Indeed, these are austere times. Minnesota is facing a $6.2 billion deficit. Corporate and foundation funding for nonprofits continues to slip. The 2010 holiday retail season was the best since 2006 but still not what Wall Street wanted to see for an economic turnaround. Defense Secretary Robert Gates just announced the first shrinking in military spending in a decade in response to the nation’s “extreme fiscal duress.”

Despite these sobering statistics that absolutely underscore the need for scrupulous fiscal restraint, we can’t help but point out that austerity has always been the way a life for small businesses and nonprofits.

But what’s different now is the environment in which we work. When you consider the fracturing and expansion of communication channels over the past few years, the changes in how we talk to our constituents, and the rapidness with which the world changes, austerity takes on a whole new meaning. When faced with so many marketing and communications options, austerity seems at odds.

That’s where authenticity comes in. We’ve heard many a person utter the words, “We just need to create a buzz.” A buzz using Facebook, Twitter, blogging, guerilla marketing, name it. But rarely does the discussion begin with authenticity. We know from ample research that actions coming from a place of authentic vision and values resonate far more loudly and widely than stunts or “buzz building.” In other words, it needs to be real. If you don’t have anything to authentically blog about, don’t. If your Facebook page is a series of marketing pitches, it’s a waste of your resources.

They go hand-in-hand, austerity and authenticity. Especially now.