Stephen Reily

Four Ways Communication Can Help Avoid (or lessen) a Crisis July 8, 2024| #CrisisCommunication, #FoodSystem, #Agriculture, #IssuesManagement, #MediaRelations, #PublicRelations By Chuck Sanger [email protected] The stakes are high for any organization facing a public crisis. Nowhere are those stakes higher than for agriculture producers and food processors – the two main cogs in a global food system charged with feeding the world. While the onset of a crisis is hard to predict, ways to avoid or lessen its impact are not. Here are, gleaned from decades of work managing issues and crises from the farm to the dinner table, four ways to avoid or lessen the impact of a crisis. Check out the entire post here: https://lnkd.in/gh-quMDq

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This is a great article summarizing the GivingPulse Q2 2024 Report from Nhu T.  Giving has declined in several areas, but online donations are stable, and urban donors are showing greater generosity. #nonprofitfundraising #GivingPulseGivingReport #nonprofits

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"Stories are data with a soul." I read that this morning, in Rishad Tobaccowala’s wonderful newsletter The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. https://lnkd.in/gtGKvxw4 “I read a lot and besides marking the finest sentences in books, I copy down the best sentences which I then read re-read and admire. So far all of these sentences to the best of my knowledge are human created, driven by human insight, observation and feeling.” In our seemingly increasing AI-driven world, this statement gave me hope and encouragement that I am doing this right. This mixing of GenAI, human experience, and a commitment to crafting stories to share those experiences, ideas, and facts with others. As a creative strategist, I look at a lot of data throughout the day, trying to make sense of things, looking for a red thread, an outlier, the space between the notes, that might bring the data to life, that might find a compelling insight, and a thing that can be acted on. My frog for the day is to understand why humans do a particular set of things. It’s an exercise in understanding the behaviour, intent and sentiment behind a set of actions. It will most likely start down a road filled with statistics, then a detour into learned behaviours based on a cultural habit or tradition. I’ll get lost somewhere between ‘we have always done it that way’ and the uncharted territory of ‘what if we did it differently?' Data to story, observe and refine. While data provides facts and AI generates content, it's the human experience that breathes life into information. Machines, no matter how advanced, lack the singular, irreplaceable element that makes stories truly powerful: lived human experience. Consider: 1. AI can analyse trends, but it can't feel the weight of a decision that changed a company's trajectory, made by a person, while in the shower, alone with the weight of an unavoidable decision. 2. Algorithms can generate text, but they can't capture the nuanced emotions of a team overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, betting on gut, instinct and experiences earned. 3. Machine learning can predict outcomes, but it can't understand the accumulated wisdom from years of trial and error, wins and failures. The most impactful insights come from blending data with authentic human narratives. It's the difference between reading about a statistic and understanding the faces and lives behind the numbers. This is why I wake up each morning, coffee in hand, and unlock my machine. “Good morning Claude.” Our unique experiences, our struggles, our triumphs – these are our superpowers, our gifts to the world around us. They're what make our stories resonate, inspire, and drive real change. GenAI is a mirror of ourselves, not always perfect, often prone to exaggeration, albeit a faster version, but still, when you come down to it, it can only take what humans have created and work from there. At least for now. 

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I am excited about the optimism and experimentation going on in the indie bookstore scene. Clio’s is a perfect example that hits one of my sweet spots - books, cocktails, and conversation. A bookstore can be an ideal counterpoint to the isolation of our digital lives. A social gathering place that is quiet enough to have a conversation, and peppered with opportunities to encourage them. I particularly like how they arrange their books. Books at Clio’s are not organized alphabetically or by the Dewey decimal system. As helpful chalk markings above the shelves indicate, the books at Clio’s are arranged by decade. As the owner explains, this is “an attempt to push back against the sectarianism of the present moment. We shelve books chronologically rather than sectionally at Clio’s because we believe that separating people according to race, gender, ethnicity, or other such identities is counter-productive to sharing the commonwealth of culture … the volumes talk to each other.” I can imagine the conversations - and relationships started just by browsing these shelves. #booksellers #indiebookstores #retail https://lnkd.in/eDfeF2bc

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Language in the Press Forward "Closing Local Coverage Gaps" program FAQ warms my heart: Using LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers' definition of sustainability as a framework, we will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. We will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model. https://lnkd.in/eGKFYhGz #impact #localnews #sustainability

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Exciting news! Better Together's advocacy partner WhyHunger has submitted two panels for SXSW 2025, and we need your votes to bring these vital discussions to the stage. Here's a glance at the panels: 1. 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 - Explore the future of agriculture as WhyHunger's Executive Director Jenique Jones, moderates a dialogue with global experts. 2. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 & 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 - Dive into how Indigenous knowledge and sustainable farming can address climate challenges. 📅 Voting is open until August 18. Your support can elevate these crucial topics at SXSW! 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 "𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗽" 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀! #SXSW2025 #SustainableAgriculture #FoodSecurity #WhyHunger #BetterTogether

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Beware the .org, aka "Astroturfing 101," plus inspiration, impact news, careers with meaning, and more in this week's issue of Godspeed with shout-outs to Christopher Marquis, Ruth Netanel, One Work, The AES Corporation, The Humane Society of the United States, and Environmental Defense Fund. #inspiration #astroturfing #nonprofits #socialimpact #sustainability #environmentalimpact #newsletter

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Digital food marketing is pervasive and dangerous. But what do teens and tweens see on their devices? And are the kids alright? In Part 2 of our deep-dive into food marketing, a Pressure Cooker investigation takes listeners deep inside some of the most closely guarded spaces in American life today– teenagers phones – and proposes strategies to stop the scroll. https://lnkd.in/eVNknqZj

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Sharing the exciting, yet humbling news that I’ve been named CEO of Inkhouse - https://lnkd.in/g6wVzB86 If you know me but not Inkhouse, we have 140 of the most talented people in PR, social media, digital content, visual communications and operations. We’re also the tech PR agency for Orchestra, a collective of best-in-class agencies that were built in the age of media disruption and social media. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and that I still get to work so closely with Beth Andrix Monaghan, our founder and the new Technology Group chair for Orchestra. Leading an agency built on the idea that the key to reputation and growth is the hiring and retention of smart, amazing people has been a dream of mine and I am so happy it’s at Inkhouse. A huge thank you to all of my current and past colleagues, managers and mentors who have supported me, and the clients who trusted me to help lead their PR campaigns over the past 26 years. We are truly a team first. Also, a quick shoutout to my wife who agreed to move to the west coast 18 years ago (for, ahem, two years). It was a crazy life decision made relatively impulsively for a couple of central Massachusetts kids with a house, three kids 6 and under, and three pets, but one that had to happen for me to get here. Looking ahead: artificial intelligence is disrupting every industry, including ours, meaning the intellectually curious will win. Innovation will solve some of the most important challenges of our time including climate change and disease. We’re here to partner with the organizations effecting positive change in the world; companies who need help crafting and driving engagement with stories that matter.   I am so excited for the future of Inkhouse, Orchestra and the tech communications industry writ large. It’s a new chapter for Inkhouse and me personally, and I am ready to work with our team to write it. 

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If you know me, you know I'm a Swiftie, which means that last week was a big one as she released her 11th album, and a double album at that! So, what does Taylor Swift have to do Food Bank fundraising (besides the generous gifts she made to FBs in each city on her Eras Tour)? Taylor has a unique ability to evoke a strong sense of emotion from her fans, both good and bad. If you allow yourself to think dimensionally, and deploy strategies like prioritizing lapsed recapture over new donor acquisition, or a differential creative experience you can remind donors why they supported you in the first place​ to help grow your donor file. Taylor is also great at building connections through her songs. Be authentically you in the way you connect New Donors to the mission immediately - bring them in so they know why you are so driven to end the hunger-crisis in America. Focus on converting early in the relationship to better the chances of a long-term partnership​. And last, TS instills an innate sense of loyalty with her fans - don't come for Taylor in front of a Swiftie, or you may regret it 😆 . Help your donors by connecting the dots for them on how they are making an impact in their community. Utilize the data you have to understand who your key supporters are & why they give. Set a course of action that allows donors to be a part of your long-term plans - and make sure they know they are a part of them​... your loyalty to them helps bridge their loyalty to those you serve. Let me know what you think of these benchmarks and how Taylor Swift can help your fundraising! Also, would love to hear what your favorite song is from TTPD ( 🤚🏻 for Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?).

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Some think I’m crazy for both personally donating funds to kick-start Creatives for Climate Collective and shutting down my business The Humblebrag: Impact Consultancy to do so. Some days, I think I’m crazy too. On other days, I watch scientists break down on national TV as I did with John Morales observing Hurricane Milton, and I think: it’s CRAZY to know the science and stand by. The fossil fuel industry is directly responsible for the highest amount of emissions - and they’re not planning to reduce expansion; they’re doing the exact opposite. We are all SO much closer to becoming a climate refuge than ever before ~ and yet I also get it: it is DEVASTATING to emotionally engage with the facts. These days I find so much joy in building community, capacity and pathways for creatives AWAY from enabling big polluters - I forget how sad I am about all this. I too don’t want my dreams of a stable life shattered - I want to raise my child to have “normal” expectations of a safe and happy life - but I’m just not sure that’s possible anymore. So if you haven’t already joined this movement (any movement!) to support climate action - consider this moment your time of ethical awakening. And if you want it to be REALLY easy (and FUN) to do so: join us! Creatives for Climate Collective

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We believe it's time to focus on the “S” in ESG! And that's why we launched the Center for Social Capital last year. https://lnkd.in/gSJ7wSk6 People are hurting in our nation and beyond. Extreme hunger, poverty, lack of education, health care and adequate housing as well as an exponentially growing mental health crises are just a few of the catastrophic, existential threats facing us. So, no single other issue facing our world right now is more important than taking care of each other and preventing the treatment, lack of treatment and depravation that is occurring in this nation and all over the world. Yet much of the world’s media, and a whole lot of governing bodies, seem to think it much more important to focus on other issues. So much so that we allow other supposedly “big” problems to pit us against each other or worse overshadow these real, present day, solvable human plights that a majority agree on needing to be fixed. Are we cutting off our nose to spite our “race” – the human race that it? It's time to get back to basics to bring together the mighty forces on the planet to save humanity – led believe it or not by the private sector that simply does capitalism right and the way it was intended to be done That’s right –a whole new microcosm of social impact “people-centric” corporations that are making it their purpose to improve the plight of humanity simply by adhering to the philosophical precepts of capitalism. Learn more and join the movement below where you can check out their amazing insights, articles and interviews and join the movement. #people, #ceomindset, #socialcaapital, #leadership

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A capital campaign is a major undertaking for a nonprofit – and successful campaigns require a clear strategy, engaged volunteers, and a bold vision. But before the research, the case for support, or the gift pyramid, we start with the mission. James Plourde, from JP Fundraising Solutions, sits down with me to talk about getting started with campaigns and managing board expectations. Don’t miss this episode! Fun fact: James and I recorded a session together, but my home wi-fi wasn’t up to the task. Here’s our second take (with a better wi-fi). ================================================= All too often, we hold off on starting the work because we don’t know where to start – and we want to be ready (or for things to be perfect) before we jump in. Your mission can’t wait for perfect – and if you’re ready to get started raising support and engaging the community around your mission, this series is for you. Try This First is a video series from Resolute Philanthropy designed to help nonprofit leaders and fundraisers get started! Topic experts talk with Chris Baiocchi from Resolute and identify concrete, actionable steps to get started on topics ranging from grants and capital campaigns to team leadership and board development. If you are ready to go further – and to build some confidence and clarity in your fundraising and leadership – drop me a message and set up a call!

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