Just like people look for ways to grow—whether it’s hitting the gym, learning something new, or finally tackling that long-overdue project—nonprofits can take a similar approach to strengthen their marketing and communications.
Whether you want to refine your messaging, strengthen donor relationships, or create more effective fundraising materials, these 5 strategies will help your nonprofit communicate more clearly, connect more deeply, and raise more support.
1. Strengthen Your Core
Every great transformation starts from within. Your nonprofit’s brand is like your body’s core, keeping you stable and allowing you to painlessly pivot when necessary. Before diving into flashy campaigns, take a moment to revisit your foundation. Ask yourself:
What’s Our Purpose?
Why do we exist, and what’s our ultimate goal?
What’s Our Vision?
Where are we now, and where do we want to go?
What Values Define Us?
What principles shape our actions?
Who’s Our Audience?
Who are we serving, and who’s rooting for us?
What’s Our Personality?
Are we serious and academic, or approachable and upbeat?
Reconnecting with these basics ensures that every step you take aligns with your nonprofit’s heart and soul.
2. Refresh Your Look
- Your materials feel more vintage than timeless.
- Your branding no longer reflects who you are
- Your print or digital materials show old logos or outdated taglines.
- Your website hasn’t been updated since the smartphone was a novelty.li>
3. Boost Your Online Presence
- Increased donations and support. A well-designed, user-friendly website makes it easier for donors to give and for supporters to take action.
- Better engagement and credibility. Your website is often the first impression people have of your nonprofit. A modern, professional, and accessible site builds trust with donors, volunteers, and partners.
- Improved searchability and visibility. Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures your nonprofit appears when people search for causes like yours, and regular updates, optimized content, and fast load times improve visibility.
- Is it mobile-friendly?
- Does it load quickly?
- Is the content fresh and engaging?
- Can someone from outside your nonprofit understand what you do just by skimming your home page?
- Is your site easy for internal and external users to navigate?
- Are there clear calls to action so visitors know exactly what you want them to do?
4. Set SMART Goals
- Whether your existing efforts are supporting it.
- What worked last year and what didn’t.
- What’s most important this year.
- Who can help you achieve your goals.
- How you will measure success.
5. Embrace Collaboration
- Could someone else handle this task faster or better?
- What’s the cost of not delegating? (Hint: It might be your sanity.)
- Does this task directly contribute to our mission?
