DIY Strategic Communications Audit Workbook

This MISSION-TO-MESSAGE workbook is designed for nonprofit leaders, development and communications staff who need to rethink their outreach and fundraising—whether due to lost federal funding, an organizational pivot, or a simple recognition that "how we've always done it" isn't working anymore.

It's especially useful if you:

• Need to replace revenue from a funding source that's gone away

• Haven't updated your communications strategy in more than a year

• Are sending the same communications you've always sent and seeing diminishing returns

• Want a clear plan you can present to your board or leadership

• Don't have budget for a consultant but need a more creative and tailored strategy

What You'll Have When You're Done

• SWOT Analysis: A clear-eyed assessment of your communications strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

• Collateral & Channel Audit: An inventory of what you have, what's outdated, and what to create

• Communications Vision: A specific, measurable statement of what success looks like in 12 months

• 3-4 Strategic Objectives: Concrete goals with defined audiences, messages, channels, and timelines

• Plan-on-a-Page: A one-page summary you can share with leadership, board, and staff

• Prioritized Action List: Clear next steps so you know exactly what to do Monday morning

This workbook includes a 1) How-To-Use Guide; 2) Quickstart Checklist; 3) Facilitator Cheat Sheet; 4) SWOT Worksheet; 5) Collateral & Channel Audit; and most of all 5) Strategic Mission-To-Message Workbook — plus practical tips on expanding your audience to lookalike groups, and more. All resources are in PDF format.

You can complete this workbook in one intensive day or spread it across multiple focused sessions.