Communications: How to tell our story? International Center for Not-for-Profit Law Communications: How to tell our story? June, 2013

Outline Session Why do we care about Communication? ICNL Key Messages Annual report stories Tracker and bullet point entries Outline Lipman Hearne | ICNL

What is ICNL about? Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Why are we here? Our audiences don’t always fully understand who we are, what we do and why that matters We must be understood and valued to motivate others to engage with us Understanding comes from communicating in a meaningful—not a technical—way Value is created when people see how an organization’s work directly benefits them them Lipman Hearne | ICNL

What’s important about telling a story? Training Overview What’s important about telling a story? It captures not just what you provide but the role you play in the world It puts technical details into a meaningful context It gives people a sense of what they can expect of you in the future It provides a consistent framework for all of an organization’s communications hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

GE’s story: Inventing to make life better Training Overview GE’s story: Inventing to make life better hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Red Cross’s story: Help can’t wait Training Overview Red Cross’s story: Help can’t wait hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Red Cross’s story: Help can’t wait Training Overview Red Cross’s story: Help can’t wait hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

ICNL’s story: Advancing laws that help people improve their everyday lives. Lipman Hearne | ICNL

MAIN IDEA OF ICNL STORY/CORE MESSAGE Training Overview MAIN IDEA OF ICNL STORY/CORE MESSAGE Helping people improve their everyday lives requires a legal environment that protects and advances civil society ICNL helps advance laws that protect and advance civil society, public participation, and philanthropy. We empower people to work together to help solve pressing issues including health, education, human rights, and development. Your legal ally – collaborative, objective, knowledgeable Organizations and governments across the globe – from developed democracies to high growth economies to transitional governments – work with us to create supportive laws and policies that lay the foundation for success. Our unbiased expertise and ability to bring diverse groups to the table, help our partners achieve their goals. World class legal expertise that helps you achieve your goals We are a community of experts and leaders from around the globe with unmatched expertise on international standards protecting civil society; laws governing the formation, operation and financing of civil society organizations; and ways that government and civil society work together. Global experience, local insight Our engagements in over 100 countries gives us unmatched perspective and insight. We share cutting edge research, innovations, and lessons learned with our extensive global network of partners and help them apply these insights to the local context. Progress is possible. Our optimism stems from past success. We have helped enact progressive legislation in over 40 countries. We also worked to fend off restrictive legislation in many others. With our partners, we are on track to ensure that all people enjoy the fundamental rights that allow them to work together to improve their lives. Lipman Hearne | ACCP

How do you use ICNL’s messages to tell its story? Training Overview How do you use ICNL’s messages to tell its story? As a general framework for key plot points As a framing device for specific examples, e.g., How is this an example of advancing laws that help people improve their everyday lives? As a starting point for tailoring To ensure that the stories ICNL tells are consistent and compelling hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

What a story and messages aren’t Training Overview What a story and messages aren’t A script to follow word for word A “dumbing down” of an issue hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

When can you tell ICNL’s story? Training Overview When can you tell ICNL’s story? All the time, in all your communications Media interviews Annual reports Press releases Conferences Web site PowerPoint presentations Networking and social gatherings hem Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Ultimately it’s about creating a meaningful, unified voice Training Overview Ultimately it’s about creating a meaningful, unified voice Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Exercise: Which one draws you in? Which article does the best job of drawing you in and making you want to read more? What about that article made you want to continue reading? What about the other article did not make you want to keep reading? What was missing? What else is different about the two in terms of how they frame their story? Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Good storytelling starts with assessing who’s listening Best Practices Good storytelling starts with assessing who’s listening Who is your audience? What matters to them? What do you want them to believe about you? Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Where does a good story (and effective communication) begin? With something that matters to your audience. Typically, it’s: An outcome A shared value It’s not: Process Details Facts Lipman Hearne | ICNL

= = Communications filter Outcomes Results Shared Values More Engaged Details Facts Process = Less Engaged Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Sample communications filter We provide compassionate care to those in need as we improve and save lives. = More Engaged We’re a charitable humanitarian organization that provides emergency and disaster relief services. = Less Engaged Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Sample communications filter Our dynamic innovation builds, cures, moves and powers the things that matter. = More Engaged We are a multinational, Fortune 500 corporation that operates in four technology and innovation segments. = Less Engaged Lipman Hearne | ICNL

 Involve, don’t tell. Outcomes Results  Shared Values two-way Involving someone Details Facts Process  one-way Telling someone Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Where does effective communication about ICNL begin? With something that matters to your audience. Typically, it’s: An outcome A shared value It’s not: Process Details Facts Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Extra tips Ask yourself: What does my audience care about most? How does ICNL contribute to that want? Outcomes first, then the details and shared values. Keep it short. Let them ask a question and tailor accordingly. Lipman Hearne | ICNL

Exercise: Write your own stories Best Practices Exercise: Write your own stories Break up into your teams for writing the annual report story. You will receive the story you submitted on Papyrs. Choose to improve that story or another issue you may want to work on. Use the themes from the messages – expertise, collaboration, global/local, progress – to tell the story. See worksheet for instructions. Lipman Hearne | ICNL