Messaging on a Mission

Every year new communicators join the workforce—which is desperately needed. But what are the college communication curricula that are preparing them for the world we have today and the world we'll have tomorrow? This episode looks at what today's students are learning and how are they preparing for careers in communications.

Dr. Cody Clemens' primary research and teaching foci are in Health, Organizational, Relational, and Gender Communication. His scholarly work has appeared in the Journal of Communication Pedagogy, Health Communication, Ohio Communication Journal, The Forensic of Pi Kappa Delta, and Carolinas Communication Annual. He also published a book chapter in The Handbook of Communication Training (Routledge) with his co-authors on Belbin Team Roles. His doctoral dissertation research focused on the experiences and identities of individuals living with the chronic autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Dr. Clemens actively presents and participates at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Conference, the International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative Inquiry Conference, the National Communication Association Conference, and the Ohio Communication Association Conference.

For his research and service, he has been awarded numerous awards from institutions like Bowling Green State University and the National Communication Association's Training & Development Division. He is currently the Vice President for the Ohio Communication Association, and he serves as a reviewer for the Ohio Communication Journal, Journal of Autoethnography, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and Women & Language.

He has Ph.D. in Health & Organizational Communication from Bowling Green State University, an MA in Corporate Communication, Duquesne University; and a BA-Organizational Communication & Public Relations, from Marietta College where he serves as an Assistant Professor. And, he and I are both members of the MCAA Board of Directors.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his many horses, and his dog, Betty.

Careers in communication can play a key role in promoting important public health initiatives.

We should approach different generation cohorts because they have different expectations for media consumption, different levels of digital literacy, and digital access.

Communication curricula should include helping students in ways such as standing up for themselves and what they believe in, knowing the difference between credible and identifying non-critical research, and ethical and unethical behavior.

They also need to help create powerful leaders, writers, readers, and impactful communicators.

Future college communication curricula should focus on the developing strategic digital world. However, they should not lose sight of core elements like interpersonal communication, ethics, and being good colleagues and team members.

Managing new communication graduates requires listening, mentorship programs, challenges, and socialization opportunities.

Dr. Cody Clemens

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/codymclemens/

Marietta College

https://marietta.org

Connect Four Panel Discussion on the Marietta College Communication Department

https://youtu.be/tQVSBP71beQ

POSTSCRIPT: This episode of Messaging on a Mission was recorded in November of 2021, slightly more than a month before our guest's untimely death from a heart attack. We are airing the episode to honor his memory and share his insights with those who can benefit from them.

For most organizations, the end of the calendar year is when you do a fundraising push. People can get that last bit of tax benefit before they file their returns. Now is the time organizations are interpreting the results of that end-of-year campaign. In this episode, we look at:

What you can learn from a campaign that exceeded expectations?

Ascertaining what went wrong when they didn't.

Trends in annual giving campaigns, and

Some best practices around continued engagement throughout the new year.

Christopher Marrion was a senior not-for-profit executive with more than two decades of experience as a leader in cultural organizations. Before his passing in December of 2021, he was the Vice President of Advancement for the Hanover Theatre and Conservatory, a historic theatre and presenter in Worcester, MA.

Prior to joining THTC, Chris served as the Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at his graduate school alma mater, the Boston University College of Fine Arts. Chris served for eight years under Artistic Director Yo-Yo Ma as Deputy Director of Silkroad, where his responsibilities included strategic planning, program assessment, and fundraising for concert tours, recordings, and commissions by the Silk Road Ensemble, a multi-year education initiative in NYC public schools, and a collaboration with the Harvard Business School to promote innovative cultural enterprise. Additional experience includes Boston Lyric Opera (Director of Development), Boston Children's Hospital (Major Gifts Officer), and AIDS Action Committee (Director of Individual Giving).

Chris studied at the New England Conservatory of Music (BM) and the Boston University College of Fine Arts (MM). Prior to entering the development field, he was a freelance musician active in the U.S. and Europe.

To remember Chris, please consider a donation to the Hanover Theater & Conservatory (thehanovertheater.org), AIDS Action (AAC.org), or a charity that is important to you.

Fundraising is both art and science.

What you learn relies a lot on what you intended to learn before you started.

Base your decisions on what you know about donor behavior and their history to identify who might be the most likely people to respond to this campaign.

Don't be afraid to try something different.

No matter what the short-term results are, remember to consider the lifetime value of the donor.

From a data perspective, it's important to have a baseline.

Major gifts offer an opportunity to write a short story.

If something hasn't worked often, the first thing to do is go back and ask, was it the right? Was it the right message? Was it powerful enough to really explain what we do?

Always keep your audience first.

Have your baseline data in place before you start. Know what segments didn't perform well, what didn't do as well as expected, and why didn't an experiment pay off. Then you can figure out what to do next.

The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts

https://thehanovertheatre.org/

AIDS Action Committee

https://aidsaction.org

Your organization makes an impact. Clearly, or you would not do what you do. However, why doesn't anyone know about your impact? There are a lot of reasons why and that's exactly what we cover in today's episode of Messaging on a Mission. Fundraising expert Megan Amundson walks us through why should create a culture of impact and how, both internally and externally.

Megan Amundson helps nonprofit organizations raise more money from individual donors by training and coaching leaders to develop fundraising skills and confidence and implement best practices. She helps small and medium-sized organizations make small changes to their fundraising program that have big results. All while using the organization's current capacity.

Megan has spent almost 20 years in the nonprofit sector holding many different roles, including Executive Director, board member, and major gift officer. She brings unique experience to her clients, helping them build more sophisticated fundraising programs with limited resources.

Two main reasons people do not continue to give to your organization: they weren't thanked properly and/or they cannot see the impact their gifts have had.

Organizations should talk about impact 4x a year.

You should be talking about impact four times a year — literally just so people don't forget about you.

Impact messages are not reports: They are bite-sized stories about something impressive and impactful that you did.

For long-term goals, tell stories about the continuing activities designed to eventually meet that goal.

Your stakeholders actually want to know (a) that you have a big vision (b) that you're fighting for it that you're strategic, that you're smart. Tell them frequently.

Megan Amundson

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.meganamundson.com/impact

In the first year of Messaging on a Mission, we produced 22 episodes, all of which were designed to help you think about your messaging strategy differently. We think they were all pretty good, but nonetheless, this episode covers conversations with:

Grace Moreno

Darren LaShelle

Kim Vanni

Tom King

Liz Page

Jamie Brogioli

Brian Forest

Michael Tate

Sharon McIntosh

Matt Montgomery

Our thanks to all of these guests and the many others who helped us create Messaging on a Mission this year.

Messaging on a Mission is produced and hosted by Douglas Spencer Douglas is founder and president at Spencer Brenneman, LLC. He has more than 30 years of branding and marketing experience, working with professionals from around the world in verticals such as financial and professional services, tech, higher education, healthcare, and not-for-profits. Before starting Spencer Brenneman, he was Vice President, Global Head of Brand Management for Thomson Reuters. In that role, he guided the migration of the multiple Thomson and Reuters businesses to form the then-new Thomson Reuters brand.

In 2020, after experiencing nearly a lifetime of both challenge and privilege, Douglas shifted the company's focus exclusively to supporting the work of mission-driven organizations. By applying his experience and the talents of his virtual team, he knew he could help those who were helping us all.

A lifelong volunteer, including two years as chairman of a $100 million community health center and research institute, Douglas is intimately aware of the challenges facing mission-driven organizations. That first-hand experience helps Spencer Brenneman adapt the latest private-sector strategies to help not-for-profits, social enterprises, and B Corps sharpen their focus and create messaging that secures all the support they need to flourish in any environment.

Douglas graduated from Marietta College with a bachelor of arts in journalism and now serves on the college's alumni association board of directors.

Head over to Apple Podcasts, search for Messaging on a Mission, and rate us!

https://spencerbrenneman.com

International fundraising has its own challenges—not the least of which is getting people "here" to care about "there." In today's episode, we speak with the Founder and CEO of Project Alianza, Kristin Van Busum. Project Alianza is closing the education gap in rural Central America by building safe schools and providing literacy programs and scholarships. We are a women-led organization that has provided education to over 13000 children. Kristin speaks with Messaging on a Mission Host Douglas Spencer about the challenges of creating a message that inspires people in the United States to join her organization's quest to help people in Central America.

Kristin Van Busum is the founder and CEO of Project Alianza. She has over ten years of experience as a scholar and an advocate for resilient communities. She has worked in New York City on public health initiatives to prevent obesity, helped families in need in Mexico secure stable housing, and provided counseling to incarcerated women in Indiana. Prior to founding Project Alianza, she served as Manager of Health Advisory Services at RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank. Kristin has earned degrees from Butler University and New York University and is a Fulbright Scholar.

The focus was once on the wealth disparities between rich and poor nations. However, now the differences between rural and urban are more pronounced.

Helping people abroad and at home are not mutually exclusive.

Tap into a common belief, such as all children should feel safe when they go to school.

Develop a genuine, first-hand understanding of the foreign culture you are helping to not only connect most effectively with the people there but to tell their stories more authentically as well.

Understanding psychological barriers is critically important.

Focus on work that is led by community leaders, not people from the United States.

Think of messaging as a working document.

Always have a system for managing money and being transparent with your money and your impact.

Kristin Van Busum

[email protected]

Project Alianza

www.projectalianza.org

Speeches are one of the most powerful forms of communication available to us as we send our message out on a mission. They have the power to inspire, educate, and console. In this episode, we speak with a former U.S. Senate and White House speechwriter about not just speeches, but what they can teach us about our entire messaging approach.

Brian Forest is a seasoned speechwriting, messaging, and public affairs veteran who has worked on nearly every major policy issue of the last decade. He has years of experience providing strategic messaging counsel to leaders at the highest levels of business and government—from Fortune 100 CEOs to several of Time's 100 Most Influential People including congressional leaders, presidents, and prime ministers.

Forest, a longtime senior Senate leadership aide, has crafted messages and strategies that shaped national conversations and helped secure important bipartisan legislative achievements. He also led strategic messaging for a major Washington trade association where he managed public affairs campaigns and provided executive communications support to senior leaders and CEOs. He previously worked in a variety of roles spanning campaigns, journalism, academia, international institutions, state government, the White House, and PR agencies such as Edelman.

He has worked on thousands of remarks and opinion pieces over his career including high-profile national addresses, State of the Union responses, and op-eds that have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and nearly every other major newspaper.

Break ideas down into their constituent pieces. Talk to the experts themselves, and ask them laymans' questions. Summarize what you heard in your own voice and then verify.

Carefully approach the person who will deliver the speech about the emotional tone of the piece. If they are hesitant to show emotion or authenticity, ask them why.

Shoot for speeches that sound genuine. Authenticity is important because people want to believe you.

Finding a new piece of a story within one that people already know, that's what makes a speech or a story interesting.

The beginning, middle, and end structure doesn't always have to go sequentially. Start in the middle or at the end, for example.

Arboreal Communications

www.arborealcommunications.com

Brian Forest

[email protected]

Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century

https://stacker.com/stories/3422/100-greatest-speeches-20th-century

Technology is such an integral part of our lives for everything we do. How we share our message with the world is no different. In a minute we'll hear from a brilliant woman who will walk us through the key issues.

Trina L. Martin is a technologist, international speaker, best-selling author, podcaster, and a proud retired US Naval Officer. Through her experience in technology management and consulting including 20+ years of work as a computer programmer and 10 years as a cyber intelligence analyst, Trina has seen how minor miscommunications at work can lead to major problems.

She now works with small and medium-sized organizations to help them use secure communication technology solutions to elevate their operations. She is also a coach and mentor to women of color in tech who want to pursue and excel in leadership positions. Trina also provides corporate training to help companies hire and retain women of color in tech.

She has a Bachelor of Science from the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and an MBA from Western International University.

Cybersecurity should be a priority for organizations of all sizes.

Before bringing in a technology consultant, sit down and think about what you want to be able to do? What systems do I need? Have your list of requirements of what you need ready to go.

Organizations cannot afford to not think about their technology: Retention, engagement, even supporter/client acquisition will suffer if your technology does not work with and for you.

Trina L. Martin

https://TrinaLmartin.com

[email protected]

Most corporations no longer limit their community support to sponsorships. However, if constructed carefully, these sponsorships could be important sources of visibility and engagement. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we talk to an expert in bridging the gap between associations/non-profits and the for-profit partners who support them.

Bruce Rosenthal has advanced corporate partnership programs for more than 20

years. He is a strategic advisor, consultant, and educator to associations and not-for-

profit organizations, creating corporate partnership programs that increase revenue, add

member value, and foster sustainability.

He demonstrates leadership in identifying and cultivating sponsorship and partnership

best practices, opportunities, and solutions as Convener of the Partnership

Professionals Network (PPN), a national sponsorship/partnership organization.

As VP of Corporate Partnerships for a national association, Bruce directed a successful corporate partnership program. He innovated the program by revising the positioning, benefits, packaging, collateral, etc. to keep pace with changes in the economy and the marketplace.

Bruce does presentations at national and state conferences, and on webinars – in

addition to writing articles and blog posts. Rosenthal understands the "ins and outs" of association structures, governance, and programs—so he's the perfect guest for this episode.

Move from the transactional to the transformational with your corporate relationships.

Engage sponsors in a conversation around what they want to achieve with their sponsorship. Do let them feel like an ATM machine.

Find that sweet spot of what the members need, what the companies need, and then by extension, the association comes out the winner.

Focus on the substance and the partnership and the exchange of information.

Partner with corporations around member research.

Creating more engaging partnerships with companies usually means sponsor fees are higher, which means that more engagement with fewer sponsors can still bring in the same if not more support.

Find ways to align your members' or attendees' goals with the sponsor's goals.

https://BruceRosenthal.associates

https://partnership professionals.network

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucerosenthal46/

One of the best ways to use content effectively is to repurpose it. So, that's what we're doing with this episode of Messaging on a Mission. The same content will also air in an episode of the Relish This! podcast! Relish This! Host Stu Swineford and Messaging on a Mission Host Douglas Spencer talk about all the opportunities content marketing presents mission-driven organizations.

For the best search engine optimization (SEO), start with the audience in mind and make sure that you're writing for them, that you're creating valuable information and valuable materials.

Content has to be dynamic, it has to be useful and it has to speak to your audiences in new ways.

Set content goals that are realistic and achievable.

Creating community is critical: before and after the first transaction.

Get someone to help you step outside of your world and figure out your organization's value proposition. That is also an investment in your content because it allows you to stay on message.

One tip to find content: Take a second and pause and think about one thing about your work that you know but not everyone else might understand.

Your employees, no matter what you do, have to have the same messaging with each other and with the people that they interact with, that you do in your more traditional marketing. Why? Because consistency is massively important.

Relish Studio, https://relishstudio.com/

Stu Swineford, [email protected]

Spencer Brenneman, https://spencerbrenneman.com

Douglas Spencer, [email protected]

Change! That's something with which we're all intimately familiar these days. Sometimes change is something that is forced upon us and sometimes it's something that we drive. When working through a strategic planning process it's important to remember that communication to all stakeholders is critical. Organizational effectiveness consultant Carol Hamilton walks us through how and why.

Episode Guest(s):

Carol Hamilton is an organization effectiveness consultant who helps nonprofits become more strategic and innovative for greater mission impact. She facilitates strategic planning, (online and in-person), helps organizations prepare for executive transitions, and provides training.

A strategic thinker, Carol works with teams and organizations to envision and frame their future strategic direction. Practical in her approach, she helps organizations think through who is key to creating their future, how to gather insights from these stakeholders, consider the big picture, imagine new possibilities, come to an agreement on their future goals, and create an initial action plan to get started. She takes a human-centered and appreciative approach in her work. Carol has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and association sectors working with organizations with a range of missions.

Carol trains frequently on leadership, strategy, and innovation topics and is the host of the "Nonprofit Mission: Impact" podcast. She graduated from Swarthmore College and has her Masters in Organization Development from American University. She is a nonprofit Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant and trained with BoardSource. She is also part of a consultant collective focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, All In Consulting.

Key Takeaways:

Be clear about how input is going to be used, what's going to happen with all the information that is shared, and then remember that at the end of the process, to actually circle back and synthesize all the input that the organization has received.

Involving people all the way through the process gives them a sense of agency that mitigates them feeling as if change is being done to them.

It's a good idea to not only go through the process to identify the priorities, but also identifying a process for looking at those later, checking in with them, refreshing them.

Strategic plans should have the flexibility to accommodate unforeseen changes.

Have a set of criteria ready for situations the strategic plan could not have anticipated. For example, the La Piana Consult's Strategy Screen makes explicit the criteria that your organization will use to choose a particular strategy or course of action.

Continually communicate to people where you are in the process.

Three-five years is the best range for a strategic plan.

Useful Links:

Nonprofit Mission: Impact

All in Consulting

The Strategy Screen