Project communications

Project communications

Supporting our grantees in making their work visible is part of our Grants+ programme. We offer grantees, for example, communications training and sparring sessions with the foundation’s communications team. In addition, we share news about the work we fund on our own communication channels. 

We do not require funded projects to communicate about their work. However, in most cases communication is beneficial for both the project and its grantees and is therefore worth the time and effort. 

Communication is often easier when planned in advance. Preparing a communication plan helps you choose the most suitable measures for your project, leaving more time and energy for your actual research or artistic work. When drafting a communication plan, it’s helpful to consider the following questions: 

• Objective: What do you want to achieve with your communication?
• Target groups: Who should hear about your project?
• Message: What are the key aspects of your project? How could you sum up your main goals or results for your key audiences? Does your project include, for example, a newsworthy element, a story, or an illustrative example? Key messages distilled into a few sentences form the basis for all communication, whether on social media, in press releases, or in interviews.
• Channels: Which channels do you want to use? Do you need a website, or would social media be more relevant for your project? If you prepare a press release, also reach out directly to a journalist specialising in the topic. Make sure you are available for follow-up!
• Stakeholders: Consider who could support you in communicating about your project. Could you make use of your organisation’s (e.g. university’s) or partners’ communication channels? Think broadly, both about your existing networks and potential new partners.
• Schedule: At what stage will you communicate about your project’s launch, progress, and results? Remember to also share updates during the work, not only when it’s completed.
• Visuals: What does your project look like? What kinds of photos or illustrations could you use in your own communication or share with the media? Could infographics be used to visualise your results?
• Responsibilities: It is important to agree on who does what within the project team. Discuss how you will share responsibility for communication, and remember to allocate time for communication in your project plan.

Ways to increase your project’s visibility 

• Use social media.  Choose the platforms that best suit you and your project. Remember to keep our communications team updated on your news and tag @koneensaatio when you post. This helps us share your updates — and it also shows that you’re a part of the Kone Foundation grantee community.
• Write a press release. Think about what could be a newsworthy angle or topic in your project for the media. Use your own distribution list or, if possible, make use of the expertise and channels of your organisation, such as a university communications office.
• Write an article or blog post about your project. You can offer it for publication on suitable platforms. The At the Well blog [link] for Kone Foundation grantees is one option.
• Organise a public event. This could be a lecture, discussion, or workshop connected to your project or a related theme. Invite participants from different stakeholder groups in addition to your closest social circle. You can make use of Kone Foundation’s Kamari space, which is available free of charge.
• Take part in other events. Offer to speak, join a panel, or moderate a discussion at a public event related to your project or area of expertise.
• Create videos about your project or work. Depending on the channel, these might be short clips or longer recordings, such as full lectures.
• Consider podcasts. A podcast can be a great way to explore your project from different perspectives in your own voice, if you or your team have the time and skills to produce one. You can also offer to appear as a guest on an existing podcast.

Grantees’ blog: At the Well

The Kone Foundation website hosts a blog where grantees write about topics related to their work, from perspectives they choose freely. In the At the Well blog, writers can also comment on current issues or phenomena. 

Writing for the blog can be a way to join public discussion or to build your expertise beyond your immediate professional circles. The At the Well blog especially reaches other people working with the foundation’s support — that is, the research community and professional audiences in the arts. Blog posts are published at koneensaatio.fi/en/at-the-well-blog/, and we share them through the foundation’s communication channels. 

Click here to see the instructions on how to create At the Well blogs

Project pages

Every funded project automatically has an overview page on the Kone Foundation website, and you can also create a separate project page to share more details. 

Project overview pages

All projects funded by Kone Foundation have an overview page on our website. It includes basic information about the funding granted, the project summary from the application, and, for completed projects, the summary from the final report. The pages can be found via the Funded projects menu. 

You can add your contact details, links, text and images to the overview page. Please note that the application summary cannot be edited. 

Separate project page

You can also share more about your project on our website with a separate project page. We encourage you to explain the basics of your project in a short text, briefly present your plan, or describe your results. Send your project description, photos, and other content to the foundation’s communications team, who will put together the page for publication. Project pages also include links to any At the Well blog posts written by members of the project team. 

See instructions for updating the overview page and creating project pages

Use of Kone Foundation’s logo and mention of support

We ask that projects funded by Kone Foundation acknowledge our support, for example, in printed materials, publications, or on the project website. You may also use the Foundation’s logo when referring to the support.  

In a scientific thesis, publication, or similar context, Kone Foundation’s support may be mentioned on the backside of the title page, in a foreword, or in an article’s footnote. The exact wording is up to you. You do not need to include the grant ID number.  

If you use the Foundation’s logo on the project website, please also indicate what the grant was awarded for and when in your own words. If the project has several funders, it is common to display multiple logos side by side. In such cases, you can provide more detailed information about Kone Foundation’s support elsewhere, for example in the project description.  

On social media, you can also tag us in your posts if you wish. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky and TikTok.

Download Kone Foundation logos here.

Download Saari Residence logos here.

Download Metsän puolella logos here.