How to Build a Comms Strategy: Examples from the Movement 

12 min to read
written by Svetlana Zakharova , ILGA-Europe
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TL;DR
  • Most LGBTI organisations in Europe and Central Asia recognise the importance of strategic communications, but only ~30% have a written comms strategy, often due to lack of dedicated staff or prioritisation.

  • Organisations that adopted a comms strategy did so after realising disorganised or ad hoc efforts were limiting their impact.

  • Developing a strategy often starts small, through team discussions, visual tools, workshops with communities, or bringing in facilitators who understand the organisation’s context (rather than imposing outside models).

  • Successful strategies focus on simplicity, clear objectives, and alignment with community needs, while recognising limitations in resources and capacity.

  • The process of building a comms strategy matters more than the final document. Strong internal conversations and team ownership are key to making it useful and sustainable.

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