I’ll say it – things are pretty 🍌 bananapants 👖right now.
That means we have to adjust how we work and what we share to meet the moment.
That’s why today, we’re talking about a new challenge we’re seeing under the current administration – along with your specific next steps to adjust.
Coalitions have the power to create real, lasting change for children and families. And in times of uncertainty (like – you know – right now), coalitions can be particularly powerful.
But to create successful advocacy campaigns, coalitions need thoughtful, data-backed communications that work for all partners involved. On top of that, coalition leaders must ensure your work together is aligned so audiences can understand your vision and know how to take action and support your efforts.
Fortunately, coordinating your coalition’s communications work is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Read MoreYou’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.
So you have new data, and you want to share that information with the world!
A report release can be a wonderful way to get eyes on your organization. But, take it from me – as someone who LOVES a good, ole’ fashioned report release – they can be a TON of work.
Before you start putting pen to paper, I want to share a few key questions to ask yourself as you prepare for your own report release.
Read MorePolitical 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).
Read MoreInformation 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.
Read MoreParents and caregivers need our help.
I’ve led work that supports parents and caregivers for two decades.
I’ve also been a parent for nearly 13 years.
And over time, I’ve noticed a growing trend. Parents and caregivers are overworked, overstressed and overwhelmed – and it’s impacting their health.
As communicators and leaders, there are three easy guidelines you can follow to ensure your messages break through the noise to reach this overwhelmed (but critical!) audience.
Read MoreAre you finding yourself more easily distracted since the election? Feeling a tad foggier? Not retaining much information? Perhaps a tad more irritable?
Check, check, check and check on my end.
If you’re distracted, and we’re distracted, then your audiences are ALSO distracted.
Yet, if you’re like a few of our clients, the work can’t stop now. If you have urgent information to release, or outreach to do, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Here are three communications best practices from our teammates that are more important than EVER as we communicate during times of upheaval, uncertainty and crisis.
Read MoreAs communicators, it’s our job to deeply understand what came before us. For example, knowing about child care’s roots in chattel slavery can help you communicate effectively about workforce challenges. Knowing the history of de- (and recent re-) segregation can help public school communicators better connect around school closures and redistricting.
Great communicators are history experts and are constantly absorbing news and context. We're sharing tips about when and how to think about history here.
Read MoreA logic chain is a tool your team can use to align around:
what you want your audiences to understand about your work;
what you want your audiences to believe as a result of what they understand; and
the specific, concrete action you want your audiences to take.
Starting with a logic chain when creating a strategic communications plan or before conducting a communications audit ensures your messaging and strategies are laser focused on your end goal.
Here’s a full visual (and examples!) for how the logic chain works.
Read MoreWorking parents are burned out.
They are can’t concentrate, take it one day at a time, can barely make butter pasta for dinner kind of tired.
You know the feeling.
That means it’s up to us as communicators to ensure we’re meeting burnt out parents where they are. We’re including three tips for how to do so as you return back to school!
Read MoreConfession: I love podcasts. I’m currently following *34* different podcasts, and I’m always looking for more to add to the list.
To me, the best podcasts take lots of research and data, add thorough reporting and beautifully crafted storytelling, and deliver episodes that make you think long after you’ve stopped listening.
Lately, I’ve come across several episodes that showcase communications best practices “in the wild.” They have me thinking about how we can better do the work we all do to support children and families. Today, I’m highlighting those episodes and the comms best practices they feature.
Read MoreWe know election years are a great time to recalibrate your communications strategy. Why? Because election years mean lots of research and media organizations are gathering extra juicy data about how people are thinking and feeling.
You can use all this fresh polling data to guide your work!
We’ve pulled the latest and greatest data about how Americans are feeling and what they care about, and today, we’re going to share three of our key findings and takeaways with you.
Read MoreShould I throw my cap? I don’t want to lose it, so maybe a gentle toss. Which hand do I accept my diploma with? I wonder where we’re going out to dinner after the ceremony?
These were all questions I had during my high school graduation. And with all of this running through my brain, I couldn’t, for the life of me, tell you who my graduation speaker was or what they said.
So how can you, as a superintendent (or the PIO writing this speech!), use your time at the podium to cut through the noise and make a difference as these graduates embark on the next phase of life? I’m sharing my top 3 tips to help you write a graduation speech that resonates with teens.
Read MoreLove them or hate them, we can all agree on one thing – coalitions Get. Things. Done. And all high-impact coalitions have at least one factor in common: they effectively communicate with their audiences at all stages of the coalition lifecycle.
At Forthright, we’ve worked with a number of coalition partners (some that are just starting up, and others that are well established.) We know that bringing the right communications strategy at the right time can help you have even greater impact. That’s why I’m sharing communications tips for every stage of your coalition!
Read MoreReaching families without internet access isn’t a new challenge for communicators. As of last year, one in five households in America were unable to get online at home.
But in April, millions more families across the country are poised to lose their online access as the Affordable Connectivity Program funding runs out.
This could make reaching kids and families in your district or community more challenging. So today, I want to take a moment and share what we’ve learned about reaching and supporting offline families.
Read MoreHave you ever read or updated your organization’s style guide and paused to think, “Wait, why do we do it this way?” You’re not alone.
After countless communications audits and years of helping organizations discover what they need to say to reach their people, we’re convinced — good rules require great reasons.
Here are three tips to help you create a style guide that shows your team how to communicate and helps them remember why it matters.
Read MoreAs leaders in the child and family advocacy space, the words we use matter. How we talk about families and children matter. When we use language based on assumptions – so, for example, in the case of mom and dad – we are unintentionally prescribing relationships that may not exist for all families in our community. Here’s your guide to inclusive family language.
Read MoreA reporter reaches out to request an interview, and it’s…just not the right fit. You have to say no to the reporter’s request, and that could be for a million different reasons, such as: You don’t have the expertise. You don’t have the bandwidth. Your team can’t agree on what to say. The reporter hasn’t been friendly to your work in the past. So…how do you handle this delicate situation without burning bridges? Well, here’s what our team has learned from working with the media for many years.
Read MoreSocial media brought many surprises in 2023. Will 2024 be a roller coaster too? Because my Magic 8 Ball told me “Reply hazy, try again,” I checked in with some of the biggest names in social media to see what they predicted for 2024.
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