Communications Bootcamp

From Cyrano News December 2006


Cyrano offered the first of what will be a series of four Communications Planning Skills Workshops at New York’s Nonprofit Coordinating Committee (NPCC/NY) this fall. Within a day of its posting, 75 nonprofit professionals signed-up for only 20 spots, a clear indicator that there’s a huge demand from nonprofits for help in creating communication strategies and developing marketing concepts.

Effective Communications - What’s the point?
Effective communications have to be designed to effect change. Nonprofits must reach diverse groups – funders, clients, audiences with messages that will lead to desired actions. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Connect the dots
Before the workshop, attendees felt that a sufficient reason for communicating was to “get their message out” or “increase visibility.” By the time the workshop was done, they were connecting communications goals directly to specific business or organizational goals. It’s as simple as ABC: we want to persuade A to come on board and give B dollars in C months. Now that is a clear communications goal.

Happy warriors
Reactions to the workshop:

“Clarified the relation between business goals and the focus of communication.”

“Excellent. Easy to understand and apply to my organization.”

“Great job, very strategic and outside of the usual ‘speak.’”