FAQ

I provide communications and capacity building to registered charities and nonprofits. That is, I teach them how to communicate more effectively and give them tools and processes that streamline the communications function.

It depends on your project. Let’s talk.

That’s a great place to start. Let’s review your existing comms, if any, analyze your objectives, audiences, timeline, and budget. Then I’ll design a just-for-you communications program.

Being effective is more important than being low-cost. A sound investment is one that is aligned with your current resources and capacity. Whatever your budget is, we’ll use it in the best possible way.

If you have budget constraints — and who doesn’t? — please schedule a complimentary call to discuss your budget and communication needs.

Actually, most of my work is ghostwriting (although I prefer to think of myself as the wizard behind the curtains).

Anything I write for your website, social media, or other communications property will be in your name and will conform to your brand guidelines. It will be as if you wrote it yourself.

The only exception is the planning documents that I deliver to you for your review. Those will bear my name and logo.

Video is a great method of storytelling. In fact, it’s an integral part of my Impact Storytelling Package. I’m not a professional videographer myself, so when a project calls for polished video, I loop in a pro.

A Values-Based Communications Audit is a structured review of how your organization communicates, how well those communications reflect your mission and values, and how well those values align with those of your key audiences. It looks at what you say, how you say it, and who you reach, so you can see where your words and actions line up — and where they don’t. The goal is to give you concrete, usable information you can apply right away in your communications strategy.

A regular communications or marketing audit usually focuses on performance: channels, tactics, and metrics such as reach, engagement, or conversions. A Values-Based Communications Audit asks whether your communications are fair, accurate, and aligned with your commitments to clients, staff, funders, and community partners. In other words, it asks “Are our communications working in a way that reflects who we say we are and the values that guide our work?”

This audit is designed for nonprofits, charities, and public sector teams that serve people and communities directly. It is a good fit for organizations that want clearer alignment between stated values and day‑to‑day communications. It’s especially useful if you are in a period of change — new strategy, leadership transition, service changes, or upcoming fundraising or advocacy campaigns — and need your communications to catch up.

You will receive several things:

• A one-page, colour-coded scorecard containing a concise overview of your audit results
• A clear, plain‑language report that explains what was reviewed, what we heard, and what we found — both strengths and areas for improvement. The report includes specific, actionable recommendations tied to your values, along with examples and suggested language so your team knows exactly what to adjust in your nonprofit communications.
• Three quick wins you can implement immediately.
• A debrief session to walk through the results, ask questions, and agree on next steps, so the report is easy to act on.

This audit will help you create clearer, more consistent messaging that reflects your mission and your work on the ground. You can use the resulting communications to strengthen trust with clients, funders, staff, and partners.

Over time, this kind of nonprofit communications audit can support better fundraising and advocacy results, stronger relationships, and reduced risk of miscommunication or misalignment with your stated values.

Yes. Charitable organizations are busy, and a thick binder full of recommendations is not helpful. I group recommendations into clear tiers (for example, quick wins, moderate effort, and longer‑term work) and flag the items that are most important from a values, risk, and impact perspective.

During the debrief, we’ll work together to set priorities and timing, so you end up with a manageable action plan — not just more work.

Yes, definitely. The Practical Communications Plan is designed specifically for organizations that are already stretched thin. It helps you decide what to stop doing, what to keep, and what to try next — so you can focus on a few important activities instead of chasing everything at once.

The plan helps you connect your communications work to the priorities you designate, including fundraising.

As we develop this plan together, we’ll clarify the messages and channels that show donors why your work matters, what has changed because of their support, and what comes next. You can then apply those messages across appeals, newsletters, social media, and reports, so your donor communications feel consistent instead of piecemeal.

See also our Impact Storytelling Package for information on communicating with funders.

Yes. The process asks you to identify your key audiences (such as clients, funders, partners, volunteers) and to think about what each group needs from you. From there, you can adjust your language and level of detail for each audience while staying anchored in the same core story about your mission and impact.

Most organizations can develop a workable first version of their plan in several short working sessions spread over a few weeks. After that, you can refine and update it as you learn what works, instead of trying to get everything perfect at the start. If you prefer, you can also work through it slowly over a longer period and treat it as a standing agenda item for regular team or leadership meetings.

Absolutely. We’ll meet every month or two at your convenience to review the plan and see what worked, what’s falling short, and what needs to change. There is no extra charge for follow-on support.

Before any interview, story owners receive a plain‑language overview of why their story is being collected, how it may be used, and what the possible risks are. We explain where stories might appear (for example, your website, social media, reports, or events), how long they may be used, and what options they have to say no, set limits, or change their minds later.

We reiterate this process with story owners at every step of the story development process, from first draft to final product.

We use trauma‑informed interviewing practices and a dignity‑first lens. That means we don’t chase shocking details, we avoid leading or intrusive questions, and we focus on people’s agency, context, and contributions — not just their hardships. If a story feels likely to cause harm or misrepresentation, we recommend changes or advise against using it.

The Impact Storytelling Package includes a customized ethics and consent protocol, participant information sheet, storytelling consent form (with anonymity and visibility options), interviewer script, and a trauma‑informed interview checklist. You can adapt and reuse these across future storytelling efforts.

We design the process for small, busy teams. Most organizations only need a few short meetings, help identifying storytellers and data, and occasional review and approval time. We work with your staff on story interviews, drafting, and most of the coordination. That way, your staff can continue to use this process after we finish our work with your organization.

Your staff will learn mainly by doing, but some teams find a short training useful. As part of the package, you can opt into a brief staff training and simple documentation (written or video) so your team understands the ethical principles and feels confident using the templates on their own.