Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) Public Relations Plan

1.0 Executive Summary
WAO is facing the challengers of members’ restriction. Since1982 WAO has only 80 members and in order to make this PR plan effective, WAO has to increase 150 members in the coming year 2008. Besides, WAO also face the challenge of fund resources whereby WAO plan to raise RM40, 0000 in order to run all the activities in year 2008. During this period, WAO has to prepare the assets for sales, and stood the majority of members down.

A major fundraising and member recruit campaign was launched targeting donors, members, media, professional bodies and government. On the deadline of December 25, 2008, WAO will raise RM80, 0000, 00 from its stakeholders.

The plan will be a success in that it mobilized public support and attracted outside investment resulting in a future for WAO, whilst maintaining the integrity and independence of the organization and the services it provides.

2.0 Background
The Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) is an independent, non-religious, non-governmental organisation based in Malaysia, committed to confronting violence against women which established in 1982 when it opened Malaysia's first Women's Refuge, providing shelter, counseling services and child support to battered women.
Besides, WAO also involved in public education to create alertness of Violence Against Women and women's rights yet advocacy on legal reform, policies and laws that discriminate against women
Moreover, WAO had launched the Anak Angkat (Child Sponsorship) Program to meet the educational needs of ex-residents' children. Besides, WAO opened a Child Care Center in 1990 which is the first of its kind in Malaysia in order to provide a home as well as hopes for ex-residents' children.

3.0 Vision and Mission
3.1 Vision

The vision of WAO is to create a society that is free of violence against women. The research shows that there are 39% of Malaysian women estimated to have been abused by their partners; therefore the establishment of WAO is formed.

3.2 Mission
• To promote and create respect, protection and fulfillment of equal rights for women.
• To work towards the elimination of discrimination against women.
• To bring about equality between women and men.

4.0 Objectives
• To provide on request to women and their children suffering from mental, physical and sexual abuse, temporary refuge services that empower and enable them to determine their own future.
• To offer emotional and social support to any women who request for it, resident or otherwise, and offer support and after-care.
• To undertake and encourage research into any of the factors those contribute to the inequality and subordination of women.
• To undertake and advocate with government and non-government organisations the eradication of factors those contribute to the inequality and subordination of women through law, policy and institutional reforms.
• To create an awareness and better understanding among individuals, public and relevant agencies on the issues of violence against women and the underlying inequalities.

5.0 Research
A time frame of one month is given for the relevant public relations staff to do preparation in order to conduct the activities that are going to run in WAO throughout the year. The activities would be run on propose budget, so public relations of the activities will be organize on two levels, which are broader media level and through direct contact with the members and donors.
Research will be run through survey, testimonials, blog, and forum, newspapers and radio reports. The relevant public relations staff will conduct a survey to the public especially WAO’s stakeholders in order to get feedback from them towards WAO. Besides, those women who had been suffering under violence will provide testimonials for WAO to share on how had WAO saved or helped from the violence life. Furthermore, blog, and forum, newspapers and radio reports will be used by them to convey messages in order to keep people interested and aware about what was going on in this society from WAO.

Gantt chart
Month
Activities Jan Feb March
Run for charity Choose certain school in Selangor to conduct the event
Campaign Exhibition in school/civic centre with the theme "women right are human rights (right?)"
Motivation
Food charity
concert
Television program Send representative to join "Wanita Hari Ini" program
Racing for charity
Act on Pewter fundraising drive
Climbing mount
WAO for the soul celebrates women’s right
International Women Day Collaborate with 3R, All Women's Action Movement, Sisters In Islam, Amnesty International - Malaysia and Malaysian AIDS council to organize event such as creative fashion show, cooking contest and dancing contest at civic
Drawing and painting competition

Activities April May June
Run for charity
Campaign
Motivation Have a talk in hotel with the theme "A safer space for women"
Food charity Organize food sales in the compound of WAO centre
concert Invite local women singer to run the concert
Television program Send representative to join "Wanita Hari Ini" program
Racing for charity
Act on Pewter fundraising drive
Climbing mount
WAO for the soul celebrates women’s right
International Women Day
Drawing and painting competition Organize drawing and painting competition among primary and secondary children with theme "violence against women"

Activities July August September
Run for charity
Campaign
Motivation
Food charity
concert
Television program Send representative to join "Wanita Hari Ini" programme
Racing for charity
Act on Pewter fundraising drive Handicraft sales in shopping centre
Climbing mount Climb Mount Kinabalu with members and public
WAO for the soul celebrates women’s right
International Women Day
Drawing and painting competition

Activities October November December Budget (RM)
Run for charity 1000/-
Campaign Exhibition in school / civic centre with the them "Global violence local action" 1000/-
Motivation 1500/-
Food charity 1000/-
concert 5000/-
Television program Send representative to join “Wanita Hari Ini” program 4000/-
Racing for charity Involve in event of car raising in Bukit Jalil 2000/-
Act on Pewter fundraising drive 3000/-
Climbing mount 20,000/-
WAO for the soul celebrates women’s right Publish book which related to women 8000/-
International Women Day 5000/-
Drawing and painting competition 1000/-
Total 525000/-

6.0 SWOT Analysis
Strength
• Public Support
- WAO is an independent, non-governmental and non-religious organization. All the events and activities that carry out by WAO are all charity actions which beneficial to the community, so it will be easier for WAO to gain public support towards their current as well as coming events.

Weaknesses
• Lack of members
- Currently there are only 80 members in WAO. The limited member of staff, social workers and volunteers to carry out implementation and all the activities.
-Most of the societies are materialistic where they will only contribute themselves to any organization or activities which they can gain something in return.
- Current members are both latent and aware public instead of active public.

• Lack of Funds
-budget restrictions, lack of funds from the sponsors as well as donors due to the unpopularity of WAO.

Opportunities
• Help needy society
-as a non-governmental organization, WAO have the potential to raise hopes, contribute and give a hand to those needy society especially women who suffered under violence.

• Call on strong relationships and raise popularity
-Opportunities to call on strong relationships with other like minded organization for public support and to create awareness about the appearance of WAO in this society in order to increase the fame of WAO.

Threat
• Culture
-There is still existing culture in this society that women should not go against men or their husbands and however should always obey what their husbands said. Therefore the concept of this culture had created a threat to WAO because culture as well as beliefs cannot be changed.

7.0 Public Relations Plan’s Objectives
• Raise the awareness of issue quickly, being open and honest about the situation and highlighting the urgency of WAO created in a short time.
• To raise RM 80, 0000.00 in the fund rising program to run throughout a year activities.
• Targeted donors for WAO, such as Petronas, Shell, TM net, Shin Yang, and Sam Ling.
• Targeted to have extra 50 new members in each following year.
• Gather support for WAO from key publics and convert this support into financial contributions to run operational activities.

8.0 Target Publics
8.1 Donors
Fund resources in the critical problem that facing by WAO lately. In order to run any activities or event, WAO needs to have enough budgets. Therefore, donors play an important role in WAO. Donors can be either corporate or individual. Corporate supporters will approach to contribute financially towards the WAO future by doubling their advertising spend in the events that organized by WAO such as the event of WAO’s 25th anniversary. However, individual can either donate cash or non-monetary donation such as clothes and toiletries for the women and children who come to WAO have had to leave their family homes, often in secrecy, quickly, and in a state of distress. Besides that, by making a monetary donation to WAO, donors can help the WAO meet the operational costs of the Refuge and the Childcare Centre. The funds will go towards the daily living costs, such as food, medical expenses and transportation. Furthermore, there will be supporting the counseling services provided to those volunteers who interested to contribute to the women and children by the social workers.

8.2 Members
Members play an important role after the donors. The present members have an affinity with the WAO purely due to their already voluntary association with it. Members are targeted to continue to pay their membership renewals as a vote of support Currently WAO has only 80 members so obviously WAO is having the problem of member restrictions, therefore, the present members has the responsibilities to upgrade themselves to an active public in order to create awareness about the organization and increase the number of members as well as the reputation of WAO.

8.3 Media
The role of media relations today is far broader and more complex than that of publicist and press agent. WAO should often require contact with the media, and special events and sponsorships usually hinge on the media bringing a message, a story or an image to various publics. There are three types of media which consists of visual such as television; written, such as newspaper, press release and magazines; and internet such as web page, blog and forum that WAO will use to publicize their organization.

8.4 Professional Bodies
The professional bodies for WAO consist of lawyers and political celebrities. Lawyers play an important role in WAO because it help in term of fight for women rights in the court and give legal advices to the victims. In the other hand, political celebrities such as Minister of Women Affair and those political celebrities with title of such as Yang Berhormat (YB) and Datuk as a backbone for the WAO.

8.5 Government
In order to get approval for certain applications such as licenses to run activities in public area, WAO have to build a good relationship the government officers. Furthermore, government has the power to make the final decision on certain discussion yet able to influence the community. So, if the government gives support on WAO, there is a high possibility that the community will support on WAO.

9.0 WAO strategy
9.1 Public awareness
Public awareness strategy addresses the immediate need of informing people quickly of the need to act fast to save WAO. Public awareness is a start for WAO to communicate with the outside world.

9.1.1 Awareness among WAO members
The first stage of this strategy will use to equip all members with the necessary information. Rise up issue or crisis that WAO has face, and let the members be informed with WAO next action. WAO might also want to ask for the members’ opinion in order to handle this dilemma and get their feedback about the decision organization going to implement.

9.1.2 Awareness among Key supporters
Key supporter for WAO are those members or sponsors who has the power to influence their local community to be alert with the issue that WAO has faced with. WAO need to make this group of people aware with their current issue, so that they can help organization in term of Word-Of-Mouth or act as an opinion leader in their particular group.

9.1.3 Awareness among government, corporate, industry, and other likeminded organization
Personal contact need to be made with this group of people, because they need to be aware with the existing of WAO and they also need to be alert with the contribution that WAO bring to the society so that they can give support to the organization activities.

9.2 Donation or sponsorship
Since WAO is an independent, non-religious, and non-governmental organization, they do not have any specific financial income to run their organization. Besides, WAO also have launched Anak Angkat (Child Sponsorship) Program to meet the educational needs of ex-residents' children. Therefore, they need to get a financial support from their donors or sponsors.

9.2.1 Sponsorship from Private Corporation
WAO can apply for the sponsorship from Private Corporation to run their organization. Since most of the private organization is a profit organization, therefore, they have the extra income to be donated. Besides from using the donated money to run the organization activities, WAO can also use the money to help the needy society such as the violence’s victims to continue their daily life without any support from their abusive partners.

9.2.2 Donation from individual
Collect a donation from one individual to another individual. The donation can be in term monetary or non-monetary. Such as, cash, cheque, household and other necessary thing that can be used in their daily life. Besides, donor can also help the victim in term of giving mental or physical support.

9.3 Government support
To have a successful organization, WAO need to have a support from the government. Government is one of the most powerful agencies in one country. They easily influence the community, and with their support it will become easier for the organization to co-operate with the society and get the society support.

9.3.1 Support from government department
Government agencies might help in term of application approval. Government Servant is those people who have the power to talk in the parliament. They can rise up our opinion and suggestion. Having their support will help in maintaining our organization position in the country.

10.0 Implementation
10.1 Public awareness
• Members will have a meeting on the introducing of public awareness strategy. To give them a brief idea on what WAO plans to do for the next year (2008).
• Potential members or sponsor who act as champions within their local community will be identify and briefed.
• WAO will run a campaign in primary school, secondary school, and even university to make the student expose to the issue of violence against women.
• Some competition such as painting and drawing with the theme “violence against women” will be organized among the student in the civic center.
• WAO will also run a seminar workshop, to let the public alert with the issue of violence against women is a crime and it should be stop.
• A motivation talk will be carrying on encouraging those women who been abuse to speak up their right, advice and guide them with their next action.
• Furthermore, WAO will send a proposal with the content of our current situation and the activities we had and will carry on in the future plan to the minister of education and suggest them to have an anti-violence club in the school. This is to prevent student to become one of those abusive partner or victim for the violence and build a basic knowledge for them to react upon violence.
• Every month, WAO will publish their news through magazine, such as “Wanita”. Have a show through television program, such as “Wanita Hari Ini”, and “Bersama Mu”, or through RTM radio.

10.2 Donation and sponsorship
• A group of people will be form to collect the donation from non-government, Private Corporation, and individual, such as what Red Crescent Society (PBSM) does.
• After forming this group of people, WAO will organize activities such as food sales, and run for charity to recruit members or fund-raising.
• In the process of running those activities, WAO will set up one particular shed for them to recruit their members and get donation from the community.
• WAO will also create one particular web page for blog and forum among donors and violence’s victim.
• In order to gain donors or sponsors trust and support, WAO will send a representative to build a good relationship with their potential donors or sponsors.
• Next, WAO will send a proposal to the sponsor with the content of organization current situation and the activities that WAO had and will carry on, so that they can understand what WAO do with their money as well as make them feel worth to contribute their money.

10.3 Government Support
• Send more professional representative to build a good relationship with the government servant such as Yang Berhormat (YB), Minister of education or Minister of Women Affair in order to get their support and approval of the application.
• Invite guess of honor such as YB to officiate ceremony or activities that will be organized by WAO.
• Joint activities or events that organize by the government to can help organization knowing more people in order to expand their communication barrier.
• Obey government’s law and policy.
• Send application to apply incentive from government for those victims who has financial problem.

11.0 Evaluation Process
The activities that bring out through WAO will achieve its primary goal of the fund rising and to recruit more new members for WAO. We think it will used to heighten the profile of WAO among the targeted public such as donors, members, media, professional bodies and government.
Public awareness, collect donations and sponsorships and relationship with the government are the strategies which function as a tool for WAO to react upon the issues of lack of members and funds resources. The success of the activities is evaluating on the quality and frequency of the strategies that being taken out.
The success of WAO is determined by the level of contribution received from both individual and corporation members.