Spread the Word: The Nitty-Gritty of Nonprofit Communications

Like most independent professionals, I don’t like to turn down business, especially in these tough times–who does?  However, my ethical standards (and my unadulterated admiration for NYT Magazine columnist Randy Cohen) do occasionally get in the way of a paycheck. Here is a recent example:

I responded to an organization’s RFP seeking a communications consultant.  When I got their thumbs up and scheduled the preliminary call to learn more, I was all set to razzle dazzle with my Jill-of-all-trades abilities and can-do attitude.  But, as it turns out, I never got to strut my stuff.  I was too busy asking questions, like, “Wait, can you please explain why you’re doing this again?  I still don’t get it.” 

I wasn’t trying to be difficult.  Really.  I just can’t seem to allow an organization to move forward on an inititiative when it’s clear they don’t actually know if they NEED to, and they’re not willing to do the work to find out.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I know sometimes we just WANT things we don’t actually NEED.  I certainly don’t need cable television or yet another pair of jeans, but here I am with both.  Legitimate items in the want pile might be a jazzier-looking website, foil embossing on your holiday cards, or nicer stationary stock.  When you have the budget and the time, you tackle these wants without much thought, and that’s just fine.

Not legitimate in the want pile, however (IMHO), are items like new core messages and taglines, a new logo, or a redesigned website.  These are serious initiatives that should be undertaken for serious reasons.  Frivolity has no place in such projects.  This is particularly true for nonprofits, where buy-in from leadership and members is typically make or break. 

Before undertaking projects like these, you must do your homework and do it well.  I will use the example of new core messages.  (Note:  If you have the budget, a consultant can do this for you; my point is that it needs to be done, no matter who does it.)

• Document What Exists:  You’ve got to have a starting line or you won’t be able to find the finish line.  What are your current core messages?  Where and how are they used?  Who uses them?
• Set Your Benchmarks: This is all about getting where you want to go, and you can’t get there if you don’t know where it is. You need to set clear goals for your core messages, and they must be measurable and attainable.  For example:  ”When they read our core messages, our constituents will know what what we do, where, for whom, and why”;   “Our board members will be highly aware that we have core messages.”
• Perform a Needs/Gap Analysis:  In light of your benchmarks, a. what’s wrong with what exists, and b. what will fix it?  Good needs/gap analysis includes both quantitative (e.g., surveys) and qualitative (e.g., interviews and focus groups) research.  Take the goal from above: “Our board members will be highly aware that we have core messages.”  You can determine the current state of awareness via survey questions, such as, “How aware are you that the Center for Leadership has core messages?  a. Highly Aware b. Somewhat Aware c. Not at All Aware”  When developing surveys, make sure your questions will produce relevent answers.  Making the above a “yes, I am aware” or “no, I am not aware” response, for instance, will not correspond to your “highly aware” benchmark.

As you can see, this homework is a serious endeavour, but circumventing the process can lead to failure.  If you follow these steps, you’ll have the information you need to accomplish your goals, and you’ll be ready to call in a consultant (if you haven’t already engaged one along the way).