The Admiral’s Log
Notes on podcasting from the Seaplane team.
How Do You Know If Your Organization's Story Is Strong Enough for a Series?
Importance and narrative strength are different things, and it's easy to confuse them. A mission can matter enormously and still not have enough story in it to sustain more than one good episode. The real question isn't how important the work is. It's whether there's real narrative material underneath it.
Podcasts for Environmental and Conservation Nonprofits
Environmental and conservation nonprofits can use podcasting as a way to diversify their communications efforts and move towards specific messaging goals: build an emotional connection to a place or species that a fact sheet can't create, translate complex science or policy for donors and the public, or document fieldwork directly, giving supporters real access to the work their donations fund.
Podcasts for Family Foundations
Family foundations making audio content have an extremely varied array of interests, but what they share is likely one of three goals: tell the personal story behind why the family or founder cares about a cause, build trust and communicate real impact to grantees, co-funders, and the next generation of the family itself, or recruit other funders to a specific initiative by making the case in a way a grant report can't.
Podcasts for Advocacy and Social Justice Organizations
Advocacy and social justice organizations usually come to podcasting with one of three goals: change hearts and minds on an issue with people who don't already agree, mobilize existing supporters around a specific campaign or vote, or hand the microphone to people directly affected by the issue.