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| Photo by Flickr user seychelles88. |
A Financial Times article argues that because of current economic challenges, philanthropic organizations will need to figure out how to do more with less. Here’s a look at one of the authors’ suggestions for how to “leverage the money and achieve maximum impact”:
Communications. A straightforward but often overlooked strategy for leveraging greater social return is to develop a communications plan around your philanthropy. Shine the spotlight on your grantee successes. Generate attention about the issues for which you advocate. Tell your community about the role philanthropy is playing in its own backyard. It is much easier to engage outside funding and partners when your work is visible to the public. Share your failures along with the successes. Philanthropy is defined by its spirit of innovation and risk. If we only talk about what is working, we doom others to make the same mistakes that we have.
MCF has compiled some of the best resources for grantmaker communications, from what makes an effective nonprofit website to whether your organization should blog to how to write press releases.
Join the conversation: Do you have a proactive communications plan — whether using traditional forms such as print publications and press releases, or “new” forms like blogs and Facebook — that highlights your accomplishments and what your grantees are doing? How can nonprofit organizations effectively spread their messages with little or no budget (and perhaps without a dedicated staff member) for marketing and communications?
- Crystal Colby, MCF’s web communications associate
