The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County (ELCMC) is a nonprofit in Central Florida, providing families with access to quality early learning programs that prepare children for educational success. We also foster partnerships with other community agencies to connect families in need to resources. An example of a recent success is Escarlin's story. A mother of three, Escarlin was in an abusive marriage when she attended Marion County's World's Greatest Baby Shower, an annual event sponsored by the ELCMC. She began attending ELCMC parenting classes and learning about programs and resources available, many of which helped her and her children leave their unsafe environment. Through ELCMC's Child Care Resource and Referral services, Escarlin was connected with College of Central Florida to improve her work skills and then to CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion for help with her job search. Our School Readiness child care assistance and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs ensured Escarlin's children were enrolled in quality early learning programs while she worked to improve their quality of life. Escarlin was also able to rebuild her children's library, which was destroyed along with all their belongings. Each time she attended a parenting class or other ELCMC event, she received a free book for each of the kids. Today Escarlin is a successful real estate agent who owns her own home and no longer needs the School Readiness subsidy assistance! ELCMC is proud to have been a part of Escarlin's journey and see her and her children thrive. How Constant Contact has helped us grow: Last month we participated in a community-wide, 24-hour, on-line giving campaign (Give4Marion). This was the second year for the event, and this year we added Constant Contact to our promotional mix, sending 12 email campaigns over a week and a half. Our average click rate was 9%, exceeding the 7.92% nonprofit industry average. And we experienced a 10.87% conversion rate - ultimately raising 72% more than last year!
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