FCP has never received a check from the Gates Foundation for communications services. However, the foundation has funded many of our public education and environmental advocacy clients over the years.
Though I have not visited the mothership in Seattle, I have driven past the building a few times. An FCP Alum even worked there, which I always thought was fantastic.
The Role of Communications in Philanthropy
I’ve marveled from afar that the Gates Foundation recognized that strategic communications were fundamental to achieving its philanthropic goals. They invested in public relations, social media, and communications innovations. They issued a loud and clear signal to philanthropy and its leadership that communications should be woven into the fabric of organizational strategy, not treated as an afterthought. They did it in small communities and on the global stage.
I learned how Gates and their teams integrated messaging into every facet of their work. They didn’t just use communications to highlight their successes; they also shared research, influenced policy, elevated new voices, and built partnerships. Their communications efforts were grounded in the work and led to programmatic wins.
Gates invested in building its grantees’ communications capacity, which mattered a lot. They provided resources for training, audience research, and collaborative advocacy.
We saw how they empowered partners to amplify their voices and extend the reach of shared initiatives. Funders should continue to invest in supporting networks and coalitions. Sometimes, a grantmaker’s loudest voice is the one they elevate above others.
Redefining Success Through Strategic Communication
As a recovering political consultant, I recognize that deadlines like Election Day stir people to action. The Gates Foundation’s sunset announcement echoes this sense of finality. This, too, will end. Election Day for me was always a driver toward the urgency and focus that comes with an expiration date. I used it to prioritize, communicate clear goals, and manage expectations among stakeholders. We can do the same now that we know when the Gates Foundation will wind down.
Sometimes, the biggest fish in the pond can also set the terms of engagement. Gates’ approach underscored how communicators can define a new vision of success where policy, program, and mission can be communicated. They even demonstrated it with this announcement.
What Comes Next
As communicators, we are stewards of our organization’s message. However, we are also shaping the field’s understanding of effective, ethical, and strategic communication.
Our firm still has a few decades remaining to get hired by the Gates Foundation. In the interim, their elevation of communications as a collaborating partner with grantmaking provided a valuable blueprint for philanthropy and our field of nonprofit communicators.
We will continue to win our most difficult fights when we integrate communications into strategic planning, invest in capacity-building, and leverage time-bound goals to sharpen our messaging. By doing so, we can maximize both our immediate impact and our long-term legacy.