There’s a war in the Middle East. Tariffs and fuel prices are squeezing household budgets. Federal funding cuts are landing without warning. For nonprofit communicators, the current moment raises a practical question: how do you reach donors, funders, and the public when the news is pulling everyone’s attention elsewhere?
Two Traps
The first is going silent. When organizations pull back from communicating at all during turbulent periods, donors notice. Silence from a nonprofit during a difficult moment can read as uncertainty about the organization’s own footing, which is rarely the message you want to send. Staying visible, even briefly and simply, reinforces that the work continues.
The second trap is overclaiming urgency based on what is happening in the news cycle. Leaning too hard into crisis language, with every email an alarm and every appeal a plea, adds to the noise and also creates an organization that cries wolf rather than cutting through the chaos. Donors who are already overwhelmed do not need more buzz from your organization. They need a reason to feel that their support makes a specific, tangible difference.
What Works
Know when to connect your communication with the news. Not every organization needs to respond to every headline. Before communicating about current events, ask honestly: is what is happening in the news relevant to our work in a way that is genuine and specific? If the answer is yes, say so directly. If the answer is no, it is best not to weigh in. Organizations that try to be relevant to everything often end up sounding relevant to nothing. Read this Teak Talk blog post for more insights on how to communicate with different audiences during tumultuous times.
When you do have something to say, lead with the local and specific. If your cause is rooted in your community, that proximity is an asset right now. Broad headlines can feel paralyzing. What helps donors feel connected is the specific: the name of the person your organization helped this week, the new program that will start up next week, the outcome that would not have happened without their support. There is always a story of impact to tell, even in a difficult period. Find it and tell it plainly.
Use that story to reach the people already in your corner. A crowded news cycle is not the best moment to acquire new donors. It is, however, a good moment to thank the ones you have. Gratitude is so important to nonprofit communications, and it does not require a specific campaign or a formal ask. A message that says, “here is what your support made possible this month,” reinforces the relationship, reminds donors why they gave, and keeps your organization present without demanding anything in return. Tying numbers to outcomes, results, and positive personal stories helps potential donors see the value in their giving.
The Longer View
The groundwork for good nonprofit communications happens long before a crisis. Organizations that built their narrative infrastructure when things were relatively stable, with clear and consistent messaging, a strong relationship with local media, an active donor communications program, and a spokesperson who can speak compellingly about the work, are the ones that break through when the news is noisy. Organizations that treated communications as a secondary function, something to ramp up when there was news to announce and let it lapse in between, may find themselves without an established voice to use and without a story ready to tell.
The news cycle is not going to get quieter. Build communications practices designed to work within that reality, rather than waiting for a calmer moment that may not arrive.
