Liberal Communicators Network (LCN)Non-Profit Academy

About the event

The LCN-Non-Profit Academy empowers liberal communicators and programme managers to adapt cutting-edge communication strategies, innovation, and marketing trends for the specific context of the mission-driven sector. By innovating non-profit communications, liberals will be better equipped to win the hearts and minds, influence shifts in values and behaviour, and achieve societal change for a forward-looking Europe.

LCN strives to develop a professional community of non-profit communicators from civil society organizations, foundations, think tanks, change-makers, working on liberal topics.

This LCN Edition focuses on the liberal non-profit actors, not on political parties. LCN  looks for communications managers (both full-time or part-time) and programme managers, who deal only partially with communications or have limited to zero previous communications expertise, but are eager to learn fast. The ideal applicants work or volunteer in member organizations of the European Liberal Forum (ELF) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), or are partners of ELF and FNF; liberal civil society organizations and activists in Europe. Join the Academy to become a member of this European network of marketing professionals.

The Academy ‘Make a Good Message Better’ offers webinars with thought leaders, best-selling authors, world-class trainers, who will bring everybody on the ‘same page’ with the latest trends in non-profit brand management, communications strategy, digital and content marketing, hope-based communications in democracy promotion and human rights, AI for advocacy, policy communications trends in the EU, short-form video storytelling, TikTok revolution and more.

The Academy is organised by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) with the support of Projekt: Polska and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom for East and Southeast Europe (FNF ESEE) for a fifth year now. The Academy is part of an umbrella programme – the Liberal Communicators Network (LCN), between ELF Secretariat, Projekt: Polska, Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF ESEE) and European Liberal Youth (LYMEC). 

Program

Lead Facilitator: Sven Gerst, Political Philosopher, Former Secretary General of IFLRY, Experienced Facilitator at The International Academy of Leadership (IAF) of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and many more

Co-Facilitator: Boryana Atanassova, LCN Project Leader and Co-facilitator; Senior Regional Communications Manager for East and Southeast Europe, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom 

8 May, Thursday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00  Meet & Greet. Mapping Where Do You Stand?

Speaker: Dr. Milosz Hodun, Treasurer, European Liberal Forum; President, Projekt Polska

Lead Facilitator: Sven Gerst, Political Philosopher; Former Secretary General of IFLRY

Co-Facilitator: Boryana Atanassova, LCN Project Leader and Co-facilitator; Senior Regional Communications Manager for East and Southeast Europe, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom 

12 May, Monday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00  The Missing Magic in Your Communications Strategy: Choosing the Right Objectives

Trainer: Kivi Leroux Miller (USA), Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide. Author “Content Marketing for Nonprofits”

You have big, vague goals and an even bigger and longer to-do list. But neither of those are what you need to set priorities and make good decisions. And how do you know if any of it is actually working? During this session, we’ll fill in the gaps with marketing strategies and objectives designed to help you measure the impact of your work.

14 May, Wednesday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00  Using Different Writing Styles and Creating Content for the Four Engagement Mindsets

Trainer: Kivi Leroux Miller (USA), Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide. Author “Content Marketing for Nonprofits”

No one knows for sure what content will get the most attention. But there are ways to greatly improve your odds. First, you should use the best writing style for each situation. Second, you have to appeal specifically to the values of the people who will be reading it. We’ll cover both during this session.

19 May, Monday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00  Communications Planning and Workflow Tools That Make Life Easier

 Trainer: Kivi Leroux Miller (USA), Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide. Author “Content Marketing for Nonprofits”

You don’t expect a carpenter to work without a hammer and a drill. Communicators also have tools they need to do their best work, which now includes AI. But just like a hammer can do damage in the wrong hands, so can AI. During this session, we will talk about the communications planning and workflow tools you need to save time and get more good work done, but also how to use them safely and effectively.

21 May, Wednesday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00  Taking Care of Yourself on the Job:  Setting Boundaries and Other Workplace Survival Tips

Trainer: Kivi Leroux Miller (USA), Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide. Author “Content Marketing for Nonprofits”

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, frustrated, uncomfortable, resentful, or guilty at work? Do you feel like it’s very hard to say “no” to requests at work? Those are signs that you need to learn to set boundaries. But that is much easier said than done! During our final workshop, we’ll explore the kinds of boundaries communicators should set and explore other ways to prevent yourself from burning out, especially in the current political environment. 

28 May, Wednesday Open Session

17:00 – 19:00  Hope-based Communication – a Smart Strategy for Promoting Democracy and Human Rights

Trainer: Thomas Coombes, Founder and Director of Hope-based Communications, Communications and Human Rights Strategist, Expert on Strategies for Social Change, TEDx-speaker, Former Head of Brand and Deputy Communications Director of Amnesty International

Are your communications stuck in reactive mode? What if our communications work could drive deep changes in how people think and behave? During this session, we will show you how to use hope-based communication to change the narrative, counter populism and make people care about democracy and human rights.

2 June, Monday Open Session

17:00 – 19:00: Navigating the Future: Key Trends in Political and Advocacy Communications

Trainer: Sebastián Rodríguez (Spain),  Founder, European Campaign Playbook

New rules, new platforms, new challenges—political and advocacy communications are changing fast. How do you keep up? Navigate through the European Campaign Playbook: 2025 Policy Comms Trends. This session will break down the biggest trends shaping the field, from the latest political advertising restrictions to new strategies for reaching audiences without paid ads. We’ll also explore how to use emerging tools and tactics to stay ahead while staying true to your message.

 4 June, Wednesday  Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00: AI For Advocacy  

Trainer: Sebastián Rodríguez (Spain), Founder, European Campaign Playbook

AI is everywhere—but how can you actually use it to make your advocacy work more effective? And how do you avoid the risks that come with it? In this session, we’ll cover the fundamentals of AI, the best ways to use tools like ChatGPT, and how to prompt effectively to get better results. You’ll also learn how to create AI-generated images and videos, tackle biases, and follow best practices to use AI strategically. Plus, we’ll put it all into action with a hands-on exercise: launching a campaign in just 10 prompts.

10 June, Tuesday Open Session

17:00 – 19:00: Beyond Happy Clappy Dances: The TikTok Revolution

Trainer: Sven Gerst

Trainer: Medeni Sungur, Founder of Kuest Media,Türkiye

TikTok isn’t just about viral dances or the latest social media trend—it’s changing the way we consume and engage with content. In this session, we’ll break down how short-form video has rewritten the rules of communication and what that means for non-profits looking to get their message across. Together with the media agency Kuest, we’ll explore best practices and share practical tips on how to use TikTok and short-form video to complement your work and amplify your impact.

12 June, Thursday Closed Session

17:00 – 19:00: Consultations & Graduation 

Speaker:  Martin Kothee, Regional Director for East and Southeast Europe, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom 

Speaker: Tamás Toplak, Head of Communications, European Liberal Forum

Speaker: Dimitra Papadopoulou, Communications Officer, LYMEC

Lead Facilitator: Sven Gerst

Co-Facilitator: Boryana Atanassova