Communicating Within, Through and About Your Organization Carol Stabler The Meadows Foundation

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“If we don’t tell our story, someone else will.”

Today Why we’re here, what we hope to achieve:  Why should nonprofits communicate?  What do we need to communicate?  Who are our audiences?  Who are the messengers?  What are the messages?  What are the communication tactics?  Scenarios  Q&A

Communication delivering a message from a sender to an audience through a medium

Why Communicate?  Building a goodwill bank  Being visible and transparent  Raising public awareness  Influencing public opinion  Increasing donor base

Why Communicate? The State of the Industry  Over 2 million registered nonprofits in U.S totaling $934 billion in revenues  9% of working Americans are employed in the nonprofit sector  More target-specific in our missions  More professionals are in the field  Increased demand for accountability and transparency  More diverse in staff and nature

What to Communicate  Define your communication goals  Know what success will look like  Be “strategic”

Context - Internally - What are the hopes, expectations and realities? - Externally - What’s happening outside the organization that may have an impact?

Audiences  What’s known about audiences – What are their beliefs and values? How do they get their information? What’s the best way to reach them?  The more clearly you define your audience, the more strategic you can be about reaching them

Audiences  Internal audiences:  Staff  Volunteers  Board  Donors  Champions

Audiences External audiences:  Potential donors  Community leaders  Foundations  Other funders  Policy makers  Media

Messengers Whose voice is it?  President  Board Chair  Beneficiary of services  Champion

Messages Messages are NOT:  Mission statements  Policy agendas  Informational  Complex  Evergreen

Messages Messages ARE:  Audience specific  Focused  Compelling  Simple  Persuasive

Medium/Tactics - Effectiveness - When you get in front of your key audience, are you getting their attention and moving toward your goal? - Efficiency - Are you spending your energy reaching key audiences and not wasting effort on others?

Medium/Tactics Internal Tactics:  Meetings   Memos  Corridor talk  Grapevine  Extranet  Bulletin Board

Medium/Tactics External Tactics:  Letters/  Publications (annual reports, newsletters, papers)  Special events  Website  Meetings  Media  Speakers Bureaus  IRS Form 990

Earned Media FIRST – Determine if it’s news  Pitching stories  Editorial board visits  News releases  News conferences  Op-eds  Letters to the editor

The Press Release  The five W’s  Media Advisory  Full Release  Format  Hard copy, fax and/or  Follow Up  Lists

Getting It Right  Whose voice is it?  What’s the message?  Responding to media inquiries  Helping others tell your story

Getting Started  Determine whether to operate in-house or outsource the services  Develop a position description for a chief communications officer  Develop a strategic communications plan  Develop a crisis communications plan  Establish a media protocol  Establish a media database  Integrate communication into all aspects of your operations

Congressional Attention “What society wants and has a right to expect from nonprofits is that we use our resources wisely and judiciously.”

Mission Statement: While an occasional disinclination to exercise is exhibited by all age groups, the likelihood of positive health outcomes make even mildly strenuous physical activity all the more imperative. If written by a nonprofit executive

Mission Statement: Just Do It! If written by a communications specialist

Communication Help Line Carol A. Stabler Director of Communications The Meadows Foundation 3003 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas ext