3 Messaging Mistakes Nonprofits Make and How to Avoid Them

The messaging and communication strategy that your nonprofit has matters. With the sheer number of nonprofits in the U.S. as well as the new ones that get created every single week, it’s unfortunately not uncommon for an organization’s message to blend into the noise. The way you describe your mission and tell your story has the potential to draw supporters in or scroll right past you. Yet even the most well-established organizations can stumble when it comes to crafting clear, compelling messaging.

Here are three common messaging mistakes nonprofits make, and some practical ways to avoid them.

1. Talking About Yourself Instead of Your Constituents

It’s easy for nonprofits to slip into messaging that emphasizes their own needs: “We need to raise $100,000 to fund our programs.” While that may be true, and while the program might be a good one, it doesn’t connect your donors with the people you serve. Donors give because they want to create an impact, not because your organization has a budget gap.

For better or for worse, donor typically don’t really care about your organization. They care about the people it serves. Frame your message around the needs of your constituents, not your organization. Instead of “We need funding to expand our services,” say “Children in our community need a safe place to go after school and you can help directly fill that gap.” This is a subtle shift, but you would be surprised at how many nonprofits only talk about their own needs (even unconsciously). This strategy keeps the focus on the mission and the emotional impact of the gift and the people at the heart of it in your case for support.

2. Getting Lost in Jargon

In the nonprofit world, it’s easy to rely on insider terms like “capacity building,” “strategic initiatives,” or “underserved populations.” While these may feel natural internally, they can distance or confuse your supporters who don’t live in the nonprofit world. If your appeal doesn’t make sense in plain English, it might be a sign to tweak some of the messaging you have around your appeals.

It’s tempting to try to sound very impressive to demonstrate your grasp of the issue, but there is a fine line between this and buzzword gumbo. If you find yourself reaching for jargon, ask: How would I explain this to a friend over coffee? Swap “underserved populations” for “people in our community who don’t have access to healthcare.” Clarity is going to benefit you many times over in this regard.

3. Failing to Create Urgency

Supporters may care about your mission, but without urgency, they’ll put off or forget giving altogether. Appeals that feel timeless or never ending often get postponed or put on the back burner indefinitely.

Build natural urgency into your message with a specific project or initiative as well as a deadline. This doesn’t mean to manufacture a crisis for the sake of getting more revenue, but rather tying your appeal to something time-sensitive: “Give before winter sets in so no family goes without heat this year” or “Help us reach our goal by June 30 to unlock a matching gift from one of our lead donors.” Deadlines and specific goals move people to act now.

Hopefully you agree that your mission is too important to be buried under flat or confusing messaging. By making donors the hero of a very well-told story will let you strengthen your connection with supporters which will cause the money to come.

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