be valuable for what we are researching.

There are many benefits of newsletters, no matter what scenario you are using them in. Based on the information we found in these articles, the Brownsburg BSA unit would definitely benefit from bringing back a weekly newsletter; it will increase engagement throughout the unit, which is a goal of theirs.

Benefits of Information Shared on Paper

Paper copies of information can be more beneficial than an email when it comes to remembering information and people acknowledging what is being shared. In the Brownsburg BSA unit, parents are not receiving or acknowledging the important information being shared with them so we think they should consider paper copies when sharing important information or news.

A paper newsletter can be a great way to increase involvement with the parents; information shared on paper reaps many benefits. A blog posted by Oak Hill Business Partners, written by Terry Bolda (2011) reads, "How many emails do you receive a day? How many do you press “delete” on? That could be the fate for many electronic newsletters hitting inboxes.... if your customer receives a mailed newsletter with a personal letter included, she will more likely open it and read it" (np). Throughout this blog, Bolda mentions cost and the fact that paper can be refreshing for people to look at or read since everything is so technology-related now. 6 Benefits of Planning Your Week on Paper discusses how writing things down can be more helpful than digital options: "Opening a calendar app can be a little dangerous. Elsewhere on your phone, games, videos, and other distractions can pull you away from your other responsibilities. Paper offers no such temptations" (np). The source focused on weekly planning, rather than a newsletter specifically, but the benefits still apply. People are more likely to remember the information they are given and read it if it is given in paper form.

If paper newsletters end up being something that the Brownsburg Units want to implement, they will be able to choose how they go about it. These could be shared in person at the meetings, mailed to people's houses, or both, due to some parents not always attending meetings.

Messaging Strategies: Encouraging Parental Involvement

The team wanted to find a way to communicate with parents without information getting lost in emails. We found that open channels, direct texts, setting goals with rewards, and trying an opt-out approach are effective alternatives. This means parents will receive information directly and immediately, and be more likely to respond.

Creating Open Channels: Inspire Parents to Attend Events

Open channels of communication can be a great way to encourage parental involvement. Rich Cruz, a Management Consultant of over 18 years and Organizational Development and Change leader, encourages nonprofit programs to “establish open channels of communication where [parents] can share their experiences, provide feedback, and ask questions” (2023, para. 10). Open communication could increase parental involvement by building confidence around events and their details. It can also encourage participation by sharing experiences that inspire others. Parents who initially don’t mind missing out on adventures with their child(ren) may feel differently when they see pictures of other families making meaningful memories together.

Using Direct Message: Keep Parents Updated on Important Information with Direct Texts

Short and direct text messages can also encourage involvement. Brandon Early, current Director of Student Ministries at Valley Church in Des Moines, IA, and has over 20 years of service in the youth ministry, agrees with Cruz in giving parents alternative communication methods beyond regular emails. Early focuses on separate, prior-to-event methods of communication and highlights the advantages of using this method: “We text when deadlines get closer: Short notes, directly to [the parent’s] phone are a huge win” (2016, para. 7). For many working adults, emails are an endless pit of messages, spam, and upcoming events. But text messages are usually not so dense. Parents are more likely to see event reminders and interact with the information earlier on when receiving direct texts.

Cruz and Early both emphasize the importance of reaching out to parents through methods beyond regular emails and creating new opportunities for parents to respond sooner.

To quickly clarify, an open communication channel is a space on any platform that welcomes open discussions between all users, and anyone can comment, react, or share anything in the group. This idea is similar to that of Brownsburg Chatter, a Facebook group created for Brownsburg residents to foster community discussions and share local events.

With that, the "BSA Parent Engagement on Open Communication Channels" chart displays the number of parents with their indicated type of interaction regarding the channel. Out of 28 responses, only 1 parent said they would not want an open channel established. 27 other parents said they would read comments; of those, 8 parents said they would actively participate by commenting and sharing thoughts and 4 would occasionally react. 7 parents said they would rarely comment, while 8 others would not interact at all. This data is promising for improving communication because 96% of parents indicated they would pay attention to and read comments (or view pictures) from the channel, with 29% of those regularly and actively engaged with it.

Setting Goals: Work Towards a Reward

Setting communication goals can support effective communication strategies, especially when there is a reward if the goals are met. Dr. Marlene Wiggill (2011), Associate Professor and Senior lecturer at Lund University, recommends, “set[ting] communication goals in support of other organisational strategies” (p. 229). The Units are working towards seeking better connections with parents, receiving increased responses, and planning more effectively, but to accomplish this, clear goals must be established. Setting specific goals could look like 80% of Scouts indicating their response for Campout A. If they achieve this, they are rewarded with a pizza party or an Escape Room. This could be expanded to combine multiple campouts for one reward.

Adopting an Opt-Out Approach: Increase Parental Engagement and Responses

Meeting organizational initiatives, such as communication goals, can be challenging, but using an opt-out approach may increase awareness of such initiatives. Henshall et al. (2020) agree with Dr. Wiggill’s approach to maximizing communication and information sharing. Using an opt-out approach improved communication between patients and staff by giving patients access to resources and incoming information: “The ‘opt-out’ approach […] offers the potential to be more inclusive, allowing all patients the opportunity to hear about relevant research” (Henshall et al., 2020). This approach could be beneficial for Scouting parents by giving them immediate access to important information and event details (whether they’re incoming or past). The opt-out approach could be incorporated with direct texting and open channels of communication, since these are the places where the most information and event details will be shared.

Henshall et al. (2020) and Dr. Wiggill share similar views about the purpose of powerful and effective communication strategies. These strategies may increase parental responses and raise more awareness about events that Units want to participate in and why those experiences are important.

Strengthening Communication Through Incentives

The team wanted to find ways to strengthen communication among Scouts through incentives. We came to the conclusion that many parents wanted to RSVP early if there was an early bird discount in place. This means parents are willing to do that, if incentives are in place, helping communication strengthen among Scouts.

The “Early Bird Discount” Chart through strengthening communication through BSA, shows the number of parents who took the survey and gave their responses to the best of their opinions. Out of 28 responses, none of the parents RSVP last minute. The majority of the votes were mixed between yes, maybe, early regardless of RSVP, and no RSVP due to the discount. The most votes were that they were down to RSVP early due to early bird access which was 10 votes out of 28 people. The second highest vote was early discount wouldn’t affect their decision at all to RSVP early which was 7 votes out of 28 parents voted, then we had 6 out of 28 parents say maybe due to the type of discount amount. We had 5 out of 20 parents say they RSVP early regardless of the early bird discount amount. The results gave us an idea of what the parents feel.

Benefits of Early Bird Discount: To Communicate

Benefits of an early bird discount is very helpful to get the parents more involved and communicate by RSVP with the adult leaders so they know that their children will be attending and getting the information that needs to go out to the parents. This helps with predicting attendance, planning activities, and being efficient with activities. The adult leaders will know ahead of time that parents are willing to inform them about if their child will be attending or not. This will increase RSVP, by helping the adult leaders in BSA Units along as engagement and communication.

Group/Individual Incentives and Early Bird Discount Ideas

Brainstorming ideas about the incentives/early bird discount, many articles that had very strong openings to grab parents' attention and this could be used among the BSA. Some ideas were “We’d Love to Plan Ahead- Early Bird Discount Ends Soon!” Ideas like these are very good to present to BSA to get more RSVP signs.

Group incentives are very important to having engagement with parents making them more involved and wanting to participate in these activities. Group incentives are likely increase performance rates, the article Fredekrisen states, “We find that 3/4 of the increase in firm performance is due to the so-called “incentive effect”, meaning many people's performance increases so in this example parents will more likely be willing to RSVP if there was incentive taking palace and maybe more engagement and parents being involved with what is going on will start to take place making more and more parents communicate among the adult leaders as well. Fredekrisen is making a valid point using data on how the performance rates can help with incentives being intact. Implying this method among BSA may help as well.

Individual incentives are also very effective in many ways, not only group incentives play a crucial role in more participation and involvement. This would more likely not be implied in a competition with incentives like how the group incentives are taken in place. Individual incentives are more individual work and rewarded to yourself only, mainly when achieving something many times. In the article, Diya Mathur stated that “individual incentives give you motivation to achieve higher performance and getting the job done faster”, this tells us that we can apply this to BSA by giving certain early bird discounts to whom RSVP early for a reward and actively participate and want to engage in this actives, helping the BSA strengthen communication.

To make the recommendations more clear, we listed them in the same chronological order as written above, in a simple, straightforward format. Below, you’ll find condensed information about the newsletters, messaging strategies, and incentives.