Darren Walker and Alfred Ironside encourage foundations to make the most of their messaging opportunities.

---

Published in the Standford Social Innovation Review 

Express yourself

By Darren Walker and Alfred Ironside

With great interest and admiration, we have read and reflected on our esteemed colleagues’ contributions to this series about the role of strategic communications in driving social change. We are delighted to participate in the conversation.

While many have written insightfully about what we can do if we embrace strategic communications, we would like to talk about why these communications are so important and how we can use them to help create real, enduring change.

When the two of us took on our new roles at the Ford Foundation, the president of a major university told Darren that he appreciated the way we were raising our voice on the issue of growing inequality in America. “You’ve got an independence to speak out on issues that university presidents don’t have anymore,” this person said. “I’ve got a capital campaign to worry about and can’t afford to offend my donors.”

It rings true. As financial pressures, market-oriented thinking, and short-termism take an ever stronger hold of so many sectors in our society—including the university and arts sectors, and even the public sector—foundations are privileged to enjoy a kind of independence.

Now more than ever we have the unique opportunity to communicate uncomfortable truths to entrenched power, including our very own sector.