Posted: January 2nd, 2024

OL 665 Milestone Two

OL 665 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Not-for-profit organizations require leaders who can manage them as businesses and also understand the needs of the communities they serve. Inspirational leaders can help not-for-profit organizations achieve their missions and reach their altruistic goals. In addition, good communication practices promote positive public relations and attract supporters.

Prompt
Analyze the leadership strategies and communication practices of the not-for-profit organization you chose for your strategic analysis.

Specifically, address the following critical elements:

Introduction: Introduce your chosen organization. Include background information relevant to communicating your strategic analysis. Consider when, where, and how the organization was founded.
Analysis:
Leadership:
Discuss the specific board structure present in your chosen organization, including the benefits of this structure.
Discuss the current management strategies for recruiting, using, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in place.
Evaluate the current leadership strategies and organizational structure for strengths and weaknesses in managing boards, volunteers, and staff.
Communications:
Discuss the organization’s current communication strategies internal and external, for promoting the organization’s shared values.
Discuss the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques.
Evaluate the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally.
Conclusion: Write a conclusion to your paper that summarizes the organization’s leadership strategies and communication practices.
What to Submit
Submit a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document (not including the title page or references) with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA formatting.

Milestone Two Rubric
Criteria Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction Meets “Proficient” criteria, uses organizational information and anecdotes to create a hook, and introduces a controlling idea (thesis) to alert the reader to what to expect from the discussion of leadership and communication Introduces chosen organization, including all necessary background information relevant to communicating the strategic analysis Introduces chosen organization, including all necessary background information relevant to communicating the strategic analysis, but introduction is cursory Does not introduce chosen organization 15
Leadership: Board Structure Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of the nuances of board types within not-for-profit organizations Discusses the specific board structure present in chosen organization, including the benefits of this structure Discusses the specific board structure present in chosen organization, but discussion is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or does not include benefits Does not discuss the specific board structure present in chosen organization 10
Leadership: Management Strategies Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a complex grasp of personnel management strategies Discusses the current management strategies for recruiting, using, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in place Discusses the current management strategies for recruiting, using, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in place, but discussion is cursory or contains inaccuracies Does not discuss the current management strategies for recruiting, using, and retaining human capital 10
Leadership: Leadership Strategies Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates nuanced understanding of how leadership strategies and organizational structure influence managing boards, volunteers, and staff Evaluates the current leadership strategies and organizational structure for strengths and weaknesses in managing boards, volunteers, and staff Evaluates the current leadership strategies and organizational structure, but evaluation is cursory or contains inaccuracies Does not evaluate the current leadership strategies and organizational structure 10
Communications: Communication Strategies Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated grasp of communication strategies used to promote shared values Discusses the organization’s current communication strategies, internal and external, for promoting the organization’s shared values Discusses the organization’s current communication strategies, internal and external, for promoting the organization’s shared values, but discussion is cursory or contains inaccuracies Does not discuss the organization’s current communication strategies 10
Communications: Public Relations Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates nuanced understanding of the organization’s public relations strategies and branding techniques Discusses the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques Discusses the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques, but discussion is cursory or contains inaccuracies Does not discuss the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques 10
Communications: Advancing the Goals Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates nuanced understanding of how communication strategies can support advancing the goals of the organization Evaluates the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally Evaluates the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally, but evaluation is cursory or contains inaccuracies Does not evaluate the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally 10
Conclusion Meets “Proficient” criteria, and rationale demonstrates an insightful analysis of the organization’s leadership strategies and communication practices Summarizes the organization’s leadership strategies and communication practices Summarizes the organization’s leadership strategies and communication practices, but summary is cursory Does not summarize the organization’s leadership strategies or communication practices 15
Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy to read format Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 10
Total: 100%

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that has been providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies in the United States for over 140 years. Founded in 1881 by Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has grown to be one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. With over 300 chapters located across the U.S. and over 500,000 volunteers, the American Red Cross aims to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors (American Red Cross, 2023a).
Analysis
Leadership: Board Structure
The American Red Cross has a two-tiered board structure consisting of a Board of Governors and a Board of Directors. The Board of Governors acts as an advisory body and consists of up to 50 members who are prominent community and business leaders. The Board of Directors oversees the management of the organization and consists of up to 50 members who are elected by chapters for three-year terms. This two-tiered structure allows for both local representation through the chapter-elected directors as well as expertise and guidance from prominent governors (American Red Cross, 2023b). This balanced structure strengthens local connections while leveraging outside experience.
Leadership: Management Strategies

The American Red Cross utilizes several strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining human capital. They recruit volunteers through their website and at community events, targeting those interested in helping their local community in times of need. Volunteers receive initial training and can take on roles from assisting at blood drives to helping with disaster relief. The Red Cross also has a leadership development program to cultivate future managers and executives from within. Succession plans are in place to ensure continuity of leadership. For example, the current CEO was internally promoted after several years of experience within the organization (American Red Cross, 2023c).
Leadership: Leadership Strategies
The American Red Cross leadership strategies and organizational structure effectively manage volunteers, staff, and boards. The two-tiered board structure allows for local representation and outside expertise. Clear lines of authority and accountability flow from the national headquarters to regional offices and chapters. Standardized training and certification programs equip volunteers for their roles. The leadership development program and succession planning strengthen the talent pipeline. However, the large size and bureaucracy of the national organization could potentially hinder responsiveness and nimbleness at the local level if not carefully managed.
Communications: Communication Strategies
Internally, the Red Cross communicates its shared values of compassion and service through new employee onboarding and ongoing volunteer training programs. Externally, it promotes these values through public service announcements, social media campaigns, and partnership with other aid organizations during major relief efforts. Hashtags like #RedCrossResponse help share real-time updates during emergencies (American Red Cross, 2023d). These strategies work to cultivate a culture of service internally while demonstrating the Red Cross’s impact to external audiences.
Communications: Public Relations

The Red Cross utilizes branding with its iconic logo and clear messaging around its mission to provide relief and prepare communities. Public relations efforts include press releases about initiatives and community events as well as working with media partners during disasters to share safe evacuation routes or shelter locations. The organization also partners with corporations to increase awareness, for example through branded merchandise or round-up campaigns at retailers (American Red Cross, 2023e). These tactics enhance name recognition while generating additional revenue streams.
Communications: Advancing Organizational Goals
The Red Cross communication strategies could be further leveraged to advance organizational goals. For example, sharing more success stories online could inspire additional volunteers or donations. Targeting social media ads could recruit younger donors and supporters. Partnering with local influencers may strengthen community connections. Tracking engagement metrics would provide insights for optimizing outreach. Overall, the Red Cross has strong foundations in place, and refining digital strategies presents opportunities to spread awareness and further its lifesaving mission.
Conclusion

In summary, the American Red Cross utilizes effective leadership strategies and communication practices to fulfill its humanitarian mission. A balanced governance structure and focus on talent development strengthen operations. Promoting shared values internally and demonstrating impact externally through public relations builds trust and support. While the size of the national organization could potentially hinder local nimbleness, clear lines of authority and accountability mitigate this risk. Overall, the Red Cross has leadership and communication foundations in place that could be further optimized through refined digital strategies to advance organizational goals.

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