Considerable time and resources have been devoted to
building the department’s infrastructure and creating a strategy that supports
our Foundation’s mission.
The Foundation’s communications department was created in 1996,
four years after the Foundation was founded. Since then, a considerable amount
of time and resources have been devoted to building the
department’s infrastructure and creating a strategy that supports our
Foundation’s mission.
Many of the Foundation’s early tactics were print-driven
because of the strong writing skills and journalism backgrounds of its
communications staff. However, our greatest challenge the past few years has
been learning about and responding to the explosive technological advancements
of the 1990s. In the coming years, we will continue to explore ways to make
technology a stronger component of our overall communications program without
inadvertently short-changing audiences who are not yet wired. We are also
keeping an eye on integrating more effective strategies to reach multilingual
audiences.
Below are some of the key lessons we have learned during the past six years:
Keep all communications focused on the Foundation’s mission statement. Use it
as a litmus test to determine if new ideas are deserving of a place in your
communications program.
Become good storytellers. The best way to get your messages across is through
the stories of your grantees.
Think strategically. This means knowing your messages, your audiences and
their languages, your tactics — and always measuring your impact.
Research your audiences and communicate to them in ways that will help them
become partners in pursuit of your mission.
Hire good firms and consultants who specialize in the tactics you will use
and inspire them to work collaboratively with communications staff and each
other.
Give equal weight to the expertise of ethnic communications firms and don’t
treat them as "translators" for general market firms.
Tailor your efforts to reach your intended audiences, but also look at the
big picture to be sure that all of your communications activities are integrated
and reinforce one another.
Take advantage of special opportunities to advance your mission through
direct mail, media partnerships or public education campaigns, working in
collaboration with your grantees.
One commitment remains the same: our Foundation will continue to strengthen
our storytelling to better communicate the work of grantees who are dedicated to
improving the health of Californians.
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