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Communications Planning
Strategic Communications Audits (2004)
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here
An important part of communications planning is making sure
that the organization can carry out planned strategies. This
working brief by the Harvard Family Research Project for the
Media Evaluation Project of the Communications Consortium
Media Center focuses on helping nonprofits assess their capacity.
10 pages.
Spitfire Strategies Smart Chart 2.0 (2005)
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here
The Spitfire Strategies Smart Chart is a step-by-step guide
to building a successful communications campaign. The report
comes complete with a communications planning tool you can
fill in as you go. 15 pages.
Communications Toolkit – a guide to navigating communications
for the nonprofit world (2005)
http://www.causecommunications.org/CC/CC_news06_1.html
This book by Cause Communications is based on national qualitative
and quantitative audits of what nonprofits need in the area
of communications. It offers practical information in every
area, including developing and budgeting a communications
plan and identifying tools to raise awareness and funds. Resources
include an event checklist, sample audience survey, photo/video
release forms and sample design style guide. 81 pages.
Strategic Communications Planning (2005)
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here
This interactive tool from the SPIN project provides a pyramid
model for communications planning and a worksheet to help
nonprofit agencies think through media strategies. Guidelines
for developing messages, choosing spokespersons and evaluating
efforts are also discussed. 7 pages.
The Seven Doors Social Marketing Approach (2004)
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here
This social marketing approach, developed by Les Robinson
at Social Change Media, looks at the obstacles audiences must
overcome before social change is achieved. Using environmental
campaigns as an example, the article encourages communicators
to think of communications strategy as clearing away obstacles
rather than awareness building, and to think of communicators
as "door openers" rather than "font of ultimate
truth." The author is a former cartoonist who illustrates
these concepts in a visually effective manner.
The Seven Lessons of Early Childhood Public Engagement
(2000)
This report from the Families and Work Institute and the Carnegie
Corporation of New York outlines seven strategies that should
be considered in the development of a communications plan.
The report discusses ideal messengers, essential elements
of messages and strategies for targeting different audiences.
(purchase online at www.familiesandwork.org
for $10, product #C20-21)
Connecticut Strategic Communications Briefing (2005)
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here
This briefing paper documents the progress of early childhood
outreach in Connecticut and provides an example of how one
state developed a message and strategies, and their early
lessons learned in implementation. 4 pages.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children Strategic Communications
Plan (2002)
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here
This 2002 communications plan for Pennsylvania Partnerships
for Children was developed to strategically position early
childhood issues during an election year. The format is useful
as a template for other states developing communications strategies.
9 pages.
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Message Development
Translating School Readiness: How to Talk About
Investing in Young Children
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here
This Voices for America's Children issue brief explores new
thinking behind strategic message framing techniques used
to build public support for policies that ensure that all
children - beginning at birth - have access to the supports
and experiences they need to succeed in school and in life.
The brief addresses the challenge of finding ways to bridge
the language gap between the public and policymakers and offers
tips on how to talk about child development and school readiness
in ways that will build public support.
Talking Early Child Development and Exploring the Consequences
of Frame Choices: A Frameworks Message Memo (2005)
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here
This most recent publication from Frameworks consolidates
the past four years of their research projects on how the
public views early childhood issues in general, and specifically
school readiness policies. The memo discusses how this research
can be applied in the work of community-based organizations.
It makes specific recommendations for incorporating these
findings into a coherent communications strategy to engage
the public in supporting a wide range of policies and programs
most critical to healthy development. 26 pages.
Making the Case for Early Care and Education: A Message
Development Guide for Advocates (2004)
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here
The Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) presents a practical
guide to messages and communications strategies that help
activate public support for early childhood care and education.
BMSG gathered arguments used by advocates working on early
care policies at the local, state and national levels, and
with the help of EDK Associates tested those arguments to
see how they fared against strong opposition. The result is
a hierarchy of frames that give advocates effective messages
for any early care policy issue. 150 pages.
Analysis of the Messages of the Early Childhood Movement
(2003)
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here
This report by the Annenberg School of Communications presents
a list of state and national organizations engaged in early
childhood education and development, documents patterns found
in the messages produced by these organizations and suggests
ways to improve these messages. 64 pages.
Framing the Birth to Three Agenda: Lessons Learned from
Pre-K Campaigns (2004)
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here
This report by Cultural Logic for the Zero to Three Policy
Center examines the current messages about universal pre-kindergarten
and the impact these messages have on the early childhood
field as a whole. The report provides recommendations for
framing pre-k programs in ways that will "lift all boats."
21 pages.
Hearts Souls and Minds: An Analysis of Qualitative Research
Regarding Communicating School Readiness and Other Child Development
Policies (2002)
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here
This research analysis by Meg Bostrom of Public Knowledge
looks at messages used to engage the public in a conversation
about policies affecting the youngest children, age birth
to three. The research suggests that many of the frames in
use speak only to rational judgements and brain science rather
than incorporating the public’s widely shared values
about early childhood. Recommendations for framing early childhood
issues are included in the report. In a more recent 2005 Message
Memo, Frameworks discusses weaknesses of the "Hearts,
Souls and Minds" frame, but it is still found useful
by some communicators for specific school readiness messages.
42 pages.
Engaging Other Sectors in Efforts to Improve Public Policy
in Early Childhood Development (2003)
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here
A second report by the Annenberg School of Communications
identifies important lessons involving message, outreach,
and policy. Advocates working in the early childhood field
will benefit from knowledge of how to effectively draw various
groups and their constituencies into efforts supporting public
policies related to children and families. 33 pages.
Ohio Message Chart
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here
This message chart was developed by Murphy Epson, an Ohio-based
communications consultant working on behalf of the Build Ohio
initiative. The chart describes the overarching message for
Build Ohio and how that message should be delivered to business,
elementary education and early learning audiences. 2 pages.
Framing Public Issues (2005)
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here
This toolkit from the Frameworks Institute helps communicators
think through the framing of their messages for better public
understanding and engagement using strategic frame analysis.
57 pages.
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Audiences and Messengers
Moving Beyond the Usual Suspects: Developing New Allies
to Invest in School Readiness (2004)
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here
This monograph by the Child and Family Policy Center for the
State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network
(SECPTAN) encourages the recruitment of new and non-traditional
early childhood messengers. The report outlines a message
strategy for targeting potential allies and suggests ways
to frame their messages to develop a constituency for school
readiness investment. 21 pages.
An Analysis of U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Early Childhood
Education
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here
The media is both an audience and a messenger for early learning
so it is important to understand how journalists react to
the issue. This study by the University of Maryland for the
Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media looked at a
national sample of more than a thousand newspaper stories
from 2002-2003 to profile typical coverage of early education
issues. The analysis showed that journalists tend to focus
early childhood stories on politics and funding. They rarely
mention curriculum, learning, teaching and program quality.
It also showed that early childhood is rarely a priority issue
for newsroom assignments. 50 pages.
Audience-Based Communications Strategies
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here
In this PowerPoint presentation for the Brookings Institution,
the Sutton Group breaks down the process of analyzing your
audience as you develop, implement and evaluate communications
strategies.
Turning Point: Engaging the Public on Behalf of Children
(2004)
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here
This public opinion study by the Ad Council reveals dramatic
shifts in the public’s view of children, their sense
of responsibility for all children, and their willingness
to help. It also points to a climate in which the public is
poised to respond in positive ways to messages that offer
opportunities to help kids. The report offers communications
strategies that can effectively motivate the public to act
on behalf of children. 40 pages.
Poll Shows Voters Want States to Fund Quality Preschool
for All 3 and 4–Year Olds (2002)
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here
State governments should provide enough funding so that every
American family can afford to send its three and four-year
old children to a high quality preschool education program.
That’s what nearly nine in ten respondents (87%) say
in a national survey of 3,230 voters by the National Institute
for Early Education Research (NIEER), by Peter D. Hart Research
Associates/Market Strategies. Updated research from Hart and
Associates will be posted on the Build website at www.buildinitiative.org.
14 pages.
Necessary Compromises: How Parents, Employers and Children’s
Advocates View Child Care Today (2000)
http://www.publicagenda.com/specials/childcare/childcare.htm
This Public Agenda study examines the attitudes of parents
with young children, employers and children’s advocates
on the issue of child care. The study showed that most parents
consider choosing child care an intensely personal decision
and a family responsibility – few are looking for a government
solution. The study also revealed a high level of mistrust
among parents concerning the safety of child care environments,
in contrast to advocates who maintained that a high quality
child care system would be just as good for children as a
parent at home. Because of the age of the study, some of the
information is dated, but the survey is still a useful tool
for communicators.
What Grown-Ups Understand About Child Development: A National
Benchmark Survey (2000)
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here
One of the challenges in early care and education public awareness
is to develop a public understanding of the importance and
nature of child development. This study for Civitas, Zero
to Three, and Brio by DYG, Inc. measures the level of accurate
knowledge American adults have about early child development
issues. Three-thousand adults and parents were interviewed
for the survey which also sought to understand what the general
public thinks about selected policies that impact children
and families. 20 pages.
Summary of Polling and Focus Groups on Early Care and Education
(2002)
earlycarepolls.htm
The Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC) coordinated
the Early Care and Education Collaborative, a multi-year project
of state-based child advocacy organizations working on child
care issues. This polling analysis summarizes the findings
from more than three dozen polls and focus group projects
conducted over five years by a wide variety of research organizations
on child care, early care and education and early learning
issues.
Our Youngest Children: Massachusetts Voters and Opinion
Leaders Speak Out on Their Care and Education (2000)
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here
This report highlights findings from a statewide research
and constituency building project directed by Margaret Blood.
The research methodology included two 400-person voter polls
and in-depth interviews with almost 50 opinion leaders from
business, organized labor, government, religion, the media,
education, and child care. Findings were used to help inform
a statewide effort to meet the early education needs of Massachusetts
children and their families. 43 pages.
Note: Over the past several years, numerous states have conducted
polls and focus groups on various aspects of early learning.
The Build Initiative will include as many of these polls as
possible in the Learning Community section of the Build website
at www.buildinitiative.org. To submit poll results to be included
on the website, please e-mail to Anne Durham, website consultant
at adurham@childspeakcreative.com.
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Technology Tools
"Across the Street and Around the Globe:
E-Newsletters Get the Word Out Fast" and "Design
Tips for Your Printed Newsletter" (2005)
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here
The Summer 2005 issue of Director’s Link includes helpful
articles about planning and designing electronic and print
newsletters. Director’s Link is published by the McCormick
Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National-Louis
University. 6 pages.
"Audits Manage ‘Buzz’ for a Website Redesign"
(2004-2005)
bfirewire07.php,
bfirewire08.php,
bfirewire09.php
This three-part series in the Beaconfire Wire Newsletter (issues
7-9) breaks down the process of auditing the effectiveness
of a website and planning strategically for redesign. The
articles include such topics as establishing goals and audiences,
improving usability and screen allocation, and enhancing site
creativity.
"Communicating in the Blogosphere" and "Promoting
Nonprofit Blogs" (2005)
Part1Blogs.htm,
Part2Blogs.htm
This two-part series from Spitfire Strategies explains how
nonprofits can take advantage of the rising popularity of
web logs, or blogs, to reach their target audience in a new
and interactive way. (A blog is an online journal hosted as
part of an existing website or as its own site.) Basic rules,
ideas for use and sites offering free blog space are discussed.
Using the Internet for Effective Grassroots Advocacy: Strategies,
Tools and Approaches for Inspiring Constituents to Take Action
(2005)
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here
This handbook by Convio (www.convio.com) discusses the fundamentals
of online advocacy and how to develop and execute online campaigns
that engage targeted audiences. 17 pages.
Put E-Mail to Work (Without Becoming a Spam Artist) (2004)
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here
This document published by Get Active (www.getactive.com)
discusses how non-profit organizations can cultivate relationships
through e-mail newsletters, action alerts and donation appeals.
8 pages.
"Coming of Age in the Information Age" (2001)
comingofage.htm
This article published in the Winter 2001 issue of Evaluation
Exchange (Harvard Family Research Project) discusses the challenges
of nonprofits in processing and disseminating the overwhelming
amount of information that is accessible in the information
age. Two strategies for managing and communicating information
are described, including "Knowledge Brokers" and
"Learning Collaboratives." The article is based
on the report "Coming of Age in the Information Age"
from the Pew Partnership for Civic Change.
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Low-Budget Communications
"Creative, Convincing and Cheap" (2002)
creativeconvincingcheap.htm
This article from non-profit communications expert Andy Goodman’s
Free-Range Thinking newsletter explores some creative and
inexpensive ways to get attention.
Placing Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor
oped.htm
The Communications Consortium Media Center offers a guide
to placing op-eds and letters to the editor, with details
on how to place an op-ed in the top 100 newspapers.
Earned Media Coverage
earnedmedia.htm
One of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to reach
a large audience is through "earned media." These
tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
explain how to get positive media coverage that reaches the
target audience with the right message.
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Evaluation
Guidelines for Evaluating Non-Profit Communications Efforts
(2004)
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here
This publication by the Harvard Family Research Project for
the Media Evaluation Project of the Communications Consortium
Media Center summarizes four working papers on communications
evaluation and offers guidelines for the evaluation of nonprofit
communications efforts. The paper also articulates a set of
evaluation principles, details the challenges of communications
evaluation and stresses the need to incorporate a theory of
change in any evaluation plan. 20 pages.
Using Survey Research to Evaluate Communications Campaigns
(2004)
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here
This working paper by Belden, Russonello and Stewart for the
Media Evaluation Project of the Communications Consortium
Media Center promotes the use of surveys as powerful evaluation
tools to be incorporated into overall communications efforts.
6 pages.
The Evaluation Exchange: Public Communication Campaigns
and Evaluation (2002)
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here
This issue of the Harvard Family Research Project’s Evaluation
Exchange features expert opinion on public communication campaigns
and campaign evaluation. Articles address new evaluation strategies
and breakthrough attempts to expand the theory and methods
to help evaluate campaigns. 20 pages.
Survey Monkey
www.surveymonkey.com
Survey Monkey provides tools for creating professional online
surveys quickly and easily. Surveys with limited features
are free, and surveys with advanced features cost a small
monthly fee.
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