Does your non-profit have a ‘go-to’ tactic – and you need to get out of the rut? Is your organization’s default set to ‘brochure’, ‘buckslip’ or ‘poster’? Or has new media caused a shift to ‘e-blast’, ‘microsite’ or [shudder] ‘viral video’?

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with any of these tactics (except thinking that you can plan for a video to go viral). But when non-profits fall into the trap of jumping straight to tactics, they fail to consider what might be the best way to reach a specific audience. Jumping to a tactic is an indication of not having thought about the audience for the communication at all.

One of the challenges of working in hospital communications is the decentralized nature of organizations comprised of very distinct units with distinct objectives, according to Anthony Lucic. Anthony is the Team Lead, Digital Communications at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario; a large, inner-city teaching hospital with a level-one trauma centre. Anthony is responsible for communications via the Hospital’s various digital properties including web, social media and onsite digital screens. 

Next month, I’ll be attending the Content Success Summit, presented by Mike Stelzner/Social Media Examiner. When this opportunity came up, I seized it right away because I benefitted so much from attending Mike’s Copywriting Success Summit in 2008 and the Social Media Success Summit in 2009.

I’m attending the Summit for two reasons…

Yesterday, Sam Frank, Principal, Synthesis Partnership shared some of his expertise on mission statements [link back]; an excellent primer and case for the importance and value of articulating mission statements. I invited Sam to guest post because I wanted him to help me convince readers not to use mission statements as marketing messages. It turns out that we don’t entirely agree, and we decided to share the rest of our conversation with you.

I feel that mission statements are frequently abused by non-profits. Given all of the heavy lifting we expect of mission statements, I think it’s a mistake to also expect them to serve as effective marketing messages – taglines in particular. To help make my point, I invited mission statement expert, Sam Frank, Principal at Synthesis Partnership,to weigh in on the matter. I ended up getting more of a debate than I expected. In part one of this post, Sam describes what mission statements are and why they are important. In part two – coming tomorrow – we will agree to disagree.

One of the things Karen Glover noticed in 2007, when making the transition from software marketing to non-profit marketing, was the dearth of available networking and professional development opportunities. Which is why she took the initiative to create the local group, Marketers Making a Difference, which is still running today.

The non-profit sector can offer communicators enhanced opportunities for professional development, according to Katherine Moffat, Interim Director of Communications at Toronto’s Second Harvest, the largest food rescue program in Canada. In Katherine’s view, the sector offers significant learning opportunities since professionals are often called upon to stretch their skills and ‘get things done’ with fewer resources and within a more team-oriented culture.

Nicole Paterson is an award-winning marketer who doesn’t let a lack of resources get in the way of achieving her goals. Nicole has worked as the Manager of Marketing Communications at the Burlington Public Library since early 2009 before which her marketing roles in the non-profit sector included Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services, the Town of Oakville and the YWCA Hamilton.

Marnie Grona describes herself as cause-driven, much like the organization for which she works. Marnie is currently the Director of Marketing & Communications for Imagine Canada, an umbrella organization, with a mandate to support and strengthen charities and nonprofits. Marnie’s role includes leading the overall development and implementation of marketing communications strategies, ensuring brand standards are met, overseeing media relations, and providing leadership and development of the organization’s online presence.