Nonprofits need to communicate better

Nonprofits must work harder to tell their story.

Securing the resources they need to sustain themselves and make a difference in addressing social problems depends on truly engaging a broad range of constituents, including board, staff, volunteers, givers and partners, including government, business and other nonprofits.

And effective communications lies at the heart at the job of engaging all those constituents.

So nonprofits need to boil their story down to basics and learn how to tell it simply and clearly.

Nonprofits need to be able to measure their impact, and say how their work makes a difference in the lives of people and communities.

Nonprofits need to prepare their staff, board and other partners to champion their cause.

Nonprofits need to develop relations with the media, a powerful vehicle for reaching a broad audience.

Nonprofits need to become more effective advocates on public-policy issues that affect both the charitable marketplace and the clients nonprofits serve.

And nonprofits need to persuade institutional and individual givers to invest in helping them strengthen their ability to communicate.

The message of nonprofits, and the skill with which they communicate it, is critical to their mission.