Your communication plan: It's kind of a big deal

Communication Plan for Disadvantaged Communities

The pilot recites the checklist, "Altimeter – set. Engine idle – checked. Flaps – checked. Fuel gauges – checked..." This simple procedure assures that things will go as planned and issues are identified early.

Like the checklist, a communication plan assures the path ahead is free of preventable issues and all involved are confident and prepared when turbulence hits... and it will always hit.

Here are five reasons why a plan is a big deal for you and your community.

1. Consistent information wherever they need it.

Imagine if everyone was informed with the same information regardless of where they accessed it. A communication plan will ensure that information is consistent across mediums avoiding pitfalls and confusion.

TIP: Do not use Instagram or Facebook for timely information. Their marketing algorithm doesn't list messages chronologically which could create confusion.

2. Build Trust
Trust is like a secret ingredient that makes communities resilient and brings everyone together. A transparent communication plan can build trust by informing who will be informed with what content on what schedule.

TIP: Send your communication plan to your community and publish it in a publicly accessible place for all to see.

3. Managing through Crisis
All agencies and organizations face crises. That's where your communication plan is a superhero. A good plan will be a guide for staff and set expectations for your community. If something fails or things don't go as planned, the community should reflect on the plan to understand what what wrong, not any one individual. Learn from these experiences and adjust your plan to be better next time.

TIP: Keep the plan public and easy to access to allow for modifications. Review those changes at your community and team meetings.

4. Rally the Community

Who doesn't like to know about the great news happening in your community? It boosts your brand, and morale, and builds resiliency. Your communication plan helps spread the word about the amazing events and strong work that is happening. Families and residents can feel proud when they know about their achievements. Everyone's in the loop and feeling pumped!

5. Sharing Cool Ideas
Everyone has cool ideas, and your communication plan is like a suggestion box. It helps you listen to residents, students, teachers, and parents. Filtering the most appropriate ideas that align with your goals and promote those. A wonderful side effect is the encouragement others feel to share their ideas. An additional benefit is that publishing your community's voice avoids the dark, unproductive comments lurking in social media.

TIP: Make it easy to capture "Good News" from the team and community. A simple comment form or prompt in a footer can drive great content and accolades.

A communication plan isn't just a task or a document you file away. It's your pre-flight checklist to manage through crisis, rally your community and build trusting relationships. Reach us to get help building your communication plan to elevate your community engagement.

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When Residents Don’t Trust You: How to Still Keep Them Safe and Informed

By Zuben Bastani • June 17, 2025

Government distrust is at an all-time high. Many residents are wary of sharing their personal information with public agencies, often due to fears of surveillance, spam, or data misuse. This hesitation is especially acute among low-income and unhoused individuals who frequently change phone numbers due to service lapses, making traditional outreach efforts ineffective. Most public communication systems fall short. They rely on platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, which get lost in crowded inboxes. Social media, while pervasive, is designed to harvest data and push ads—not to protect user privacy. Even emergency alert systems often require residents to sign up and share their location, further eroding trust. Text messaging, often called the holy grail of communication, is no longer a guaranteed solution. People guard their phone numbers carefully, especially when interacting with the government. They fear being spammed or having their data sold. So how can agencies inform and protect the public without breaching their trust? A New Approach to Community Communication Using ReachWell's extensive experience and broad customer base, here are some recommendations to consider when engaging your community in a less intrusive yet more effective manner: Offer Communication Choices : Let residents decide how they want to receive information—whether it's through text, email, voice calls, app notifications, or a combination. This respects personal preferences and helps reduce message fatigue. Respect Anonymity : Not everyone wants to share personal contact details. Provide anonymous access to messages via public channels or apps that don’t require identifying information. Support Multilingual Access : Language should never be a barrier to safety or services. Translate messages into the primary languages spoken in your community, and consider text-to-speech options for low-literacy audiences. Allow Topic Subscription : Let people select specific topics or groups they care about. Targeted messages reduce noise and increase engagement. Minimize Data Collection : Collect only the data you truly need. Avoid tracking location or behavior unless absolutely necessary—and be transparent about what is collected and why. Ensure Accessibility : Meet or exceed accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.2 AA compliance) so all residents, including those with disabilities, can access and understand public messages. These practices foster trust, improve message delivery, and help ensure no one is left out of important conversations—especially in moments of crisis or community need. Expanded Real-World Examples: Trusted by Diverse Communities El Paso County, CO (Colorado Springs area) uses ReachWell to distribute emergency alerts—including shelter-in-place orders and missing persons reports—in over 130 languages. Residents can receive alerts even without providing contact information. The Town of Carbondale, CO keeps its multilingual and low-literate residents informed of community events, social services, and public works projects using WCAG 2.2 AA-compliant messaging and text-to-speech capabilities—ensuring no one is left behind. Tucson, AZ : Child-Parent Centers, a Head Start provider, uses ReachWell to keep 500+ staff updated on safety alerts, training sessions, and HR notices across 130 languages—building internal trust through inclusive communication. Boulder County Housing Authority ensures ongoing connection with residents—even after their contact information changes—by sending updates about emergencies, upcoming maintenance, and resident services using ReachWell’s multilingual and anonymous outreach tools. Conclusion Building trust with residents starts with giving them control. When governments let people choose how they connect, what they receive, and in what language—trust grows. ReachWell is proving that communities can be kept safe and informed without sacrificing privacy or accessibility. When people don’t trust the system, it’s time to change the system. ReachWell is doing just that. BOOK A DEMO TODAY