Communicating Community

Tell your story

Supporting Non-Profits Through Communications.

How does an organization reach its base, project’s its message, build support and fulfill its mission? You do all this and more with communications. We have so many ways to reach out. It’s up to you to choose which channels to deploy for best effect, but your website and internet properties should be the hub, the center. When you direct all these tools at your site, it becomes your marketing platform. Using the Internet, communications can create, build and nurture community.

Not for profits face a different set of issues than business clients. A volunteer-based group has to continually keep it’s information flowing. Program info has to be accurate, timely and then sell the idea to staff, supporters and newcomers. NPOs and NGOs require more communication management than corporate clients, often with little or no budget and strained staff. Events range from public affairs and fundraisers to seminars and workshops. Bingo night, the annual 5k walk, training session and small group classes all require communications to make them work.

In the corporate world, a highly skilled team manages basic resources to great effect. In a volunteer based world, we turn it around. You need a robust toolset that a more transient volunteer base can easily use. It’s not that your non-profit doesn’t have the skills, rather that people tend to move on. So rather than invest heavily in training, we often coach the organization to invest in tools.

Tourettes Syndrome Association

So, how do you get the word out? For TSA, The Tourettes Syndrome Association of Florida, we begna by building a simple website. Often we work in stages to help get an NPO where it needs to be. Just gathering general info can be a huge task—and keeping it current is an ongoing challenge. Once the base is build, we need to communicate—to tell your story. Getting volunteers, staff, supporters and donors excited about your cause is a never ending task.

Internet is a great place to begin, as costs to distribute are almost zero. The ease with which you can change information is also a huge factor—and why your site should take precedence over print and other media. Often with an NPO we’re doing all the work in one session. The net allows for changes, refinement and correction. Once we’ve built a firm foundation, then we can elaborate, add features that increase outreach.

With a strong web foundation in place, it’s often easier for many people to manage and contribute to your communications.

We’ve got a soft place in our heart for not for profits. Serving any NPO is a daunting task—the need never ends. Find people who are willing to partner for the long term and is vested in your community. For us, we’ve found the experience highly rewarding. And in the end, we all win.