Biggest Challenges Faced by a Communications and Outreach Director at Lumina Alliance
Clementine's biggest challenge as Director of Communications and Outreach is balancing communication needs across diverse audiences, including "clients, potential clients, donors, community members, and legislators," with internal debates frequently arising on prioritization, highlighting the inherent complexities of nonprofit communications.
Communication, Audience Segmentation, Nonprofit Management, Advocacy, Stakeholder Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Clementine Ellis
Director of Communications and Outreach
Lumina Alliance
Agnes Scott College
University of Florida, MA, Sociology
Anthropology, Sociology
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Balancing multiple audience needs in communications is a key challenge. Clementine highlights the need to tailor messaging for diverse groups such as clients, donors, community members, and legislators, often within a single communication.
2. Internal disagreements about communication priorities are common. Different departments (e.g., development, client services) may prioritize different audiences, creating internal conflict and requiring strong communication and negotiation skills.
3. Advocacy plays a significant role in nonprofit communications. Reaching and influencing legislators is a crucial aspect of the role, showcasing the importance of understanding policy and its impact on the organization's mission and clients.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge in this role and in any communications role is the variety of audiences I have to talk to. At a nonprofit, our outward communications, whether it be social media, a billboard campaign, or brochures, are trying to reach lots of different people at once.
I want to talk to current clients, potential clients, and people experiencing domestic and intimate partner violence. I also need to reach donors who support our services, community members who might know someone affected, and potential volunteers.
Finally, legislators are a key audience. Recently, a lot of our communications have been directed towards people in the state senate and assembly members, advocating for funding and laws that could impact survivors.
It's difficult to communicate with all these different groups in a single post or brochure. Some of our most heated discussions in the department are about balancing these audiences.
People from development want to prioritize talking to donors. Those from client services believe we should prioritize potential clients. I personally value advocacy and believe we need to talk to legislators and lawmakers.
Ultimately, everyone wants what's best for the organization and our clients. However, balancing these different audiences can be very challenging.