EQUIPPING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS TO LEAD COMMUNICATION-SAVVY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS

State-level progressive advocacy organizations are vehicles for driving social change in the US, especially in the context of congressional gridlock. However, many of these organizations struggle to reach key audiences through their communication strategies. To better understand and address this gap, the Capstone team conducted over 75 interviews with executives and communications directors at statewide progressive organizations across the country. The team found a shared recognition that effective communications should be culturally infused into an organization’s goal setting, campaign planning, internal processes, and culture writ large. The team also found that organizations working to transition their communications work from a support service to a core strategic function lack support in making this change. The team designed the Narrative Change Leaders Workshop as a nonprofit social enterprise to fill this gap by providing executive directors with the training and coaching needed to build organizational communications capacity to frame social issues and debates within states.