Ultimate Guide to Building a Solid Nonprofit Communications Strategy

A well-crafted nonprofit communications plan is essential for effectively engaging donors, volunteers, and stakeholders. This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step approach to developing a robust communications strategy tailored for nonprofits.

We'll cover key components, including audience identification, message crafting, channel selection, and performance measurement. Discover how to create impactful storytelling, leverage digital tools, and optimize your outreach efforts.

Our nonprofit communications plan template will help you structure your strategy for maximum impact. Learn how to align your communication efforts with organizational goals and build stronger relationships with your community.

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What does our nonprofit communications guide include?

What is nonprofit communication?

Types of nonprofit communications

Importance of communication for nonprofits

10 steps to develop a communication plan for a nonprofit

Best practices and strategies for nonprofit communications

Nonprofit communications plan template

Concluding thoughts on nonprofit communication

Nonprofit communications FAQs

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What is nonprofit communication?

Nonprofit communication is the strategic process of sharing information and building connections with supporters, donors, volunteers, and key stakeholders. It's the lifeblood of any organization, building understanding, encouraging involvement, and garnering support for the nonprofit's mission and initiatives.

With limited resources and staff, many organizations struggle to personalize their outreach. This results in generic emails and social media posts, leading to donor fatigue and disengaged volunteers.

These interactions shape how organizations draft documents, utilize social media, and create content. Common forms of nonprofit communication include:

• Thank you letters
• Annual reports
• Email updates
• Donation appeals
• Social media interactions

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Types of nonprofit communications

Effective nonprofit communication goes beyond simply sharing information; it ensures that messages are understood and acted upon. Organizations can employ various strategies to engage their supporters, tailoring their approach based on specific goals and desired outcomes.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for nonprofits to get their message out. It is about communicating a message by creating a narrative through testimonials from volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders.

Donation letters can have a compelling storytelling narrative to encourage supporters to contribute. Share stories on social media and websites as success stories and thank you letters to show gratitude.

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Marketing

Marketing communication is about creating and distributing content that inspires the target audiences to act. Clear communication is necessary to encourage supporters to:

• Donate to a cause
• Register to volunteer
• Subscribe to your newsletter
• Purchase raffle tickets
• Opt for recurring donations
• Register for a fundraiser

A key aspect of nonprofit marketing communication is brand identity, which goes beyond its name and logo. Create coherent communication around the organization's values and mission. Don't forget to include a clear call to action in your marketing communications.

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Fundraising

Fundraising communication is the strategic approach nonprofits use to engage and inspire new and existing donors. It involves crafting tailored messages that resonate with different audience segments, introducing the mission and its impact to potential supporters while strengthening connections with long-term donors.

Nonprofits use email, social media, and direct mail to reach out, sharing impact stories and specific needs. These channels also inform donors about corporate giving programs, such as matching gifts, which helps maximize contributions.

Effective fundraising communication goes beyond asking for money. It tells compelling stories, demonstrates accountability, and illustrates how each contribution directly advances the organization's mission.

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Engagement

Engagement focuses on building and nurturing relationships beyond mere fundraising. It's about creating meaningful connections with supporters through ongoing dialogue and interaction. This strategy involves personalized outreach, segmented messaging, and consistent touchpoints to keep stakeholders informed and involved.

Effective engagement communication shares impact stories, volunteer opportunities, and behind-the-scenes insights. It encourages two-way communication, inviting feedback and participation from your supporters. By fostering a sense of community and shared purpose, your nonprofit can transform casual supporters into passionate advocates.

Use strategies such as email marketing, social media, and events to maintain regular contact. You should also share newsletters, impact reports, and compelling narratives that demonstrate your nonprofit's ongoing work and achievements.

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Importance of communication for nonprofits

People who feel a genuine connection are more likely to stay involved with the organization. Here are some key reasons why you require an effective nonprofit communication strategy: 

• Mission awareness: Clear, compelling communication broadens your mission's reach, attracting more supporters and resources
• Financial support: Impactful storytelling and transparent reporting inspire financial support and long-term donor loyalty
• Volunteer engagement: Effective communication attracts, retains, and motivates volunteers by connecting their efforts to tangible outcomes
• Stakeholder collaboration: Open channels encourage efficient teamwork, align efforts, and drive organizational goals
• Informed decision-making: Robust communication facilitates data sharing and diverse input, leading to better strategic choices
• Impact reporting: Clearly communicated outcomes demonstrate your nonprofit's value, reinforcing supporter trust and encouraging continued involvement
• Crisis management: Strong communication infrastructure helps tackle challenges, maintaining stakeholder confidence during difficult times
• Community building: Regular, meaningful engagement creates a supportive network around your cause, amplifying your impact

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10 steps to develop a communication plan for a nonprofit

1. Audit the current status
2. Set goals and objectives 
3. Build a brand identity
4. Know and define your target audience
5. Define your message
6. Choose the right platforms/channels
7. Plan your budget
8. Formulate the plan
9. Create a calendar
10. Measure and analyze

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Step 1: Audit the current status

Developing an effective plan first requires understanding your current communication strategy. You must assess every communication channel and how teams interact within and outside the organization.

This review will give cues on what worked for the organization and what didn’t. Check past interactions on each channel to see how you communicate and identify if there are some gaps you can fill.

Analyze the consistency in the interactions and whether they align with your organization’s mission.

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Step 2: Set goals and objectives 

State clear goals and objectives for the new communication plan. Your goals must define the directions and priorities of your communication efforts. 

Clear and understandable goals are essential to foster team alignment and boost motivation. They should focus on outcomes such as increasing corporate partnership funding and boosting online community engagement.

Consider using SMART goal-setting to ensure your objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

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Step 3: Build a brand identity

Branding elements make your nonprofit more recognizable and create a visual identity. Consistency in these elements builds familiarity and helps your audience remember your brand.

Your branding elements can include:

• Logo
• Name
• Tagline
• Color palette 
• Fonts and images

Create a style guide and regularly update it to ensure that your brand identity remains aligned with evolving trends. This will help everyone on the team align their interactions and maintain a consistent tone. 

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Step 4: Know and define your target audience

Understanding who you're communicating with is crucial for an effective nonprofit communications plan.

Start by identifying your key stakeholders - donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and community partners. Then, segment these groups based on factors like engagement level, giving history, or specific interests.

Create detailed audience personas for each segment, considering demographics, motivations, and preferred communication channels. This in-depth understanding allows you to tailor your messaging and choose the most effective platforms for each group.

Remember, your audience isn't static. Regularly review and update your segments to ensure your communications remain relevant and impactful. By speaking directly to each group's interests and needs, you'll increase engagement and support for your nonprofit's mission.

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Step 5: Define your message

Your communication message should align with the target audience and the objectives of your nonprofit. 

Identify the core message about your mission that you want to convey to your supporters. Ensure that your organization’s messaging contributes to effective storytelling. Your message should be simple, easy to understand, and consistent. 

Your message should also be kind and not overreaching. Avoid using any words or phrases that can mislead the supporters. 

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Step 6: Choose the right platforms/channels

Email, social media posts, and direct mail are some of the preferred communication methods nonprofits can use to reach their target audiences. 

Use social media sites, especially Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. By connecting on these distinct platforms, you can build stronger relationships and distribute the right message to the right audience group.

Nonprofits can boost their communication efforts through different tools and make the most of limited resources:

• Google Analytics: A useful tool for monitoring website traffic, gaining insights about visitors, and measuring the success of social media and content marketing campaigns
• Canva: A tool to help you create eye-catching graphics, logos, reports, and other branding elements consistent with your brand identity
• Asana: Project management tool that streamlines task coordination, goal setting, and project timeline tracking
• Zeffy: A 100% free fundraising software to send emails and update your supporters without spending a dime on platform or transaction fees

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Step 7: Plan your budget

Allocate your budget carefully to select the most effective communication channels and platforms, especially crucial for nonprofits with limited marketing resources.

Whether you want to plan a fundraiser or dedicate your resources to creating an email newsletter, ensure that you include budget notes in your communication plan. Consider how many resources you will require to print materials, design, advertise, and hire outside help. 

Involve key stakeholders in the budget discussion to use their expertise and ensure alignment with organizational goals. 

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Step 8: Formulate the plan

Put all the points together and create an actionable communication strategy. 

Delegate specific roles and responsibilities to team members involved in communication activities. You can also use a nonprofit communications plan template to compose clear instructions to deliver key messages. 

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Step 9: Create a calendar

Create a calendar for your communication activities to bring your nonprofit communication plan to life. Try building a short-term plan, such as 30 - 90 days, to make it more manageable. Create your next 90-day plan before the first one ends to help maintain a smooth flow of information sharing.

Include campaign dates, important program dates, organization activity dates, and holidays. Many nonprofits create the plan using communication tools such as Asana, Trello, or Excel.

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Step 10: Measure and analyze

The goals and objectives you set at the start of the nonprofit communications plan will guide you to the right metrics.

For example, monitor your social media metrics regularly throughout your six-month campaign to grow your following by 30%, making adjustments as needed to stay on track.

Using a powerful CRM tool can help you track these metrics by automatically collecting and organizing data from various communication channels. It can generate customized reports, track engagement across platforms, and even suggest areas for improvement based on historical data.

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Best practices and strategies for nonprofit communications

Set SMART goals

Strategic goal setting helps create a tailored communication plan that aligns with your organization's unique needs and supports your efforts to reach and engage supporters effectively.

Apply the SMART framework to define your goals, ensuring they are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Think about the possible results you would like to get from better communications. You may need to reach a broader audience or want better coverage for your cause. Analyze these results and turn them into SMART goals.

For example, if your nonprofit wants to spread awareness about your mission in the local community using earned media (articles, radio, TV, etc.), a SMART goal could be:

Increase local community awareness by securing at least three earned media placements (one newspaper article, one radio interview, and one TV segment) highlighting our organization's mission within the next six months. This will result in a 20% increase in website traffic from local IP addresses.

This goal is:

• Specific: Defines the types and number of media placements
• Measurable: Specifies three placements and a 20% increase in local website traffic
• Achievable: Sets a realistic number of placements over six months
• Relevant: Directly relates to increasing local awareness
• Time-bound: Sets a 6-month timeframe

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Tell an impactful story

Tell an effective, engaging, and emotional story about the difference your organization makes. Studies show that people remember compelling stories 22 times more than facts. Here’s how you can include storytelling to improve your nonprofit’s communication strategy: 

• A healthcare-related nonprofit could feature testimonials of volunteers and the impact they create with their work
• Animal rescue shelters can ask pet parents who adopted animals from the shelter about the difference it made in their and their pets’ lives
• Instead of just presenting statistics about homelessness, a nonprofit can tell the story of a family who found stability and hope through the organization’s initiatives

Spend time in the communities you serve and listen to their experience to identify a compelling story. Use user-generated content from volunteers and supporters to find more relevant and authentic stories.

Focus on personal growth and transformation of people to inspire more people.

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Use visuals and impact data

Collect real images, videos, and impact data from missions you completed. Send donors thank you letters or updates to build a relationship, and ensure you document these donations with real images and data. 

Use social media posts to share these with your supporters and include them in the newsletters. Add elements specific to your organization to make the visuals unique and immediately recognizable. 

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Implement an omnichannel approach

A multi-channel strategy involves coordinating your message across various platforms, both digital and traditional, to create a seamless communication experience.

Digital channels like email, social media, and your website offer cost-effective ways to engage supporters frequently. For a more personal touch, complement these with targeted offline methods such as direct mail, events, or phone campaigns.

The key is to maintain consistency in your messaging while adapting the content to suit each platform's strengths. For example, use social media for quick updates and community building, email for more detailed information, and direct mail for personalized appeals.

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Benchmark peers or competitors to gain perspective

Benchmarking your peers or competitors allows you to learn from their successes and challenges. This ensures your communication strategies are relevant and resonate with the target audience.

Understand how they communicate and interact with their audience. You should also identify the channels they use and how they are telling stories.

Note: Remember that benchmarking is about gaining perspective, not copying. Use this information to inspire and form your own unique approach. The aim is to learn from others while maintaining your distinct identity and approach.

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Use metrics to track and improve communications

Include key performance indicators (KPIs) in your communication plan to understand its effectiveness.

Nonprofits can overlook metrics when they’re getting donations and reaching their goals. Analytics and data can offer insights to reframe your key messages and communications.

Tracking the performance of your communications strategies will help you identify gaps. Use these metrics to improve your communications and get the most out of your communications strategy.

Examples of relevant metrics include:

• Email open rates and click-through rates
• Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments)
• Website traffic and time spent on page
• Donation conversion rates
• Volunteer sign-up rates
• Event attendance numbers
• Media mentions and press coverage
• Donor retention rates
• Growth in newsletter subscribers

By monitoring these metrics, you can gauge the effectiveness of your communication efforts and make data-driven decisions to enhance your strategies.

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Show gratitude and ask for feedback

Consistent appreciation reminds donors of the importance of your mission and keeps them involved with your work over time.

Getting feedback from your audience is just as crucial as it helps you learn what they like, what they expect, and how they feel about your organization. You can use this knowledge to improve your communication and strategies.

Here are various ways to ask for feedback:

• Send a survey about how they prefer to be contacted
• Include feedback cards with thank you letters
• Use social media polls for quick opinions
• Start a simple conversation via email or phone
• Put a feedback form on your website
• Do yearly surveys on donor satisfaction

Making your community an integral part of the process will increase engagement and improve donor retention.

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Download our nonprofit communications plan template

The following communication plan template offers the framework to ensure a clear, consistent, and effective flow of information within the organization.

Use this template to create an outline and tweak it to suit your nonprofit’s communication flow. 

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Concluding thoughts on nonprofit communication

A well-crafted communication plan is vital for nonprofit success, driving tangible results across your organization. It enhances donor retention, volunteer engagement, program effectiveness, and brand presence.

Strong communication strategies also improve crisis management and internal alignment. Effective communication is also about listening to your supporters and adapting to their needs.

By prioritizing clear, consistent, and targeted communication, you'll create a more resilient and impactful organization. As you implement these strategies, pick tools that streamline your efforts. Zeffy offers a 100% free platform for donor communication and management, allowing you to focus more resources on your mission. Zeffy doesn't charge any fees - all of your funds raised can go straight to your cause.

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Nonprofit communications FAQs