internal communications — Nonprofit Communications & PR Firm | Nonprofit Marketing Agency | Forthright Advising

We’ve all felt that magic moment in a coalition meeting. That instant when two dozen different perspectives click into place behind a brilliant idea. We build coalitions for this very reason – to make change happen that can’t happen when we work in isolation.

I’ve helped manage coalitions, led task forces and been just a quiet participant, so I've also seen the flip side of that magic: the drain of 50 reply-all email chains about scheduling, meetings that drag, alignment that never quite crystallizes.

It’s no wonder this friction saps coalition members’ energy and stalls progress. Coalitions are often powered by passionate people squeezing this work in on top of demanding jobs.

This brings me to the real secret of coalition building. A coalition is only as effective as its internal communications. How we communicate *internally* creates the trust and alignment needed to win *externally.*

How to message $ cuts with clarity

You’ve heard the news. We all have.

“There are major cuts coming to nonprofit funding.”

“Funding is being stripped from federal grants.”

“School districts face funding cuts.”

That leads you to the following question: What should you do when you need to talk about funding cuts…even while the news is still unfolding?

As a leader, your role as a communicator is really critical right now.

The heaviness is real. Freezing or waffling could create panic or more confusion.

That’s why today, we are offering three tips to help you communicate clearly about funding cuts.

Avoid reacting 24/7 in a new year of noise

Political transitions can feel like drinking from a firehose. Headlines spark fear, social feeds rile people up, and your team looks to leadership wondering: should we say something about this?

Over the next few months, the noise is only going to get louder and louder.

But here's the thing – you can’t sprint against the wind for months or years at a time.

And you definitely can't let each bill proposal or sound bite throw your communications strategy out of whack and put your team on the defensive line.

Here are three tips to prevent your team from living in reaction mode for the next year (or four).

Clarity internally = clarity externally

Information overload. Unstable social media climate. And if that’s not enough, nonprofit leaders like you have to wade through polarization and disinformation.

Our audiences are dealing with a lot – so it’s more important than ever to clearly describe your work and your vision for the world.

You shouldn't wait until a press release or web redesign to sharpen the language you use everyday to describe your work.

In fact, every day is a great day to make your messaging strategy clearer, and this work starts internally.

Here’s how to build clear communications inside your organization so your message is clear outside your organization.

What the Upcoming Election Means for Communicators

This election’s outcome will represent something a little different for all of us. But the one thing I can promise is that we're going to work through the results—and what they mean for our work—together, and we’ll be right here to support you along the way.

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