COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
By Rebecca M. Villarreal, APR Director of Communications New Braunfels ISD TSPRA At-large Vice President, Place 1
Please note that these tips may need to be slightly modified due to the current pandemic. Connect with new businesses. New businesses often have a broad marketing budget and plan for their launch. If they provide a youth-related service or something that would benefit your employees, don’t hesitate to reach out to them to share your marketing and advertising opportunities. Get to know your local non-profits. Get to know who they are and what programs they fund. If they have a program that directly benefits your families, parents will be more receptive to receiving information from them in the future and possibly forge a stronger relationship. Find a mutual benefit. Every year your needs will change and so will the local business climate. You have to identify those needs whether it be monetary or in-kind and find a way to connect. Show your appreciation. This is something we don’t always do enough of or in the right way. A lot of times we spell out what they will get in return, but it does not have to stop there so be creative and make then feel appreciated in a way that resonates with them. Stay engaged. Rather than just reach out to your community partners once or twice a year, find ways to get them in your schools and stay engaged. Probably the most rewarding thing you could do is recruit them and/or their employees to serve as volunteers and mentors in your schools.
Summer 2020 | www.TSPRA.org
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