Here’s a problem nonprofit communicators like you share with me time and time again: Due to the ubiquitous nature of information and promotion, we’re all bombarded by content—every waking minute.
In the face of this flood, inconsistencies in your organization’s content—both editorial and graphic—make it difficult for your audiences to digest, at a glance, that these varied communications are all coming from your organization. Let’s take a closer look at how your nonprofit communications can achieve consistency.
The solution: Consistency in nonprofit communications
Consistency – cross-channel and over time – is the key to your audiences absorbing your messages, and for them to be able to “whisper down the lane” – repeating those messages to friends and family. Keep in mind that this consistency must stay flexible, to be adapted when the channel, audience or other factor is radically different from the norm.
No other form of communication is as powerful as this natural network which exponentially extends your organization’s reach. And a style guide helps you make it happen.
Create a style guide to maintain consistency
An easy way to ensure clear and consistent communications is to create an editorial and visual identity style guide, made available organization-wide as an ever-accessible PDF.
Everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to getting the word out. The standards featured in your style guide will make it easy for them to do so, reducing time spent, errors made and endless frustration.
A style guide also makes it unnecessary for you and your colleagues to re-invent the wheel each time, saving you a great deal of effort while increasing your marketing impact.
Plan Your Organization’s Style Guide
Here is a step-by-step approach to putting together, or updating, your style guide.
- Review your communications by spreading a full range of them out in front of you, including pages printed out from your website, e-news, blog, Facebook page and online fundraising campaigns, as well as print materials.
- Jot down standards that work best for the editorial and graphic guidelines outlined below. Traditionally, style guides covered punctuation, spelling and other editorial guidelines. I suggest you expand this concept to include visual guidelines as well so you and your colleagues have a single point of reference to shape communications.
- Craft a usage policy, outlining who (partners, volunteers) can and should use your organization’s graphic identity elements and how.
- Get input on your draft from colleagues and external audiences if possible. These conversations are a key way to get insights from the folks who matter most (your audiences) and buy-in from your colleagues who you want to use the guide.
- Make it as brief as possible—ideally a max of 6 pages—so people can quickly find what they need.
- Feature the contact info for the Consistency Czar—the person on your team in charge of the style guide—so that your colleagues can easily ask questions. You’ll revise the style guide to include responses to frequently-asked questions, and revise existing content more clearly when you hear that colleagues don’t understand it.
- Launch it with a training session for your colleagues—See below.
Establish consistent guidelines
Editorial guidelines
The primary purpose of editorial guidelines is to address topics specific to your organization that are not adequately covered in the standard published style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or The Associated Press Style book.
In addition, your style guide summarizes your organization’s approach to the most-frequently-raised questions of style, topics that are dealt with in greater detail in these manuals, in order to offer a quick, but more comprehensive, reference tool.
Questions of style, unlike many questions of grammar, usually do not have a right or wrong answer. Instead, establishing a preferred style is helpful so that your consistent presentation can be maintained throughout an array of materials that may be produced by many different individuals.
Having a set of predetermined guidelines will also save those individuals the time and energy required to develop their own guidelines.
Guidelines should include:
- Your organization’s name (spelling, abbreviations or acronyms that work)
- Names of your programs and services
- Your address, phone number, emails, website and social channels (should you begin writing your url with “http://” or simply with “www”)
- Your tagline
- Your positioning statement: The two or three sentences that establish your position in the philanthropic world and how it should be included, as a whole, in most communications
- Talking points for staff and board members: Key messages that briefly cover the who, what, when, where, and how of your group, and how they should be incorporated in most communications
- Person, tone and voice
- Word style preferences (preferred spelling and capitalization, e.g. web site vs. website, grant making vs. grantmaking)
- Words not to use
- The title of the published grammar style guide that your group uses: Share the title of the guide that your writers need to follow when deciding whether to insert that final comma or not, or selecting the right preposition to follow the word parallel (to or with). Most importantly, buy print or online copies for all who need to use it!
Review these top two published grammar style guides, talk to colleagues, and select one if you haven’t already (partner links):
Graphic guidelines
Since the power of a strong visual identity can only be realized through consistent application, these standards are crucial for colleagues throughout your nonprofit to follow.
Elements should include:
- Organizational and program logos: Sizing; colors; position on the page; what elements should be included when logo is used
- Color Palette: Official colors and details on how those colors are to be used
- Typeface (e.g. all newsletter headlines are in Times New Roman, Bold, 14 pt.).
- Layouts, templates
- Web, e-news and other online templates
- Photo and image library.
Putting Your Style Guide to Work
Your next step is to distribute the guide and ensure that staff and consultants are clear on its content and how to use it.
An in-person training session is often an effective way to introduce the guide, answer any questions and ensure that your colleagues view it as an aid (fewer open issues, decisions, delays) to them, rather than a dictum imposed upon them.
Remember to refresh your guide on an ongoing basis as questions come up and preferences are determined.
Examples of nonprofit style guides
You’ll see that these examples range from a one-pager, which might be enough for your organization, to Rutgers’ multi-page guide. The more complex your organization, programs and audiences, the more depth (and, unfortunately, length) you’ll need in your style guide.
Consider contacting your communications colleagues at these organizations to learn more about the development or implementation of these guides:
Does your organization have an editorial and/or visual standards guide? If so, please share the link and/or how the guide has helped (or not) here.
Nonprofits that Keep Their Word Deliver Great Experiences for Supporters, Finds Researcher Scott Deming
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionEver had a nonprofit customer experience (as a donor, volunteer or whatever) that left you with a smile on your face? On the other hand, have you ever had an encounter with an organization that left you gnashing your teeth and griping about the event for weeks on end to anyone who’d listen? If you’re like most people, you can answer both questions (especially the second one!) with a resounding yes. But did you ever stop to wonder precisely what its was that went so right or, in the second case, so terribly wrong?
Scott Deming, author of The Brand Who Cried Wolf: Deliver on Your Company’s Promise and Create Customers for Life has the surprisingly simple answer: Great customer experiences happen when organizations keep their word. Most critical, pronounces Deming, is that what you say your organization stands for (brand) means next to nothing compared to what your stakeholders experience. That experience is your real brand or, as my mother used to say, actions speak louder than words.
Identifying positive and negative experiences
What’s interesting is that Deming profiles organizations he deems brilliant branders (orgs like Ben & Jerry’s and Saturn who consistently provide an ultimate customer experience) and wolf criers (who claim they do but actually don’t). And guess what nonprofit leads the wolf criers list….none other than the infamous Red Cross.
I find Deming’s perspective a particularly meaningful way to look at the organizations that have really let us down. Others I can name include the United Way and Smithsonian. These are organizations supporters and other audiences trusted to do the right thing; but they didn’t. And they lost our trust and support.
The Red Cross is a glaring example of how trust can be instantaneously eroded. In the hours after terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, record-breaking pledges poured in from around the world. The Red Cross set up The Liberty Fund as a direct response to the attacks and collected more than $564 million. However, by November 2001, CNN and other news agencies reported that only $154 million of that had been distributed. Dr. Bernadine Healy, who was the outgoing Red Cross president at the time, argued in defense of the charitable organization’s decision to set aside more than half of the money raised for future needs, including possible terrorist attacks. This news angered many donors. They felt like their money was not reaching the intended recipients. Bad customer experience.
Tips for positive supporter experiences
Here are a couple of Deming’s most useful suggestions for staying on track to deliver the right kind of experience for your supporters:
Your most powerful differentiator must be the level of service, the unique experience you offer each of your stakeholders at their moment of engagement with your organization. When you work hard to engender their loyalty, honestly, they’ll go out of their way to stay involved with your organization.
Two Don’t-Miss Tools for More Effective Organization Events
/in Nonprofit Tools /by Getting AttentionSince the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit industry has seen a shift to more virtual and hybrid events alongside fully online fundraisers. In a time when we’ve become accustomed to virtual interaction, face-to-face gatherings can be more impactful than ever.
Building relationships and community online is crucial for spreading your organization’s reach and expanding your membership. But the value of face-to-face engagement can’t be replaced. In-person gatherings often bring a movement or a campaign to the next level, further engaging your members.
Here are two tools we’ve discovered that will help you take your organization’s events to the next level.
1. Event Management Software
Event management platforms are one of the more crucial components of planning your event. Whether you’re planning, hosting, or evaluating the success of an event, you’ll need event management software to help you along the way.
Fonteva’s Salesforce event management software guide walks through how to utilize association management software for your next event:
When you choose the right event management solution for your organization, you’ll be able to customize the features to help you plan a range of activities from conferences to networking events to virtual panels to fundraisers.
With event management software you can increase the ROI for your event while creating a memorable experience for your members and attendees. Because event management software also stores member data, you can save attendee contact preferences, financial information, and other important information for later use. This data can be used to plan future events.
2. Graphic Design Services
Graphic design should be a part of all of your marketing materials. Skillful visual aesthetics can enhance your brand identity when standardized logos, graphics, and color schemes are implemented across all your marketing materials.
Graphic design requires experience and time. It can be expensive to troubleshoot if you are unsure of what you’re doing. Seasoned graphic design companies and professionals can work with you to provide assets for your organization to enhance your event space, color promotional materials, and engage more registrants.
According to Nonprofit’s Source guide to nonprofit graphic design, here are five types of design that a graphic designer can help you implement into your event marketing strategy:
Events won‘t be nearly as successful if there is no promotion or thought put into the experience. By utilizing the skill of professional graphic design services, your organization can bolster attendee registration and improve the quality of your event.
And don’t waste your time creating one or two graphics that don’t look exactly right. Find an experienced graphic design provider that can work with you to create a set of marketing materials and event decor that fit your vision and the organization’s brand.
Organizing events is time consuming and can take months of planning. Look for scalable plans when searching for event management software and graphic design providers so they leave room for your organization’s growth. Now that you know how to maximize your potential with event management software and graphic design services, you can start planning your next event.
How to Create a Nonprofit Style Guide: 7 Steps to Greater Consistency and Impact
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionHere’s a problem nonprofit communicators like you share with me time and time again: Due to the ubiquitous nature of information and promotion, we’re all bombarded by content—every waking minute.
The solution: Consistency in nonprofit communications
Consistency – cross-channel and over time – is the key to your audiences absorbing your messages, and for them to be able to “whisper down the lane” – repeating those messages to friends and family. Keep in mind that this consistency must stay flexible, to be adapted when the channel, audience or other factor is radically different from the norm.
No other form of communication is as powerful as this natural network which exponentially extends your organization’s reach. And a style guide helps you make it happen.
Create a style guide to maintain consistency
An easy way to ensure clear and consistent communications is to create an editorial and visual identity style guide, made available organization-wide as an ever-accessible PDF.
Everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to getting the word out. The standards featured in your style guide will make it easy for them to do so, reducing time spent, errors made and endless frustration.
A style guide also makes it unnecessary for you and your colleagues to re-invent the wheel each time, saving you a great deal of effort while increasing your marketing impact.
Plan Your Organization’s Style Guide
Here is a step-by-step approach to putting together, or updating, your style guide.
Establish consistent guidelines
Editorial guidelines
The primary purpose of editorial guidelines is to address topics specific to your organization that are not adequately covered in the standard published style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or The Associated Press Style book.
In addition, your style guide summarizes your organization’s approach to the most-frequently-raised questions of style, topics that are dealt with in greater detail in these manuals, in order to offer a quick, but more comprehensive, reference tool.
Questions of style, unlike many questions of grammar, usually do not have a right or wrong answer. Instead, establishing a preferred style is helpful so that your consistent presentation can be maintained throughout an array of materials that may be produced by many different individuals.
Having a set of predetermined guidelines will also save those individuals the time and energy required to develop their own guidelines.
Guidelines should include:
Review these top two published grammar style guides, talk to colleagues, and select one if you haven’t already (partner links):
Graphic guidelines
Since the power of a strong visual identity can only be realized through consistent application, these standards are crucial for colleagues throughout your nonprofit to follow.
Elements should include:
Putting Your Style Guide to Work
Your next step is to distribute the guide and ensure that staff and consultants are clear on its content and how to use it.
An in-person training session is often an effective way to introduce the guide, answer any questions and ensure that your colleagues view it as an aid (fewer open issues, decisions, delays) to them, rather than a dictum imposed upon them.
Remember to refresh your guide on an ongoing basis as questions come up and preferences are determined.
Examples of nonprofit style guides
You’ll see that these examples range from a one-pager, which might be enough for your organization, to Rutgers’ multi-page guide. The more complex your organization, programs and audiences, the more depth (and, unfortunately, length) you’ll need in your style guide.
Consider contacting your communications colleagues at these organizations to learn more about the development or implementation of these guides:
(A good example of a mid-level style guide with graphic focus)
Does your organization have an editorial and/or visual standards guide? If so, please share the link and/or how the guide has helped (or not) here.
Why Choose Getting Attention?
/in About Getting Attention /by Jessica King