AWARENESS ENGINE BOOT CAMP
LIVE TRAINING AND PLANNING
Make 2027 the Year More People Know Your Organization
Build your communications strategy, map out how the work will get done, and draft your first month of content before the new year.
In a 30-minute kickoff and two 90-minute live training sessions on Zoom, Lori Bower and the BowerComm team walk your team through the decisions. You won't be starting from a blank page, because our AI-assisted online tool takes what you tell it and drafts the rest for you to react to.
Enroll by Nov. 5
For a bonus month of access
AWARENESS ENGINE BOOT CAMP
LIVE TRAINING AND PLANNING
Make 2027 the Year More People Know Your Organization
Build your communications strategy, map out how the work will get done, and draft your first month of content before the new year.
In a 30-minute kickoff and two 90-minute live training sessions on Zoom, Lori Bower and the BowerComm team walk your team through the decisions. You won't be starting from a blank page, because our AI-assisted online tool takes what you tell it and drafts the rest for you to react to.
Enroll by Nov. 5
For a bonus month of access
If your board keeps saying "nobody knows who we are"
You've probably heard it at a board meeting, from a donor who was surprised to learn what you actually do, or from a family who wishes they'd found you two years sooner.
Most of the organizations we work with aren't short on effort. They post on Facebook, send the newsletter, set up a table at the community fair and write the annual appeal. But most of it happens because something is due, and it doesn't add up to much. We hear some version of this a lot: "I'm on a hamster wheel of Facebook posts, and we're not getting anywhere."
You may recognize some of this:
You're always explaining what your organization does, even to people who should already know.
Your best stories live in staff members' heads, old emails and somebody's phone.
The tool is making strategic decisions without the information it needs to make them. Without a strategy behind it, AI helps organizations put out more of the wrong message, faster.
What goes out each week depends on what's due and who has time.
You've made a communications plan before, and it's in a folder somewhere.
You've tried AI, and what came back sounded like it could be about any nonprofit in the country.
THE AWARENESS GAP
We call this the Awareness Gap: the distance between the good work you do and how many of the right people know about it, understand it and support it. Posting more doesn't close it. When the decisions behind your communications aren't connected, the newsletter, the event post and the appeal each start from scratch, and they don't add up to much.
General AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can be a big help, but they don't know your organization. Ask one for a plan or a post, and it fills in the gaps from everything it has read about nonprofits in general. So along with language that sounds like everyone else, you get advice that doesn't fit your situation, like a TikTok campaign for an organization whose donors are mostly retirees, or a big new event for a three-person staff that's already stretched thin.
What you'll have in place before 2027
The Boot Camp gets three things done while we're there to help.
1
Your communications strategy is built
You'll decide what you need communication to accomplish, who you most need to reach, what they need to hear, and the story your whole team can tell the same way. You'll download a document for each step that you can hand to your board, and it will look like the work of a seasoned communications team. So the next time someone on your board says nobody knows who you are, you'll have a plan to show them.
2
You know how the work will get done
Your approved brand story, audiences and messages live in the Awareness Engine Platform, so nobody has to dig for them again. You'll have a 2027 calendar of monthly topics, campaigns and events, and a workflow that spells out which channels to use, what budget makes sense, who does what, and which tools you'll need to have in place. Each month after that, the Awareness Engine Platform helps you write the right content and check whether it's working. You'll still post and send from the tools you already use.
3
Your first month of content is drafted
Using what you've approved, you'll draft your first month of content in the Awareness Engine Platform: the posts, emails and campaign pieces your calendar calls for. Bring the details, like the date of an upcoming event or the person you want to feature in a story, and you can have January's content ready for your team to finish and send.
What your team will learn
The plan is yours to keep, and so are the skills behind it. Everyone who attends learns how to:
Choose the audiences that matter most and figure out what's keeping them from acting.
Write messages that get people to give, volunteer, refer or show up
Pick the channels and budget that fit the time you actually have
Tell whether your communications are working, and adjust
Why I built this
I'm Lori Bower, and I've spent more than 25 years helping organizations make these decisions. At BowerComm, we work through them one-on-one with clients using a seven-step process that covers who you need to reach, what you need them to do and what to tell them. We call it the Awareness Engine.
But most of the organizations that need this kind of help can't take on a big consulting engagement. They don't have the budget or the hours, so the decisions never get made and communication stays reactive. That led us to build something that puts our expertise and AI together to get people on the right track quickly. The Awareness Engine walks your team through the strategic decisions first, then uses AI to help write content from what you've approved. You get a solid plan and faster follow-through, without needing to know anything about writing AI prompts.
You can start with just a few sentences
When I built an example engine for a small-town Lions Club, I typed in two things: that it's a Lions Club in a particular town, and that it's trying to grow its membership. The Awareness Engine Platform came back with suggested outcomes, audiences and more for us to react to and edit. From there, it drafted posts and emails built on what we approved.
If you already have a calendar full of events and campaigns, or a brand story you like, you'll bring those in. If you're starting from scratch, the Awareness Engine Platform will suggest more for you to react to. Nothing is final until you approve it.
The seven steps behind it
Going in, you only need two things: a general sense of what your organization is trying to accomplish, and anything that's already on your 2027 calendar. We walk you through each step in order, each one starts with a short video, and the Awareness Engine Platform drafts first versions for you to react to.
05
Communications calendar
Your monthly topics, campaigns, events and outreach for 2027.
06
Workflow
Which channels and tools you'll use and what you'll create each month, so the plan fits the time you actually have.
07
Track progress
Where your numbers stand today, so you can tell later whether more of the right people are hearing from you.
01
Define outcomes
What you need communication to help make happen, like more families finding you earlier or more people signing up to volunteer.
02
Priority audiences
Who you most need to reach, what you want them to do and what's getting in their way.
03
Your story
What you do, why it matters and how you sound, written so anyone on your team can use it.
04
Audience messages
What each audience needs to hear, and the proof that makes it believable.
What changes after the Boot Camp
You may recognize some of this:
The newsletter stops being a last-minute scramble, because you already know what this month is about and who it's for.
You stop explaining your organization a different way every time. Staff, board members and volunteers are telling the same story.
Events and appeals don't start from a blank page, so there's time to actually promote them instead of announcing them a week out.
When the board asks how awareness is going, you have a better answer than a list of posts. A monthly check-in shows whether you're reaching the people you planned to reach, and you can download it as a report.
The January newsletter goes out in January.
What people are saying
"I’m a one-man show. I felt like I had all the assets I needed in place, but they showed me what an actual marketing plan could do. I didn’t realize it’s a science."
Kasi Morales
Executive Director
McPherson Industrial Development Company (Go McPherson)
"After implementing BowerComm’s marketing guide, I started sending out a monthly email drip. One donor responded to say they appreciated the update—and that they had $100K to drop by my office. That email definitely paid off in ways I could have never imagined."
Molly McWilliams
Executive Director
Republic County Community Foundation
'We are a client that needs to satisfy a lot of various stakeholders, and BowerComm understood that right out of the gate! We’re very happy with the communications strategy they’ve helped us implement."
LeAnn Cox
Vice President of Operations and Tourism
Visit Hutch
Who's teaching the Boot Camp
Lori Bower
Founder of BowerComm
Lori has spent more than 25 years in marketing and communications, and her team at BowerComm works with nonprofits of all kinds, community foundations and community development groups. The Awareness Engine is built on the same framework BowerComm has used with hundreds of organizations across the U.S. to help them get on the map with the people who matter to their work. She also presents at conferences and leads workshops on communications strategy for nonprofit and community leaders.
Jo Hoffman
Director of Social & Digital Media
Jo knows what's working right now on Meta and in email, and she knows where organizations get stuck: ads that won't run or don't reach the right people, and email tools built into fundraising software that never quite work the way they should. She's been with BowerComm since 2017.
Bailey Ramsey
Director of Account Management
Bailey has worked extensively with organizations on their overall messaging and communications strategy. She draws on her earlier work at a disability supports organization, in community development, and at a community substance abuse prevention organization. She's been with BowerComm since 2016.
Who this is for
The Boot Camp is built for small and midsize organizations where communications is one of several jobs: human services agencies, community foundations, arts and cultural groups, animal shelters, chambers and economic development groups, libraries, and membership organizations.
The Boot Camp is a good fit if:
You don't have a full-time communications person, or the person you have is also covering development, programs or operations.
People who should know about your work don't, or they know your name but not what you do.
You have stories and programs worth talking about but no steady rhythm for sharing them.
You want help making the decisions, and you're willing to bring what you know about your organization.
It's probably not the right fit if:
You want someone to do the work for you. BowerComm does that too, but the Boot Camp is a guided build where your team does the work with our help.
Your organization hasn't settled on its direction or what it's trying to accomplish. That's a strategic planning conversation, and we're glad to have it with you.
You need a full rebrand or a deeply custom communications plan. That's work we do with clients one-on-one.
How the Boot Camp works
Kickoff
Tuesday, Nov. 10
1:00 - 1:30 p.m.
We'll walk through the Awareness Engine method and get your team logged in to the Awareness Engine Platform. That gives you two days to look around before the first session.
Build your plan
Thursday, Nov 12 &
Tuesday, Nov. 17
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
You'll work through all seven steps using your organization's real goals, audiences and stories. We teach, you build, and we answer questions as you go.
Launch Labs for VIP and Platinum
Wednesday, Nov. 18
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov 20
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Live Q&A and coaching. Bring your questions and your work in progress. We'll answer questions, look at your drafts and help you get unstuck.
Keep going
You'll have the Awareness Engine Platform, the session replays and a training library of 15+ on-demand courses on topics like setting up Meta ads, email best practices and putting together an annual report.
Bonuses
EARLY
BONUS
Enroll by Thursday, November 5, and get an extra month of the Awareness Engine Platform.
Your included Awareness Engine Platform access runs one month longer, whichever tier you choose, so you have more time to use your Engine in the new year.
Every tier also includes:
Communications Capacity Scorecard
Before the kickoff, rate your organization in 11 areas, from outcome clarity to workflow and tracking. You'll see where communication is breaking down for you, so you come to the first session knowing which steps need the most attention.
How to Get a Grant for Communications
An on-demand training on making the case to funders that communications is worth paying for. It can help you fund the next round of this work instead of squeezing it out of your general budget.
Choose your level of support
Every tier includes three seats: you and two people from your organization. This is our first public Boot Camp, and these prices are for this founding group.
GENERAL ADMISSION
$247
Build your engine
The full guided build. You'll work through your strategy with us in the live sessions and draft your first month of content in the Awareness Engine Platform.
-
Kickoff and two live training sessions
-
1 month of Awareness Engine Platform access
-
30 days of replays
-
1 month of 15+ on-demand trainings (Meta ads, email, annual reports and more)
VIP
$497
Build it with more help from us
Everything in General Admission, plus two live Launch Labs to bring your questions and drafts, transcripts and class notes, and three months of the Awareness Engine Platform to carry you into spring 2027.
-
Two 90-minute Launch Labs for live Q&A and coaching
-
3 months of Awareness Engine Platform access
-
Transcripts and class notes
-
3 months of replays and trainings
PLATINUM
$997
Build it and keep it running all year
Everything in VIP, plus a full year of the Awareness Engine Platform and a 30-minute private strategy session with Lori.
-
12 months of Awareness Engine Platform access
-
30-minute strategy session with Lori
-
12 months of replays and trainings
-
Everything in VIP
"With a very small staff, all of whom wear many hats, Awareness Engine is a valuable tool to focus on telling our organization’s story consistently and reaching as many people as possible."
Josh Davies
Hutchinson Fox Theatre
"The Awareness Engine is best suited to solve the challenge of keeping an org’s communications consistent, strategic, and interconnected when a lot of information lives in too many different places."
Anjoli M Clayton
I, Muse
Enroll by Thursday, November 5, and your Awareness Engine Platform access runs one month longer.
Whichever tier you choose, the documents you download are yours to keep, even if you don't continue with the Awareness Engine Platform.
Pay by card, or email team@bowercomm.com if your organization needs an invoice for its records or a grant report.
A year of the Awareness Engine Platform on its own costs $1,164 at the annual rate. Platinum includes that year plus the full Boot Camp, the Launch Labs and a strategy session.
Our guarantee: Come to the kickoff and the first session. If by the end of that session you don't think the Boot Camp is bringing value to your organization, email us by 5 p.m. Central on Thursday, November 12, and we'll refund your payment.
Frequently asked questions
No. Our tool is easy to use, and the prompts are built in, so you never have to figure out what to ask. And you don't need your own AI subscription. The Awareness Engine Platform runs in a web browser on a desktop or laptop.
The live time is a 30-minute kickoff and two 90-minute sessions. VIP and Platinum add two 90-minute Launch Labs for questions and feedback. Nothing is required between sessions. Your team brings what it knows and makes the decisions, and the Awareness Engine Platform does much of the organizing and first-draft writing.
Many organizations do. The Boot Camp is live training for up to three people from your organization, and we're glad to send an invoice for your records or a funder report.
We kept the Boot Camp short and simple on purpose. About four hours of your time gives you the plan and the principles behind it, and you can keep working on it through the end of the year and into January. Organizations that wait until the new year to start usually end up writing their January newsletter in March. Getting pointed in the right direction now gives you a strong start, so you don't miss the times that matter most for reaching your audiences.
Yes, if you have the details. The Awareness Engine Platform can draft your first month of content, but it needs the specifics only you have, like the date and details of an upcoming event or the person you want to feature in a story. Come with those decided, and you can have January's content drafted and ready for your team to finish and send.
No. Everything the Awareness Engine Platform writes draws on the outcomes, audiences, story and voice your team approved. It also has BowerComm's direction built in, including the persuasion techniques and instructions we've found work best for organizations like yours. You can give it direction too, like "warm and plain" or "avoid pity language." Your team reviews and approves everything before it goes anywhere.
Yes, and that's only the beginning. You'll start by building the plan: your outcomes, audiences, story and messages. Then we'll talk through how to get the message out, including which channels and budgets make sense for you and which systems you need in place to actually get the work done. From there, the Awareness Engine Platform helps you write the right content each month and check whether it's working.
Most organizations bring their executive director, whoever leads fundraising, and whoever actually writes the posts and newsletters. When the people who make decisions and the people who do the work go through it together, the plan is much more likely to get used.
No. You can start with a few sentences about your organization, and the Awareness Engine Platform will suggest more for you to react to. If you do have a plan, a calendar or a brand story, bring it, and the Awareness Engine Platform will build around it.
Awareness Engine Platform access is included for the time listed with your tier. After that, you can keep writing and tracking content in the Awareness Engine Platform for $97 a month with an annual commitment or $147 month to month, for one Engine and three seats. If you don't continue, you keep every document you downloaded. You don't have to decide now.
Yes. We offer monthly group coaching and one-on-one help, and we'll talk about both during the Boot Camp. If you find you need more extensive planning help, we'll point you in the right direction.
Your information isn't used to train AI models, and each organization's work is kept separate. The BowerComm team can see your Engine so we can help when you ask, the same way customer support works for other software. The Awareness Engine Platform is built for strategy around public communications, so you won't need to put in donors' personal contact information.
The Boot Camp is the main way to get started right now. If you'd rather subscribe directly, contact us at support@bowercomm.com.
Yes. We offer private Boot Camps for foundations, associations and other groups that want to help the organizations they work with. Contact us to talk about it.
Enrollment stays open until the first session starts on Thursday, November 12, at 1 p.m. Central. If you join after the kickoff, you'll get the kickoff replay and Awareness Engine Platform access right away.
Start 2027 with your communications already moving
In a kickoff and two short sessions, with Lori and the BowerComm team guiding you, your team can build its communications strategy, map out how the work will get done, and draft your first month of content. The Boot Camp kicks off November 10, and enrollment closes when the first session starts on November 12 at 1 p.m. Central. It's $247 for up to three people from your organization, and VIP adds two Launch Labs for your questions and drafts. Your team comes away with new skills as well as a plan.
Enroll by November 5 for an extra month of the Awareness Engine Platform.
Awareness Engine by BowerComm
Featured Keynotes & Conference Sessions
Choose from our list of prepared presentations and workshops below. We also do custom topics and workshops tailored to your specific situation—contact us for details.
Strong Communities Need Strong Communications
Every community has people doing important work. The question is whether enough people know about it.
Strong communities depend on organizations that communicate clearly about what they do, why it matters, and how people can get involved. When communication is unclear, participation suffers. When organizations communicate well, people are more likely to support initiatives, attend events, volunteer, donate, advocate, and collaborate.
This keynote explores the connection between communication, trust, participation, and community progress while providing practical ideas organizations can use to strengthen their visibility and impact.
Ideal for: Community foundations, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, nonprofits, leadership programs, and community-focused conferences.
The Awareness Gap: Why Great Organizations Still Struggle to Be Seen
Many organizations are doing remarkable work but remain largely invisible to the people who would benefit from it, support it, or champion it.
In this session, participants explore the four communication pitfalls that often prevent mission-driven organizations from gaining visibility and support. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of why important messages get overlooked and what organizations can do to become more visible and better understood.
Activating Your Board as Ambassadors
Most board members care deeply about the organization they serve. What many lack is the confidence and language needed to talk about the mission effectively in their everyday conversations.
This session provides practical strategies for helping board members become stronger ambassadors. Participants will learn how to equip boards with clear messaging, simple communication tools, and realistic expectations that make ambassador engagement easier and more effective.
The Awareness Engine
Many organizations approach communication as a series of disconnected activities—a newsletter here, a social media campaign there, and a fundraising appeal when it's needed.
The Awareness Engine introduces BowerComm's practical framework for building a more intentional communication system. Participants will learn how audience understanding, storytelling, visibility, messaging, and reinforcement work together to create stronger communication over time.
Before the Brand: Align Before You Design
Organizations often begin branding projects by discussing logos, colors, websites, and taglines. The most successful brand initiatives start much earlier.
This session explores the foundational work that should happen before a rebrand, website redesign, or major campaign begins. Participants will learn how audience insights, organizational alignment, positioning, and messaging contribute to stronger brands and better long-term results.
Post Less. Matter More.
Many organizations feel pressure to constantly create content. The result is often more posting but not necessarily more engagement.
This practical session focuses on using social media strategically rather than simply keeping the content calendar full. Participants will learn how to create content that builds credibility, shares meaningful stories, and encourages action from the audiences they care about most.
Why People Want to Work There
Recruiting and retaining great employees and volunteers has become one of the biggest challenges facing mission-driven organizations.
This session explores how organizations can communicate their culture, purpose, values, and identity in ways that attract people who are aligned with their mission. Participants will learn practical approaches for strengthening recruitment messaging, volunteer engagement, and organizational reputation.
Building the Participation Pipeline
Many organizations spend significant time generating awareness but struggle to convert awareness into meaningful engagement.
This session introduces a practical framework for helping people move from first hearing about an organization to becoming participants, volunteers, donors, advocates, or ambassadors. Participants will learn how to identify audience pathways and create communication strategies that encourage deeper involvement over time.
Why Event Planners Choose BowerComm
Our presentations are built around the challenges mission-driven organizations face every day.
Rather than focusing on theory, we focus on practical ideas, proven approaches, and real-world examples drawn from years of experience working alongside nonprofits, community foundations, associations, chambers, and community organizations.
Participants leave with strategies they can use, language they can adapt, and ideas they can implement immediately.