Are you an association executive? A business leader? A community advocate? A nonprofit director? Our mission is to empower individuals from nonprofits, political organizations, and NGOs to use strategic communication on behalf of the interests of their consumers and their communities. Our workshops are designed to support professionals already working in advocacy-related jobs, as well as those interested in pursuing a career in public leadership, by showing them how to cut through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle, online blogosphere, and crowded issue fields, by crafting a message that is sharp, disciplined, and resonates with the audience you need most.
Our training will help you to:
- Create more engaging and effective presentations
- Gain confidence in speaking in public and on camera
- Develop clear messages that resonate with the audiences you need most
In order to maintain a hands-on, interactive environment throughout the training, seats are limited. Participants are invited to share their presentation and receive direct feedback from our trainers. We also host a workshop that puts participants on camera for a mock TV interview. Videos are then shown and our trainers offer their feedback and suggestions for improvement.
The registration fee is $675 and includes all training materials, powerpoint presentations, consultation opportunities, a parking pass, Internet connection, and breakfast, lunch, coffee, and snacks throughout the training. Group discounts for attendees from the same organization are available - please contact our staff.
Feedback from our past participants
“Hands down, this is the best communications training in Austin.”
"I learned so much from this program! Media, presentation skills, and social media are all important aspects to my career and I have learned tips on how to perfect all of that. I highly recommend this class!"
"There’s a gap between what I think I’m communicating and what I’m actually communicating, and this workshop helped me understand and overcome that gap."
"I think the training does a great job in breaking down a complex topic and giving you tools to be a better communicator."
"For those who are not involved in executive communications, you should attend regardless. This program will help give you a weekend booster shot on communication."
2011 Executive Communication Training from Annette Strauss Institute on Vimeo.
ECT Alumni Success Story
2013 Executive Communication Training (ECT) alumna Maegan Ellis was recently featured in an interview on FOX 7 Austin to talk about Literacy Awareness Month. On how ECT empowered her, Maegan says: "I would absolutely NOT have been able to do this without my training from the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. I put so many of the tools I learned during the training to use here
Some of our past participants have come from these organizations:
- American Heart Association
- Austin Travis County Integral Care
- CASA of Central Texas
- Child and Family Research Institute
- City Council District 9 - City of San Antonio
- Dallas Jewish Community Foundation
- Decoding Dyslexia Texas
- Disability Rights Texas
- Downtown Austin Alliance
- Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Interfaith Action of Central Texas
- National Association of Social Workers-Texas
- NYOS Charter School
- Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration
- Office of the State Demographer
- Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission
- Texas Civil Justice League
- Texas Cultural Trust
- Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation
- Texas Veterans Commission
- The Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy
- Umlauf Sculpture Garden
- University Federal Credit Union
- Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center
To see a full list of all of our participating organizations, speakers, and past workshop agendas here.
