Communications Assessment for a Large Regional Nonprofit Organization

How do you get a diverse group of church leaders, staff and key parishioners to collaborate for digital change at a century-old church?

In October 2012, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta consecrated a new bishop, the Right Rev. Robert C. Wright, the first Black bishop the diocese ever had.

Bishop Wright was the new leader of this then-106-year-old, 56,000-member church with 109 worshipping communities and multiple ministries in Middle and North Georgia. His immediate aim was to “to draw the circle wider”—or to make closer—this ninth largest of the 110 dioceses of the Episcopal Church. He saw corporate communications—particularly digital communications—to make more people comfortable in the Episcopal Church.

But, because of limited financial and staff resources coupled with senior staff and stakeholders struggling with the transition from paper to digital media, digital communications were faltering. Opportunities to engage new audiences, especially younger ones, were getting lost as older, longer-term members clung to traditional communications methods.

Bishop Wright hired me to conduct a communications assessment that would become the basis of a new strategic communications plan focused on making the digital transformation. 

He also relied on me to help him establish his reputation as a collaborative figure, endeavoring to grow the diocese by attracting a new generation of members with diverse identities. He knew his racial identity might challenge some, so he sought to overcome that. My focus on culturally competent communications helped address that issue.

I first worked with the diocese's communications team to determine the long-range objectives were for the diocese. Then, they shared what resources the institution had available for me to measure its effectiveness of its current strategies and determine the what kept it struggling to move entirely into the digital age.

Early, we agreed surveys and interviews with key stakeholders, those who significantly influenced the institution's communications strategies, were essential. Without access to focus groups, enterprise level measurement tools and analytics and other resources that might be available to large corporate clients, I used what was available to conduct the assessment. 

That included a standard survey tool available within their email marketing service sent by email, and telephone interviews. I emailed the survey, which I drafted, to members of the diocese we know had the technological understanding and ability to respond, including older church members. I conducted phone interviews with key leaders and long-time members who weren't able or willing to put their sentiments in writing. I did both anonymously.

I also conducted several lengthy interviews with the Bishop to determine how he wanted to communicate his narrative to the members and the wider Episcopal Church. We discussed everything from his professional background and his personal beliefs to his preferred interaction style to develop a branding strategy for him. 

When I completed the report for the communications assessment, I cited those limitations as evidence of the organization's inhibited digital communications effectiveness.

Despite the resource limitations, I produced a 35-page report that gave the diocese a clear direction to take to create a robust digital communications strategic plan. It including specific executive communications and branding tactics for the Bishop. 

The best way to describe my success is with the client's words:

“Dahna came into our organization and conducted a communications assessment that was robust, comprehensive and complete. We had been struggling with how best to proceed with a brand revision and with gaining insight on how well we were communicating with our numerous stakeholders across one of Georgia's largest institutions. She was able to manage and incorporate the different issues and perspectives—from the Bishop's to the lay advisory board—effectively into a document that provided a roadmap to our new, formal communications plan and clear direction on how to implement our new branding across digital media and even offline. We're grateful to her for her help.” —Nan Ross, Communications Director, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Like with any other strategic impact communications plan,  to conduct the highest level communications assessments, it's essential institutions can commit organizational and financial resources to this project. That will require competitive, market-rate consultant compensation for my solutions. 

It’s also important they can invest in a robust suite of tools and tactics, like focus groups, formal surveys, extensive interviews, and digital analytics.

Those who cannot meet these requirements will learn from me what I can do with their limited resources before we commit to working together. We may start with a discovery project that leads to a strategic blueprint.

But, I can only offer unique solutions to you if I understand what you most need or value in a project like this. I offer a complimentary 30-minute introductory phone call to discuss your requirements. So, contact me about your project.

Dahna M. Chandler is a doctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, studying the history of racialized discrimination in the U.S. finance industry, and an award-winning finance journalist. She holds a master's in corporate communications from Georgetown University. She works with opportunity finance sector organizations as a social impact communications consultant, drawing from her own lived experiences that align with those organizations' core constituents. 

(c) 2023-2024. Dahna M. Chandler for UpThink Strategic Communications, a division of Thrive Media Collaborative, Inc. All rights reserved. This case story may not be reproduced or reposted in whole or in part without express written permission of the author.