[NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION]
Sample Communications Plan
Approved by the board on [date]
Mission:
What is your mission? Is it short and sweet? Easy to understand? Compelling?
Vision:
What would the world look like if you accomplished your mission?
Tagline(s):
“Elevator speech”: What is the 60-second story you might tell about your organization to someone you have just met?
Our 3 most important audiences are:
(Volunteers, members, donors, potential donors, community leaders, public officials, media, clients, internal audiences, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
Digital Tools We Use for Our Communications:
Printed Tools We Use for Our Communications:
Television, Newspaper, Magazine and Radio Media Targets:
Sample Goals
Sample Target
Audience(s)
Support goal of
increasing
renewing
members by
20% over last
year
Current members
Board members
Gain visibility for
scholarship
program to
support goals of
15 additional
applicants and
more
community
news spotlights
Provide ongoing
communications
to engage
current and
potential donors
Students and
parents
Potential donors
Sample Tactics Needed
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Current donors
Potential donors
Volunteers
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Sample
Person
Responsible
Membership
Chair/
Program
Assistant
Sample
Deadline
Schedule 4 speaking engagements at local high schools and
follow up with guidance counselors with digital flyer
Develop relationship with community news contacts at Sarasota
Herald-Tribune, the Observer Group and ABC 7. Pitch stories
around scholarship season with news releases and follow up.
Purchase ad space in education issue of local magazine
Executive
Director/
Program
Assistant
March 2014
Research best practices in donor communications & attend
monthly free trainings by Network for Good
Spotlight 3 donors in annual report, including why they give
with short stories of how their gifts made a difference.
Share concrete examples of donor dollars in action on website
and daily on Facebook/Twitter.
Send short bi-weekly e-newsletter to donors and volunteers
with current needs and program accomplishments. Cross post
on Facebook.
Update profile in The Giving Partner regularly
Develop a bank of photographs of programs in action to feature
online and in annual report, 3 mailings to donors each year.
Prepare one-page handout about recent accomplishments for
one-on-one visits with donors
Volunteer
support/
Program
Assistant
Ongoing
throughout
the year
Use feedback from member experience survey to create
content for monthly e-newsletter content
Spotlight members or members at social events on Facebook at
least once per week
Identify and utilize “member ambassadors” to post about our
organization on their personal Facebook page
May 2014