Posts tagged core messages
The real secret to coalition success
The real secret to coalition success

Something felt off… I was reading the latest newsletter from a health group I’ve admired for years. While I’ve always felt connected to the leader whose expert voice I trust, this time, her voice was gone.

The warmth and personality were replaced by sentences that felt a little too perfect, a little… familiar. It was the unmistakable voice of careless AI.

That icky feeling was a reminder: When our writing sounds like it could have been written by anyone, our audiences lose connection.  

By blindly accepting AI-created drafts, we risk creating "workslop," or low-quality, generic content that does more than just waste time. It leads to a boring, indistinguishable voice that erodes the trust you've worked so hard to build.

Listen, I’m obsessed with AI. It’s a magical assistant that can make our work smarter.  (For me, the excitement is in the everyday partnership. Summarize things! Tell me I’m wrong! Make my project plan more flexible!)

✨ But when it comes to content, it’s humans who have that good, good sparkle. ✨

Think of it this way: if any organization could say it that way, then you shouldn't say it all.

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Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Nonprofit Communications, Writing and MessagingKatie Test Davisai writing, brand voice, nonprofit communications, ai ethics, content creation, editing AI content, workslop, core messages, AI for nonprofits, brand authenticity, content strategy, AI editing tips, how to use AI, how AI can help save time, AI best practices, AI writing best practices, how to write with AI
We dare you to say less
We dare you to say less

Starting my career in policy, I loved the long and winding wonky road. I believed more detail meant more credibility, and my early training taught me to love a 10-dollar word instead of a perfectly perfect 10-cent word. Our most important job, especially in 2025, is to be generous with our audience's time. That means doing the hard work of making our message simple. Here’s how to make it happen.

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Digital and Social Media, Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Media Relations, Storytelling, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test Davisnonprofit communications, advocacy, clear messaging, jargon, storytelling, call to action, strategic communications, simple writing, core messages, nonprofit leadership
Scaling a strong, consistent brand message
Scaling a strong, consistent brand message

You are ambitious. 

You want everyone to know your organization – you want the front page of the paper, the brightest billboard in Times Square, every celebrity endorsement. 

You need to ensure you have a strong, consistent brand message. Yet you’re a small nonprofit., so (of course) you’ve got caviar dreams on a tuna fish budget.

You know what we say to that? Keep dreaming big. 

Here’s our guide to making a big brand splash with a small team.

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Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Media Relations, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test Davisnonprofit marketing, branding, brand consistency, core messages, communications strategy, spokesperson training, marketing on a budget, public relations, nonprofit communications, small business branding, brand messaging, storytelling