Unlocking Marketing and Communications Collaboration in Human Services
Anyone who knows me knows that I am on a mission to elevate the visibility and impact of marketing and communications in the human services sector. Given the stories we can tell about overcoming challenges and impacting lives, the opportunities to build visibility for this important work are endless.
So it was with great pride that I participated in the very first “Arc of Massachusetts Marketing Summit” at Northeast Arc’s Linking Lives Center. This was the brainchild of Noah Leavitt, David Singer, and myself, and seeing it come together filled me with pride. Also seeing the numerous marketing, communications, and fundraising professionals who attended was an important reminder that we are not alone in this field! We all have a shared goal to elevate the visibility of the human services sector in Massachusetts, yet the opportunities for this group to collaborate have been few and far between. Until now!
As far as takeaways, one thing that became clear is that org design is far from uniform in our space when it comes to marketing, communications, and fundraising. Among the attendees were a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Engagement and Strategy Officer, Chief Development Officer Chief Community Relationships Officer, Director of Marketing Communications, Development Director, and Marketing & Fundraising Manager, and an HR Manager. While the size of the agency will undoubtedly dictate the in-house investment in marketing and communications, the role itself requires leaders to be adept at overseeing and managing many facets of the business of human services.
Mission Moments: Storytelling in Human Services
As you would expect, storytelling and fundraising were key themes for the inaugural “Marketing Summit” with a focus on social media. In other words, how do we share and amplify “mission moments: at our agencies? Noah led a roundtable on social media best practices that unearthed some of the key systemic challenges many marketers are facing in the field. Content curation and building deeper connections between on-the-ground program staff and the agency’s storytellers were universally viewed as a key to success, and we all felt we can learn best practices from each other on that front.
Another challenge specific to our industry is rooted in managing photo releases, as different government agencies have different rules in terms of the documented permission cycles to publish a picture of someone who is receiving services and supports from a state-funded agency. This well-intended regulation can have a limiting effect on storytelling if it is not effectively managed, and we heard different approaches from each chapter on this front.
Raising Friends: Fundraising Starts with Engagement
Given that it is the beginning of a new year, and several Arc chapters are celebrating milestone anniversaries, the talk turned to fundraising events where the teams from Community Connections Inc. and The Arc of Greater Brockton facilitated a discussion. This led to my favorite quote of the day from Adrienne Baumann, MPA:
“Before you can raise funds, you have to raise friends.”
It’s an often-overlooked aspect of fundraising, especially with the small and nimble teams who are tasked with raising money in support of our lofty missions. It is where fundraising and communications intersect. This conversation reminded me of one I had when I was on the Sawyer Business School Alumni Board of Directors, when one of the university’s development directors insisted that fundraising was transactional, and it was for that reason that every email from his office included a link to give. At the risk of oversimplifying, that is not the way...
Engage people with storytelling and invite them to support your mission. That can take the form of a service day, amplifying social media content, attending an event, or donating a silent auction item. And remember, today’s $20 donor could be tomorrow’s transformational donor!
We also touched on event best practices, including the importance of milestone planning before and after the event. Some of the most important engagement happens in the period after the event, and agencies mustn't lose sight of the opportunity.
“We’re Not Alone”
My main takeaway, though, is the power of collaboration. We are not competitors, we are “coop-etition.” There are so many wonderful things happening at our respective agencies, and we are surrounded by inspiration every day. We are all committed to continue supporting each other’s work with simple things like amplifying social posts, sharing vendor lists, and making ourselves available to each other. Given where this sector was just a few short years ago in terms of storytelling, I am excited for what is ahead! And we will be looking to expand the group in 2024!
Thank you to everyone who joined our first summit! There is so much more engagement and learning on tap! Special thanks to Northeast Arc for donating the meeting space, Breaking Grounds Cafe for providing the catering, and Noah Leavitt and Dianne Powers for hosting.
