STC’s Ethical Principle for professionalism asserts: “We advance technical communication through our integrity and excellence in performing each task we undertake.” Professionalism, however, does not stop at the front door of the workplace. By virtue of their privileged status in society, professionals have a moral obligation to give back to the public a portion of their time and energy in order to improve the quality of life for all people. This presentation explores the similarities and differences between for-profit and nonprofit worlds in order to uncover opportunities for professional technical communicators to give back. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to describe the nature of nonprofit organizations; list some characteristics of nonprofit communications; and explain the content, form, and style of the conventional genres of nonprofit communications.

2. Use Your Technical Writing Skills
for Both the Bottom Line and the
Public Good

3. Why nonprofits?

4. Why nonprofits?
PROFESSIONALISM
We evaluate communication products and services
constructively and tactfully, and seek definitive
assessments of our own professional performance.
We advance technical communication through our
integrity and excellence in performing each task we
undertake. Additionally, we assist other persons in
our profession through mentoring, networking, and
instruction. We also pursue professional self-
improvement, especially through courses and
conferences. (Adopted by the STC Board of
Directors. September 1998)

5. Why nonprofits?

7. The nature of nonprofit
organizations – different
“Corporations, and any community chest,
fund, or foundation, organized and
operated exclusively for religious,
charitable, scientific, testing for public
safety, literary, or educational
purposes...” (501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code)

8. The nature of nonprofit
organizations – similar
• exist within a for-profit marketplace
• structured as for-profits
• conduct business as for-profits

9. Cecile Richards
President
Reportable compensation: $523,616 (PPFA_FY13_990)
Net assets: $235,222,337 (PPFA_FY13_990)

10. Steven Wittenberg
President
Reportable compensation: $0 (FY13_990)
Net assets: $18,659 (FY13_990)

11. The nature of nonprofit
organizations – different
• produce social capital
• confront multiple constituencies

12. The nature of nonprofit
communications
“[C]ommunication is an enabler to changing
the culture, behavior, and strategic direction
of the organization.” (Connors, The
Nonprofit Handbook, 2001, p. 69)

13. The nature of nonprofit
communications
• recruit volunteers
• communicate to clients
• convey accountability to funders
• promote themselves to the public

14. The forms of nonprofit
communications
• strategy
• management
• development
• outreach
• accountability

15. The genres of nonprofit
communications
• Situation
• Substance
• Style

16. Strategy – Mission Statement
“Drexel University fulfills our founder's vision of
preparing each new generation of students for
productive professional and civic lives while also
focusing our collective expertise on solving
society's greatest problems.”

17. Strategy – Strategic Plan
“Infuse the Drexel Student Learning
Priorities across all modes of instruction
and all programs—on campus, online,
hybrid, undergraduate, graduate, and
professional.” (Strategic Plan 2012-2017)

18. Management

19. Management - Volunteers

20. Development

21. Development – Donor Appeals

22. Development – Grant Proposals

23. Outreach

24. Outreach – News release

25. Outreach – Social Media

26. Accountability

27. Accountability—Annual Reports

28. • Strategy
• Management
• Development
• Outreach
• Accountability

30. For-profit = Nonprofit

31. Nonprofit = For-profit

32. Nonprofit = For-profit

33. Nonprofit = For-profit