We want to make your job easier. Most schools and nonprofits understand the value of strategic communications, public relations, brand awareness, and social media but often, they need additional capacity to execute. We work by quickly acclimating ourselves to the stream of work, organizational and team priorities, and learning your voice. We develop and maintain a comprehensive communications strategy reflective of your priorities, top initiatives, and needs and bring a fresh, outside perspective to our work together.
We believe that true partnership can make magic! As partners, we see ourselves as members of your team, not just temporary contractors, and will put everything into providing expertise, valuable feedback and perspective.
Our Unique Value Adds
Equity
We are skilled at keeping all of our work centered on equity and building advocates in support of life-changing opportunities for all kids and communities.
Community
We have extensive experience communicating with diverse audiences about work that has a direct impact on kids, families, and communities.
Impact
We know how to creatively amplify your impact─from stats to proof points to human interest stories and more.
From those who have worked with us…
In eleven years of running this nonprofit organization, working with dozens of nonprofit partners, SMJ is by far one of the very best partner organizations I have ever worked with. Sharise and her team are talented, thoughtful, organized, responsive, detail-oriented, and flexible. Sharise is absolutely delightful to work with–positive, supportive, unflappable, and genuinely cares so much about not just the work but about our organization’s success. She and her team are incredibly professional–each week I receive a progress report on the week’s work and a preview of the next week’s work, in addition to a well-organized and clear agenda for our weekly check ins–and regularly go above and beyond the scope of work. Perhaps most importantly, Sharise has quickly become not just a communications strategist, but a trusted advisor and thought partner with me on strategy more broadly. In all honesty, it’s already hard to imagine how we ever functioned without her.
Carrie Irvin
Education Board Partners
SMJ Communications provided strategic communications planning and guidance for many of our most important programs and partners. Their ability to understand our audiences and tailor creative communications strategies and messaging was key in driving awareness about our mission. They were as engrained in our organization as members of our staff. I hope to work with SMJ in the future.
Tamara Grider Harris
KABOOM!
Austin ISD has struggled with student enrollment for years. I was recommended SMJ Communications from a trusted former colleague, and I couldn’t be happier with the decision. Sharise and her team were extremely responsive, provided valuable advice, and produced high-quality deliverables to support our efforts in Austin ISD.
Alejandro Delgado
Austin Independent School District
It has been a joy to partner with SMJ Communications to produce strategic, high-quality communications for our organization. Their diligence and commitment to our organization was second to none. I highly recommend SMJ Communications to boost your organization’s reach and quality of service.
Marco Carbajal
IDEA Public Schools
A lot of consultants have the subject matter expertise to respond to today’s challenge — SMJ Communications has the expertise to respond to the urgent, but also the willingness to work themselves out of a job by building our capacity to respond to tomorrow’s challenge.
Chris Pencikowski
Lee Montessori PCS