When the Message Matters Most

and what I learned about communicating through change

The first time I truly experienced the vitality of strategic communications was during a leadership crisis. Early in my career, I worked for a midsized nonprofit that had gone through its fair share of transitions and challenges. I managed communications like the newsletters, donor outreach, member engagement, etc., to keep our community informed and invested.

Then, almost overnight, the executive director was let go. The announcement from the CEO framed it as a move to “stabilize the organization,” but inside, no one felt stable. Half the staff resigned in solidarity with the director. If it hadn’t been for my love of the mission and my determination to keep the doors open, I would have left too.

As the marketing director, I wasn’t brought into the process. The CEO and the board took on communications themselves, handling messaging, decisions, and press inquiries on their own. I was seen as just another staff member who needed to decide whether or not I would stay, not as someone responsible for guiding the conversation.

That choice had consequences.

The distrust from the organization and the community was immediate. Staff openly voiced concern about what might happen next. Board members tried to project calm while fielding calls from donors and partners who had long supported the outgoing director. Without clear leadership or consistent communication, rumors permeated through the halls of the facility.

We told ourselves things would settle. But they didn’t, because the issue wasn’t the director. It was the CEO.

A year later, after months of tension and turnover, the CEO stepped down as well. She had realized she was in over her head and couldn’t see a clear path forward, though by that point, much of the damage had already been done.

Suddenly, the organization was leaderless.

This time, I was asked to help communicate the transition. And I knew immediately what needed to change.

The board chair’s instinct was to start with a press release. But before we could speak publicly, we had to inform the people inside. Staff needed to understand and be reassured. Donors needed personal outreach before reading about it in the news. And members needed to hear directly from the board.

So we paused all external messaging and started within.

We gathered staff for a town hall, where the board chair and exiting CEO stood in front of everyone and answered questions directly. They were honest about what had gone wrong, what was uncertain, and what steps were being taken next.

Soon after, we reached out to donors and key stakeholders to reassure them that services would continue uninterrupted, that the organization would remain steady through the transition. Once they were informed and confident in the plan, we turned to the public.

Because news like that doesn’t stay quiet for long, we moved quickly with a short, transparent statement to members and a press release to local media outlets to inform the broader community. The board was equipped with clear talking points that matched the message staff shared with members who called in with concerns. In moments of change, consistency is everything.

The result wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to maintain both membership and staff.

Crisis communication is about being strategic, choosing what to say, when to say it, and to whom, so your message builds clarity and trust instead of confusion and panic. Because in moments of uncertainty, people don’t just remember what you said; they remember how your message made them feel. And that feeling of steadiness, honesty, and trust, comes from alignment, not spin.

Three Lessons for the Season Ahead

As we move into a year when many organizations will likely face significant change, especially those dependent on shifting funding models or donor patterns, these lessons still hold true:

1. Start inside first.
When change hits, the instinct is to go external fast, control the story, issue a statement. But the real risk is internal confusion. If your staff or volunteers don’t understand what’s happening, they’ll unintentionally shape the story themselves. Align internally before communicating outward.

2. Don’t mistake silence for stability.
In moments of uncertainty, people fill in blanks with their own fears. Even a brief message, “We don’t have all the answers yet, but here’s what we know”, builds trust. Communicate early, clearly, and consistently, even if the message is incomplete.

3. Clarity > control.
Crisis communication isn’t about perfect messaging. It’s about transparency and stability. The goal isn’t to prevent discomfort; it’s to maintain credibility. People can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is feeling misled.

If your organization is navigating change or preparing for a major announcement, I help teams communicate with clarity and confidence. Let’s make sure your message builds trust, not confusion. Connect with me here, or learn more at eringregorycreative.com.

Erin Gregory Creative is the studio of Erin Gregory, a writer, marketing strategist, and full-time communications and branding consultant for mission-driven leaders.

As host of the podcast Notes from the Messy Middle, Erin connects personal growth with strategic storytelling, helping people and brands navigate change and speak with more clarity and purpose.

Read more at www.eringregorycreative.com or connect on LinkedIn.