Guidelines and Principles

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Nonprofit organizations should have thoughtful, intentional systems for general communications, marketing and media relations in order to promote and advance mission achievement. Internal communications help to motivate, inform, and counsel employees and volunteers of nonprofits and to set the stage for external communications. External communication helps to attract and retain constituents and to raise public consciousness, understanding and commitment to the organization. Working with the media is a necessary part of effectively communicating an organization's mission to the general public, donors, volunteers and policymakers.

All organizational communications should adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards, as well as any industry specific standards that may exist, including principles of transparency, fairness and honesty. These standards should be clearly stated in writing and should be part of the orientation of all employees, volunteers and board members.

General

Plan

Internal

External

Resources
All basic organization information easily accessible (IRS Form 990, Annual Report, financial statements, fees & services, board & staff members’ names)
IRS Form 990
Form 990 is an annual reporting return that certain federally tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. It provides information on the filing organization's mission, programs, and finances.
Resources
Articles

Annual Report

In serving the public trust, a nonprofit should produce an annual report that contains information regarding activities and performance, including:

  1. an explanation of the organization’s mission, activities, and results,
  2. an explanation of how individuals can access programs/services,
  3. financial information, including income and expense statements, balance sheet, and functional expense allocations, and
  4. a list of board members, management staff, partners/supports, and donors.

A well-written annual report will help you demonstrate your accomplishments to current and future donors, cultivate new partnerships, and recognize important people.

Resources and Sample Documents

Main Financial Statements Required by US GAAP
Nonprofits For Profit Corporations
Statement of Financial Position Balance Sheet
Statement of Activities Income Statement or Statement of Operations
Statement of Function Expenses (for some organizations)
Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Cash Flows
Statement of Stockholders' Equity
Notes to Financial Statements Notes to Financial Statements

BoardSource: Take the Fear out of Financial Statements
Clear Brand

A nonprofit should consider establishing and promoting a clear brand. An organization’s brand is its reputation and personality and is supported by its logo, graphic standards, messaging, tone and actions. Understanding of and familiarity with the brand by all employees, board members, and volunteers is the cornerstone of effective communications, and provides strategic benefits to the organization as a whole. All communications should be consistent with the brand.

Nonprofits often engage with clients and consumers in ways that touch on confidential matters.  All nonprofits should consider whether adopting a confidentiality policy is appropriate.1

Resources and Sample Documents

SEE ALSO: Communications Plan

Purpose

To effectively manage communications through a formal, clearly defined channel in order to mitigate crisis, or serious negative repercussions for the Association or the sector, and maintain a reputation of leadership and transparency on vital issues and breaking news.1

Crisis Communications Planning

Preparing a communications plan prior to a crisis will help to ensure the nonprofit in question is able to remain in the driver’s seat – and out of the hot seat. The purpose of having a plan is simple – it helps the organization more effectively manage communications through a formal, clearly defined channel in order to mitigate a crisis, or serious negative repercussions. Additionally, a plan provides the nonprofit an opportunity to proactively demonstrate to the community strong organizational leadership.

Resources and Sample Documents
Distinction Between Personal and Organizational Positions

A nonprofit organization should ensure that board and staff distinguish between personal opinion and organizational positions. This is especially important when publishing information online or in print. A nonprofit organization may be held accountable for statements made by a board or staff member.


Resources and Sample Documents

A code of ethics is a set of principles to guide a nonprofit organization’s decision making and activities, as well as the behavior of its employees, volunteers, and board members. The purpose of adopting a formal code is to provide employees, volunteers and board members with guidelines for making ethical choices in the conduct of their work on behalf of the organization. Honesty, integrity, and fair practices create a solid foundation that earns the public’s trust. A code of ethics is the expression of that solid foundation. When board members of a nonprofit adopt a code of ethics, they are expressing their commitment to ethical behavior.1

Resources and Sample Documents

Articles
External Communications

Excellent internal and external communications will advance a nonprofit’s mission, inspire its stakeholders, and increase its impact. Every nonprofit should aspire to engage stakeholders with impactful communications.

Effective communications also help to ensure public trust in the organization. Internal communication is essential to motivate, inform, and counsel employees and volunteers and to set the stage for excellent external communication. External communications are necessary to: attract and retain stakeholders; raise public awareness; and increase understanding, commitment, and funding for the organization.1

A nonprofit should have a clearly defined, written communication plan that guides both internal and external communications and supports the comprehensive organizational plan. The communication plan should be directly related to the strategic plan and demonstrate accountability to constituents and the public. It should be updated regularly to ensure it stays current with organizational priorities, technology, and communication trends (such as social media).

A nonprofit communication plan should include goals, target audiences, key messages, strategies, tools, intended outcomes, and the means to evaluate results.

Public Statements & Positions

A nonprofit should have a written procedure that stipulates who has the authority to make public statements on behalf of the organization and the procedures for developing the statements. Board members, staff, and volunteers should be trained on the organization’s statements, positions, policies and procedures. The statements and positions should represent the full range of views of the organization’s constituencies.

A nonprofit communication plan should ensure that the organization is making appropriate information available to the public and communicating in a clear and timely manner with those who request information. Constituents should be provided with ongoing opportunities to interact with the board and management regarding the organization’s activities. There should be a system in place for promptly and respectfully responding to grievances or complaints from both internal and external sources.

A nonprofit should develop a media relations strategy that includes frequently updating all major press, television, radio and internet news sources, builds relationships with individuals in the local media, and coordinates messaging across media.


Resources and Sample Documents
Graphics Standards
Internal Communications

A nonprofit should encourage internal communication that welcomes alternative perspectives, encourages participation at all levels, minimizes defensiveness, and builds and maintains camaraderie. Management should actively solicit, carefully listen, and respectfully respond to the views of internal constituents.

Internal communications should be guided by a clear policies and practices manual, regularly scheduled and attended meetings, regularly printed and/or e-mailed informational updates, an understood forum for suggestions, and reports on meetings of the board of directors and its committees.

Policies and procedures may cover the following:

  • Appropriate communications channels between staff and board members
  • Inclusivity
  • Reporting schedules
  • Feedback mechanisms

If not covered in a separate policy, rules regarding staff and volunteer use of communications tools:

  • phone
  • internet
  • email
  • social media channels, etc.

Policy should include or reference another policy outlining security of passwords for various communications channels


Resources and Sample Documents


Notes
1. http://www.coloradononprofits.org/wp-content/uploads/Communications-Toolkit_Pt.-1.pdf (BROKEN LINK)
Public Statements & Positions

A nonprofit should have a written procedure that stipulates who has the authority to make public statements on behalf of the organization and the procedures for developing the statements. Board members, staff, and volunteers should be trained on the organization’s statements, positions, policies and procedures. The statements and positions should represent the full range of views of the organization’s constituencies.

A nonprofit communication plan should ensure that the organization is making appropriate information available to the public and communicating in a clear and timely manner with those who request information. Constituents should be provided with ongoing opportunities to interact with the board and management regarding the organization’s activities. There should be a system in place for promptly and respectfully responding to grievances or complaints from both internal and external sources.

A nonprofit should develop a media relations strategy that includes frequently updating all major press, television, radio and internet news sources, builds relationships with individuals in the local media, and coordinates messaging across media.

Resources and Sample Documents


Notes
1. http://www.coloradononprofits.org/wp-content/uploads/Communications-Toolkit_Pt.-1.pdf

If your website collects any kind of personal information, whether voluntary or involuntary, you should provide a privacy policy. Voluntary personal information consists of anything personally specific to the user such as name, address, telephone number, personal ID numbers, etc. which can be submitted via an online form or other means. Involuntary information would be any information that can be collected behind the scenes such as the user’s IP address, geographic location, browser, etc. without the user taking any action except for visiting the web page.

You privacy policy is simply a list of what you will and will not do with information collected on your website. It should be as detailed as possible but does not necessarily have to be written by an attorney or read like a court document. The goal is to put your site's visitors’ minds at ease, not to confuse them with highly technical text.1

Resources & Sample Documents
SEE ALSO: Communications Plan
Social Media

Regardless of the organization’s use or comfort with social media, it is important to address the use of social media tools within the communications policy.  A specific social media policy should be a part of employee and volunteer handbooks. Having a social media policy in place will make everyone involved in your efforts more educated and more secure.

Any nonprofit that is considering engaging in social media should adopt a social media policy. The policy should outline clear rules around the use of social media and designate one person to oversee social media efforts.

A social media policy can address:

  • Overall philosophy of the organization regarding social media
  • Any issues related to legally required or suggested best practices around privacy and confidentiality issues
  • Personal vs. professional or official social media behavior

Resources & Sample Documents
Social Media

SEE ALSO: Marketing, Annual Report

Excellent internal and external communications will advance a nonprofit’s mission, inspire its stakeholders, and increase its impact. Every nonprofit should aspire to engage stakeholders with impactful communications.

Effective communications also help to ensure public trust in the organization. Internal communication is essential to motivate, inform, and counsel employees and volunteers and to set the stage for excellent external communication. External communications are necessary to: attract and retain stakeholders; raise public awareness; and increase understanding, commitment, and funding for the organization.1

A nonprofit should have a clearly defined, written communication plan that guides both internal and external communications and supports the comprehensive organizational plan. The communication plan should be directly related to the strategic plan and demonstrate accountability to constituents and the public. It should be updated regularly to ensure it stays current with organizational priorities, technology, and communication trends (such as social media).

A nonprofit communication plan should include goals, target audiences, key messages, strategies, tools, intended outcomes, and the means to evaluate results.

Internal Communications

A nonprofit should encourage internal communication that welcomes alternative perspectives, encourages participation at all levels, minimizes defensiveness, and builds and maintains camaraderie. Management should actively solicit, carefully listen, and respectfully respond to the views of internal constituents.

Internal communications should be guided by a clear policies and practices manual, regularly scheduled and attended meetings, regularly printed and/or e-mailed informational updates, an understood forum for suggestions, and reports on meetings of the board of directors and its committees.

Policies and procedures may cover the following:

  • Appropriate communications channels between staff and board members
  • Inclusivity
  • Reporting schedules
  • Feedback mechanisms

If not covered in a separate policy, rules regarding staff and volunteer use of communications tools:

  • phone
  • internet
  • email
  • social media channels, etc.

Policy should include or reference another policy outlining security of passwords for various communications channels

Public Statements & Positions

A nonprofit should have a written procedure that stipulates who has the authority to make public statements on behalf of the organization and the procedures for developing the statements. Board members, staff, and volunteers should be trained on the organization’s statements, positions, policies and procedures. The statements and positions should represent the full range of views of the organization’s constituencies.

A nonprofit communication plan should ensure that the organization is making appropriate information available to the public and communicating in a clear and timely manner with those who request information. Constituents should be provided with ongoing opportunities to interact with the board and management regarding the organization’s activities. There should be a system in place for promptly and respectfully responding to grievances or complaints from both internal and external sources.

A nonprofit should develop a media relations strategy that includes frequently updating all major press, television, radio and internet news sources, builds relationships with individuals in the local media, and coordinates messaging across media.

Annual Report

In serving the public trust, a nonprofit should produce an annual report that contains information regarding activities and performance, including:

  1. an explanation of the organization’s mission, activities, and results,
  2. an explanation of how individuals can access programs/services,
  3. financial information, including income and expense statements, balance sheet, and functional expense allocations, and
  4. a list of board members, management staff, partners/supports, and donors.

Distinction Between Personal and Organizational Positions

A nonprofit organization should ensure that board and staff distinguish between personal opinion and organizational positions. This is especially important when publishing information online or in print. A nonprofit organization may be held accountable for statements made by a board or staff member.


Crisis Communication Plan

Preparing a communications plan prior to a crisis will help to ensure the nonprofit in question is able to remain in the driver’s seat – and out of the hot seat. The purpose of having a plan is simple – it helps the organization more effectively manage communications through a formal, clearly defined channel in order to mitigate a crisis, or serious negative repercussions. Additionally, a plan provides the nonprofit an opportunity to proactively demonstrate to the community strong organizational leadership.


Resources and Sample Documents
Best Practices
General Strategies
  • Consider generational communication differences and expectations when planning your various communication strategies – make sure your delivery systems are targeted to your audience.
  • Ask board, staff and volunteers if there are ways to make your newsletter and annual report (and other external communication pieces) more effective. What are the highlights? What isn’t captured? Who else should receive it?
  • Consider a wide range of electronic communication and social media as options for communicating with constituents; engage staff/volunteers familiar with technology trends to help you make decisions in the absence of a formalized strategy.
  • Communicate regularly with other organizations in your area. Share information and resources to establish your organization as one who is invested in improving the community rather than competing. Keep abreast of activities and events that impact your sector’s work. Consider participating in networking events or conversation circles.
  • Identify key contacts with local government units (city, state, county, various departments) and business leaders to keep them apprised of your efforts. Add contacts to your newsletter mailing list or email alert system. Schedule breakfast or lunch meetings that will help you build a relationship before there’s an issue to address.
  • Discuss mutual goals as well as opportunities for partnership and collaboration.

Internal
  • Develop an internal process for reviewing written material before it’s disseminated to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency.
  • Discuss the organizational branding approach/policy with board and staff to ensure everyone has a common understanding of intended message and impact of communications.
  • Build a couple of key points into staff and board orientation:
  • IRS public disclosure regulations and organizational process for meeting them
  • Appropriate use of organizational logo, symbols, letterhead, statements and other official materials
  • An orientation to the basics of the nonprofit’s communications plan – make sure everybody understands what needs to be approved by whom.
  • Develop and provide a safe forum for all constituents to provide feedback on organizational performance.
  • Develop a media specialist on your staff and coordinate communications efforts with your advocacy, lobbying, and policy efforts for consistency of message. Spend some time developing a database of local media, get to know their focus areas and deadlines, and identify the right contact in each outlet. Establish yourself as a resource for media outlets: in addition to releases about your organization’s events, help them with breaking stories by sharing relevant data and background information on a particular topic. Give them leads on other stories that may be newsworthy.

External
  • Develop a centralized file of approved public statements (including an organizational “elevator speech”) regarding organizational mission, vision, history, and primary talking points. Share with board, staff, and other key volunteers.
  • Develop a communications strategy to keep your community engaged and informed. Share annual reports, newsletters, and media releases with targeted individuals.
  • Invite constituents to focus groups or town-hall meetings to discuss community needs and gain input on your work. Establish a context of partnership and stewardship of community resources.
  • Encourage staff and board to collect and submit good stories on an ongoing basis for use in annual report, grant applications and reporting, evaluation reports, and other public communications.