Challenge: An Avalanche of Information
In the nonprofit sector, every opportunity for community engagement is a moment that matters. Advocating and inspiring support requires stellar communication skills. A nonprofit organization, vital in our community, reached out to us for help. They were focused on improving their regular tours of their facility and program, a critical moment when they introduce the organization to, and ask for support from, a diverse range of stakeholders—volunteers, funders, sponsors, and partners.
Their existing approach was a “firehose” of information, squeezing all the information they could into the tour, regardless of the guests’ specific interest or capacity. This led to information overload and missed opportunities. Stakeholders would often leave impressed but without a clear “ask” or action to take. The organization recognized a need to align their messaging across all communication channels, particularly during these crucial in-person interactions. And as a nonprofit, they were particularly interested in maximizing the impact of every dollar spent on training.
Articulation’s Solution: Message Method Brings Clarity to the Chaos
The nonprofit engaged Articulation to address their storytelling and messaging inconsistencies. While their initial goal was to simply get everyone on the same page with a unified message, Articulation suggested a broader approach that would provide a more profound and transformative solution: our Message Method workshop series.
Message Method equipped the leaders of the nonprofit with a flexible, modular framework for their content. This allowed them to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and instead tailor their communications to the specific needs and interests of each stakeholder group. Crucially, this structure proved beneficial not only for their tours but also for other communication channels, such as email appeals, where conveying a lot of information in a targeted manner was essential.
Results and Impact:
The impact of Message Method yielded significant and tangible results for the nonprofit:
- Relevant Communication: The most immediate shift was the ability of the nonprofit to be more targeted in their messages. No longer overwhelming stakeholders with an undifferentiated flow of information, they share what is most relevant to each audience.
- Strategic Engagement and Specific Asks: This focus on the audience enhanced the nonprofit’s ability to make specific asks. Whether it was networking opportunities, volunteer support for programs, or direct funding, the organization could now align their communication with the capacity and potential contribution of each stakeholder. This translated into more community engagement on every level.
- Increased Stakeholder Engagement: The move to more specific and relevant messaging directly led to a noticeable increase in engagement from stakeholders. When audiences felt their time was respected and the information directly pertained to them, their interest and willingness to participate grew.
- Improved Internal and External Communication: The Message Method fostered improved internal communication as team members adopted a consistent, yet adaptable, framework for sharing information. This clarity extended to external communication, ensuring a cohesive and professional voice across all interactions.
- Efficiency and Structure: Even when faced with a large volume of information to convey, the nonprofit found that less was more. The improved structure of their overall messages also allowed them to streamline their content creation and delivery processes.
The “Aha!” Moment:
For the nonprofit, the single most valuable aspect of working with Articulation and implementing the Message Method was the realization that they no longer needed to overwhelm their stakeholders with information. They discovered the power of being purposefully concise, going deeper only when the audience wanted more. This transformed their communications from a “firehose” into a series of highly relevant and engaging conversations, with clearer outcomes. The team is empowered to connect more deeply with their diverse stakeholders, leading to increased support and a stronger community impact.
If you’re a nonprofit leader or organization looking to increase your impact and clarify your message delivery, reach out to Blythe Coons at blythe@articulationinc.com.
