Strategic Communications for Nonprofit

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.

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.

About the Author	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Getting the Most Out of This Book	p. 1
Intended Audiences	p. 1
Strategic Communications Plan Framework	p. 1
Structure of the Workbook	p. 3
How to Use This Workbook	p. 4
How to Use the Web Site	p. 5
Readiness for Strategic Communications Planning	p. 5
Strategic Communications Planning Process	p. 7
Why Strategic Communications Matters	p. 8
Benefits of Strategic Communications Planning	p. 8
Roles and Responsibilities in Strategic Communications Planning	p. 9
Communications Action Team	p. 11
Communications Audit Team	p. 14
Crisis Communications Planning	p. 16
Crisis Communications Team	p. 17
Crisis Control Team	p. 17
Take the Time, Make the Time	p. 19
Step One: Preparing to Plan: Essential Building Blocks	p. 25
Strategic Communications Is Grounded in the Mission	p. 26
Review the Organization's Mission Statement	p. 26
Review the Organization's Program Goals, Objectives, and Financial Priorities	p. 29
Communications Audit	p. 31
Purpose of the Communications Audit	p. 33
Components of a Communications Audit	p. 34
Conducting the Communications Audit: Methodology	p. 34
Plan the Audit	p. 34
Conduct Interviews	p. 35
Inventory and Analysis	p. 35
Present Findings	p. 37
Conduct Additional Research (Optional)	p. 38
Step Two: Foundation of the Plan: The Situation Analysis	p. 43
Internal Analysis	p. 44
Organizational Culture	p. 44
Administration	p. 45
Programs	p. 46
Human Resources	p. 46
Infrastructure	p. 46
Development	p. 47
External Analysis	p. 48
Demographic Forces	p. 48
Economic Forces	p. 49
Political Forces	p. 49
Technological Forces	p. 49
Social Forces	p. 49
SWOT Analysis	p. 50
Critical Community Partners and Stakeholders	p. 53
Step Three: Focusing the Plan: Target Audiences	p. 65
Understand Your Audience	p. 67
Demographic Information	p. 69
Geographic Information	p. 69
Psychographic Information	p. 70
Leadership Potential	p. 70
Profile Each Priority Audience	p. 71
Research Your Audience	p. 72
Media Review	p. 72
Readership Surveys or Membership Questionnaires	p. 72
Piggyback Surveys	p. 72
Exit Interviews or Evaluation Surveys	p. 72
Informal Discussions	p. 73
Focus Group	p. 73
Step Four: Fostering Audience Support: Communications Objectives	p. 77
The SMART Test	p. 80
Cycle of the Communications Process	p. 81
Create the Communications Objectives	p. 82
Communications Objectives: Some Examples Using the Cycle of Communications	p. 83
Step Five: Promoting the Nonprofit Organization: Issue Frames and Message Development	p. 87
Define the Key Themes	p. 89
Message Frames	p. 90
Media Role in Framing	p. 91
Episodic and Thematic Frames	p. 93
Conducting a Framing Analysis	p. 93
Reframing	p. 96
Reframing: Underage Drinking	p. 97
Message Development	p. 98
First Impressions	p. 98
Organization Descriptions	p. 99
Messages that Resonate	p. 101
Building a Message Platform for the Organization	p. 103
Step Six: Advancing the Plan: Vehicles and Dissemination Strategies	p. 113
Criteria for Selecting Strategies	p. 113
Audience Responsiveness	p. 113
The Organization's Relationship to the Audience	p. 114
How the Strategy or Vehicle Will Influence the Audience's Perceptions	p. 115
Controlling the Message	p. 116
Effort to Implement	p. 117
Budget Issues	p. 118
Potential Uses with Other Audiences	p. 119
Evaluating Existing and Potential Strategies for Meeting Communications Objectives	p. 119
Case Study: Future Generations	p. 120
Case Study: Planet 3000	p. 124
Strategies and Vehicles to Meet Communications Objectives	p. 127
Face-to-Face Meetings	p. 127
Print	p. 130
Electronic Communications	p. 133
Audio Vehicles	p. 136
Video	p. 138
Web Sites	p. 140
Strategic Use of Communications Vehicles	p. 144
Alternative Media	p. 145
Building a Comprehensive Portfolio of Communications Vehicles to Support the Communications Objectives	p. 145
Step Seven: Ensuring that the Plan Succeeds: Measurement and Evaluation	p. 151
Performance Evaluation	p. 151
Steps in the Evaluation Process	p. 151
Concepts that Have Driven the Strategic Communications Process	p. 152
Measuring Success in Achieving Communications Objectives	p. 154
Tracking Communications Activities	p. 154
Measuring Communications Impact	p. 154
Evaluation Tools	p. 155
Monitoring the Progress on Communications Objectives	p. 157
Finalize the Report	p. 157
Pulling It All Together: Creating the Plan	p. 161
Building the Communications Plan	p. 161
Putting It All Together	p. 162
Creating Organizational Ownership	p. 164
Messages to Support the Communications Plan	p. 165
Tips for Building Support	p. 166
Building the Case for Sustainable Capacity	p. 168
Money: If It Is a Good Idea, You Can Sell It	p. 172
Income-Producing Possibilities	p. 174
In-Kind Contributions	p. 174
Strategic Communications Plan Template	p. 177
Planet 3000 Strategic Communications Worksheets	p. 211
Essential Communications Tools	p. 249
Elements of a Style Manual	p. 253
Expanding the Organization's Coalitions and Partnerships	p. 255
List of Worksheets	p. 263
Suggested Resources	p. 265
Index	p. 267
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations : Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Plan

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Author Biography

Table of Contents

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