Five years ago, Kids’ Chance of Texas (KCTX) awarded their first scholarship. Since then, they’ve grown remarkably. In 2015, they awarded one scholarship. In 2020, they awarded 19. The state organization’s journey hasn’t been without challenges, but they’ve remained committed to raising more money for more kids.

“Kids’ Chance of Texas took all of the key actions that are important for state organizations,” said Kids’ Chance of America Executive Director, Vicki Burkhart. “They set their sights on growing their scholarship program, and we can all learn from their success.”

How They Did It

KCTX identified four specific elements that helped to grow their program: strong board communication, a simplified scholarship application process, building a wide social media presence, and taking varied approaches to marketing.

Board Communication

“As a board, we meet regularly and work on different committees where our strengths are the best fit,” says Board President Stephanie Fisher. United by their commitment to the Kids’ Chance mission, the board members are from different parts of the workers’ compensation industry and bring a range of expertise to the board.

Open communication about roles and strengths, paying attention to fit, and giving members the opportunity to use their talents helps keep board members engaged. KCTX board members have continued to stay engaged with the mission, even when they’ve reached their term limits for board service. “We have five former board members who are staying involved in the organization through advisory positions,” says Stephanie.

A Simplified Scholarship Application

The original application for a KCTX scholarship required a great deal of time, effort, and thought. There weren’t many applicants, and the team at KCTX began to suspect that the application might be overwhelming potential students. “We thought if we could encourage them to complete the application, and walk them through that process, we might find more applicants,” said Stephanie. “It turned out, we were right!”

In 2019, KCTX retooled their application process by breaking it into two steps. The first step is now much simpler—a pre-qualification form requiring basic information about the student and their parent’s accident to determine potential eligibility for the scholarship. After the first step is completed, a designated point-of-contact texts the student to establish a personal connection and encourage the student to move to the second, more involved part of the application process.

The second part of the application uses a scholarship portal. The personal point-of-contact is available to help the student through it. “This is key, because some of the students have very recently lost a parent, and may be doing much of the process themselves,” said Stephanie. “They may need help understanding what is needed, or where to find it. Our point-of-contact can help guide them in gathering critical information to prove their eligibility.”

This simpler and more personalized approach has allowed more students to apply and helped KCTX build stronger relationships with applicants from the beginning of the process.

Strong Social Media

KCTX has invested time in building a strong social media presence. They’re active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

On Facebook, they recently featured “FAQ Fridays” to answer common questions about applying for a KCTX scholarship, like “Do I have to attend a school in Texas?” or “Is the scholarship awarded annually or by semester?” KCTX scholarship recipients have helped with content by providing news on their progress, along with photos and videos to keep supporters updated. “They are invested in the Kids’ Chance mission,” says Stephanie.

Varied Marketing

Since KCTX has only existed for five years, a major goal in their marketing is awareness. “People are still learning we exist,” said Stephanie. “By spreading the word about the scholarship, we might just reach someone who knows someone. That someone may be the child of an injured worker, who now knows to apply for a scholarship.”

They’ve developed marketing materials, including banners and tablecloths to raise visibility at events, and created sponsorship opportunities. “We’ve also had stakeholders offer to market Kids’ Chance at their own events,” said Stephanie.

In addition to traditional marketing activities, KCTX has developed opportunities within the Workers’ Compensation community in Texas. “The Division of Workers’ Compensation notifies all new fatality beneficiaries about Kids’ Chance of Texas when they receive new paperwork as the regulator and establish a single point of contact – treating it as another benefit available in the workers’ compensation system,” said Stephanie. The Office of Injured Employee Counsel, as the advocacy agency, also trains their employees on the mission of Kids’ Chance and personally reaches out to the beneficiaries they assist.

Growing Into the Future

KCTX has accomplished a lot in five years. Other state organizations can learn from what they’re doing and from the way they’re doing it. Don’t be afraid to adjust a process that isn’t working, like KCTX did with their application, or build new relationships with your state’s workers’ compensation systems. Mix up your marketing processes to cover more bases, use social media to spread the word, and engage your board to unite in their passion for your mission.

“What KCTX has accomplished is an example to all state organizations,” said Vicki. “We can’t wait to see what the next five years bring.”

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