Organization: Emma Norton Services
Website: https://emmanorton.org
Established: 1917 Number of Employees: 30 - 50
Mission Statement: Grounded in the belief that housing is a fundamental human right and the foundation for stability, Emma Norton’s mission is to connect people to transformational housing, growth, and possibility—realized through their own design—in support of their journey of recovery.
Organization’s Challenge:
Emma Norton Services seeks support for a marketing strategy project. In
August 2024, they opened The Living Room, a free mental health drop-in space
for anyone 18+ in Minnesota. This service was created as an innovative and
compassionate alternative to hospital care for adults experiencing mental
health crises. The Living Room is free, calm, and staffed by Peer Support
Specialists who have gone through their own mental health journeys. Staff are
available seven days a week, and no insurance is needed. Telehealth services
were added last year in hopes of increasing accessibility across the state.
Despite this addition, current data shows they average only four visitors per
day, which confirms that this space is underutilized by the public.
When The Living Room opened, there was initial momentum with press events and takeaway collateral such as tear-off flyers and fridge magnets distributed to partners, but these efforts did not lead to capacity expectations. Since then, there hasn’t been additional community advertising through mass mailings or campaigns. Attempts to promote the space through local news outlets have not gained traction, and word-of-mouth outreach is limited to general Emma Norton tabling events. The organization seeks to raise broader awareness about The Living Room, particularly its telehealth option. They envision a future state where The Living Room is advertised in public spaces through restroom ads (“are you in trouble?”) and increased media coverage, leading to overall growth. Marketing expertise will help Emma Norton Services understand how to best advertise what The Living Room has to offer and build a strategy around how to launch an awareness campaign
Potential Deliverable(s):
1. Campaign launch planning & recommendations
2. Implementation roadmap to execute campaign
Requested Volunteer Skill
Sets:
Marketing Strategist, Communications, Project Management, Marketing Specialist
These spots are for 2-3 Pro Bono Consultants - Pro bono consultants give their time and expertise to the challenge, supporting the nonprofit and team in finding a solution and working toward the agreed-upon deliverable.
