5 min read · 416 Strategy
Acronyms, program names, theological phrases, and legacy language that make sense internally but not externally.
Every organization develops a private vocabulary over time. Acronyms get coined. Programs get named. Theological frameworks become shorthand. Phrases that were once explained begin to be assumed. This is natural and even efficient — inside the organization. But when that same vocabulary migrates to the website, the fundraising appeal, and the church presentation, it creates a quiet barrier between your organization and every person who isn't already inside your world. They encounter language that was never designed for them.
Watch for: program names that require explanation ("Project Restore" — restore what, exactly?), theological frameworks used as if they're self-evident ("discipleship journey," "shalom-seeking work," "kingdom impact"), acronyms used without definition on first reference (RISE, HOPE, CAP), and legacy language that made sense in your founding decade but has since become opaque. Also watch for assumed context: "since we expanded our model in 2016" — expanded from what, to what?
Ask someone who has never heard of your organization to read your homepage out loud and mark every phrase they don't immediately understand. No coaching — just listen. Their confusion is a precise map of your insider language. Alternatively, paste your homepage into a document and read it as if you know nothing about your organization. Where does it assume knowledge you don't have? Where does it use words that would require a glossary? That's your edit list.
For every piece of insider language you find, replace it with plain language that a stranger would understand. "We provide restorative programming for justice-involved youth" becomes "we work with teenagers who have been through the juvenile justice system." You don't have to abandon your internal language — you just have to translate it at every public-facing touchpoint. Internal communication can still use familiar shorthand. External communication should use language designed for the reader, not the organization.
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