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Communicators must wield the power of storytelling ethically
The first story that made a big impression on me was The Hobbit. My dad read it to me when I was a kid. Adventure. Bravery. Purpose. Giant spiders. The story really stuck with me, and it was the first time I recognized the power of a story. Nonprofits and foundations use stories...
A tall tale offers a masterclass in storytelling
Recently, I read an article in the Washington Post that stopped me in my tracks. As a strategic communicator, I’m always analyzing the content I come across, much as an actor watching a movie has an added appreciation for scene blocking and pacing. Eliperin and Georges’ article,...
Checkup: Ethical Storytelling for Nonprofits and Foundations
Stories remain some of our most effective tools as communicators. There is tremendous power in both sharing your story and in listening to others’ stories. Community organizers have long known that to change minds and shift thinking, we need to connect with each other on an...
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Big Bowl of Spitfires? Yes, please.
What captures our attention? What persuades us? What sparks us to act? At Spitfire, we spend a lot of time thinking on questions like these, and we land on answers that consider what aligns with our values, connect us to people we trust and link actions to meaningful change in...
A Colorado Perspective: How This Mountain State is Meeting the Moment
As we settle into 2022, it’s hard not to reflect on the pivotal events our country has been through, both devastating and triumphant, and think about what may lie ahead for us this year. To support our clients navigating this ever-changing era, the Spitfire team based in Denver...
Language matters: Spreading power in social change work
From canned corporate, lawmaker and nonprofit equity statements, to policies and top-down organizational efforts that attempt to improve equity without changing internal power structures, the language of neoliberalism is prevalent throughout the social justice field...
Happy new year from Spitfire – and our Petfires!
For our 2022 new year's message, we asked ourselves: What brings us joy? What makes us feel welcome? And we came up with an obvious answer: our Petfires! We're sharing their warmth, welcomes and wishes with you. We're so thankful to our partners for joining us on our journey to...
The tool to fight disinformation that we wish we had a decade ago.
Back in 2006, I (Ellie) was working for UnidosUS (when it was National Council of La Raza) and if you know anything about UnidosUS, you know they do a lot of immigration advocacy. It was the height of the immigration debate, and it was not uncommon for us to receive hate email...
When it comes to information, abundance doesn’t always mean accessibility
This week, October 24 – 31, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is raising awareness for its tenth annual Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week. A lot has changed since the creation of MIL Week over a decade ago – and even...
It’s More than a Month: Latinx Heritage is Relevant all Year
As Latinx Heritage Month comes to a close, we’ve seen brands and organizations across sectors churn out Latinx geared content, some of which is thoughtfully made while others left Latinxs like myself scratching their heads. When it comes to communicating with Latinx communities...
Say something surprising: How to publish creative commentary that advances your position
The marketplace of ideas is crowded and gets busier every day. I edit a lot of content. People send me op-eds (which some news outlets have switched to labeling “commentary” or “guest essays”), social posts, statements and speeches. While I am paying attention to if the content...
Your voting district shouldn’t be shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece: Communicating the crisis of gerrymandering
Who represents you and your community matters. In 2020, millions exercised their right to vote to have a say in who represents us at the local, state and federal level. The promise of a true democracy is to ensure that every voter can have a say in who represents them. Yet, every...