Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations

How a nonprofit s strategic communications department defines its issues and policies determines whether the public views it as an effective organization. Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition supports nonprofits in using their resources most effectively. The Second Edition includes a dedicated web site, equipping professionals with the worksheets, forms, surveys, and self-assessment tools needed to create a total communications plan. Plus, the book s step-by-step instructions demonstrate nonprofit communications strategies that work. Practical and clear, this in-the-trenches book provides nonprofit CEOs with expert insights to achieve their mission.

About the Author xi

Preface xiii

Chapter 1 Getting the Most Out of This Book 1

Intended Audiences 1

Strategic Communications Plan Framework 1

Structure of the Workbook 3

How to Use This Workbook 4

How to Use the Web Site 5

Readiness for Strategic Communications Planning 5

Chapter 2 Strategic Communications Planning Process 7

Why Strategic Communications Matters 8

Benefits of Strategic Communications Planning 8

Roles and Responsibilities in Strategic Communications Planning 9

Communications Action Team 11

Communications Audit Team 14

Crisis Communications Planning 16

Crisis Communications Team 17

Crisis Control Team 17

Take the Time, Make the Time 19

Chapter 3 Step One: Preparing to Plan: Essential Building Blocks 25

Strategic Communications Is Grounded in the Mission 26

Task One: Review the Organization’s Mission Statement 26

Task Two: Review the Organization’s Program Goals, Objectives, and Financial Priorities 29

Communications Audit 31

Purpose of the Communications Audit 33

Components of a Communications Audit 34

Conducting the Communications Audit: Methodology 34

Task One: Plan the Audit 34

Task Two: Conduct Interviews 35

Task Three: Inventory and Analysis 35

Task Four: Present Findings 37

Task Five: Conduct Additional Research (Optional) 38

Chapter 4 Step Two: Foundation of the Plan: The Situation Analysis 43

Internal Analysis 44

Organizational Culture 44

Administration 45

Programs 46

Human Resources 46

Infrastructure 46

Development 47

External Analysis 48

Demographic Forces 48

Economic Forces 49

Political Forces 49

Technological Forces 49

Social Forces 49

SWOT Analysis 50

Critical Community Partners and Stakeholders 53

Chapter 5 Step Three: Focusing the Plan: Target Audiences 65

Understand Your Audience 67

Demographic Information 69

Geographic Information 69

Psychographic Information 70

Leadership Potential 70

Profile Each Priority Audience 71

Research Your Audience 72

Media Review 72

Readership Surveys or Membership Questionnaires 72

Piggyback Surveys 72

Exit Interviews or Evaluation Surveys 72

Informal Discussions 73

Focus Group 73

Chapter 6 Step Four: Fostering Audience Support: Communications Objectives 77

The SMART Test 80

Cycle of the Communications Process 81

Create the Communications Objectives 82

Communications Objectives: Some Examples Using the Cycle of Communications 83

Chapter 7 Step Five: Promoting the Nonprofit Organization: Issue Frames and Message Development 87

Define the Key Themes 89

Message Frames 90

Media Role in Framing 91

Episodic and Thematic Frames 93

Conducting a Framing Analysis 93

Reframing 96

Reframing: Underage Drinking 97

Message Development 98

First Impressions 98

Organization Descriptions 99

Messages that Resonate 101

Building a Message Platform for the Organization 103

Chapter 8 Step Six: Advancing the Plan: Vehicles and Dissemination Strategies 113

Criteria for Selecting Strategies 113

Audience Responsiveness 113

The Organization’s Relationship to the Audience 114

How the Strategy or Vehicle Will Influence the Audience’s Perceptions 115

Controlling the Message 116

Effort to Implement 117

Budget Issues 118

Potential Uses with Other Audiences 119

Evaluating Existing and Potential Strategies for Meeting Communications Objectives 119

Case Study: Future Generations 120

Case Study: Planet 3000 124

Strategies and Vehicles to Meet Communications Objectives 127

Face-to-Face Meetings 127

Print 130

Electronic Communications 133

Audio Vehicles 136

Video 138

Web Sites 140

Strategic Use of Communications Vehicles 144

Alternative Media 145

Building a Comprehensive Portfolio of Communications Vehicles to Support the Communications Objectives 145

Chapter 9 Step Seven: Ensuring that the Plan Succeeds: Measurement and Evaluation 151

Performance Evaluation 151

Steps in the Evaluation Process 151

Concepts that Have Driven the Strategic Communications Process 152

Measuring Success in Achieving Communications Objectives 154

Tracking Communications Activities 154

Measuring Communications Impact 154

Evaluation Tools 155

Monitoring the Progress on Communications Objectives 157

Finalize the Report 157

Chapter 10 Pulling It All Together: Creating the Plan 161

Building the Communications Plan 161

Putting It All Together 162

Creating Organizational Ownership 164

Messages to Support the Communications Plan 165

Tips for Building Support 166

Building the Case for Sustainable Capacity 168

Money: If It Is a Good Idea, You Can Sell It 172

Income-Producing Possibilities 174

In-Kind Contributions 174

Strategic Communications Plan Template 177

Appendix 1 Planet 3000 Strategic Communications Worksheets 211

Appendix 2 Essential Communications Tools 249

Appendix 3 Elements of a Style Manual 253

Appendix 4 Expanding the Organization’s Coalitions and Partnerships 255

List of Worksheets 263

Suggested Resources 265

Index 267

SALLY J. PATTERSON is the President of Radiant Communications, Inc., a strategic communications firm that counsels nonprofit leaders on organizational issues including communications planning, executive coaching, and leadership transitions. Based in Washington, D.C., she has more than thirty years of strategic communications and public policy expertise including ten years with public opinion research firms. She has provided strategic communications consultation and training to more than 700 nonprofit organizations.

JANEL M. RADTKE—considered a pioneer in open-access communications among nonprofits—brought home to many the importance of the person in the technology equation. She was the founder and president of Radiant Communications, Inc., until her death in 1999. Before that, she garnered twenty years of experience helping nonprofits and educational institutions shape communication strategies and navigate a rapidly changing technological environment.

Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations

Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Plan

Second Edition

Completely rewritten and comprised of virtually all-new material, Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition offers your nonprofit organization a conceptual framework and step-by-step process for developing an easy-to-implement strategic communications plan.

Based on the core principles and approach developed by Radiant Communications, this much-needed volume explains how to transform theory into practice. It encourages nonprofits to be smart in their communications work, to use their limited resources successfully, and to evaluate the impact of their community outreach. Filled with proven techniques to ensure that nonprofits send the right message to each constituency group or audience, Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition equips nonprofit professionals to coordinate their efforts to hit the mark every time.

Employing a wholly practical, in-the-trenches approach that combines expert insights, real-life case studies, and clear, step-by-step instructions, this workbook demonstrates nonprofit communications strategies that work, showing how your nonprofit can effectively:

• Set clear goals for the planning process
• Determine roles and responsibilities for the CEO, senior staff, and board
• Create a strategic plan that reflects the environment surrounding the organization
• Identify and connect with your target audience
• Achieve SMART communications objectives: specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and time-bound
• Tailor effective, persuasive messages that are mission-driven, audience-focused, and action-oriented
• Develop coordinated dissemination strategies that utilize all five forms of communication: face-to-face, print, audio, video, and electronic communications
• Reinforce the mission, values, and messages for maximum impact on each target audience

Practical and proactive, the Second Edition of this step-by-step book is now available with a Web site filled with immediately useful worksheets, forms, surveys, and self-assessment tools needed to create your organization's total communications plan.

PRAISE FOR
Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations

Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Plan, Second Edition

"Ms. Patterson has constructed a model for organizational planning and communications that is both deceptively simple and marvelously helpful. I applaud her and am appreciative of so useful a volume of well-researched and practical knowledge."
—Louise Howell, PhD, Executive Director Kentucky River Community Care, Inc.

"Once trained in the Radiant model, we constantly ask ourselves who are we trying to reach, what do we want them to do, what messages/actions will move them to act in our favor, and how will we know if we have succeeded. Once internalized, the model constantly guides me and our staff to channel our collective energy both more efficiently and very effectively to win in the public policy arena."
—Buddy Gill, Chief Advocacy Officer Texas Credit Union League

Your nonprofit's strategic communications plans are active, organic documents that don't belong on a shelf

Written by renowned nonprofit communication specialists, Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition authoritatively reveals how your organization can project a positive image, focus public attention, strengthen community partnerships, and maximize scarce organizational resources to achieve social change.

Organized to follow the flow of the strategic communications process, the new edition of this step-by-step guide helps your organization answer essential questions, including:

• What are we trying to achieve?
• Who are we trying to reach?
• What do we want supporters to do?
• How do we encourage them to do it?
• How will we know if we've succeeded?

With an accompanying Web site filled with worksheets, forms, surveys, and self-assessment tools, Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition can be used in its entirety or to specifically focus on a particular challenge. Enthusiastic and readable, this much-needed volume succinctly outlines the basic principles and approach necessary to improve the effectiveness of your nonprofit's communications and outreach efforts in fulfilling its mission and promoting lasting social change.