Communications

Communications strategies, tactics, and information for fundraising

Leveraging Your Philanthropic Brand for Fundraising Success

Do you know how your philanthropic brand affects fundraising success? This blog helps you understand your organization’s identity, distinction, and clarity of the brand promise to establish and draw new donors and volunteers, increase support, strengthen renewals, and reach your goals.

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Preparing for the Next Phase of Generative AI

Much has already changed in the world of content marketing around the use of generative AI even in the last few months. The pace of change is, if anything, accelerating. These four steps will help you prepare for this inevitable wave of change if you are a nonprofit, college, university, or healthcare foundation communications office in 2024 and beyond.

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Chat GPT is All the Rage. What are Fundraising Communicators to Make of It?

Generative AI is everywhere. We recently heard someone say, “AI isn’t going to replace your job, but the person who understands how to use AI will.” We’re eager to see how fundraising communicators will harness AI’s power to enhance their work. Disruption and innovation are upon us once again. How will you use it to enhance your efforts and help your organization fulfill its mission?

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The Campaign Communications Countdown, Part 2: Prepare to Launch!

You’ve come a long way in a year as you prepare to launch your campaign. You’ve developed core messages, struck upon a powerful campaign theme, and created a graphic identity. As great as your achievements are, there is still a long way to go to launch. Now is the time to take your great concepts and turn them into products.

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The Campaign Communications Countdown, Part 1: Getting to the Launch Pad

The communications countdown to a public campaign launch includes numerous critical steps that every organization must take to be successful. There is a tried-and-true approach, and there really aren’t shortcuts or workarounds that don’t come with some compromise or risk. Like the aerospace designers, engineers, and astronauts who are making plans to go into space, the initial steps are essential in ultimately achieving a successful liftoff and splashdown.

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Strategic Planning and Support

A Crisis Communications Plan is Essential for Every Organization

For communications professionals caught in a crisis, nothing is straightforward and results for the organizations they represent range from embarrassing to catastrophic. Crisis communications plans are, at their core, highly detailed road maps designed to take you from the beginning of the crisis to its conclusion. BWF offers these five core components to help you get ahead of any crisis.

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Strategic Communications

The 3 Components of Powerful Unique Selling Propositions

Understanding your organization in such a deep and real way takes time, energy, and effort, but the rewards are immeasurable. BWF’s Jay Wilson discusses why unique selling propositions (USP) work so well and what development offices can learn from these giants of corporate marketing and communications.

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3 Keys to Grabbing — And Keeping — Your Audience’s Attention

The environment for fundraising communications is a daunting one, with nonprofits of all sizes facing unprecedented competition in an overheated and at times overwhelming marketplace of ideas. Using these three keys for strong media relations work will also help fundraising communicators catch—and keep—the attention of their target audiences.

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What’s on the Menu? What Advancement Communicators Can Learn From Lunch

Nonprofits can learn much from the restaurant menu. Just as every restaurant has the menu as its primary point-of-sale marketing tool, a beautifully designed and well-written case statement serves as the heart of campaign communications. Learn how this idea can drive a campaign’s central document, contain larger messaging, define a graphic identity, and tell stories that tie the goals of the campaign to the organization’s greater purpose.

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