Spitfire Sparks

At Spitfire, we’ve been engaged in the fight to preserve a free and open internet for nearly a decade, so we know how far we’ve come – and how far we still have to go. We’ve always understood that achieving the big victory of permanently preserving the open internet is a long...

Volunteering offers more than a chance to network, build your skills and feel the satisfaction of doing a good deed. Serving our communities strengthens us professionally and personally, and makes us want to give back all the more, creating a virtuous cycle that helps us as much...

Today, I woke up to the news that President Donald Trump had created “political headaches for Republicans,” and my immediate response was yippee. No, not because I am mean. I, for one, love when something unanticipated opens up a big fat opportunity – one I couldn’t create no...

At Spitfire, we pride ourselves in our ability to use effective communication to make positive change in the world. But in an era of “truthiness” and “fake news,” breaking through the clutter is easier said than done. To make our messaging stick, we need to understand not only...

The same week I started Spitfire in 2002, Chris DeCardy – my mentor and the first person to hire me many years earlier – asked if I could write up a memo about how to do communication planning. No problem! I told him I’d have it to him by the end of the week. As it turns out, it...

Spitfire’s special sauce is its people. They are tremendously talented and committed. We know they would never brag about themselves, so we are going to do it for them. This occasional series gives you a chance to get to know the people of Spitfire better. Enjoy. Standing Up for...

Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. It has been celebrated in the United States since 1968 and has grown from a two-week celebration into a month long one. Today...

In this era of alternat—I mean, misleading statements and misdirection, progressive political advisers, communication professionals and advocates are working overtime to combat misinformation and get out the truth. Every pundit seems to have their own theory about how the #MAGA...

We’ve likely all done it. Spent 15 minutes crafting one sentence. Kicked ourselves for coming up with the perfect retort that would leave our audience speechless after the fact. Or had a full staff discussion about whether to use the word equity or equality in our new vision...

We’ve basked in the glow of victory now for a couple of weeks, savoring the sweet win of repeal and replace’s resounding defeat (for now, at least). The congratulatory emails full of thanks and pats on the back flooded our in-boxes and dominated news headlines. Now we’re in that...

How are you sparking change as a Spitfire these days? Right now I am starting to work with a couple of different client teams focused on environmental conservation and social justice issues, with a focus on race and economic impact. What made you want to be a Spitfire? I was...

How are you sparking change as a Spitfire these days? As a training coordinator at Spitfire, I manage the logistics of Spitfire’s training workshops. My team focuses on helping foundations and nonprofits learn new ways to utilize communication as they work to spark social change...