Community & Communications
Nonprofit organizations exist within a community for the benefit of a community. Those communities can be loosely defined. Some are geographic; others are not.
Nonprofit fundraising is based on appealing to a concern, interest, or care shared by a critical mass of people—a community. A nonprofit organization succeeds in raising funds from that community through conversation with it.
We can call it communications, marketing, public relations, or whatever we want, but a nonprofit that expects to successfully raise money with which to carry out its mission must speak with and listen to its communities. Support for a nonprofit grows out of a community’s belief in the mission of, knowledge and understanding of, and engagement with that nonprofit.
Articles about Community & Communications
Four Basic Nonprofit Website Disasters to Avoid
So much of fundraising is built upon public perception that it shocks me when an organization ignores the importance of self-presentation on its website. An organization’s website is the first place people go to learn about the organization. If the website doesn’t...
Would You Give Money to a Nonprofit That Isn’t Transparent?
I wouldn’t. At the very least, the basic elements that demand transparency from a nonprofit are: What are its mission, values, and vision. Who are the people who comprise its executive leadership. Who are its board members. What is in the most recent annual...
Developing a Communications Strategy For the Development Operation
If a nonprofit organization wants to maximize its contributed income it needs a coherent, executable development plan, and that plan must have a viable communications strategy. What we'll be talking about here is not an organization's overall communications strategy -...
Designing a Communications Plan to Enhance Your Fund-Raising Campaign
Don't Confuse a "Communications Plan" with a "Marketing Plan" A well-conceived communications plan will be essential to the success of your campaign, especially in the case of a broad-based effort that is directed to the general public. As components of this plan, the...