Nonprofits are serving an increasingly important purpose in our society, and communication is key to their success.

As the gap widens between the ability of governments and the private sector to provide human services and address issues like poverty, education, and disaster relief, the need for nonprofits is growing in every area of society.

This growing need yields opportunity for nonprofits, foundations and NGOs.

It also brings greater challenges as they compete for funding and long-term engagement. Peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdsourcing platforms have opened new channels for individual contributions with the ability to reach unprecedented numbers of people. At the same time, the trend of investing in for-profit crowdfunding campaigns and individual causes creates even greater tension for nonprofits to compete for eyeballs and wallets. Few charities have the capacity to scale budgets and resources to capitalize on new opportunities without sacrificing efforts in other critical fundraising areas such as corporate sponsorships, capital campaigns, planned giving and donor retention. How can NPOs stand out now and prepare for long-term growth and stability?

Nonprofits need to make sure that their messaging clearly communicates the mission and brand to the right audiences.

Successful nonprofit fundraising is really about nurturing relationships, building trust, and making emotional connections with the public, all of which can be done by choosing the right words. Rather than laying out overwhelming issues and numbers, wise nonprofits tell stories through the eyes of the people they serve. They keep their messaging positive and lead in through the story of one, rather than the plight of one million.

The nonprofit model is interesting. Fundraising, or development, is every nonprofit’s full-time work. Their second full-time job is actually fulfilling its mission. Despite having two full-time jobs, many nonprofits don’t commit the marketing resources necessary to enhance fundraising.

Nonprofit marketers can be more effective before campaign planning.

Strong branding and messaging that conveys your philanthropic mission, inspires employees and volunteers, and emotionally connects with your target audiences is a good place to start before allocating precious marketing dollars for fundraising campaigns. Conduct a brand audit and use data to help identify opportunities. Is your messaging strategy connecting with the right people in the most impactful and meaningful way? Use our free communication tips to supercharge your nonprofit organization’s brand messaging.

Building this into a nonprofit communications plan and public relations strategy will make sure your organization is seen and heard by the masses, earns media attention, and inspires immediate action with the long-term recall that translates into revenue, loyalty, and growth.

Further Reading about Nonprofit Communications