Central Region Community Outreach Initiative

In FY25, a regional initiative will seek to build an effective national model for local community outreach, identify and test best practices, develop branded resources and tools, and guide the establishment of a national structure in support of the field organization for community outreach at the chapter level in FY26. This initiative is taking place in the Central Region starting in April 2025. 

Step 1: Identify A Community Outreach Chair

Each chapter in the Central Region is asked to identify a Community Outreach Chair by May 5, 2025, and enter this information into the Central Region Community Outreach Initiative - Field Roles Contact List. 

This contact list is a precursor to the addition of Community Outreach roles in Engage, slated for Oct. 1, 2025, as part of the updated Chapter Organization Structure. 

Note: Volunteers must be logged in with their scorevolunteer.org email address to access the contact list. 

Optional: Chapters may also identify Community Ambassador(s) as needed to support the Community Outreach Chair in specific geographic areas. 

Step 2: Create a Community Partner Contact List

Each Community Outreach Chair in the Central Region is asked to develop a contact list using the HQ-provided spreadsheet template with a minimum of five local community partners and two media outlets by June 30, 2025. (These can be existing community partner relationships.) 

The spreadsheet was created with input from volunteers and field leaders along with SCORE HQ's technical, field operations, fundraising, and external relations staff teams to: 

1. Provide a template for chapter volunteers to use to manage their local community partner information
2. Be easily exported into Engage once that capability is developed
3. Be user-friendly 
4. Allow leadership and staff the opportunity to view and manage community partner data to support and grow SCORE community partner relationships

View the recorded May 8, 2025, Community Outreach Chair Kickoff Meeting, including training on spreadsheet use here: Meeting Recording and Slide Deck. 

ACCESS THE SCORE LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS - CENTRAL REGION SPREADSHEET HERE

Important: DO NOT CHANGE the formatting of the spreadsheet template in any way (for example, do not add or remove rows or columns, do not edit dropdown fields)

Note: Editing access for chapter tabs is limited to the identified Community Outreach Chair(s) and any Ambassadors for that chapter. To request additional edit access, email communityoutreach@score.org. 

Priority Community Partners Include

• Local SBA Offices 
• Local SBA Resource Partners: Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), Women's Business Centers (WBCs)
• Other community partners (for example, local Chamber(s) of Commerce, economic development organizations, university or trade school, banks, other small business groups 

For media outlets, view how to identify and create a media list here. 

Step 3: Outreach and establishment of "relationship goals"

Each Community Outreach Chair participating in the Central Region initiative is asked to 1) conduct outreach to a minimum of five local community partners and two media outlets 2) establish "relationship goals" with each partner, and 3) indicate those goals in the Central Region spreadsheet (columns N, O, P) by August 28, 2025. (These can be existing community partner relationships.) 

ACCESS THE SCORE LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS - CENTRAL REGION SPREADSHEET HERE

• Start by creating Your SCORE STORY. Gather your local facts and statistics, as well as examples of local mentors and clients success stories.
• Review the resources provided and customize as needed for local use and audience.
• Have a conversation! Grow relationships based on mutual goals. Get to know them, their audience, follow them on their social channels. 
• “Relationship goal(s)” = establish what SCORE can offer the community partner / media outlet and what they can offer SCORE. Win / Win. See the SCORE Community Partner Agreement for use as a guide. 
• Build from there!   

View the recorded July 17, 2025, Community Outreach Chair Meeting, with best practices, resource links and steps to complete your outreach and establish "relationship goals" here: Meeting Recording and Slide Deck. 

Questions? Visit our FAQs here.