Omar Hussain is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner for Defy Communications. Omar counsels executive leaders within the social sector.
Assuming the role of chief communications officer (CCO) at a major foundation is a unique challenge for even the most experienced executive. The philanthropic sector possesses distinct characteristics that set it apart from other industries. With a steadfast commitment to social impact, a strong emphasis on humility that often makes foundations hesitant to engage externally, and a C-suite that may not be fully experienced with modern strategic communications, new CCOs face the critical task of navigating this specialized landscape and earning wins along the way.
But that doesn’t mean the task is impossible. Far from it, in fact. However, the journey requires strategic sequencing to position the new CCO and their team optimally. For starters, there are three key areas that new CCOs at foundations should strongly consider from the outset of their tenures. By tackling these areas head-on, CCOs can lay the groundwork for effective communications strategies, align team structures, and cultivate a culture of impactful engagement within their organizations.
Establish a marquee communications point of view.
The foundation world demands a thoughtful and strategic approach to communications. Without one, foundations and their grantees will struggle to shift the identified conditions and systems necessary for evoking the desired change they wish to see in the world. However, there exists a hurdle within foundations: There is often an internal knowledge campaign that must first occur so everyone understands strategic communications and its benefits.
To begin their tenure successfully, new CCOs should prioritize establishing a marquee communications point of view (POV). This internal resource serves as a guiding compass, providing a foundation-wide understanding of strategic communications, its pivotal role in driving social change, and how internal teams can partner with the communications function. It should underscore the value communications can deliver to the foundation’s mission, vision, program goals and target outcomes.
Additionally, the POV must detail the types of projects the communications team will undertake, such as narrative work, stakeholder influence, thought leadership, grantee technical assistance, media relations and internal communications, to name a few. Perhaps most importantly, it should present a unique Theory of Change, outlining how the communications team seeks to affect transformation within the foundation’s focus areas. Once completed, the new CCO should present the POV throughout the organization for full buy-in.
Assess and optimize team structure.
The philanthropic landscape calls for a nuanced approach to team structure. As a new CCO, one of the crucial initial tasks is evaluating and optimizing the communications team’s composition. First and foremost, the CCO must determine if the team has adequate staff resources to achieve its objectives effectively.
In our experience helping CCOs at other foundations, we recommended maintaining a ratio of approximately 7-to-1 program team staff to communications team staff when aiming for minimal reliance on external communications agencies. If ample external agency support is possible (and desired), a ratio of 12-to-1 is a healthy benchmark.
Furthermore, the CCO must evaluate whether the team’s structure is aligned to effectively support the foundation’s essential internal teams. Place the priority on supporting program teams, followed by executive leaders and policy and advocacy teams. This assessment may lead to embedding communications staff within program teams, adopting a centralized model with dotted-line responsibilities, or implementing a hybrid model that optimally serves the foundation’s objectives.
Enhance internal communications and culture.
As unique as philanthropy can appear at times, foundations are not immune to the considerable challenges affecting the entire work landscape since the start of the pandemic.
According to a recent MIT Sloan Management Review article: “Over a third of leaders report that remote work has weakened culture, a crucial driver of growth and innovation. Further, 45% of marketing leaders find that younger employees struggle to integrate within their companies in remote work settings. Consistent with this, negative mentions of remote work in intern reviews grew by a staggering 548% between 2019 and 2021 on Glassdoor. Gen Z and millennial employees working exclusively from home feel that they’re missing out on vital mentorship, coaching, and socialization.”
Remote, hybrid and in-office work setups can create these same issues with a foundation’s culture. Recognizing that organizational culture is often a shared responsibility between human resources and communications, new CCOs should prioritize enhancing internal communications. Beyond the crucial function of information sharing, the CCO should develop a streamlined approach that goes beyond traditional channels and embraces innovative strategies to embed the foundation’s values and DNA within the staff’s daily experiences. By providing staff engagement opportunities, the CCO can cultivate a sense of unity, purpose and shared commitment, strengthening the foundation’s mission and fostering a positive work environment.
Conclusion
Embarking on the role of CCO in the philanthropic sector demands a keen understanding of its unique dynamics. By addressing the three key areas mentioned above, new CCOs can navigate the distinct challenges and capitalize on the opportunities present in the foundation world. By focusing on these critical areas from the outset, new CCOs can establish themselves as catalysts for change, amplifying the foundation’s social impact and ensuring long-term success in the dynamic world of philanthropy.
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