ClientBackground

AACORNFarm,orAdultAgriculturalCommunityOptionforResidentialNeeds,was
createdin2011inKalamazooCounty,Mich.byparentsofchildrenwithAutismSpectrum
Disorder(ASD).Theycreatedtheorganizationtocombineagriculturalexperienceswith
therapeuticfarmactivitiesforadults,ages18andupwithASD,orautismspectrumdisorder.
AACORNFarmisanonprofitorganizationwithanappointedboardofdirectors.Theyobtained
501(c)3taxexemptstatusin2013.AACORNFarmreceivedtheDorothyU.DaltonFoundation
Grantin2014tosetupahoophousetostoregardenandhouseequipment.Theypartnerwith
AdultswithAutism,agroupoforganizationsthatpromoteemploymentthroughagriculturefor
adultswithautism.AACORNFarmlacksapermanentfarm.Theyofferedsummercoursesin
Scotts,Mich.atTillersInternational,buttheymovedtoLakeVillageHomesteadinKalamazoo
Countyafterthesummerof2013.LakeVillageHomesteadisanonprofitcommunityfarmwhere
anyonecanapplytoliveinexchangeforwork.TheyallowAACORNFarmtousetheirproperty
for$650amonth
A
ACORN
Farmsbudgetis$6,800.AccordingtoanarticlebyWMUK,AACORNFarm
estimatestheneedfor$3milliontomovefromLakesideVillageHomesteadtoamoredesirable
propertyinKalamazoo(Evans,2013).Currently,theyonlyofferdayprograms.Theclassescost
$50fortwoandahalfhours.
AACORNFarmofferstheirprogramfourdaysaweekandusually
have17participants.
CompetitorsofA
ACORN
Farmareotherfarmprogramsandlearningcentersthatwork
withadultswithASD.TwofarmsexistlikeA
ACORN
Farminthestate,buttheyarenotinthe
southwestregion.ThefarmsarelocatedinSt.ClairandRochester.A
ACORN
Farmwantsto

keeptheprogramasinexpensiveaspossible.Theyofferapartialscholarshipforparticipants
demonstratingfinancialneed.Acompetitor,GreatLakesCenterforAutismTreatmentand
Research,isatransitionhomethatcosts$765perdayor$279,225peryear.Theydonotaccept
privateinsurances.Anothercompetitor,WoodsEdgeLearningCenter,isaspecialeducation
schoolforstudentsages3to26ranthroughKalamazooRegionalEducationalServiceAgency.
Theyoungadultprogramhelpsstudentstransitionfromschooltoemploymentthroughvolunteer
effortsandcoursestolearnadultlivingskills.
AACORNFarmsmissionistoexpandvocationalandresidentialoptionsforadultswith
autismorrelateddisabilitiesinasupportiveagriculturalcommunity.Theyholdsevencore
valuesrelatingtorespectandequalityamongindividuals,meaningfulcontributionsduringwork
andleisure,andsupportamongresidentsandtheirfamiliesandfriends.
A
ACORN
Farmfacessomecommunicationandpublicrelationsissuesthataffect
reachingtheirgoalofincreasedawarenessfortheorganization.TheirFacebookaccount,
www.facebook.com/www.AacornFarm.org,isnotupdatedoften.Theyhavenotpostedsince
Aug.5.Whentheydopost,theyfailtorespondtofollowerscommentsinordertoencourage
communication.Themostengagedinsightsonthepageareadultsages45to54inKalamazoo,
mostlikelyparentsofyoungadultswithautism.Theyhostablogonthewebsite,butitisnot
updatedregularlyandappearstohaveonlythreeposts.Toincreaseawareness,AACORNFarm
mustincreasetheirsocialmediapresence.WhensearchingAACORNFarmonGoogle,themost
recentarticlesarefrom2013.

Publics
BasedontheissuesidentifiedintheclientbackgroundofAACORNFarm,therearea
largerangeofpotentialpublicsandkeyrelationshipswehavefound.Eachpublicwilleither
directlyorindirectlybeaffectedbytheissuesoutlinedintheclientbackground,whichisraising
theawarenessofAACORNFarmandincreasingitssocialmediapresence.Thepotentialpublics
include:SouthwestMichigan,schoolswithspecialeducationprograms,speciallearningcenters,
familieswithchildrenwhohaveautismwhodonotattendschoolsorlearningcenters,special
educationprogramsnotaffiliatedwithschools,possibledonors,familymembersofindividuals
withautism,volunteers,andautisticindividualslivinginassistedhomes.
SouthwestMichiganistheareainwhichweareaimingtoraiseawarenessforAACORN
Farm.AsSouthwestMichiganbecomesfurthereducatedabouttheprogram,moreindividuals
canberecruitedforit.Onceawarenessisincreased,donorsandfundingcanberecognized.
SchoolswithspecialeducationprogramsinSouthwestMichiganwillbeaffectedbythe
campaignforAACORNFarm.Wehaveidentifiedpublicschoolsintheareathatofferspecial
educationprogramstoseewhattheirprogramsconsistof,whattheyoffer,andhowtheyprepare
studentsforpostgraduation.Theyareimpactedbythecampaignbybeingeducatedaboutthe
programbeingofferedatAACORNFarm,andbeingabletooffertheirstudentsoptionsand
guidancetootherprogramspostgraduation.Theydirectlyaffecttheissuesoutlinedintheclient
backgroundthroughtheirabilitytoraiseawarenesstofamilieswhoarealreadyattendingthe
schools,andbeingabletorecommendAACORNFarmasadestinationaftergraduation.
SpeciallearningcentersinSouthwestMichigandirectlyaffecttheissuesoutlinedinthe
clientbackgroundbybecomingeducatedaboutAACORNFarmitsprogram.Bybecoming

educated,speciallearningcenterscanraiseawarenessthroughoutthecommunitysurrounding
themandhelppreparestudentsfortheirfutureaswellastheirtransitionintoadulthood.Manyof
theseprogramscouldpartnerwithAACORNFarmtoactasareferralforadultswhoneed
furtherassistance.
Familieswithchildrenwhohaveautism,whodonotattendschoolsorlearningcentersin
SouthwestMichigan,arebothdirectlyandindirectlyaffectedbytheissuesoutlinedintheclient
background.Theyaredirectlyaffectedbytheseissuesbecausetheyareunawareofthe
programs,whichisakeyfactorinourcampaign.Thesefamilieswhoareunawarecannotspread
awarenessabouttheprogram,givetheirfamilymemberwithautismtheoptionofattendingthese
programs,orvolunteerordonatetothecause.Theyindirectlyaffecttheseproblemsbecausethey
arenotcurrentlyinvolved,whichmakesitdifficulttofindandcommunicatewiththem.
SpecialeducationprogramsnotaffiliatedwithpublicschoolsinSouthwestMichiganare
indirectlyaffectedbytheissuesoutlinedintheclientbackground.Sincetheyarenotcurrently
workingtogetherwithAACORNFarm,theywillnotbedirectlyimpactedbythecampaignor
theawarenessbeingbroughttotheprogram.Although,oncetheybecomeeducatedonthe
programtheycanpartnerwithschools,and/orAACORNFarm,toraiseawarenessofautism,
promoteAACORNFarm,andreferindividualstothefarm.
PossibledonorsaredirectlyaffectedbytheproblemofawarenessandAACORNFarms
lackofmediapresence.Withoutawarenessoftheprogram,itisdifficulttoreceivedonors.Once
SouthwestMichiganisawareofAACORNFarmandtheirmission,itiseasiertotargetspecific
donorsaswellasfindindividuals/companieswhoarewillingtopartnerforadvertisingand
support.

Familymembersofindividualswithautismaredirectlyaffectedbythelackofawareness
andsocialmediapresenceofAACORNFarm.Bothfamilymemberswhoareawareofthe
program,andfamilymemberswhoareunawareoftheprogram,willbeaffectedbyraising
awareness.Itgivesthefamilieswhoareawareoftheprogramthechancetopossiblygainmore
donors,volunteers,andfundingfortheprogram.Forfamilieswhoareunawareoftheprogram,it
directlyaffectsthemaswellbyeducatingthemaboutthepossibilitiesatAACORNFarm,and
givestheirfamilymemberoptionsforpostgraduation.
Volunteersarealsopooledintopotentialpublicsofourclient.Byraisingawarenesswe
areopeningopportunitiesforadditionalvolunteers.Thisdirectlyaffectsthevolunteersalreadyin
theprogrambyopeningupnewopportunitieswithintheprogram.
Individualslivinginassistedhomesconstituteapotentialpublic.Byeducatingthe
familiesoftheseindividuals,itgivesthemadditionaloptionstotendtotheirfamilymembers
needs.Byeducatingthesefamilies,wearetendingtotheproblemofawareness,andcould
recruitindividualsintotheAACORNFarmprogram.

ProblemStatement&SituationAnalysis
AACORNFarmneedstoraiseawarenessfortheiradultautismprograminSouthwestMichigan,
withinthenextyear,toprovideassistancetoadultslivingwithautism.
AACORNFarm,anautismorganizationwithaprogramgearedtowardsadults18andup,seeks
supportandawarenessfortheircause.Wehaveidentifiedanoveralllackofcommunicationand
internalsupportwithinAACORNFarm,whichdirectlyaffectstheircommunicationinternally
andexternally.Thislackofcommunicationishinderingtheiroverallabilitytoraiseawareness,
funds,andparticipantsfortheirprogram.
AACORNFarmneedsadevelopedtargetmarket,strategicsocialmediaplan,fundraising
tactics,andalargeeventtoraiseawarenessfortheiradultautismprogram.AACORNhashada
feweventsinthepastthattheyhaveattended,andplacedanadvertisingtableat.Attheseevents
theyhavenothadawayofmeasuringtheiradvertisingeffortssuccess.Atargetmarketwillhelp
createamorepreciseadvertisingplantoraiseawareness.CurrentlyAACORNFarmonlyhas
twosocialmediaplatforms,whichareFacebookandablog.Bothsocialmediaplatformsarenot
beingusedeffectively.Eachsocialmediaplatformisonlyupdatedeverytwotothreemonths.
AACORNFarmhasnothadanyeventsorfundraisingeventstodate.
Thelackofatargetmarket,astrategicsocialmediaplan,laidoutfundraisingtactics,and
alargeeventtoraiseawarenesshasbeendirectlyaffectingAACORNScommunication
internallyandexternally.

References
Evans,G.(2013).ProposedfarmforadultswithautisminKalamazootakesastepforward.
WMUK.
Retrievedfrom
http://wmuk.org/post/proposedfarmadultsautismkalamazootakesstepforward