VOICES FOR VIRGINIA’S CHILDREN

Developing a communications strategy to build equity, streamline processes, and empower individuals.

Challenge

Voices for Virginia’s Children is a nonprofit organization committed to improving and protecting the lives of Virginia’s children, youth and families. Voices has a rich history with more than 25 years of securing wins and championing policies to improve the quality of life of Virginia’s children. The organization’s aim is to close the systemic gaps that fail children, prioritize racial justice in policymaking and ensure every voice has a role in shaping their future. 

This work can only be accomplished through a strong, bipartisan advocacy model that involves working with an extensive network of partners, elected officials, volunteers and supporters. However, a lack of cohesion across communications channels and departments led to fragmented processes for internal communications and decision making.

Additionally, the disruption caused by the pandemic and social protests forced the organization to reflect on its own practices and ensure their policy agenda was driven by equitable solutions.

Without a dedicated communications team, the organization needed to build a robust communications infrastructure at Voices.

Our Approach

Shannon Strategies developed a communications strategy to strengthen the organization’s brand, build equity into internal and external communications, streamline processes, and empower more individuals, especially youth, to participate in decision-making processes. Our process included a full audit of all communications channels – traditional, digital and social media performance – and best practices for successful engagement. Specifically, the plan aimed at increasing the reach and visibility of the organization across all program work.

We had four communications goals:

  1. Increase stakeholder engagement and strengthen relationships to effectively educate, engage and influence state officials.

  2. Build equity into internal and external communications through messaging and vocabulary.

  3. Increase brand affinity through expertise, storytelling and data-driven resources.

  4. Attract new donors through digital events and social media.

To ensure the organization was able to implement the plan, we mapped out an action plan and provided years of dedicated communications support.

Result

Our team increased brand awareness, social media engagement, website traffic and earned media hits over the span of four years. Some of our accomplishments include:

  • establishing processes for content creation and approval;

  • development of an inclusive language style guide;

  • trauma-informed messaging;

  • Development of policy one-pagers;

  • Monthly newsletters and weekly policy updates;

  • video captioning for accessibility;

  • monthly analytics reporting with strategy sessions;

  • brand and color accessibility testing; and 

  • graphic design of flyers, infographics, social media graphics, data products, reports, and presentations.

KEY WINS: