Seth Chalmer, Vice President, Communications, Leading Edge
Should We Put Out a Statement? Mission-Driven Communications in Divided Times
You wouldn’t wait until you smell smoke to make a fire evacuation plan. So don’t wait until a controversial news story hits the headlines to start planning how your organization communicates around divisive issues.
The world is full of difficult, important, and rapidly changing issues that people care about passionately and disagree about deeply, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the fate of workplace DEI(B) in a shifting political climate; from culture wars to literal wars; from strained democracy to advancing technology, and more. Organizational leaders and communications professionals are required to think clearly and strategically about communications for these and any other hot-button issue.
Conversations about organizational advocacy can be complex and emotionally fraught, and it’s all too easy to respond reactively instead of strategically. Join this workshop to explore and practice how your organization can navigate these hard conversations, align on proactive, mission-driven approaches to communication around controversial issues, identify key audiences and key messages, and plan effective advocacy strategies for hot-button issues and scenarios.
This workshop is designed for executive leaders, communications professionals, and other nonprofit professionals interested in strategic communications. It will be most helpful for those at organizations that do NOT focus on advocacy as a major stream of their work. If you have ever felt confused or overwhelmed by a conversation about whether or not to release a statement in response to a news event, this workshop is for you.