Communications

We are the storytellers.

We are DARCOMM, the strategic communications and marketing partner to Development & Alumni Relations at the University of Georgia. Each fall and spring, we plan; the rest of the year, we create—sharing stories, designing campaigns, building websites, writing, filming, photographing, and supporting event experiences to elevate our colleagues’ work across UGA.

Collaboration is at the core of everything we do. We brainstorm, build, and refine together. Our work is guided by data, shared insight, and a commitment to strong results. We often partner with the central Marketing & Communications division and we contribute tools and resources to help schools, colleges, and units connect with their communities.

Alongside partners across campus, we shape how UGA shows up for alumni and donors—ensuring every message is clear, accessible, and rooted in the Bulldog pride we all share.

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News & Announcements

by Allie White

It's All in the Follow-Up

Communications, Donor Relations & Stewardship

by Marisa Castengera

UGA Logo and Trademark Protections

Communications, Workplace Tips

by Rachael Andrews

Student impact stories: obtaining consent and protecting privacy

Communications, Workplace Tips

by Abbie Jones

DAR Web Directory Process

Advancement Services, Communications, Constituent Programs, Finance & HR, Gift and Estate Planning, Information Technology, Office of Strategic Programming, Research & Prospect Management, Talent Management

by Gabby Adekogbe

December '24 DAR Star: Logan Lewis

Communications, Talent Management

by Gabby Adekogbe

October '24 DAR Star: Genevieve Antwi-Nuamah

Communications, Talent Management

More Communications News

Staff

Heather Duiser

Lacey Creech

Marisa Castengera

Buck Sharp

Emerald Toller Anderson

Rachael Andrews

Edwin Hammond

Hunter Leger

Logan Lewis

Lilli Sosbee

Maura Springstead

Julia Thomas

Allie White

Photos

Videos

View more videos on the UGA Alumni YouTube channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a story into Georgia Magazine?

Georgia Magazine runs four times a year – Spring (early March), Summer (early June), Fall (early September) and Winter (early December). The editorial planning for each of those issues is reviewed and approved at least six months in advance. The deadlines for each issue are more than two months out from the mail date.

DARCOMM works closely with the Georgia Magazine team, which is a part of the Division of Marketing and Communications, to develop these editorial plans. If you have an idea for the magazine, please send it to Lacey Creech.

Placement in this publication is among the most highly sought-after on campus. Getting stories into Georgia Magazine is not a given—BUT we always want your good stories! Even if we don’t secure placement in the magazine, DARCOMM can often find a “home” for it in other communication channels.

Where can I get a copy of Georgia Magazine?

Approximately 148,000 issues of Georgia Magazine are mailed each quarter and are available in a number of places across campus. DAR receive a total of 150 copies of each issue at One Press Place, most of which are placed on the publication wall on the second floor of One Press Place. Please feel free to use these issues as you see fit.

If you need additional copies—or you need them sent to you on campus—email Lacey Creech and she will pop them in campus mail.

My donor just made a gift and wants to know how we’ll promote it. What do I do?

First, let the donor know you’ll develop an announcement plan in collaboration with UGA’s communications personnel and get back to them. At this point, it’s best not to make any promises. The quantity of gifts being made to UGA, coupled with the diminishing opportunities in the news media, means that it’s impossible to commit to certain placements.

At that time, if you are in a school, college or unit, please contact your respective communications professional and either Kathy Bangle or Brooks McCommons. Reference UGA’s major gift announcement plan—is your gift over $1 million? Is it coming from a public figure? Is it highly strategic and your school, college or unit wants a major emphasis on this gift announcement?

If so, please email Lacey Creech to discuss next steps. If not, you can still announce the gift! Please work with your communications team to write and disseminate the news on your communication channels. Send the final release to Clarke for a final review and she can share how DARCOMM can help promulgate the news. And remember: there are ways to announce gifts without writing a full-on news release. Think: social media! blog posts!

If you are in a central unit, please email Clarke to discuss next steps. Please review UGA’s major gift announcement plan ahead of time so you are aware of what UGA typically does for gifts of different sizes.

I have a great story about a donor, student, faculty member, etc. What do I do?

Great stories can help make compelling arguments in marketing materials for others to support the university. Thank you for helping us build an arsenal of powerful stories to use in our communications.

Please send the following information to your DARCOMM liaison or to Rachael Andrews:

Full Name
GAIL ID, if applicable
Who they are – student? donor? company? faculty member?
A few sentences about why this is an important story to tell
Any specific ideas you have for sharing the story

Once received, DARCOMM will ensure the story is recorded for future use since most stories can’t be elevated immediately. If there is an opportunity to leverage the story in the near future, DARCOMM will advise on next steps.

Please note: if you are in a school, college or unit, your respective communications team may need to help write the story since DARCOMM is not staffed in a way to research and write every story.

How do I get a story into Columns?

Columns is the weekly digital newspaper for faculty and staff of the university. It is managed by Krista Richmond in the Division of Marketing and Communications.

To place news that is important for the on-campus community in this publication, please email your unit’s DARCOMM liaison. If you are in a school, college or unit, please work through your respective communications professional.

I want to use UGA trademarks. What do I do?

For the most updated information regarding the trademarks compliance review and approval process, please refer to https://brand.uga.edu/trademarks/

I want to use the Power G. How does that work?

Any use of athletic marks must be approved by the UGA Athletic Association in addition to being reviewed by the Office of Trademarks and Licensing. Visit brand.uga.edu for more details and an approved list of vendors.

How do I update my email signature?

To update your email signature, please visit the email signature builder on the UGA brand site.

How do I get UGA-specific stationary?

Contact Bulldog Print + Design and place the order directly with them. You can choose plain stationary or put your name on it. Interested in a piece we’ve created before. Ask your Communications Coordinator and we can likely track it down.

How do I order letterhead?

Contact Bulldog Print + Design, so you can place the order directly with them. You can choose plain stationary or put your name on it.

I need to hire a photographer. What do I do?

DARCOMM can assist you in identifying photographers for event coverage and to support effective storytelling.

Step 1 – Determine need

Recurring events that have traditionally required a photographer should continue to have a photography line built into the event budget.

When a unit is considering whether a photographer is needed, consider:

What types of shots can be achieved during this event?
How will the photos be used following the event?
Are there other projects or units that can benefit from the photographs?
Can the photos from this year’s event help to enhance marketing efforts in the future?

Step 2 – Approval to hire using DAR photography budget

DARCOMM has a freelancer budget that can be used to capture photos that will be used in future marketing materials. For units needing budget assistance for photography, the point of contact for that unit should reach out to the appropriate DARCOMM Communication Coordinator to make a request. The request should include:

Event name, date, and location
Sentence about why photography is needed
An estimate of how man hours of shoot time

The Communication Coordinator will discuss with DARCOMM leadership to ensure approval is obtained and will communicate back to the unit.

Once the amount is determined, DARCOMM will transfer funds to that unit to cover the photography cost or pay the photographer directly.

Step 3 – Hire the photographer

Once hiring is approved, the unit is responsible for contacting the photographer, ensuring their availability and hiring them.
An approved recommended list of local photographers is available at in the Vendor resources.

Step 4 – Managing the photographer

Please refer to the tip sheet for managing photographers.

Step 5 – Post-event management of photos

Once the photos are transferred to the unit’s point of contact the photographer should share the files with the appropriate DARCOMM Communication Coordinator. The photos will be saved to the DARCOMM archives and made available to the unit/attendees via Widen or SmugMug.

Step 6 – Paying the photographer

Pay the photography invoice as you would any other invoice.

The media contacted me. What do I do?

Run! No, please don’t do that. Instead, be sure to handle the inquiry as quickly as possible.

Let the media contact know that you will get back to them ASAP. If you are “on the spot,” and do not feel comfortable answering questions, let them know that you will connect them with the appropriate point of contact who can provide them with the information they need.

If you are within a school, college or unit, please contact your respective communications professional. If you are in a central DAR unit—or are in a school, college or unit and cannot reach your respective communications staffer—please contact your DARCOMM liaison immediately or Lacey Creech.

If it is a crisis situation and/or you cannot reach anyone listed above, please email ude.agu@aidem.

I have an idea for social media. What do I do?

If you see university- or alumni-related content that you believe we should feature on our social platforms, please email Maura Springstead or Allie White the link to the content and they will evaluate and schedule to post on the appropriate social platform(s).

If you currently work with a DARCOMM communications coordinator and have an idea for a social campaign, connect with your communications coordinator about the idea and they will consult with the digital team during a regular meeting.

How do I get a job with DARCOMM?

Team is everything to us. If we have job openings, they can be found on the DAR careers page. If there are no openings, but you still think you’d be a good fit for our team, we’d still love to hear from you to keep you in mind for future positions. Please reach out to Christy Dasher.

How do I get an internship with DARCOMM?

At any given time, DARCOMM has 4-6 interns, each with a specialty: graphic design, multimedia and video, digital media, or writing/public relations. Interns work 10-20 hours per week during the semesters. During the summer, if budgets allow, we offer some full-time internships. Many of our interns stay for multiple semesters, so job openings vary throughout the year. All current internship opportunities can be found here. Please reach out to Lacey Creech with questions.