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The Cutting Edge

Intensive training program for communicating leaders

For experienced leaders looking to refine their communication skills, define their organization’s voice and navigate complex communication challenges

In-person trainings to hone your skills

These two-day intensive quarterly training series cover different topics at each location, with peer group learning and one-on-one coaching sessions tailored to each area.

Collage of teal and purple graphic elements with a cutout of a person teaching
  • 01

    Ongoing communication coaching and support

    Our training doesn’t stop when the session ends. Spitfire pairs you with a dedicated coach to ensure you get personalized guidance during the program. After the session, participants continue working with their coach through a follow-up bank of hours, reinforcing and expanding on what they’ve learned.

  • 02

    Join a cohort of peer leaders

    These sessions welcome seasoned leaders from across the country to hone their skills while also sharing their expertise and experience with the cohort so we tackle our challenges together.

  • 03

    Flexibility in participation

    It’s your learning, so you should be able to choose what best fits you and your journey. Choose the skill, timing and location that suits your schedule and greatest need but be sure to pack your thinking cap – we’ve got work to do.

  • 04

    Learn it, use it, assess it and improve it model

    The Spitfire model focuses on applied learning. For each session, participants will commit to applying what they’ve learned and work with a Spitfire coach to experiment with the learning, debrief on how it is going and curate ways to improve based on feedback.

Explore our training sessions by topic

Use the filter to discover more about the tailored programming.

Spitfire coaches will work with participants to support their learning and provide counsel on-site. Each training includes three coaching hours after the session to implement what you learn.

Washington, D.C.

Foundational communication skills

March 19-20, 2025

Strengthen your organization’s foundational communication skills and strategy in this two-day session dedicated to the lessons and tips in the Smart Chart 4.0®.

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  • Set clear and specific objectives to leverage communications to achieve your programmatic goals

  • Learn to craft and tailor messages that bridge the gap between your base and those you want to bring onboard

  • Identify tactics and evaluation needs to ensure your communication plan is actionable

  • Hone critical skills for internal communications and board engagement

  • Focus on critical skills and strategies for your organization’s internal communication and board engagement

San Francisco

Your organization’s voice

June 18-19, 2025

Shape the stories, speeches and strategies needed to lead in this two-day session designed for executives who need to be out front and setting the standard.

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  • Hone your voice and message with stories that stick

  • Map where and to whom you should be delivering your message

  • Refine your elevator pitch to reach and inspire audiences

  • Develop the voice and visionary speeches that give you the edge

New York City

Sticky and tricky communication

Sept. 17-18 2025

Learn how you can prevent the opposition from derailing your message to strategies for combating disinformation in this two-day Sticky and Tricky Communications.

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  • Understand and overcome mis- and disinformation by learning techniques and rhetorical strategies used in social and news media

  • Learn from Spitfire’s Just Truth™ guide how to create messaging that builds your base, prevents disinformation, tackles opposition pushback and bridges the gap to those not yet in your movement

  • Get ahead of a polarized media ecosystem to foster deeper conversations, not dangerous escalations

  • Learn how to shift to asset framing in your messaging, tell hope-based stories and engage content creators to amplify your issues

  • Learn the key questions to ask yourself before deciding whether to use artificial intelligence to create content

Chicago

Heading off and navigating crisis communication situations

Nov. 12-13, 2025

Learn how to navigate crises with confidence in this two-day training that equips you with tools to preserve trust, maintain credibility and protect your organization’s reputation.

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  • Prepare for any crisis — internal or external — using Spitfire’s Smart Plan®

  • Use scenario-planning exercises to determine how to respond to critical events

  • Learn how to build or restore trust in your organization and externally using Spitfire’s Replenishing Trust™ guide

  • Refine and sharpen community engagement strategies to deepen trust

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

Building capacity for organizations working to improve the social determinants of health for their communities

For 20 years, Spitfire trained a cohort of new RWJF grantees each year. Each grantee participated in the yearlong program to learn the foundation’s culture of health messaging, enhance their communication capacity and develop a communication plan for their grant-funded work. Over 500 nonprofit organizations (and 1,000 participants) have gone through this intensive strategic communication training program with impressive results within their grants.

View RWJF case study

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) logo

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