Any good therapist might tell you that to build strong relationships with others, first you must get to know yourself. Who are you? What drives you? How do you move through the world? 

We’re no therapists, but we find that this theory applies to organizations, too—especially nonprofits. Building strong relationships with your donors and other audience groups can only happen once you clearly understand and articulate who you are, what you do, and why you do it. 

At Great Believer we call this core messaging. Over the years we’ve worked with several nonprofits to help shape or reshape their stories through core messaging projects. Some were just getting started and wanted to put pen to paper. Others were big, well established brands who decided their story needed a refresh—or at the very least, a unified, agreed-upon articulation. In this post, we want to lift the curtain on our process and share how we go about crafting stand-out core messaging for our clients.

Making a messaging map

Each core messaging project begins with a talking tour. Sure, we can read your nonprofit’s website, annual reports, and backlog of emails to donors to get a sense of who you are. And we do. But we want to dig even deeper, so we go right to the source: your people. 

We often like to start an interview with what I call the dinner party question. “You’re at a dinner party, mingling, and someone asks where you work. You tell them where, and they say – ‘Oh, and what does that organization do?’ How do you respond?”

Sitting around a table with five senior-level, longtime employees of the same nonprofit, you’d be shocked to hear how different their answers can be to this question! It’s always a great reminder of how useful and important a core messaging exercise is for any organization to get everyone on the same page. A cohesive, clear, and universally-agreed-upon story helps to give everyone who encounters (or works for) your organization something powerful to believe in.  

Here’s a basic example:

The end product is an internal document that a nonprofit can use to guide all external communications. In a simple, concise single-page template, a messaging map answers 3 big questions: Why do we exist? What do we do? And how do we do it?  

Client case study: Undue Medical Debt

One organization we worked with to craft core messaging was Undue Medical Debt. Formerly RIP Medical Debt, we partnered with this debt-erasing organization to rename and rethink their whole identity. Naturally, a core messaging exercise was the perfect storytelling component to round out their shiny new brand. 

Take a look at how we applied the template above to the unique, impactful, and intricate work of this organization:

Client case study: Pregnancy Justice

We also underwent a core messaging exercise with our partners formerly named National Advocates for Pregnant Women. We worked to rename the organization Pregnancy Justice, to better reflect the breadth of their work and clientele. Alongside a brand identity and website redesign, we worked with this client to build a messaging map that breaks down their complete and complex story. Here’s where we landed:

To go back to the therapy analogy…

Everyone can benefit from a little self-reflection—no matter how long you’ve been living in your skin. The same goes for brands. Whether you’re a fledgling nonprofit ready to write your story or a well-established organization in need of a tune-up, we believe a core messaging exercise can only make you stronger. 

If you agree, get in touch with Great Believer. Let’s get to know each other better.