Why Your Non-profit Needs a Communications Plan
If you run a non-profit or charitable organization, creating and executing a communications plan can be an excellent way to achieve success. Read on to learn what a communications plan is, the essential elements of one, and how to create one that can contribute to your bottom line.
What is a communications plan?
A communications plan is a detailed outline of how you will connect your organization with people who are interested in or affected by your programs or services.
The way you choose to communicate with your stakeholders will depend on your goals. It could be that you want to communicate internally with your employees to train them on a new program or service or externally with your donors and supporters to increase funding.
The way you choose to communicate with your stakeholders will depend on your goals. It could be that you want to communicate internally with your employees to train them on a new program or service or externally with your donors and supporters to increase funding.
Why is communications planning important?
A communications plan ensures your team understands the direction the organization is going, has access to the same information and uses consistent messaging throughout their work. A plan can keep your team flying in the same direction, and build meaningful relationships and brand loyalty along the way.
Admittedly, organizations with limited funding or staffing don’t always have the time and resources to plan their communications, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Forget 12-page documents that gather dust on a shelf. The best communications plans are short and concise, and based on your audience needs and objectives. They are dynamic, living documents that help your team plan your activities better, engage your community more effectively and share your stories with more impact.
Admittedly, organizations with limited funding or staffing don’t always have the time and resources to plan their communications, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Forget 12-page documents that gather dust on a shelf. The best communications plans are short and concise, and based on your audience needs and objectives. They are dynamic, living documents that help your team plan your activities better, engage your community more effectively and share your stories with more impact.
4 components of a communications plan
1. Objectives
Objectives guide the plan, providing a destination for your flock. They can start out broad, but you will need to narrow them down with more detail. There are three types of objectives that pertain to non-profit and charitable organizations:
2. Audience analysis
Defining who your audience is allows you to tailor your messaging to meet their needs. Hint: it is not everyone. Get to know who you’re talking to by gathering information and data about your audience through demographics, psychographics and interviews. If one of your target audiences is donors, consider why they donate, other causes they support, why your organization would appeal to them and obstacles they face when considering donating.
In many ways, it can help to create audience personas. These are fictional characters that represent your target audiences. Have some fun with it by giving them a name, age and occupation. Create a superhero-like backstory to go along with it. Then refer back to them when thinking about your messaging.
3. Key messaging
Think about what you would like your audiences to know, think and do, and create a key message for each action. Five key messages should do. Try to focus on the impact your organization has in the community you serve, and how you help your audience overcome their struggles. You can start with overarching themes that summarize the biggest benefits to working with you, then get more specific by adding proof points that back each claim. At least one of your key messages should describe what you do and why. The last one should be a call to action that directs people to support your organization.
Your messaging should be clear, concise and simple, and always relate back to your objectives.
4. Tactics
These are the tools you will use to reach your audience—and your objectives—including channels (email, social media, PR) and content (storytelling and infographics). You don’t need to be on all channels—stick to the ones you know will hit your target audience.
Remember, the goal is to establish your organization as a leader in your industry. So don’t flounder on a bunch of channels you can’t maintain consistently. Soar on a specific few that will give you the reach and results you want.
Objectives guide the plan, providing a destination for your flock. They can start out broad, but you will need to narrow them down with more detail. There are three types of objectives that pertain to non-profit and charitable organizations:
- Awareness: the more people who know about your organization and brand, the more potential funders, donors and volunteers you have access to. For example, you may want to increase the number of visits to your website by x%.
- Funding: organizations and nonprofits rely on financial support from institutions and individuals who share similar values and interests. For example, you want to increase the number of donors by x% by Q2.
- Volunteers: you need to share messaging that incites people to volunteer their time for your cause. For example, you may want to increase the number of volunteers by x% by Q2.
2. Audience analysis
Defining who your audience is allows you to tailor your messaging to meet their needs. Hint: it is not everyone. Get to know who you’re talking to by gathering information and data about your audience through demographics, psychographics and interviews. If one of your target audiences is donors, consider why they donate, other causes they support, why your organization would appeal to them and obstacles they face when considering donating.
In many ways, it can help to create audience personas. These are fictional characters that represent your target audiences. Have some fun with it by giving them a name, age and occupation. Create a superhero-like backstory to go along with it. Then refer back to them when thinking about your messaging.
3. Key messaging
Think about what you would like your audiences to know, think and do, and create a key message for each action. Five key messages should do. Try to focus on the impact your organization has in the community you serve, and how you help your audience overcome their struggles. You can start with overarching themes that summarize the biggest benefits to working with you, then get more specific by adding proof points that back each claim. At least one of your key messages should describe what you do and why. The last one should be a call to action that directs people to support your organization.
Your messaging should be clear, concise and simple, and always relate back to your objectives.
4. Tactics
These are the tools you will use to reach your audience—and your objectives—including channels (email, social media, PR) and content (storytelling and infographics). You don’t need to be on all channels—stick to the ones you know will hit your target audience.
Remember, the goal is to establish your organization as a leader in your industry. So don’t flounder on a bunch of channels you can’t maintain consistently. Soar on a specific few that will give you the reach and results you want.
Create a communications plan that works for you
Once you’ve determined your objectives, audience, messaging and tactics, it’s time to put it into a communications calendar that you can share with your teammates. Done well, a communications calendar will show everything including key activities, target dates and responsible parties. You can update it as you go, but remember to check in quarterly to evaluate your progress.
