Nonprofits in our valley haven’t had the easiest year this year with loss of budgets, operations issues and board member shakeups. Despite what the challenge may be, it is always essential to keep nonprofit communications clear and concise while emphasizing their mission. Here are five tips to take into consideration for effective nonprofit communications.
- Define goals - Rule of thumb, always define your “why.” Author Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Defining goals and the “why” behind a cause or campaign inspires action.
- Positive messages - Develop authentic messages that create an emotional connection and engage audiences. Keep the organization’s goals at the forefront. It’s also important to customize communications and tailor messages according to the audience. I’d like to think of this tip as “PR with a purpose.”
- Donor communications - There are many ways to keep and increase donor retention. The most important is clear communication. But donors are all different. It is key to know how to segment and target key groups of donors to increase effectiveness of all communication.
- Brand consistency - Brand consistency is necessary for effective marketing. Avoid confusing audiences and align the brand across all marketing channels in order to build trust.
- Results - Proactively inform donors and other audiences how they are making a difference. Allow donors to see how their contributions impact the organization’s mission and how they are helping fulfill the mission. We all like to feel like we are part of a team.
As with any communication - on any human level - always say thank you. Personalization in saying thank you is key when it comes to successful nonprofit communications.
