Whether you want to increase funding or get folks to change their behavior, it starts with an effective communications strategy. You need the SMART Chart — a strategic communications planning tool specifically designed to lead nonprofit leaders through each element of creating an effective plan. Participants will come away with the skills and strategies they need to develop additional communications plans down the road. We encourage organizations to have both a program leader and a communications leader join to best embed the strategic approach into the organization. This session is designed for groups that know the specific objectives they want to achieve this year, want greater internal alignment and clarity on the communications strategy, or find tracking and measuring success difficult.

People remember stories far longer than data and facts. You need a solid storybank. This 101 session will review the five stories every group needs, teach an approach to ethically gathering and writing stories, and share guidance on deciding which stories support your goals and narratives. This is designed for organizations that don’t yet have fully formed stories readily available, want to strengthen their storytelling or need support clarifying their story strategy.

Dominant narratives shape public perception, and unfortunately, they aren’t always accurate or helpful to your cause. This session will work with participants to identify the dominant narratives surrounding your issue areas, help you think through various methods to advance those narratives, and show how you can push back against ones that do your work a disservice. To make the most of this session, participants should have an experienced communications team, a clear sense of organizational values and the capacity to monitor public discourse over time.