Resources

Resources Resources are what organizations invest to achieve their goals. They include dollars (grants, programs, services) and human capital (labor, research, thought leadership).  All organizations are different. Some have deep pockets, some possess unique knowledge, and others are rich with human capital.  What matters most is that you are clear about your available resources and your options for “spending” them to advance your mission.  Invest your available – and finite – brand resources where they can have the most clear, discernible impact.

Resources Resources 270 The number of people who told us their CEO or ED believes that communication advances the organization’s goals.

Resources Resources 1 The rank of “lack of staff time” as a barrier to strategic communication across organization type and role type.

Resources Resources 5.5% Percent of the United States GDP accounted for by the nonprofit sector.

Resources “ “We are more than just grantmakers, we are change makers. In order to create the change we desire, we need to use tools beyond grantmaking. Strategic communications is essential to creating long-lasting societal change.” COMMUNICATION LEADER Private Foundation

Resources “ “We can amplify every dollar we spend if the programs we fund find more recognition, more partners, and can influence those who make polices that affect the people we serve.” EXECUTIVE LEADER Private Foundation

Resources “ “ Communication is not an expense that reduces our ability to make grants. It is a strategic investment that allows us to magnify the impact of our grantmaking dollars, by attracting co-funders and energizing others to get involved.” COMMUNICATION LEADER Private Foundation

Resources How do you define your resources?

Resources How do you “spend” your resources?

Resources Where do you see the highest return on investment?

Reputation

Reputation  Your reputation is shaped and grown by the choices you make over time.  The ultimate goal is to make communication decisions that are clearly aligned to your mission and consistent over time.  Clarity and consistency are key, and knowing when to say no plays a big role, too. Call it brand equity, issue expertise, or reputation. It is the sum of earned and perceived credibility an organization holds around a set of issues.

Reputation Reputation 86% Percentage of survey respondents who agree that when foundations communicate about an issue it helps their grantees work more boldly.

Reputation Reputation 49% Percentage of survey respondents who feel that communications always or often helps to ensure that “progress made in program areas ‘sticks’ and leads to lasting change.”

Reputation Reputation 75% Percentage of survey respondents who agree that “without effective communications we could not raise the support we need (such as funding, partners, and good will).”

Reputation Reputation 68% Percentage of Fortune 500 CEOs who have absolutely no presence on social media.

Reputation “ “If we don’t tell our own story, someone else will, and they will get it wrong.” COMMUNICATION LEADER Private Foundation

Reputation “ “When our president and CEO was hired, she visited foundations of a similar asset size to find out, ‘If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?’ The consistent message was, ‘Get communication right from the get-go. Tell your own story lest someone else tell it for you.’” COMMUNICATION LEADER Private Foundation

Reputation “ “We communicate because we want to get others excited about the work we are doing. We want public sector players to take notice, and we want to be seen as thought leaders in our issue areas.” EXECUTIVE LEADER Private Foundation

Reputation How do you earn your reputation?

Reputation What factors impact your reputation?

Reputation Who are the most important audiences to determine what your reputation is?

Relationships

Relationships  Success depends on identifying your base, being attentive to their ever- evolving priorities, and knowing how to communicate honestly with them, at the right times and in the right ways.  When you decide the time is right to act boldly or in ways that might test the integrity of your relationships, do so with clarity of purpose.  You will be surprised by how resilient well-managed relationships can be. Relationships are the universe of affiliations and associations that give an organization authority and the capacity to advance its agenda or shape behavior change.

Relationships Relationships 88/55/34 The respective percentages of community (85), corporate (55) and family/independent (34) foundations who report using social media.

Relationships Relationships 86% Percentage of survey respondents who spend as much or more time communicating with external audiences (like grantees or donors) as with internal audiences (like the board).

Relationships Relationships $40T Estimated wealth to be inherited by a small group of Gen Xers and Millennials, much of which will be designated for charitable giving, according to NextGenDonors.org.

Relationships “ “We have just under $20 million to grant per year. That's nothing. We will never achieve the results we want to achieve alone. So our program team has been very deliberate about leveraging our reputation to open doors, make deals, build systems, and attract other dollars right into our strategy. It's an explicit part of our theory of change. And we can't do it if our image is weak or our results unclear.” COMMUNICATION LEADER Private Foundation

Relationships “ “If we want people to invest time, energy and money in our foundation, they need to know who we are and how we serve the community. Without communication, we will not achieve our mission and goals.” EXECUTIVE LEADER Private Foundation

Relationships “ “In everything we do we are trying to leverage more support from others. We can’t go it alone.” BOARD MEMBER Private Foundation

Relationships How do you measure your relationships?

Relationships What are your organization’s key relationships?

Relationships How do you nurture key relationships?