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Nonprofit Communications Lessons From Persuasive

In our world of child and family advocacy, few communicators have navigated the trenches quite like Marrianne McMullen.

From managing high-stakes crises in the Obama administration to shaping narratives at DC Public Schools – where I had the immense privilege of working for her – Marrianne has spent her career masterfully championing policies that support children and families. Today, she serves as the Director of Communication & Dissemination at Chapin Hall, an independent research and policy center focused on child and family well-being.

To celebrate the two-year anniversary of her book, Persuasive, I sat down with my former boss and mentor to reflect on what it takes to effectively move the needle.

Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, Hiring and People, Media RelationsKatie Test DavisAugust 20, 2026nonprofit communications strategy, mission-driven leadership, child advocacy communications, communications team management, media relations for nonprofits, preventing communicator burnout, persuasive messaging framework, public policy communications, school district public relations, workload management advice, philanthropy communication trends, trauma-informed communications

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