communications kit for cepf grantees
TRANSCRIPT
COMMUNICATIONS KIT FOR CEPF GRANTEES
1 COMMUNICATIONS KIT FOR CEPF GRANTEES
INTRODUCTION
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a
global leader in enabling civil society to participate in
and benefit from conserving some of the world’s most
critical ecosystems. Our support equips civil society
organizations (CSOs) to conserve their environment
and influence decisions that affect lives, livelihoods
and, ultimately, the global environment for the benefit
of all.
However, our grantees often find that communicating
their work to a wider audience can be challenging.
This toolkit serves as a resource on how you can work
with the CEPF communications team to promote your
work through CEPF-published communications. It
also provides tips on drafting effective
communications for building your voice to address
key audiences.
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Contents
Introduction .................................................................... 1
Contents .......................................................................... 2
Communications Basics ................................................. 3
Drafting Communications ........................................ 3
Communications Channels & Activities .................. 3
CEPF Communications .................................................. 4
CEPF Grant Language ............................................. 4
Sharing Grantee Stories ........................................... 5
Photography ............................................................. 8
CEPF Factsheets ...................................................... 8
CEPF Logos ............................................................. 8
Media/Press Release Protocol .................................. 8
Contact Information ............................................... 11
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COMMUNICATIONS BASICS
DRAFTING COMMUNICATIONS
Communications should be an important
consideration when undertaking project
activities that are supported by CEPF. If
possible, develop a plan for communication
before you implement projects to ensure the
activities are promoted to a larger audience
as a means of awareness building and
advocacy for biodiversity conservation.
Develop a communications plan that clearly
states the objectives, target audiences, key
messages and means for communicating. It
is important that you be very clear about to
whom your communication will be
directed. Ask yourself, what are the
interests, beliefs and agenda of your
audience and then fine tune your approach accordingly so that your message connects with them.
In developing your communications, frame your message to your key audience and provide
background information including: who, what, when, where and why. You should not assume
that people understand the point or importance of your work. Be sure to include why your work
matters and how it impacts people, whether it’s by supporting livelihood activities, protecting
ecosystem services such as access to fresh water, protecting communities from the effects of
climate change, etc.
It is important to get the facts right. When including quotes from people impacted by your work
or evidence of project results, obtain these from reputable sources that are cited within your
communications and make sure that the information is up-to-date. Ensure that your message is
clear, concise, correct/credible, comprehensive and consistent. The language used should be
simple and considerate of the audience, use plain language and eliminate technical words that
may not be widely understood.
Additional tips when drafting communications include writing in the third person, avoiding
clichés, and including clear captions for photographs. Lastly, don’t forget to include a feedback
mechanism – this can be a contact number, website or email address that the audience can use to
learn more.
COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS & ACTIVITIES
There are a variety of ways to get your message out, including:
1. News media – sending news releases or making contact directly with newspapers,
magazines, radio, etc.
2. Social media – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs, etc.
3. Electronic communications – websites and email
4. Face-to-face communications – meetings, presentations, etc.
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5. Distribution of print or electronic communications via partners such as educational
institutions, government agencies, other nonprofits, and related commercial enterprises
such as hotels or shops.
The type of communications drafted can vary as well:
1. Articles (for websites, media, newsletters, etc.)
2. Press releases
3. Presentations (for meetings, seminar, conferences, etc.)
4. Exhibitions
5. Workshops
6. Press interviews
7. Brochures
8. Information or policy briefs
9. Fliers
10. Billboards
11. Videos
12. Case studies
13. Public service announcements
14. Songs
15. Websites
Be sure to keep your target audience in mind when determining the type of communications that
you will draft and what distribution channel you
will use. The goal is to capture the attention of
your audience and engage it while delivering
information and possibly convincing it to adopt a
particular attitude or take a particular action.
CEPF COMMUNICATIONS
CEPF is eager to spread the word about our
amazing grantees, their achievements, the people
they work with and places where they work to
conserve our critical ecosystems. By sharing your
communications with us, we can help distribute
your work to a wider audience.
CEPF GRANT LANGUAGE RELATING TO
COMMUNICATIONS
A few paragraphs of each CEPF grant agreement address grantee obligations related to
communications.
All publications, reports and press materials arising from a Critical Ecosystem
Partnership Fund (CEPF) grant shall acknowledge the Critical Ecosystem Partnership
Fund.
All websites created with CEPF support or publicizing lists of Grantee’s donors
(including CEPF funding sources) or materials arising from a CEPF grant shall also
include a link to the CEPF website, www.cepf.net.
In text credits and references, the full name shall be used, rather than the acronym.
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When the name Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is translated, it shall be
translated as follows:
o Bahasa: Dana Kemitraan Ekosistem Kritis
o Chinese:关键生态系统合作基金
o French: Fonds de partenariat pour les écosystèmes critiques
o Portuguese: Fundo de Parceria para Ecossistemas Críticos
o Russian: Фонд Сотрудничества для Сохранения Экосистем,
Находящихся в Критическом Состоянии
o Spanish: Fondo de Alianzas para los Ecosistemas Críticos
The following description shall also be used: ‘The Critical Ecosystem Partnership
Fund is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation
International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government
of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to
ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.’
Use of the CEPF logo is encouraged on reports, maps and other products that CEPF
funding helps produce.
Logos of CEPF’s individual donor partners may not be used under any circumstances
by grantees.
Copies of articles, reports, media interviews or other publications shall be provided to
CEPF.
SHARING GRANTEE STORIES – ARTICLES, BLOGS, LESSONS LEARNED, SOCIAL
MEDIA
The CEPF Communications team drafts pieces
including articles for the CEPF website or
eNewsletter, blogs or lessons learned. CEPF
also has Facebook and YouTube pages where
we share CEPF-related stories and videos.
CEPF Websites
CEPF’s websites and eNewsletter are primary
tools for spreading the word about the results
of grantee efforts. If you have an idea for an
article (please focus on a CEPF-supported
project or initiative) we might include in our
newsletter and/or website, contact
communications coordinator Mandy DeVine at
www.cepf.net
www.cepf.net/fr
www.cepf.net/jp
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eNewsletter
An archive of previous newsletters as well as the current CEPF eNewsletter is available online at:
http://www.cepf.net/news/e_news/Pages/default.aspx.
To subscribe to our newsletter, visit this page:
http://www.cepf.net/news/e_news/Pages/default.aspx.
Blog
Please contact Mandy DeVine ([email protected]) if you would like to contribute a blog
post. We are currently only accepting posts that are in English (although if there is a version of
the same post in another language, we may
consider posting both).
Also, please note that the CEPF
communications team will edit
submissions to meet our communications
style and standards. We will, however,
share proposed changes with the author
before publishing to ensure that the author
is comfortable with the revised content.
Blogs are posted here and shared more
widely through our electronic newsletter.
General blog guidelines:
Blog posts are best when they are short (200-500 words) and focused. Don’t feel like
you have to give lots of background information about complicated topics, as we will link
to other parts of our site/other sites that give more information.
We are especially interested in blog entries that highlight the importance/impact of
the work CEPF grantees are doing, and provide some flavor of what it’s like
working in a given area – what the people and communities, environment and
biodiversity are like. We don’t necessarily expect every blog to include all of these
elements, but this type of information can help make a post especially interesting.
If there is news breaking in a region where CEPF grantees are working, and it has a
significant impact for better or worse on their conservation efforts, this may also
provide a good opportunity for a blog post. For instance, if a dam project is altered to
minimize environmental impacts in an area where CEPF grantees are working, that may
provide an opportunity for an interesting post. Or, if poaching increases dramatically in
an area where we’re investing, that too may be an opportunity for interesting content.
Blogs should be written in your voice. The most interesting blogs include the author’s
unique perspectives on the issue at hand. They build on professional experience, but often
contain personal reflections as well.
While written in your voice, blogs are held to the same standard as other types of articles
CEPF posts or distributes—name spellings, titles and other facts should be checked, and
opinions should be clearly distinguishable from fact.
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Pick a meaningful title. The title should reflect what the readers will learn about if they
read the post. Using relevant keywords will optimize your post for search engines and
make the piece more likely to show up in an internet search.
Blogs should be accessible to a general audience. One important question to ask
yourself when writing your blog is, “Why should the reader care about this?” Answering
this question will help you identify your blog’s main message. To make sure you’re not
getting too “in the weeds,” it can also help to ask, “How would I explain this
issue/experience to my family or friends around the dinner table?”
Photos and/or video will enhance your blog. By sending us your photos/video clips
from the field, you will make your blog post more attractive and compelling.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned features are posted here
and also shared more widely through our
electronic newsletter.
We encourage not only success stories, but
also lessons learned from aspects of projects
that did not work as planned. The main
objective is to allow CEPF grantees, and
other working in conservation, to learn from
your experiences.
To submit a Lessons Learned, send the
following information to Mandy DeVine
Your Name
Your Title
Your Organization
Title of CEPF-Supported Project
What was the most important lesson learned?
What were the challenges you faced when implementing your project?
Describe how you adapted your approach or specific project elements as a result.
Describe (and attach) any photos or videos that we could use with the Lessons Learned.
Social Media
CEPF has Facebook and YouTube pages. These are a great way to share grantee stories with a
wide audience. We encourage all grantees to subscribe to our youtube channel and like our
facebook page.
We hope that grantees will use our Facebook page as a forum for discussion of lessons learned
and success stories across hotspots.
We also encourage grantees to post CEPF-related pieces on our facebook page.
If you have a video you would like to submit for the YouTube page, please contact Mandy
DeVine ([email protected]).
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PHOTOGRAPHY
CEPF is eager to obtain photos (and video) from CEPF-funded projects for use in print pieces and
on the CEPF website and social media platforms, as well as for dealings with news media as we
work to raise awareness of the accomplishments of our grantees.
We encourage you to share images with us, as
these will help tell the story and have the power
to inspire audiences. CEPF will need to have a
clear record of permission for use of such
images, with the owner of each photo accepting
our Photography Licensing Terms. This ensures
that the photos used by CEPF are correctly
captioned and credited, with the photographer
(and organization if applicable) clearly stated.
To submit photos and/or video, please attach
the files together with the caption and credit
information and send in an email to Mandy
DeVine ([email protected]). She will
then work with you to get your Photography
Licensing Terms consent. Please note that the
CEPF communications team is happy to work
with grantees to customize the template for each
license.
CEPF FACTSHEETS
CEPF factsheets are available on the website:
http://www.cepf.net/resources/publications/Pages/Fact_Sheets.aspx
These are currently in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Japanese.
CEPF LOGOS
CEPF logo files are available for download. Please contact Mandy DeVine,
[email protected], for access to these.
MEDIA/PRESS RELEASE PROTOCOL
Protocol for press releases and news media outreach involving CEPF-funded projects
CEPF is eager to promote the efforts and successes of its grantees, and encourages outreach to
news media as one possible means of promotion.
We request that any press release or other materials being distributed to any news media
(newspapers, magazines, blogs and other online media, TV and radio) involving achievements of
CEPF-funded projects include the standard CEPF description per the grantee contracts.
**Additionally, for projects that have triggered any safeguard requirements from CEPF —
such as required development of an assessment, Indigenous Peoples Framework, Process
Framework, or action plan with regard to one of the safeguard policies — CEPF requests review
of any press releases concerning the project at least two weeks in advance of the release
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distribution. We also request basic information
about the plan for distribution of the releases
and any other related media outreach.
CEPF also greatly appreciates notification of
any controversy arising from or related to
projects it has funded that may rise to the
level of news media coverage. Two-week
advance review of news media-targeted
materials is also requested for CEPF-funded
projects that are connected to controversy.
To make CEPF aware of issues related to
project controversy and/or news media
outreach, contact the CEPF grant director(s) responsible for the region, and they will share
the information with CEPF’s communications team. The grant director and/or the
communications team will then notify the RIT and involved grantees of any questions,
concerns or requested courses of action.
Your help in ensuring that CEPF’s mission and activities are presented in the media in an
accurate fashion is greatly appreciated.
Tip sheet for media interviews
The following is a list of suggestions that Conservation International’s media relations team gives
to its staff when attending international events or giving interviews:
Before
o Ask: Who’s the reporter and the news organization?
o Ask: What’s the subject + focus of the story? How in depth?
o Alert and coordinate with Julie Shaw at [email protected]
o Consider: What questions will likely be asked?
o Prepare by collecting basic background info/data.
o Review: What key messages do you want to convey?
o Practice bridging on hard questions (known as the Acknowledge, Bridge,
Communicate technique).
During
o Be friendly, energetic and courteous.
o If on TV or Skype: Sit still and look at the camera or reporter.
o Start answers with your key message (headline).
o Use 1-2 examples + anecdotes to illustrate your point.
o Refer to third parties to support your comments.
o Escape hard questions by bridging to your key message.
o Avoid repeating negatives; use positive language.
o You can say: “I don’t know” or “I’m not an expert in this.”
o Never go “off the record.”
o Summarize your key messages at the end of the interview.
o Ask for journalist’s business card and pass it on to Julie Shaw.
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After
o Discuss interview with Julie Shaw.
o Follow-up on commitment to provide additional info if requested.
Guidelines for TV Interviews
What to wear
o No need to wear a suit – a normal button down shirt or sweater is fine. But no t-
shirts with logos that you’d wear on a Saturday.
o Avoid wearing solid white, or small pinstripes or busy patterns – the camera has
trouble with these. Best to wear solid colors. Blues, greens and reds look great on
camera.
Body language tips
o Look directly at your interviewer(s) if you are seated next to them --- try to avoid
shifting your eyes up, down, sideways as you’re thinking, or looking at yourself
in the monitor.
o Hand gestures are good to emphasize points or illustrate size (of the dung beetle
for example) but sit still in your chair (no rocking, swaying, swiveling).
o Smile when you’re introduced, smile when they thank you and end the interview.
Everyone looks better when they smile.
What to say
o Try to answer questions as BRIEFLY as possible. This doesn’t mean yes/no
answers, but make your point right at the top of a response, then offer a couple
extra details or opinions.
o TV is visual and personal – so paint a visual picture of what you saw, smelled,
experienced with the team in the field. Was it buggy and muddy? Did you hear
strange sounds at night? Your personal story is fun, if you can say it briefly.
o Don’t assume viewers have any idea where locations are. Most will never have
heard of the location so talk up what an amazing and globally important natural
treasure it is.
o *Explain WHY this research is important – to help inform conservation decisions
that support people’s wellbeing.
o Since this will be live, there are no do-overs. So if you say something you didn’t
mean to, or lose your train of thought, just smile and move on.
o **Key: work in our brand “Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund”, at least one
time during the interview. No need to be excessive about this, but we do want to
promote CEPF’s expertise. If you
can promote our website by
saying that we have more
pictures of the species or field
work there (“cepf dot net”), even
better!
o It never hurts to say “that’s a
good question” or “thank you for
having me” once during the
interview. Journalists like
hearing that.
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CONTACT INFORMATION - CEPF
Communications Team
Julie Shaw, Director of Communications
Office: 703-341-2457
Mandy DeVine, Communications Coordinator
Office: 703-341-2519
Maren Hozempa, Web Manager
Office: 703-341-2726
Photo credits, front to back:
© Conservation International/photo by Pierre Carret
© Conservation International/photo by Haroldo Castro
© Conservation International/photo by John Watkin
© Conservation International/photo by John Martin
© Conservation International/photo by Russell A. Mittermeier
© Andrea Ferreira
© Srikaanth Sekar
© Conservation International/photo by Miguel Angel de la Cueva
© Mamuka Burduli
© Tom Gruber
© Conservation International/photo by Sterling Zumbrunn
© Conservation International/photo by Dan Rothberg