Building an Advocacy Content Calendar

Every nonprofit advocacy program, no matter how large or small, needs a content calendar. 

The calendar is the heart of your program. It will spell out when you send advocacy campaigns, what they will say and do, and what channels you will use. In short, it will be your master schedule. 

Many organizations simply use a spreadsheet, though applications like Google Calendar or project management systems like Monday.com can also work. Whichever tool you use, the mission is the same: to give your team a roadmap and share that information throughout your organization.

By sharing your plans, you prevent conflicts, encourage departments to work together, and show your team is active.   

Creating a Content Calendar

When creating a calendar, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, simpler is better. While it is tempting to add lots of information, a simpler calendar is easier to read and easier to manage.

Another truism is that there’s no such thing as a set-and-forget calendar. Every content calendar is dynamic and most change regularly. A document that is tight and easy to edit will make the job much easier.

For an organization just starting out, you might confine it to information like this for each item on the calendar:

• Date: 
• Campaign:
• Goal:
• Description:
• Audience:
• Channel: 
• Special notes:

You could add in performance statistics, though some organizations may choose to collect those in a separate document that is not shared as widely. Similarly, campaigns and strategies that are just ideas, and not yet something you will actually do, should also be kept in a separate document. 

A ‘Single Source of Truth’

What items go on the content calendar? Everything related to your advocacy program. This might include the items below, though the mix will be different at every organization.

• Campaigns and advocacy emails
• Blogs, video and other content
• Social posts
• Webinars
• Live events 

The calendar should be the single source of truth for what your team will do this year. It should also contain things the team will consider. For example, you may choose to put Earth Day on the calendar, and then decide later whether it warrants any communication. 

Populating and Circulating Your Calendar

To launch a calendar for the first time, here are some items you might add: 

• Your Advocacy Campaigns. Anything you plan to do should go on the content calendar. This includes content, email campaigns, social posts and other components of your program. You can put reports you plan to file and even your annual budget submission on the calendar—anything that is helpful.
• Your Organization’s Work. Your schedule should reflect the broader calendar of your organization. For example, if you have an annual conference or seasonal fundraising drives, you may want your advocacy campaigns to reflect that. Put them on the calendar. Remember, items on the calendar can be marked as tentative. Putting something on the calendar can mean you simply want to consider it. You don’t have to do it.
• Notable Dates and Events. You can put major holidays on the calendar that could be an occasion to mark. For example, if you might contact your audience on Independence Day or Thanksgiving, add those dates. Other things to include might be Black History Month, Pride Month, AAPI Month, International Women's Day, and Giving Tuesday. If it could be an occasion to activate your program, mark it on the calendar. 
• The Political Calendar. The political world has its own schedule. If your organization cares about the State of the Union address, the convening of state legislatures, or primary and general elections, those should be reflected as well.

When you have a relatively complete listing, take one more step and circulate it to other departments and leaders in your organization. Ask them to review it and suggest additions. Then share it more widely and do the same. There’s a good chance you’ll add an entry or two.

When you have circulated the calendar, you can maintain it as an accessible “view only” document. If you keep it current, your team will always know what your team has planned.