CAPACITY BUILDING

training & political education

As a self-identified "camp-counselor-for-life," I love creating interactive, inspiring and effective trainings for groups of all sizes. I'll work with you to customize the training to fit the needs, capacity, political frameworks and cultural norms of your team.

Training topics include:

  • Communications Strategy 101

  • Be a Public Speaking Rock Star

  • Message Your Cause

  • Rock the Media

  • Storytelling for Social Change

  • How to discuss and deepen equity in your organization

  • Thrive as you Supervise

  • Anti-Racism and Challenging White Supremacy for White Folks

  • Digital Media Basics

  • Rapid Response and Crisis Communications

coaching, FACILITATION and MENTORSHIP

For many people, we learn best when we have partners and mentors with whom we can iterate, experiment and test out new ideas. I provide coaching support around strategic communications, storytelling, writing, messaging, thought leadership, public speaking, media interviews, and supervision. My coaching work is with both small teams and individuals.

I’ve also served as the Communications and/or Storytelling coach for cohort-based programs such as Food System 6, Hood Incubator Fellows, Begin with Home’s Housing Justice Storytelling Initiative, the Safer Communities Accelerator, and the Pathways Narrative Project.

I also work with white folks seeking to deepen their understanding of and ability to work to dismantle white supremacy and racism. 

In addition, I partner with organizations to hire and successfully onboard their in-house communications positions. I've also collaborated with organizations to determine the most useful structure for their communications teams and develop job descriptions that allow groups to bring the in-house communications talent they need. 

 

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capacity building programs

I love to partner with organizations, foundations and grassroots groups to design deeper capacity building projects that meet the needs of your team or your portfolio of grantees. Here are a few examples at a glance:

  • I just began as the Storytelling Coach for my fourth cohort of the Latino Nonprofit Accelerator - LCF’s signature 18 month long program that invests in Latino leaders across California to build confidence and open doors around storytelling and fundraising.

  • Through Fig and Sass, Michaela and I have developed and led a curriculum exploring the basics of communications and storytelling for portfolios at the Sierra Health Foundation such as Elevate Youth, MAT Access Points, and Positive Youth Justice Initiative. In addition to workshops, grantees engaged in office hours or coaching to complement the webinars.

  • I worked with Foundation for a Just Society in 2015-2016 to design a year-long, field-driven communications capacity building program aiming to fill gaps in communications capacity and knowledge as identified by their grantees. Through convenings, coaching, webinars, resource development and network building, the program sparked greater connections, tactical skills, strategic frameworks and professional development for a cohort of their grantee partners in the Southeast U.S.

 

merefenton at gmail dot com