NextLOGiK was awarded the 2017 Communitas Award for the work the company did with Rebuilding Together Howard County, a local nonprofit organization that brings volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. The Communitas Award is given out in recognition of the efforts of exceptional businesses, organizations, and individuals working to help others by supplying resources and guidance in order to benefit their community and change what it means to do business.
The Communitas Awards are an international effort to recognize the spirit of communitas – people helping people. Communitas Awards began in 2010 as an outgrowth of the pro bono recognition program of the Association of Marketing Communication Professionals, a several-thousand-member group that honors creative achievement and fosters partnerships with charities and community organizations.
Rebuilding Together Howard County (RTHC) is a locally based affiliate of the national Rebuilding Together nonprofit that provides vital home repairs to those who cannot afford them. This demographic can include those with disabilities, the elderly, veterans, or families with children. Kirk Couser, CEO of NextLOGiK, was first introduced to RTHC in 2013, while participating in the annual Leadership in Howard County program.
At the time, RTHC was struggling to get new homeowner applications and was in need of more donations and corporate sponsors to keep their organization alive. When paired up with RTHC as a part of the leadership program, Couser led a team in devising a plan that would transform RTHC into the well-known, flourishing nonprofit that he knew it could be. The final proposal revolved around the need for a stronger online presence, one that would include a more powerful voice on social media, a new website, and online applications for easier access. Unfortunately, though the plan was well-thought out, RTHC’s budget simply could not cover its costs. The plan was almost discarded until Couser stepped up and offered to manage and fund the development of a new website for RTHC, as well as provide full-time social media marketing.
Kirk joined RTHC’s Board of Directors and his team helped the organization to grow into the widely impactful, established nonprofit that they had hoped to be. Thanks to NextLOGiK’s work, RTHC’s social media presence grew on both Twitter, going from 0 to 400 followers, and Facebook, with 45 likes reaching 1400 over the course of NextLOGiK and RTHC’s collaboration.
The organization was able to expand under the guidance of Kirk and his team, taking on two new employees and allowing the organization to rely less on the all-volunteer board and delegate tasks amongst themselves.
“NextLOGiK is an organization which strongly embodies the philosophy of people coming together for the good of the community.” Ann Heavner, Executive Director of RTHC states. “As a result of their generous talent and expertise, Rebuilding Together has an outstanding website which encourages low income homeowners to apply for free home repairs. NextLOGiK also is the creative force supporting our monthly newsletters and social media outreach to our sponsors and thousand volunteers. Rebuilding Together Howard County cannot thank NextLOGiK enough for their outstanding support to enable our organization to grow and help those who cannot help themselves.”
Since the launch of the new website, the number of homeowner applications received and the amount of corporate sponsorships received have both doubled. Most notably, the biggest change made was RTHC’s decision to go from making home repairs once a year in April, to providing home repairs year-round to those in need. With NextLOGiK’s help and advice, RTHC has been able to make a name for themselves within the community of Howard County as a vital resource for low-income families, the elderly, veterans, and families.
“Being a part of the growth Rebuilding Together Howard County has experienced is why I encourage our team to get involved in the community” says Kirk Couser, CEO of NextLOGiK. “You cannot put into words how it feels to hear homeowners thank our volunteers for making their homes livable. This organization is helping more people in our community each year and we are humbled to support this effort.”
Helen Little (NextLOGiK), County Executive Allan Kittleman (Howard County) and Kirk Couser (NextLOGiK) at Rebuilding Together Howard County’s annual Rebuilding Day.
