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Welcome to the Message House
Do you sometimes find creating compelling messages a challenging chore? Or how about the challenge of creating messages for colleagues and then getting them to use them as intended?
If that’s the case, help is available in a handy guide to creating “message houses” produced by Marc Fest, former vice president, communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
As he explains: “Message houses represent the essence of a communications approach I refined during years as Knight Foundation’s vp/communications. I was aiming to help increase Knight’s impact by integrating, elevating and decentralizing communications. Frankly, one can achieve this quite simply by crafting crisp messages and getting your colleagues to use them. That’s what message houses are for. Theywork, because they are easy to use.”
Click here to download a Message House ebook. Also, for tutorials on how to create and use Message Houses, visit MessageHouse.org.
State of the Practice 2011: Survey Finds Use of Digital Communications on Rise In Foundations
Communications professionals at America’s grantmaking foundations are responding to the digital age, according to a new survey from the Communications Network.
Guide Offers Helpful Tips On How to “Communicate for Impact”
Foundation communications goes far beyond an annual report or the occasional press release about grantees. And it’s no longer the exclusive domain of big foundations, communications staff, or consultants. Integrating communications is critical to advancing programmatic goals. A new guide from Grantcraft – Communicating for Impact Strategies for Grantmakers – shows how grantmakers use a “communications lens” to develop strategy, evaluate impact, take advantage of new media technologies, and more.
Click here to download a pdf.
Click here for more information, including how to order printed copies.
Looking for Help to Build Your Grantees’ Communications Capacity?
Looking for some tips on how to help your grantees be more effective communicators? Spitfire Communications has summarized lessons it has learned doing this work over the years and published them in a guide, Creating a Foursquare Communications Platform: Easy Steps to Build the Communications Capacity of Your Grantees.
Before You Do Another Annual Report, Let’s Talk
My first job in philanthropy had me handling communications for two foundations that had been set up by a husband and wife to serve their personal philanthropic interests. These foundations shared staff and functions, such as finance, legal and communications, but not annual reports. Each foundation had to have its own.
