So what makes up a world class communications, PR and marketing department? In one simple word: Structure. Set aside experience, skills, budget, internal bureaucracy and all the other issues that exist within every organization…and it doesn’t matter whether you are two person team or part of a forty person team in place at most major universities. The bottom line is that without structure and a solid foundation of support, your organization’s communication’s department will never be able to function with the efficiency, creativity, effectiveness and level of organizational respect that is necessary to create effective marketing strategy that supports the organization’s strategic plan. So where do you start? What policies, procedures and plans create a solid communications foundation? In this white paper written by Jarid Brown, we explore seven organizational policies, plans or tools that no growth-oriented nonprofit can afford to be without. These policies create the foundation and framework for successful organizational communications and marketing. To learn more visit http://www.jaridslog.com or follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/advancinghope

1. Without structure and a solid foundation of support, your organization’s
communications department will never be able to function with efficiency,
creativity, effectiveness and organizational respect...
Seven communication
policies your nonprofit
cannot live without
Copyright 2013 - HCM Brown
www.hcmbrown.com

2. What makes a world class communications,
PR and marketing department?
In one simple word: Structure. Set aside experience, skills, budget, internal bureaucracy and all the other
issues that exist within every organization...and it doesn’t matter whether you are two person team or part of
a forty person team in place at most major universities. The bottom line is that without structure and a solid
foundation of support, your organization’s communications department will never be able to function with
the efficiency, creativity, effectiveness and level of organizational respect that is necessary to create effective
marketing strategy that supports the organization’s strategic plan.
So where do you start? What policies, procedures and plans create a solid communications foundation?
In this white paper we explore seven organizational policies, plans or tools that no growth-oriented nonprofit
can afford to be without. These policies create the foundation and framework for successful organizational
communications and marketing.
Marketing Plan
A marketing plan starts by creating a strong, strategic marketing foundation for your organization. The plan
addresses the goals and objectives for your organization based you’re the organization’s strategic plan. If your
organization does not have a strategic plan…you may as well scrap any marketing efforts. Likewise, if the
strategic plan has not been disseminated to staff, then a marketing plan is again a pointless exercise; since all
nonprofit communications and marketing efforts should align with the goals of your strategic plan.
The marketing plan addresses how you will package services, develop unique propositions, and position your
organization based upon your organization’s audiences, competitors and emerging markets. A marketing plan
defines and establishes how your organization is to be positioned, and creates strategies for getting there.
A marketing plan should be thorough, specific and flexible and reviewed annually.
Strategic Communications Plan
Whenever I mention that an organization needs both a marketing plan and strategic communications plan,
I’m often met with the inevitable: “Aren’t they the same?” question. The answer of course is a resounding no.
In simplified terms, a marketing plan is designed to identify and achieve organizational goals and objectives.
Whereas, a communications plan is a more specific plan on how the organization will communicate, or deliver,
a marketing plan to your audience. A communications plan often forms a part of a larger marketing plan, but
can also stand alone.
Marketing plans, although flexible, seldom undergo major change; unless, there is a change in the strategic
vision and plan of an organization. However, a communications plan may change often, depending upon new
technologies, market habits, market saturation, or any number of additional factors.
The communications plan identifies specific advertising initiatives, promotional schemes, channel budgets,
marketing tools, and milestones. A communications plan is seldom a singular plan. Often you will create
smaller, quicker marketing & communications plans for new projects or events that may arise during the year.
A Marketing Plan is defined by an organization’s Strategic Plan.
A Communications Plan is defined by an organization’s Marketing Plan.
Trying to implement a Communications Plan without first developing a Marketing Plan would be similar to
sailing the high seas on a cloudy day without a compass. You may be moving, but you have no direction.
HCM Brown © 2013

3. In today’s age of instantaneous news, high profile
events have underscored the need for both a crisis/
emergency plan and a crisis communications plan.
Although many organizations take the time to
carefully develop emergency plans and procedures,
they often overlook the development of a
comprehensive crisis communications plan.
If operations are directly affected, the need to notify
clients, families, regulators, government officials and
other community members may be immediate and
patience among these audiences may be running
thin. As importantly, establishing procedures and
pre-planned messaging for media, community
supporters and others will help your organization
control the message, maintain positive relationships
and minimize negative publicity.
A crisis communications plan also addresses the
unfortunate circumstances in which an event does
not directly impact operations, but may impact public
perception of your industry sector. Such was the
case in the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, when
media outlets created a misleading and inaccurate
tie between autism and planned violence. A crisis
communications plan allowed organizations such
as Autism Speaks to react definitively and quickly
to media reports, develop specialized educational
materials and position themselves as an authority on
the issue.
Crisis
Communications Plan
Communications
Policies and Procedures
Social Media Policy
Visual Identity
& Style Guidelines
Communications professionals are often the first
people to complain when a department manipulates
or changes an organization’s logo. What is even
worse is when a communications professional
alters official colors, chops a logo apart or otherwise
abuses the visual identity of an organization. Yet,
the question is whether or not your organization has
established clear branding/visual identity guidelines?
A communications department bears the
responsibility of protecting the organization’s identity
and establishing oversight for the proper usage of
the organizations name, colors, logos and other
visual elements. Moreover, the communications
department is responsible for establishing a
consistent messaging across the organization.
As a result, every organization should establish a
visual identity and style guide that departments
and employees can freely access to assure proper
organizational branding.
I’m often surprised how few communications
departments have established policies and
procedures for their departments. Although
marketing and communications plans provide the
framework for the development of efficient and
consistent messaging, published departmental policy
and procedures control the workflow, establish roles
and provide understanding of the communications
process across organizational programs.
A communications department’s primary function
is to provide support to organizational programs.
As such, well-organized, successful departments
often function more as independent firm, rather
than internal production houses. As a result, these
departments utilize policies and procedures to
better manage workflow, establish clear production
schedules, establish a clear scope of available
services, and define departmental roles. Whether
your communications team consists of 3 members
or 45 members, running your department as a
business unit will create a more efficient and happier
workforce.
As more nonprofits embrace social media and digital
marketing, policies and guidelines to govern the use
of social media have become a
necessity. As a marketer, I would tell you that there
is no better natural market to spread the message
of your organization than your own employees.
However, understanding the need to protect the
viability of the company, no organization should
allow free reign when it comes to social media.
Rather, your organization must find a balance
between empowering employees, protecting
employee rights, workplace productivity, protecting
brand identity and protecting IT infrastructure.
A well-laid out policy should bring together
executive leadership, human resources, MIS, and
communications personnel to draft a comprehensive
policy that empowers employees, provides
education, protect the company and establishes a
clear boundaries.

4. Organizational Master Calendar
As organizations grow in terms of programming and scope, so does the need for an organizational master
calendar. There is nothing more frustrating as a marketer than not being aware of an event that has planned
for months. Yet, as a marketer, there is no one to blame but yourself. There is no department within an
organization that has a greater need for a master calendar, yet many communicators rely upon the good will
of other departments to notify them in a timely manner. One of the best policy changes that your organization
can make would be to establish an organizational master calendar and assign curation of the calendar to
a communications staff member. Then, take an active role, identify key personnel across programs and
periodically (as part of a schedule) call those individuals to see what updates need to be made.
HCM Brown © 2013
About HCM Brown
At HCM Brown, we work with you
to design and develop customized, creative
digital and traditional marketing solutions
including a full suite of consultative and
technical solutions.
We specialize in marketing consulting, digital
media strategy development and online
marketing solutions including website design
and development. We create solutions that
are marketing-driven, professional, easy to
use, and integrated with your brand identity.
For more information visit us online at
www.hcmbrown.com
Where To Start
Crisis Communications Planning
Ready.gov provides a great starting point for developing your
organization’s crisis communications plan.
http://www.ready.gov/business/implementation/crisis
Communications Policies and Procedures
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Communication
and Marketing Department provides a great example of
communications policies and procedures.
http://universityrelations.wisc.edu/policies/
Likewise, Georgia Perimeter College Office of Marketing and
Public Relations provides another outstanding example of
Communications Policy and Procedures.
http://www.gpc.edu/mpr/#.UT0jKlfCZ8E
Social Media Policy
Social Media Governance list of social media policies
http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
Social media policy presentation from OrgSpring
http://www.slideshare.net/craiggrella1/social-media-
policy-for-nonprofits
Nonprofit Social Media Policy Workbook from IdealWare
http://www.idealware.org/reports/nonprofit-social-media-
policy-workbook
Visual Identity & Style Guidelines
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Communication and
Marketing Department provides a great example of such
guidelines.
http://universityrelations.wisc.edu/policies/
About the author
Jarid Brown is the owner of HCM Brown,
a digital marketing firm, and the Director of
Online Interactions for The Hope Institute
for Children and Families in Springfield,
Illinois.
Jarid Brown has established himself as a
powerful voice in the nonprofit marketing
community. His work in creating integrated
nonprofit marketing strategies, has earned
recognition throughout the nonprofit
industry with case studies on multiple
nonprofit marketing websites, a cover story in
the November 2011 edition of Fundraising
Success Magazine and inclusion as the
featured story of the first chapter of the 3rd
Edition of Web Marketing For Dummies in
January 2012.
Jarid can be contacted via linked in:
www.linkedin.com/in/jaridbrown