In some cases, closure comes at you fast. As I’ve covered in other articles, there are many reasons why an organization or project will close, and not all of them are related to factors that you can control.
However, in many other cases, the writing is on the wall and on the screen…and on the faces of your donors and clients and political leaders, well in advance. In those sorts of cases, I encourage organizations to announce these things earlier. Like this week or today or right now. But In many cases, people are worried about crafting one perfect message that explains everything and perfectly encapsulates everything that has happened and everything you feel. .
You do not have to do this. I spend a good amount of time looking at closure messaging (I even have a virtual museum where I collect them!), and I think there is a better way, folks. Rather than wracking your brain to formulate a message to encapsulate it all, here are some ideas for what you can do instead.
1. Signpost Transition
If you are blessed with time — and to my mind, this means anything more than 6 months — you can already start to signal transition. It is totally fine to telegraph that your organization is in a time of change. In fact, this particular sociopolitical moment has given you a perfect context and backdrop for no one on the planet to be surprised that you are taking stock of your situation. It doesn’t always spell certain doom.
So using language like “time of transition”, “time of reflection”, or any of the kind of chrysalis/pause language that I’ve shared about in this post are a good starting point for signposting an impending Big Change. Make people aware via whatever communication channels are most appropriate for your group.
2. Announce the decision
Once you are fairly certain you are closing, you can announce that you have made that decision You do not have to provide any information about your timeline or plans at this point — you might not have those yet. Just let people know that the End Is Nigh!
3. Share Details
Once you’ve landed on an ending date and a timeline, share what feels appropriate. If certain resources or efforts will be wrapping up at certain times, give people a heads up so they can make other arrangements. If you have a partner or other recommended group that might be able to fill the gap, don’t hesitate to send people that way.
I also love when organizations take us along on their closure journey and share the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you *can* do that, people (and by “people” I mostly mean me) will love you for it.
4. Say goodbye
Once you’ve done all the above and are ready to shut the doors, THIS is where you can drop your teary, goodbye letter. This is the place where you can thank God, your mama, and the Academy. This is where you can share your hopes and dreams for the future of your community and your field. This is also the time to tombstone your digital communications channels.
….And/but/also
During the time that you are issuing all the above types of comms out to your people and the wider sector, you can — and should! — continue sharing out other updates to your community. If cool stuff is still happening, if certain staff members are transitioning out (or even in!) that is still worth sharing in the normal way you would. Just make sure that the language stays consistent and you don’t give anyone the sense that this somehow means you aren’t closing after all!
Also, once you do the Last Goodbye, that should be it. No more announcements. That is it the end. Bravo! Take a bow. Curtain drop.
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