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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Modern public relations is, at its heart, a combination of psychology and sociology. As communications practitioners, we’re seeking ways to influence both public opinion and private behavior. The research done in this century is helping us to better understand both aspects.

Everyone knows that taxes are one of the two things you can count on in life, but no one likes to talk about them. As fundraisers and development communicators, we need to rethink this strategy and change how we approach—or don’t approach—the topic with our prospects and donors.

We often talk about creating a culture of philanthropy within our organizations. It’s one of those nebulous concepts that everyone strives for, but many don’t achieve. The truth is a culture of philanthropy is not the result of human resources or fundraising. It’s the culmination of consistent, powerful, and continuous internal communications.