About
Hello! I'm Jennifer Caddick, Founder of Buoy 231 Consulting.
I'm a writer and advocate who deeply believes that words matter. I believe any organization, no matter the size, can be a powerhouse communicator. It's all about finding a strategy and tactics that fit a team's strengths and capacity.
Here's a little bit about me...
My first college internship landed me in the communications office of a nonprofit environmental think tank in New York City. I'll confess that I didn't have a grand plan in choosing that internship. But I was curious about environmental issues and my advisor told me that I was a good writer, so I applied. During that internship, I discovered that I have a knack for breaking down complex policy and science into easy-to-understand language. And as they say, the rest is history...
Little did I know that internship would lead to a diverse twenty-year career working in nonprofit communications and leadership. I've worked in rural and urban communities from the Chesapeake Bay to the Great Lakes. During that time, I've developed a track record of creating strategic public relations and marketing campaigns that build issue awareness, change public policy, and drive organizational growth.
With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit communications, I've done it all. Drafting pitches and cold calling reporters. Staffing press conferences and issue briefings for elected officials. Writing more newsletters, annual reports, webpages, and social media posts than I can count. Creating messaging for tricky political issues. Developing and managing advocacy campaigns with complicated stakeholder and scientific dynamics. Building capital fundraising campaigns, small-dollar donor campaigns, and managing membership programs.
All of that tactical experience has led to a keen eye for strategy. How do all of these pieces fit together? While strategy is always important, I believe that it's even more important for organizations without a ton of capacity or big budgets. Clear strategy helps smaller organizations maximize every opportunity that lands in front of them or create new opportunities.
What does Buoy 231 mean?
My company is named Buoy 231 Consulting after a real navigational aid - #231 - used by boats moving along the St. Lawrence River. It's near my family's cottage, which is on a boat-access only island in the river's Thousand Islands region in Upstate New York.
That navigational aid has guided me home in more ways than one: literally, on stormy nights, and metaphorically, as a place I found myself drawn to again and again. Today, I live in Clayton, NY, not too far from that cottage.
Ultimately, a navigational aid is simple. It's just a light that blinks on a regular basis. And - at the risk of sounding cheesy - a great communications strategy is just like that navigational buoy. At its best, it is a clear, simple plan that can guide your organization safely and steadily in good weather or rough seas.