Tips for Communicating Your Project
At the Atkinson Charitable Foundation we believe that communities, individuals and policy makers should be able to learn from and build upon the work of our grantees. Communications is key to ensuring that good ideas move into the public realm and further our goal to promote social and economic justice. That's why we favour projects that contain plans for the dissemination of results. How and when your organization communicates the results of your project is a decision that rests finally with you. But here are a few tips to help you develop a plan.
When do you want to communicate your project?
Media coverage can help generate interest in your project, encourage partnerships, solicit volunteers and additional financial support and generally help you network with other organizations and individuals. So you may wish to get the word out as soon as your funding has been secured.
If you decide it's better to wait until the project is completed, it's a good idea to ensure that your communications strategy is ready by the completion date, while the results are still newsworthy.
Even if you decide media coverage isn't necessary, you still may wish to inform your stakeholders -- clients, financial supporters, partners, etc. -- and local community leaders about your project.
What do you hope to accomplish?
What change will your project bring about? Whose lives will be affected? How will it be good for society as a whole? And once it's completed, where does it go from there? Keep your messages consistent and clear.
What's your news angle?
News does not occur in a vacuum. It affects people's personal lives, their work, their way of thinking. How does your project affect your community? Whose lives will be affected by what you do? How does your project reflect upon what's happening in society? Quite simply, why does anyone need to know? Why should they care?
The Communications Plan
Developing a communications plan will help you deliver a focused, consistent message about your project (see sample). It will ensure everyone in your organization delivers the same message and understands what impact you want to make. The communications plan is a guide, intended for internal use, and can be as detailed as you choose. It should, however, contain certain key elements:
Background: Prepare a brief history of the project, including why the project was initiated, important dates, statistics and people. The section sets the stage for the plan and can be used as a quick reference tool for anyone doing the communications work.
Key Messages: Have two or three key messages that summarize and highlight the news value of the project's results. For example, the first message may highlight the main finding of the project. The second may interpret the finding or provide a recommendation. Key messages should be incorporated into your news release. They also should be used by your spokespeople when being interviewed by journalists or discussing the project with stakeholders.
Target Audience: These are the people you want to inform, challenge or influence. Decide carefully who they are and list them by priority. Is your announcement of local, provincial or national interest? If it is local, then focus on who, locally, would be interested.
Strategie: What are the basic strategies you are going to use? Will you link your project results to the recent federal budget? Will you take a low-key approach to getting the word out?
Tactics: Include a list of things you will do or produce to communicate your project. A news release? A letter to key clients or financial supporters? An event at the local community centre or foodbank? A speech to the local parents' association?
Spokespeople: Designate two or three spokespeople from your organization to whom you can refer media or public inquiries. Be sure they will be available during and after the announcement. Directing people quickly to a name and number helps speed up the process for everyone.
The News Release
News releases are the mainstay of communications and public relations. Most news organizations get about 80 per cent of their practical story ideas this way. Whether you fax your news release or send it by mail, keep the following points in mind:
- A news release should read like an article you might find in the newspaper. Speaking to reporters in their own language will help them visualize the story (In fact, don't be surprised if the final story looks a lot like your news release, especially in smaller or community newspapers.).
- Start with a headline in big, bold letters that summarizes your announcement. Use the active form of verbs in short, simple sentences (eg. New program helps rural poor, not Rural poor being helped by new program).
- Be sure to cover the who, what, when, where, why and how of your announcement.
- Keep it short. Two pages is the maximum -- one page is best.
- Include some short and interesting quotes from your spokespeople. Voices animate the story and, again, make the news release sound like a newspaper article.
- Add the contact names (including titles) and phone numbers at the bottom of the page.
- Don't put too much background information in your press release. Instead, attach a background page to the main release. But be sure your contacts have it at their fingertips.
- The symbol -30- is used to indicate the end of your news release.
Keep in mind that different news organizations have different deadlines that must be met. Find out in advance when news releases need to be submitted in order to get on the evening news or in the next day's paper. (See attached sample of a fictitious press release.)
Wire Services
The Canadian Press (CP) and Broadcast News (BN) Ltd. are electronic services for the collection and dissemination of news. They have reporters and photographers across the country and bureaus in most major cities. They are essentially a co-operative, and their membership includes just about every daily newspaper in Canada and hundreds of weeklies, community papers, radio newsrooms and television stations. CP and BN provide a great opportunity to reach a large number and variety of publications and broadcasters in one fell swoop -- if their editorial staff decide to pick up your story. The main bureau is in Toronto. For more information, call (416) 364-0321/3172 or fax your press release to (416) 364-0207.
Canada NewsWire is CP's commercial counterpart -- a wire for hire. For about $140 per 100 words, Canada NewsWire will transmit your press release to 4,500 points across the country, including most print, radio and television newsrooms. The electronic transmission goes directly into a computer at the receiving end so, unlike a curly piece of fax paper, it won't get lost in the bustle of the newsroom. And your press release will simultaneously be posted on the company's web site. The company also offers French translation services, volume discounts and fax and e-mail services using your own database. For more information, call (416) 863-9350.
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association also has a news release service. Its electronic bulletin board reaches more than 280 community newspapers and other members across the country. The service operates in English and French and includes a clipping service so you'll know who ran your story. Call Elaine Wade at (905) 844-0184 ext. 230.
Events Planning and Photo Opportunities
Does your announcement have an interesting visual hook for newspaper photographers or television crews? Consider an interesting backdrop for your announcement, as this will increase your chances of getting coverage. It will also help you determine whether you should target print or broadcast media. And be sure to mention it in your press release.
Finding Lists/Contact Names
Media Lists: Media directories like Bowden's are available at most public libraries. They include lists of national and city newspapers, magazines, community newspapers, trade and special interest publications, and radio and television stations. Some publications list the names of their beat reporters and editors, who specialize in covering issues like health, education, etc. Those journalists will have a much better sense of the news value of your announcement than a general reporter or editor would. Targeting them directly will increase your chances of getting your message out there.
Organizational Lists: The Sources directory contains listings of several thousand organizations and contact names. The directory is arranged by subject/issue, and is therefore it is easy to identify organizations. Sources can be obtained by calling (416) 964-7799 or by visiting the Sources web site at http://www.sources.com.
Other Lists: The Atkinson Charitable Foundation maintains a mailing list of provincial and federal government officials, major umbrella organizations, business leaders, academics, advocates, etc. We can produce mailing lists for any of these groups. Please give us a call for more information.
Acknowledgements
We believe you should take credit for the success of your project. However, if you choose to acknowledge our support, you can do so with a simple credit like: This project was made possible through a grant from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation or Funding for this project was provided by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation or We would like to thank the Atkinson Charitable Foundation for its financial support.
Professionals On Hand
If you're still uncertain about how to communicate with the press or the general public, the Foundation can recommend affordable communications professionals with experience in marketing, public relations and event planning. They can just help you think through a communications strategy, or work with you on writing releases or articles. Give us a call if you need help or want more information.
Sample Communications Plan
| Purpose: | To launch the Bowville Health Project. |
Background: |
The Bowville General Hospital is slated for shut down in December 1997. Over 300 jobs will be lost, and the closing will force local residents to travel 90 kilometres to receive hospital care. The provincial government did not provide any analysis to the public on how the closing would impact the residents of the community. In response, the Bowville Community Centre, with support from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, has established the Bowville Health Project. The two-year study will rely on interviews with residents to document how the community copes with the loss of the largest health care provider and a major employer. |
Objective: |
1) Inform the public and government about the project and its goals 2) Encourage participation by residents in the data gathering process |
Audience: |
1) Local media 2) General public 3) Health care providers in Bowville and vicinity 4) Government officials at the local, provincial and federal level |
Spokespeople: |
Carol Smith (Director, Bowville Health Project) and Mike Thompson (Assistant Director, Bowville Health Project) |
Messages: |
1) The study will document how the community will cope with the closing of the only area hospital 2) To ensure the government understands how this move will affect our community, we need residents to share with us their experiences. |
Strategies: |
1) Undertake public launch of project. 2) Encourage local health care providers to encourage citizen involvement in the project |
Tactics: |
1) Send news conference advisory and news release to local media (print and radio) 2) Hold news conference in front of hospital. Ensure a few patients are in attendance. 3) Send a cover letter (attach news release) to local health care providers (e.g., doctors, presidents of local health care unions, Bowville hospital president, Bowville mayor, local MPP and MP) 4) Create and distribute an attractive poster that encourages volunteers. Deliver to the local library, community centre, YMCA, the hospital's waiting area and doctors' offices. |
Timeline: |
Release advisory to media -- March 31, 1997 Launch of project/news release/news conference -- April 1, 1997 Distribution of posters -- April 2-4, 1997 |
Sample News Release
Community group documenting effects of hospital closing
Bowville, Ont. -- The Bowville Community Resource Centre has begun a study to document how this Northern Ontario town of 2,600 will cope with the closing of the only area hospital.
"We want to know -- and we want the government to know -- how the decision to shut down Bowville General will affect the health of our children, our families," says Bowville Health Project director Carol Smith. "And we want to come together as a community and figure out what we're going to do."
Smith says the "entire town is beside itself with worry" because the nearest hospital is now 90 kilometres away.
She says the study will be conducted mostly through personal interviews with area residents. She is appealing to individuals and families to participate and share stories and concerns about their health. A series of town hall meetings will also be scheduled.
The project will allow the community to set priorities and develop both short-term and long-term plans for medical services. The final report should serve as a case study for the future and hopefully will help other communities facing the same fate.
Funding for the project was provided by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation. Smith says the $45,000 grant will cover most of the administrative costs. Volunteers will conduct interviews and collect data over the two-year period of the project.
For more information, contact
Carol Smith Mike Thompson
Director, Bowville Health Project Assistant Director, Bowville Health Project
Bowville Community Resource Centre Bowville Community Resource Centre
Tel: (705) 333-3333 or (705) 333-4444
-30-
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