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Office of Community Services skip to primary page contentIncreasing the Capacity of Individuals, Families and Communities

Technical Assistance

Providing Technical Assistance Overview | Summary

Developing a Comprehensive Plan

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6. Develop a Communication Plan
A number of the CCF intermediaries reported that they struggled their first year in knowing how best to market their T/TA services to the wider community. A communication plan will help you figure out how to do so effectively.

Start by identifying your target audience and networks:

  • Who are they?
  • Where are they located? (Almost all FBCOs are a part of some kind of network.)
  • What are the key networks in your area?
  • Where do FBCOs gather?

Carefully determine your message:

  • What do you want to say?
  • What is the best way to say it?
  • Will you lead with sub-awards or training workshops?
  • What action will you ask them to take? For example, will they go to your website, fill out an application or give you a call?

Next, determine multiple ways to get the word out: public service announcements, email notifications, website, telephone calls to key network leaders, your newsletter, other organization’s newsletters, etc.

By the way, if you put out a news release that you are providing training and technical assistance at no charge, be forewarned that you could be deluged with calls. In the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF), those organizations that led with news releases before having their resource people and training plan in place created a minor public relations problem for themselves. Others found less dramatic ways to get the word out at the appropriate time and to the appropriate audiences. Even without significant publicity, you will receive calls outside of the scope of your grant. One CCF intermediary started getting calls from across the nation even though their project was focused on a single metropolitan area. News can spread fast.

Marketing Training and TA

When you tell others about your project, avoid saying:

  • We are conducting training workshops free of charge.

  • We are providing technical assistance to meet a wide variety of needs.

  • We are here to help faith-based and community organizations. Please give us a call and tell us what you need.
 Instead, tell others by saying something like:
  • A calendar of workshops will be available soon. Call to get your name on our email notification list.

  • Technical assistance in targeted areas will be available for qualified organizations who meet grant requirements.

  • Our area of service includes organizations located in the following geographic locations...

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Providing Technical Assistance Overview | Summary