Training Recap: Creating Culturally Inclusive Communications Strategies and Messaging

CNPE's Marketing and Communications coordinator, Brandale Mills Cox, led a training November 22^nd with nearly 25 attendees, discussing how nonprofits can implement strategies that illustrate a sincere understanding of various perspectives and experiences, along with ways to connect those views with organization’s vision and mission.

“It’s important that we as nonprofit organizations understand the impact our messaging, photo selection and mission statements have on our audiences and surrounding community,” Mills Cox said.

During the training, attendees discussed how to be intentional in their use of language and discussed strategies on how to ensure diverse representation on their newsletters, websites and social media channels.

Being culturally inclusive means understanding your biases, considering historical and cultural contexts, ensuring diverse representation and countering commonly known stereotypes, Mills Cox said.

In countering stereotypes, Mills Cox said when organizations use images for their websites or other promotional materials, they should consider representations not commonly associated with the term and title. For example, instead of using the first stock photo image that comes up in a search for a CEO photo, likely a white male, nonprofits should consider finding an image of a CEO that reflects the diversity of their community.

Mills Cox also referred to CNPE’s New Mexico Nonprofit Principles and Practices Guide’s “Diversity & Inclusion” chapter to help provide a framework for attendees to combine inclusive practices with their communications strategies.

“Nonprofits have a responsibility to provide inclusive content to increase equity in our communities,” Mills Cox said.

Participants also worked together to strengthen nonprofit mission statements, incorporating the concepts learned during the workshop.

Attendees were given a template to build their own culturally inclusive communications plan, prompting organizations to consider all aspects of their message development and community outreach.