There are great things happening in your schools. We help you tell the story.
Learn how we can help you engage your stakeholders, increase transparency and compete in an increasingly complex public education world.
Your School Communications Partner
A Full-Service Approach
The Donovan Group focuses exclusively on education, delivering school district communications services that help you reach your marketing, public relations and stakeholder engagement goals. We leverage our expertise in communications and apply it to K-12 schools and districts.
Education is our Passion
We’ve become a national leader in school district communications by staying on top of emerging best practices. We come from an educational background and are well-versed in state and federal policy, changes in teaching and learning and new forms of competition.
Proud Partners
You gain access to school district communications services that include everything from consulting and coaching to high-quality deliverables. Our clients are large, urban districts and small, one-building rural schools. We also deliver communications and consulting services to state and national associations.
Communication Resources for Schools at a Time of COVID-19 & Beyond
Services Tailored to Your School or District
Communications Planning
Working with you, your team and your stakeholders, we develop a cohesive communications plan that guides your efforts well into the future. This includes identifying stakeholders, creating messages and formulating a clear monthly roadmap.
Referendum Assistance
We believe that a successful referendum or bond measure is one that both passes and fosters a greater sense of trust between a school district and its community. We assist with all facets of a referendum effort, from defining needs through election day.
Surveys
Through surveys, you can gain valuable data and feedback from your staff, parents, students and community members. We provide surveys to establish baseline data, seek residents’ input in advance of a referendum and help guide our planning efforts.
Video Services
Video is an increasingly effective way to reach your stakeholders, especially through digital media. We storyboard, film, edit and produce professional videos on virtually any subject relevant to your school or district.
Crisis Communication
When a crisis situation hits, you must communicate in a clear, accurate and timely manner. We are available 24/7 to take action, helping you gather facts, reach your most critical stakeholders and respond to media inquiries quickly and effectively.
Communication Support
We give you the back-end communications assistance you need via content creation, web and graphic design, copyediting, surveys, reports and more. We advise you on how you can best tell your school or district’s story each day.
Media Relations & Training
We understand how the news media works. (In fact, several of us are former journalists.) We help you and your team prepare for media interviews, while offering professional development on how you can work with reporters to advance your narrative.
Content Creation
Our highly skilled education writers and editors create exceptional content tailored to your stakeholders and key messages. We write articles, news releases, web copy, reports, parent letters, brochure copy and more. You can also turn to us for proofing and editing.
Web & Graphic Design
We staff several talented graphic designers who take your branding and create crisp, attention-grabbing brochures, reports, mailers, postcards and more. We also assist with rebranding efforts, logo creation and web design.
#SchoolPR Insights
Communicating About Wisconsin’s Phase 1B Vaccine Announcement
On Tuesday, January 26, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced that most teachers, school staff and childcare providers will need to wait for several weeks to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. While many schools and districts had expected the...
Our Next Step in Helping School Leaders Communicate During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of communicating clearly and effectively with families, students, staff and school communities. That’s why we are excited to move forward with an effort to promote honest, transparent, equitable and public...
#EngageEquitably Helps Education Leaders Communicate More Effectively with Families, Communities
The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with underlying inequities throughout our society and across school communities, have underscored how important it is for education leaders to use regular, proactive, and transparent communications with students,...
Tomorrow’s Crisis is Already Here
Earlier this year, Joe Donovan and I had the privilege of writing an article (“Prepare For Tomorrow’s Crisis Today”) for an edition of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s monthly magazine. Like you, we’ve been so busy that we didn’t get around to sharing it...
Tips for Filming a Simple Video Update for Your School Community
One of the simplest, yet engaging, ways you can share key information with your stakeholders is through a simple school video update. In fact, this is perhaps the most common type of school video. The subject—who is usually the superintendent or a principal—sits or...
How to Record Quality Video Footage with a Smartphone
At a time of school closures, schools and districts are looking at how they can engage their stakeholders from a distance—especially through digital video. This can be as simple as grabbing a smartphone and recording some footage or a video message to students and...
Contact Us to Get Started
Do you need immediate assistance? Call us at 800-317-7147.