STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE
2006 RASMUSON FOUNDATION AND THE SPIN PROJECT. SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. 1
You gotta have a plan.
Strategic Communications
Plan Template
The purpose of a strategic communications plan is to integrate all the orga-
nizationÕs programs, public education, and advocacy efforts. By planning a
long-term strategy for your efforts, you will be positioned to be more proac-
tive and strategic, rather than consistently reacting to the existing environ-
ment. The strategic plan will help you deploy resources more effectively
and strategically by highlighting synergies and shared opportunities in your
various programs and work areas.
The creation and adoption of a strategic communications plan represents a
significant step for any organization. For many organizations, the adoption
of such a plan represents a cultural shift toward communications and a
clear recognition that all the organizationÕs efforts have a communications
element. Public education, grassroots organizing, research, public advo-
cacy, direct service, and even fundraising are all, at their core,
communications tasks vital to the health and success of a nonprofit organi-
zation.
We firmly believe that a strategic communications plan has the power to
transform an organization: both in terms of your credibility and status in
your community and in terms of the way you work together as a team to
achieve your mission and vision for your community.
Use this template as a guide to create a strategic communications plan for
your organization or campaign. This document can help you facilitate a
strategy session with key stakeholders.
An electronic version of this template and a tutorial that will help you to
answer the questions below are available on the SPIN ProjectÕs website at:
http://www.spinproject.org/plangenerator. When submitting the tem-
plate through their website, you can save your work for later edit-
ing and send a copy to the SPIN Project so that one of our strate-
gists can review it and offer feedback.
If youÕre ready to start planning strategically in your communications
work, turn the page.
301 W Northern Lights Blvd, Ste 400
Anchorage, AK 99503
907 297-2700
907 366-2700 (toll free in Alaska)
907 297-2770 (fax)
www.rasmuson.org
CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION
How to use this template
2
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Communications infrastructure,
goals, targeting and research
3
FRAMING AND
MESSAGES
Frame the issue, choose messages
and spokespeople, identify news
hooks and communications out-
lets
4
NEWS MEDIA
Which outlets will you reach out
to and what tools will you need
to be successful
5
FOLLOW-UP
Evaluate your efforts
Some rights reserved. This tem-
plate is licensed under a Create Com-
mons license. You are free to use its
contents for any non-commercial
purpose, provided that you credit
Rasmuson Foundation and the SPIN
Project.
Created for the
Rasmuson Foundation by
The SPIN Project
149 Natoma Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
http://www.spinproject.org
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE
2006 RASMUSON FOUNDATION AND THE SPIN PROJECT. SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. 2
Communications Infrastructure
What communications capacity do you have Ð staff and time? Who will do the work? What budget do you have to
do this work?
Goals
Why are you launching communications efforts? What do you want?
Target/ Target Audience
Who can give you what you want? Can you directly influence this individualÕs decision making? If not, who is
your target audience? Who do you need on your side to get what you want?
Research
What do you need to know about your target audience? How will you get the information?
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE
2006 RASMUSON FOUNDATION AND THE SPIN PROJECT. SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. 3
Frame the Issue
What is this issue really about? Who is affected?
Message
What are the elements of your message:
Problem
Solution
Action
Spokespeople
Who are the best messengers to reach your target audience?
Newshooks
What are newshooks for the issue?
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TEMPLATE
2006 RASMUSON FOUNDATION AND THE SPIN PROJECT. SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. 4
Communications Channels and Outlets
How will you reach your target audience, e.g., news media, door-knocking, newsletters, email blasts, PSAs?
News Media
The remainder of the template assumes youÕve selected news media as one vehicle to reach your
target audiences. The following are general ways in which to receive coverage. Check the ones
that will reach your target audience:
News article
Which Section:
Op ed
Letter to the editor
Radio talk show
Television talk show
Reporters/ Media Database
Based on what youÕve checked above, rank the top 20 outlets you want coverage in and identify the reporter from
each outlet whom you want to target:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Pitch Reporters
What will you pitch to the above reporters?
2006 RASMUSON FOUNDATION AND THE SPIN PROJECT. SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. 5
Deliverables/Collateral/Event
What deliverables/collaterals/events do you need to communicate with reporters?
Media advisories
News releases
Fact sheets
Brief bios of spokespeople
Brochure
Web newsroom
Media briefings
To which reporter can you offer personal attention?
Additional Deliverables
What additional deliverables will pique reportersÕ interest and help make your case?
Web newsroom reports
Web newsroom polls
Web newsroom scorecards
Track Coverage
WhatÕs your system to capture your media hits?
Evaluation
How will you evaluate your efforts?
Rasmuson Foundation is a private family foundation located in Anchorage, Alaska
that works as a catalyst to promote a better life for Alaskans.
!
Founded in 1955, the Foundation invests approximately $26 million annually in both
individuals and well-managed nonproÞt organizations dedicated to improving the
quality of life for Alaskans primarily in the areas of arts and culture, community
development, health, and human services.
!
Our grantees are passionate about their work. Given todayÕs crowded media envi-
ronment, their ability to effectively advocate on behalf of their constituents and tell
their story is of critical importance to their success. The Foundation supported the
development of this toolkit to provide a comprehensive and accessible resource for its
grantees both to build internal capacity and to work more effectively on a day- to-day basis with strategic communications.
In today's crowded media environment, organizations working to build a fair, just
and equitable society can scarcely be heard. Organizations hoping to shape de-
bates and shift public policy must embrace strategic communications to achieve
their goals. The SPIN Project strengthens nonproÞt social justice organizations,
small and large, to communicate effectively for themselves.
The SPIN Project provides accessible and affordable strategic communications consulting, training, coaching, networking op-
portunities and concrete tools, such as this online communications toolkit. Our skills and expertise are blended with our commit-
ment to strengthening social justice organizations and helping them engage in communications to achieve their goals.
We develop communications skills, infrastructure and leadership, strengthening organizations to achieve their social justice goals.
