Though only seven years old, Kids’ Chance of Texas (KCTX) has supported nearly 50 students since 2015 and will have 31 scholarship students this year alone. The Lone Star State organization has a board of just 11 members, but its reach and impact continue to expand with each passing year.

“It’s all about the board,” said Tim Osmond, KCTX Scholarship Chair. “Board members leveraging their networks is our main source of referrals.”

KCTX has gotten the right people at the table and provided them with the tools and encouragement to tap into their networks to help expand the state organization’s impact for families of Texas. One of the most successful initiatives KCTX uses is a “Road Show.”

Here’s how it works: the KCTX Marketing Committee, led by Marketing Chair Jessica Barta, reviews all of the workers’ compensation industry conferences, meetings, and activities for the upcoming year. They then decide who (volunteers and board members included) can attend which ones and map the entire year out. A “Road Show Kit''—complete with pop-up banners, table-top displays, and materials for distribution—is maintained in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. The exhibit materials and handouts have helped draw attention at events and encourage more people to support its mission.

Video is a key component of the presentations they do. Volunteers and the KCTX Marketing Committee have produced a library of videos for representatives to use at these events. The videos feature their students, as well as board members and volunteers talking about why they became involved. You can see some of their videos here.

According to Osmond, KCTX has recently reached outside the board to purposely develop a group of volunteers who can help them expand their “Road Show” and move it beyond the three main cities, into the smaller towns where many of the students are actually from. Their volunteer group, especially in the Dallas area, has now grown so large that they’ve established a “Volunteer Committee” to manage them.

Other tips from KCTX:

• KCTX uses social media to ensure maximum engagement and student referrals. “One of our biggest opportunities for referrals is the case manager and adjuster community,” said Osmond. “We target those communities specifically to share social posts, and our board members are heavily involved with that effort.” Barta adds, "We are excited to have built a strong web and social media presence. It has been a huge part of building the Kids’ Chance of Texas community and publicizing our ‘Road Show’ events. As we have grown, we have added other social media channels, enhanced our website and marketing materials, and shared powerful stories through video. These all support the ability for our community to come together in one place for a common goal—helping these students pursue their educational dreams.”
• KCTX sends care packages to their students twice a semester and hosts virtual get-togethers. One of the recipients, Rachel, said, “Sometimes my scholarship package arrives on a day I’m really missing my dad, and it’s always like a reminder that I do have a support system. They go above and beyond and always make us feel cared for and loved. I could not ask to have a better group of people supporting me on this difficult journey.”
• KCTX created a GroupMe, a chatting app, that their students have used to create a community amongst themselves. Because these kids share similarities, they have found support in one another. Sometimes it is to celebrate an accomplishment, discuss scholarship deadlines, or to share caring words on a difficult day. Recipient Annie mentioned, “The group chat alone, knowing there are many others my age going through what I go through daily, has been so significantly helpful to rely on.”
• One final tip from Osmond: Wear your Kids’ Chance pin everywhere you go! It’s a great conversation starter and a way to help spread awareness of our mission.