At Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC), we pride ourselves on fostering relationships that benefit our youth and community. One of our most rewarding collaborations is with the University of Cincinnati (UC), whose students, alumni, and faculty have brought invaluable expertise and support to ABC. Today, we’re excited to share how three partnerships with UC in the Fall of 2024 have enhanced our programs and mission through three impactful initiatives: a public relations intensive, athletics fundraising, and grant writing.
In collaboration with UC’s College of Arts and Sciences, and specifically the Public Relations department’s Dr. Suzanne Boys, ABC worked throughout the semester with a group of graduating seniors on an intensive overview, research, strategy, tactic development, and implementation approaches for our 2025 marketing strategy. The total campaign booklet they created included over 100 pages of pro bono work, performed by young professionals breaking into the field.
“We knew going into the project to expect good results,” shared Executive Director, Sally Grimes, “but I was really blown away by the quality of work they presented us with. Every single point they presented was thoroughly researched and could effectively be implemented, even given the low capacity of our advancement team. This was consultant-grade work; any employers looking for emerging PR talent need to have their eyes on this group of students.”
Not only did the workshop strengthen our ability to share ABC’s mission with the public, but it also gave UC students real-world experience in public relations consultations. “This project really opened our eyes to how much we could do, given the expertise and employee hours,” said Director of Advancement, Vanessa Macy. “We’re very hopeful that we can launch a paid internship program in the Spring to continue working with some of these students. They’ve given us a solid plan to reach entire new demographics of supporters and partners- we’d like their help to keep that momentum going.”
For the third consecutive semester, ABC partnered with Dr. David Kelley’s Sports Administration Master’s degree cohort as they learned about finding sustainable funding sources for athletic programming. ABC’s Senior Manager of Grants and Foundations, Carmen Lawrence-Billé, led five teams of students (in total, 25 students) as they navigated the process of grant writing for the first time. The teams all worked on grants to support ABC’s athletic programs, including elementary soccer, swimming, team meals, and more.
“Grant writing is a ‘game-changer’ in that it enhances students’ competitiveness in the job market,” shared Dr. Kelley. “Many schools and athletic organizations actively seek employees who can secure external funding. I strive to train my master’s students to make a positive impact and develop this skill set, which has a myriad of positive benefits that last a lifetime.”
“This group of students was amazing to work with,” Carmen shared. “Many had years of experience working directly with athletics programs and have a solid understanding of the financial struggles that these programs face, especially when working with low-income students. Helping them translate that knowledge into a grant proposal was an honor and delight. We definitely kept a few of their resumes, in case we have any openings on our athletic directors team.”
The advancement team at ABC is very lean, with only 2.5 full time employees. “We’re always strapped for time; there’s too much work and not enough workers. We’re constantly weighing our priorities, making hard decisions about where to allocate our time. It can mean saying no to opportunities, even when we want to say yes.” To combat this, ABC secured funding to bring in a part-time grants contractor, Anna Farris, to support the Senior Manager of Grants and Foundations.
Aside from them both currently residing in Texas, Carmen and Anna also share Bearcat history. Anna graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership, with a focus in Nonprofit Management; meanwhile, Carmen graduated in 2019 with a MBA and Masters in Nonprofit Arts Administration. “It’s so great to reconnect with my Bearcat roots,” Anna reflected upon starting work with ABC, “I live in Amarillo, Texas now, which feels so far from UC- but I get the opportunity to reconnect with the same nonprofit community that I got my start in, by working with Carmen and ABC. Cincinnati is such a special place, and I’m so glad that I get to work alongside a fellow Bearcat to keep making it a better, more diverse, more inclusive place.”
