Effectively Communicating within Your Firm By Rex Gatto, Ph.D. Gatto Associates, LLC
Communicating Within, Through and About Your Organization
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Transcript of Communicating Within, Through and About Your Organization
Communicating Within, Through and About Your Organization
Carol Stabler
The Meadows Foundation
or . . .
“If we don’t tell our story,
someone else will.”
TodayWhy 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 messagefrom a senderto 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
MessengersWhose 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 E-mail Memos Corridor talk Grapevine Extranet Bulletin Board
Medium/Tactics
External Tactics: Letters/E-mail 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 email
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. StablerDirector of CommunicationsThe Meadows Foundation3003 Swiss AvenueDallas, Texas 75204-6049214-826-9431 ext. [email protected]