Social media fundraising for nonprofits presents a huge opportunity to boost awareness, reach a wider audience and ultimately make a bigger impact on your mission. However, it’s hard to know which platform to use, what kind of content to share and how to maximize your campaigns to gain the most engagement.

Combine those questions with the ever-mysterious algorithms that change daily, and you can become lost in the noise, even for the most experienced marketing professionals.

Don’t let this keep you from leveraging social media in your nonprofit organization’s fundraising efforts. We’re here to help you get started. In this blog, we’ll show you:

• How to choose the right social platform for your nonprofit
• Real-world examples of online fundraising
• 20 social media fundraising ideas
• Best practices for seeing success

What is Social Media Fundraising?

You may think social media fundraising is the same as online fundraising. While social media is online (and giving online is the main way donors prefer to contribute), social media helps you reach more than just the visitors to your website. The world of digital communities can connect your mission to people across the globe – if your posts can grab their attention.

Social media fundraising, essentially, is when an organization utilizes online social platforms to raise money for its cause. This could be Facebook, LinkedIn or even TikTok. By sharing your fundraising goals, impactful stories and links to support, viewers of your content can easily contribute to your organization.

But why is social media so vital for online fundraising?

The actions taken on social platforms can be more impactful than just a monetary donation. Often, a supporter may not have the funds for a donation (although they want to help), and this is where the social aspect of social media comes into play. Sharing, liking, commenting and reposting your organization’s content gets you in front of a wider audience, reaching more people who resonate with your cause.

As we know, a larger audience = more awareness = increased donations.

How to Choose the Right Social Media Platform

Just as not every person has the same style or aesthetic, not every social media platform will be the best fit for your organization.

Here’s a quick glimpse at the most popular social media networks available:

• Facebook: A widely-used platform across generations, Facebook is a great host for event updates, images, longer-form text and easily shareable fundraising campaigns.
• X (previously Twitter): This platform is limited to 280 characters per tweet, so it’s best used for quick and timely updates or to keep an eye on what the media is up to in your area.
• Instagram: The land of the “influencer,” Instagram is perfect for impactful images, storytelling captions and live-streamed video updates.
• LinkedIn: A professional platform, LinkedIn is a helpful solution for discovering top talent for your nonprofit and connecting with high-impact corporate givers.
• YouTube: The classic video platform where long and short-form stories are told. This is a great platform to use for evergreen pieces of content and deep dives on your organization’s cause. They have a YouTube for Nonprofits program for eligible orgs.
• TikTok: A newer, video-based platform that’s widely used by teens, in which users record short video clips, consumed quicker and more easily than YouTube. Their TikTok for Good page lists various challenges that users have contributed to and nonprofits have received donations from.

Take your donor demographics into consideration when choosing your social media networks as well. You’ll want to choose a channel that the highest majority of your donors are using (or the donors you wish to reach). For example, consider Instagram or experiment with TikTok for a younger audience, and use Facebook for a more generation-spanning audience.

20 Social Media Fundraising Ideas for Your Nonprofit

Now, the part you’ve been waiting for: here are some ideas to get donations rolling in from your social networks.

1. “Why I Give” Donor Spotlight

Ask your previous donors to record a short video or write a brief testimony sharing why they give to your organization. Everybody’s “why” is different; seeing someone’s “why” can be a great motivator for others to support. This can either be posted directly on your nonprofit’s social account or on the donors’ accounts, then reposted on your official page.

2. Birthday Dedications

Instead of asking for gifts on your birthday, invite others to contribute to your nonprofit! Supporters will be able to easily share this on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

3. Virtual Auction

Using your social platform of choice, host an auction of donated items. This can be done live to spark excitement from supporters or on your regular newsfeed, allowing the bids to rise higher each day of the event.

4. Donation Stickers

Donation stickers are an easy-to-use tool in Instagram stories, TikTok livestreams and videos. When someone clicks on your sticker, they are directed to the donation page of your nonprofit organization, making it a simple, one-click donation.

5. Influencer Partnership

Influencer marketing is extremely popular in today’s advertising. Partner with someone who has a large following; they can spread the word about your fundraiser and the impact your organization makes.

6. “Sponsor a ____”

Focus on a specific need your organization has and make that the donation request of your followers. For example, “$40 covers the adoption cost of a cat at our shelter.” This provides supporters with a tangible example of the impact of their donation.

7. Daily Post Challenge

Encourage supporters to post daily on their social media networks for your cause. This could be a week-long challenge where you post a daily act of kindness inspired by your nonprofit’s mission. This raises awareness and helps you reach a wider audience. The more people who participate, the more it helps.

8. “Day in the Life”

Let one of your donors, volunteers or staff members take over the social account for the day and share what life is like for your nonprofit. It allows your followers to get behind-the-scenes and see an advocate of your org’s perspective.

9. Donor Appreciation

Showing gratitude is one of the most effective ways to enhance donor retention. Make this day of social media posts all about the donors and appreciating their contributions. Highlight the impact made, and it just might encourage others to follow suit.

10. “Mission in Action”

Similar to “a day in the life,” take your followers along and show them how their donations make a difference. For example, if your focus is on children’s education, you could share videos and photos of bringing books to a local classroom, allowing donors to be connected beyond their gift.

11. Virtual Talent Show

Livestream fundraising is always a hit and promotes engagement from your viewers. Ask your supporters to participate in a talent show streamed live on your social channel. Viewers can donate while they watch and vote for their favorite act.

12. Hashtag Challenge

Create a simple, photo-friendly action tied to your nonprofit (such as walking a mile, posting a pet adoption photo, or sharing a “volunteer moment”) and encourage participants to donate and tag friends using a branded hashtag. This could look like #WalkForWater #AdoptedAtAsheboro #CharlotteGiveBackChallenge.

13. “Then and Now” Impact Showcase

Share before-and-after photos that highlight how donations made a difference. This is especially impactful in a photo carousel where followers can easily swipe through and see the success.

14. Trending Audio and Photos

Particularly popular on TikTok, trending audio and corresponding dances gain a lot of traction. Utilize this for your organization and showcase your mission in a fun way to grab the attention of younger audiences.

15. Vote for the Cause

Use Instagram or Facebook polls to let your followers vote between two initiatives (“What should we fund next — playground or garden?”). At the end of this campaign, share which project won and how much was raised.

16. “Pass the Purpose”

Remember those chain emails where you had to forward the message to 5 other people for good luck? Pass the purpose works similarly, but it encourages followers to make a short video and share one reason they support your cause, then tag another person to do the same.

17. Instagram Story Templates

Make sharing your fundraiser easy for your donors with pre-made templates. Create ready-made Instagram Story templates with “I donated because…” or “Join me in supporting…”. Donors can repost this with their pictures, easily promoting your organization and adding some cohesion to the content.

18. Matching Gift Countdown

To build a sense of urgency and encourage action from donors, set a time limit for your fundraiser. When you pair this with a corporate partner or a major donor match, the results are even more impressive. For example, “Every dollar donated in the next 72 hours will be doubled!”

19. Milestone Donation

Celebrate a milestone (such as your anniversary or serving your 1,000th member) with a special campaign — “Help us reach $10,000 for 10 years of service.”

20. “Give it Up for Good”

Challenge your followers to give up one small daily expense (such as coffee, a streaming subscription or dinner out) for a short period and donate that money instead. Small expenses can really add up and help make a difference.

Read more: How to Promote a Fundraiser: Tips to Boost Awareness and Donations

4 Standout Social Media Fundraising Examples

#GivingTuesday (Ongoing Annual Campaign)

Platform: All! Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, you name it!

Everyone is inspired by GivingTuesday. The Global Day of Giving contributes to billions of dollars in donations every year, with over $18.5 billion raised since its inception in 2012.

Why it works:

GivingTuesday is universally recognized – you don’t have to be a specific organization to participate! Since there are already large numbers of charitable people looking to give, many nonprofits can leverage the momentum and find new supporters.

Betty White Challenge

Platform: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

This organic fan movement in 2022 raised over $12.7 million for animal shelters and rescues. In memory of Betty White, a lifelong animal advocate and beloved actress, individuals are encouraged to donate just $5 or their time to a rescue, carrying on her legacy.

Why it Works:

This social media campaign was easy for anyone to participate in by sharing posts with #BettyWhiteChallenge. This fundraiser showcased how empathy-based marketing has incredible potential to go viral – people love animals, and people loved Betty White. Plus, this gave opportunities for donation matching, amplifying the impact for animal shelters all over.

St. Jude PLAY LIVE (Annual)

Platform: Twitch, YouTube Gaming, TikTok Live

Gaming is a tried-and-true pastime for many individuals; combining charity with nonprofit fundraising was a no-brainer. Since its launch, they’ve raised over $45 million for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Why it works:

Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular. By connecting fundraising with gamers and live streaming, nonprofits are reaching an audience they may never have with traditional fundraisers. Bonus, many of these streaming platforms have easy-to-use fundraising tools and overlays like donation stickers, buttons, leaderboards and milestones to encourage donor engagement.

#TeamSeas

Platform: YouTube, Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram

Already viral YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober came together with the goal of removing 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean. Partnered with The Ocean Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy, they raised over $34 million, with more than 400,000 creators contributing.

Why it works:

This online fundraising campaign gave supporters a clear and measurable goal, equating $1 donation to 1 pound of trash removed. They utilized their massive online community and video storytelling to gain viral traction across multiple social platforms. Plus, their donation page is incredibly engaging with tons of video content and leaderboards that highlight “most trash” and “top teams”

Best Practices for Social Media Fundraising

Ultimately, when it comes to fundraising on social media, you might not go “viral,” but these tips we’re about to share will put you in the best position possible.

Use Storytelling to Turn Followers into Donors

Storytelling is one of the main pillars when it comes to fundraising. People need to have an emotional connection to your cause in order to donate their hard-earned money. The stronger that connection is, the easier it is to encourage supporters to back your mission.

Emotions drive decision-making. The more compelling a story you tell about your nonprofit’s goals, the more likely someone will want to act. Are you sharing the joy your organization brings? Are you rallying supporters to solve an injustice in your community? Is there a heartbreaking situation that you can fix with the help of donors? Figure out how to relate to your followers in a way that motivates their personal giving.

Keep in mind that your story needs to be authentic to your mission; you’ll risk losing credibility and supporters by overexaggerating or putting on a facade.

Read more: Mission to Messaging: The 2025 Nonprofit Branding Playbook

Effective nonprofit storytelling also inspires others. In the great examples we shared above, the factor that made them so successful was the sense of shared purpose. When posting on social media about your fundraising goals, it’s important to highlight the impact each and every person has made. Even if someone can’t contribute monetarily, their efforts are still felt through actions like sharing on Instagram stories or texting the donation link to friends.

Encourage Your Supporters to Spread the Word

One of social media’s biggest uses in fundraising is that you can engage donors to work on your behalf.

These options amplify your campaign’s fundraising ability while also exposing you to potential supporters you may not have reached otherwise. Here are a few examples:

• Viral Challenge Videos: Create a viral video challenge (such as the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge”) and encourage supporters to participate and post evidence on social media. Like a phone tree, participants take the message to their greater networks — spreading your cause and encouraging more donations.
• Brand Ambassadors: Appoint your most passionate supporters (maybe those with significant social network followings) as brand ambassadors. This can also be considered influencer marketing. Incentivize them to spread the word about your organization on their own profiles with nonprofit merch and experiences. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s YouTube channel and their Start Something web series.
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Many of the examples we’ve shared today are peer-to-peer fundraising, but encouraging your supporters to set up a dedicated page on your website is a step you won’t want to miss. On this page, they share their story and why they are a champion of your organization. This allows them to easily highlight their experience in their own words, then post it on their socials and collect donations on your behalf. For example, check out the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life peer-to-peer advocacy page.
• Crowdfunding: Create a crowdfunding campaign and encourage supporters to share it on their personal social networks. Their friends and families donate directly to your campaign, so it’s a bit different than peer-to-peer fundraising. Think of crowdfunding as a single donation page with one story, and peer-to-peer as individual stories that are tied to the same cause. Check out these 3 great examples of crowdfunding success from GoFundMe.

Group fundraising ideas like these are incredibly impactful. Bringing together passionate individuals on your behalf makes it easy to raise more for your org and social media makes it even easier. It was practically made to rise to the challenge!

Blend Live Events with Digital Fundraising Moments

Some people criticize social media for causing the decline of in-person interactions, with instant messaging replacing spoken conversations and video sharing replacing live experiences.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way — instead, use social media to amplify in-person experiences.

Here’s how socials can boost attendance at your live events:

• Facebook Events Listing: Create an event-specific page that holds all of the important information surrounding your fundraising event. People can RSVP accordingly and easily share the page with their friends and family.
• Pledge Campaigns: If your event includes a challenge for attendees, such as a walk-a-thon or a 5K run, consider creating a pledge campaign. Attendees create personal pledge campaign pages in conjunction with your overall fundraising page and get pledged donations (gifts promised for a later date) to be collected once they complete the event.
• Live Video Sharing. Some may view this as a replacement for the live event — if you can stream it, why attend in person? However, for multi-day events, this can be the excitement that convinces people to join. Bonus: if you stream an event across the county, you might inspire donors from all over. Double bonus: if you record the event, you can upload it to your website and share clips on social platforms to gain more supporters for future fundraising efforts.

Read More: The Ultimate List of 40 Virtual Fundraiser Ideas for Your Nonprofit

Tip: Add a donate button to your organization’s Facebook or Instagram page, allowing supporters to give in the moment as they scroll through their newsfeed.

Track, Measure and Pivot as Needed

Social media provides a wealth of insights on what your donors like and dislike, based on how they interact with your nonprofit. If you’re not tracking these insights, you might be missing out.

Track these key performance indicators to get a better view of your online fundraising success:

• Web traffic statistics
  • Number of donors reaching your website from social media links
  • Organic search traffic
  • Direct traffic
• Follower demographics
  • Age
  • Location
  • Gender

This clear view of the audience your campaign reaches will allow you to perfect your social media strategies.

Use a nonprofit CRM to investigate your data and gain deeper insights. An effective CRM integrates all your systems (digital giving platform, website and social networks) into one database. If you notice a decline in traffic or donations, it’s time for a change in your marketing initiatives.

Try WildApricot free for 60 days!

It’s important for your fundraising software to make everything easier. From managing donations and analyzing donor data to simplifying the giving experience and automating messaging. WildApricot (that’s us!) is an all-in-one management software that can streamline your fundraising efforts. Here are a couple of highlights:

• Build donation pages with features like a fundraising thermometer
• Process payments and enable auto-pay for recurring donations
• Automate emails highlighting your fundraising campaign and initiatives
• Create and manage events with donation options upon registration

Start a 60-day free trial today and optimize your next fundraising campaign.

Keep the Connection Going After Your Campaign Ends

Even after using these strategies for your social media fundraising, your job isn’t done. It’s crucial to follow up with donors and participants in your campaign.

This could be thank-you posts showing impact, overall donations raised, the work you’re doing with the help of those gifts or even personal thank-you messages to supporters.

While social networks amplify the reach of your fundraiser and expose your organization to a wider audience, this doesn’t mean you can get lazy with gratitude. A casual social media donor now could become a lifelong supporter down the line, and the difference will be your gratitude and stewardship post-share.

Read more: Go Beyond the Thank You Note: Donor Recognition 101

Overall, remember these key factors when it comes to social media fundraising:

• Simplicity: Your fundraiser should be easy to participate in
• Emotion: Connect with supporters on a deeper level for the most impact
• Storytelling: Show people why they should care about your cause
• Appreciation: Say thank you and highlight the difference the supporters made
• Shareability: Visuals, hashtags and challenges spread fast

Trust us, you’ll see the difference it makes.

The post How to Boost Donations with Social Media Fundraising: Ideas, Examples and Best Practices appeared first on WildApricot.

You might think this is a simple concept, but telling your nonprofit’s story – the right way – is more complex than you may think.

What is Nonprofit Storytelling?

Nonprofit storytelling, at its core, is the stories your nonprofit shares to promote its mission and initiatives. But it’s more than just laying out the facts. Effective storytelling is filled with emotions and details – this is what brings the story to life – giving the reader something to connect to, something that is memorable.

Pulled from interviews and real-life experiences of volunteers, supporters, donors and recipients; the narrative your nonprofit shares should build an emotional connection. Emphasizing the impact you make and stressing the importance of continuing your work.

Why Does Storytelling Matter for Nonprofits?

Your nonprofit’s goal is to make a difference for your community or area of interest. Your mission is your purpose and storytelling is how you get others on board; how you encourage someone to become a supporter.

Storytelling is done across all channels of your nonprofit’s communication. From simple headers on your website and verbiage used in emails to the more complex content you share, like articles on social media and fundraising events you execute – storytelling is prevalent.

Connects Your Mission to Emotions

Have you ever seen a commercial or short video with emotional music in the background and powerful visuals? Did it tug on your heartstrings a little bit? You probably thought about it for the rest of the day. Perhaps you even donated or signed up to support their cause. Whether it was an ASPCA commercial asking you to help animals or a video about a child’s fight with cancer, you felt empathy.

Empathy is feeling with, as opposed to feeling for, which is sympathy. Empathy is the point the where the story is resonating on a deep level. Someone can relate to that story through life experience, emotional experience or something else. No matter what that point of relatability is, it makes the story memorable.

If you’re able to cultivate empathy through your storytelling, your message will have that much more impact. Our emotions drive our decision making, so connecting your mission’s story to an emotion – joy, sadness, fear, gratitude, guilt, pride, anger, interest, inspiration – you can increase someone’s investment in your cause.

Read more: Mission to Messaging: The 2025 Nonprofit Branding Playbook

Think of nonprofit storytelling as making a new friend or dating someone new. With each new story or experience you share, you reveal more about you, more about your passions and what makes you tick. The same thing goes for your nonprofit.

Every time your nonprofit shares an impact story, you’re sharing about your nonprofit’s purpose and what you do to make a difference. These stories build a relationship with your supporters. The more they hear about the work you do, the stronger that relationship becomes.

With a strong connection, supporters can advocate on your behalf and increase your reach. With an extensive network, imagine the impact your nonprofit organization can make!

Boosts Your Organization’s Credibility

Impact stories should be told from the perspective of your main character – the volunteer, donor, recipient or a supporter. This is what makes your cause credible.

Real people are sharing their experience from your efforts. After all, don’t you look up reviews from real people before buying something? The stories you share deliver a similar result – evidence that your organization is doing what you say.

Consider this storytelling technique: rather than “our nonprofit’s fundraising efforts benefitted Sarah and her family”, tell Sarah’s story with her experience. “Sarah and her family found housing and hope through our program.” Include direct quotes whenever possible. For example: Sarah shared “I can’t express how much gratitude I have for Habitat for Humanity. They’ve transformed my family’s life after the hurricane devastated our neighborhood.”

Inspires Others to Take Actions

No matter the story your nonprofit is telling, it should inspire others to act. Think of storytelling is a tactic for achieving a goal.

With the emotional impact intertwined throughout your narrative, you’re guiding your audience’s actions. This could be any action, like signing up to become a volunteer or donating to a fundraising campaign.

Effective storytelling will easily inspire your supporters and result in success of any of your marketing campaign initiatives.

Elements of Effective Nonprofit Storytelling

To be successful in your nonprofit’s storytelling, you need to have the proper story structure. Utilizing these elements in all of your impact stories will convey your message, inspire action and expand your nonprofit’s reach.

The Story’s Hero

Every good story has a protagonist – the hero of the tale. This will be the main character.

For the purpose of nonprofit storytelling this person can be:

• A volunteer
• A donor
• The beneficiary of your fundraising campaigns
• The recipient of your physical impact
• A staff member

Keep in mind the story could be written by the main character (first person) or by someone else (third person), but the message will always be focused solely on the hero’s journey and the impact they made/received.

A Clear Conflict or Problem

As every compelling story has, your main character must have a conflict or problem that must be solved.

When it comes to storytelling for nonprofits, the conflict can be something that is happening directly to the hero – like food insecurity, homelessness due to a natural disaster or health struggles due to cancer or illness.

The conflict can also happen to someone/something the hero cares deeply about. This could be situations where your hero is a volunteer or donor: people in positions of support who share their experience seeing the impact your nonprofit has made. A great example is animal welfare, the animals can’t speak for themselves about the problem of shelter or needing food, but volunteers speak on their behalf.

The Journey to Success

As the hero of your story encounters the conflict, great storytelling focuses on the journey. This is the how of your tale.

The journey of your nonprofit’s story should answer these questions:

• How did we succeed?
• How was your nonprofit involved?
• How did the help of donors, volunteers and supporters make it happen?

These answers will not only be the meat of your story, but also help motivate others. The impact made by your organization is done through the help of supporters and the reader of this story will be inspired to join.

Read more: How to Promote a Fundraiser: Tips to Boost Awareness and Donations

Your Nonprofit as the Guide

The guide of your nonprofit’s story will always be your nonprofit. Sometimes acting as the narrator, sharing your hero’s story; whereas other times your nonprofit will the the guiding light, support or tool that the hero will utilize to reach success.

Think of your nonprofit as the Yoda to Luke Skywalker’s story in Star Wars or Mufasa to Simba in the Lion King. If you’re into sports, your nonprofit is the coach and the team is the story’s hero.

Your nonprofit will provide things like the following to aid your protagonist:

• Opportunities: scholarships, internships, platforms to share their story
• Financial Support: grants, rent assistance, subsidized services
• Connections: support groups, training and workshops, networking or mentoring
• Events and Campaigns: fundraisers, donation drives, advocacy or awareness

Emotion-Driven Details and Visuals

The most important part of storytelling for nonprofits will be your emotional pacing. As you share about your main character, the struggles they have and how they found success with your nonprofit – emotion should be at the forefront.

To truly connect to your protagonist, the reader needs to feel for them and want to advocate for them. Part of your storytelling tools will be in the visual content you pair with your narrative. Photos and video clips can make the big difference between an effective story and a forgettable story.

We’ll share more examples of great nonprofit storytelling below, but here’s a fantastic case where video storytelling helped convey emotion, the hero’s success and the impact The Princess Margaret Ride to Conquer Cancer makes.

Authenticity

Everyone can appreciate a fictional narrative, but when it comes to nonprofit storytelling, this is not the place.

Any time your nonprofit shares the experience of those impacted by your work – it must be true and factual. This not only reinforces the trustworthiness of your organization, but the mission you’re hoping to achieve. Avoid over-exaggerating or putting on a facade when storytelling.

By combining your authenticity with emotion-driven details and visuals, your storytelling will be much more effective. Ultimately, you’ll raise more, widen your nonprofit’s reach and encourage others to join.

Takeaways and Call-to-Action

Sharing your stories is just the first step in making your mark on your mission. A successful nonprofit story will always call the reader to take another step. You’ve captured their attention and hopefully their hearts, now you make your ask.

The call-to-action (CTA) you include in your nonprofit story will do one of the following:

• Donate Now: ask for monetary gifts to reach a fundraising goal
• Share the Story: ask to repost or share the article to raise awareness
• Volunteer: be a part of our efforts and give your time/services
• Subscribe: stay in the know and become a regular supporter of the nonprofit

These CTAs could be a part of your email marketing campaigns, social media posts, impact reports, direct mail letters or even shared live during an event or meeting.

Read more: Why Your Nonprofit Email List Isn’t Working (and How to Fix It)

Nonprofit Storytelling Examples

Now that you have all the elements needed to successfully share a story, check out these standout examples of nonprofit storytelling.

charity : water

Between Heaven and Earth

In this “story from the field” discover how a teacher, Netra Bahadur Pulami, and the nonprofit, charity : water, changed the lives of students and families in rural Nepal.

This article is full of emotion, compelling visuals and truly tells the story of bringing clean water to make a major impact. Here’s a quote we loved, but check out the story yourself!

“As teachers like Netra began to emphasize the importance of health and hygiene for students, they started having more students to teach. Healthier kids meant fuller classrooms. “When I was little, there was no such thing as dreaming to be an engineer, teacher, or pilot.” Netra shared. “Because the environment didn’t nurture such kinds of ambition.””

World Wildlife Fund

In this article there is a a sense of urgency to the reader around restoring kelp forests. Our main character, Todd, and the nonprofit, World Wildlife Fund, share about Todd’s experience growing up in Maine and the abundance of seaweed. Now, with the kelp forests declining, he and WWF are taking action to combat this.

With the clear story structure and impactful facts about kelp and seaweed, the WWF delivers a compelling story to call the reader to support the science, take action and support conservation.

Doctors Without Borders

Sharing the story of multiple individuals in one piece really helps deliver your message. In this Doctors Without Borders blog, Faces of Resilience, you can learn about the experiences of Fatimah, Karimeh, Ovileya and Sakineh, refugees now living in greece.

With powerful imagery of each woman and direct quotes, you can really feel connected to their stories. The nonprofit, Doctors Without Borders, just sets the stage for them, allowing their experience to be heard.

Wrapping Up: Storytelling Techniques & Tips

Define the Goal of Your Story

When writing your story, think about what you want to achieve. Are you trying to raise money? Do you want more people to hear about your cause? Are you wanting to expand your email list or social media presence?

When you define your goal before the story is written, you can guide the narrative to that CTA. It might be helpful to have this goal in mind before you interview anyone you might quote. This will allow you to tell a story strategically and purposefully.

Make it Human

We’ve said it before, but we wanted to really emphasize the importance of humanity in nonprofit storytelling. These are real people, real experiences and real powerful results.

Clearly Structure the Story

Storytelling structure is crucial to delivering your message properly. Clearly set up your hero and their challenges, then introduce your nonprofit as the guide, celebrate the journey to success and prompt the reader to take a next step. Fill in the rest with compelling visuals and quotes; you’re sure to have an engaging and memorable nonprofit story.

Utilize Direct Quotes

Authenticity is important for your nonprofit when sharing a story, so direct quotes are a must! The real words from people who support or are positively impacted by your nonprofit are more powerful than anything. If you can, provide video testimonials in your articles so readers can see the person sharing their experience.

Support Your Story with Visuals

Visuals are arguably more memorable and influential when it comes to storytelling. They allow the reader to see people and places that have benefited from your nonprofit’s work, rather than just imagining it. Take pictures at volunteer sites, fundraising events and of the individuals you interview. But be sure to gain permission from anyone in your photos or videos!

Make it Easy to Share

At the end of the day your nonprofit’s story is one of many that exist online. Standing out is hard to do, but can be simple if you make a couple adjustments. To reach a wider audience, make your stories easy to share.

Integrate your blogs to your social media accounts and provide one-click links for readers to post on their accounts. Don’t forget to include them in your email campaigns, newsletters, annual reports and event communications.

Read more: The 10-Step Guide to Mastering Facebook for Your Nonprofit (In Just a Few Hours a Week)

Overall, nonprofit storytelling is just a way to share what your nonprofit does. Think about the next story you want to tell. Will it be your founding story? Your mission and vision story? Your most recent impact story? The opportunities are endless.

Now go forth and share!

The post Nonprofit Storytelling: Tips, Examples, and Building the Framework appeared first on WildApricot.

If your nonprofit isn’t on YouTube yet, this is a good time to start. Google runs a YouTube for Nonprofits program that gives eligible organizations extra tools. These include donation features, production resources and even free ad credits. The goal is simple: help nonprofits grow their audience and get results through video.

In this guide, we’ll explain how the YouTube Nonprofit Program works, why it matters and how to set it up step by step. We’ll also cover practical tips to make sure your content is compelling, shareable and worth your time.

What Is the YouTube Nonprofit Program?

The YouTube Nonprofit Program is a set of free tools and features designed specifically for eligible nonprofit organizations. It’s part of Google for Nonprofits and helps nonprofits use video to reach more people, raise funds and build trust with their community.

Once enrolled, your nonprofit gains access to benefits that regular channels don’t have. These include a “Donate” button right on your videos and channel, links to your website in video annotations and access to YouTube’s Creator Academy for training. You’ll also be able to run video ads using Google Ad Grants, which gives up to $10,000 per month in free advertising credit.

To join, your organization needs to be a registered nonprofit and meet Google’s eligibility requirements. Once you’re in, you can start building a stronger presence on YouTube with tools designed to support your mission.

Benefits of YouTube for Nonprofits

Video is one of the most effective ways to communicate online. Did you know individuals retain 95% of a message when watched via a video as opposed to only 10% retention in text? If you want your nonprofit’s voice heard, it sounds like video should be a part of your content strategy.

Specifically for nonprofits, YouTube offers a simple way to raise awareness, grow an audience and move people to action. The platform is built for storytelling, and that’s exactly what nonprofit organizations do best.

Education and Awareness

YouTube is a great platform to educate people about your cause. Whether you’re explaining an issue close to your mission, showing data or breaking down how your programs work, video helps people understand and remember. You can turn complex ideas into short clips, interviews or animations that make things clear. This builds credibility and helps your audience feel more connected to your mission.

Reach a Wider Audience

YouTube is the second most-visited website in the world. That means your content can go far beyond your existing supporters. A well-made video can show up in search results, be shared on social media or appear in recommendations. You don’t need a big ad budget to be seen. With consistent posting and smart use of titles and tags, your nonprofit can reach people who’ve never heard of you before.

Promotion for Events and Fundraisers

Videos are a strong way to build momentum before an event or campaign. You can post short promos, behind-the-scenes clips or interviews that explain why the event matters. Add clear details like the date, location and how to get involved. Share the video across email, social media and your website to get more visibility. It’s an easy way to spread the word and boost turnout or donations.

Showcase Your Impact

Supporters want to see the results, whether it be of their time or money, so utilize YouTube to show what your nonprofit has achieved: real stories, real people, real outcomes. A short recap video from a recent project or a thank-you message from someone you or your organization has helped goes a long way. It makes your work feel more tangible to your supporters and shows viewers that their support leads to actual change.

Volunteer, Donor and Staff Appreciation

YouTube is a simple way to express gratitude in a personal way. Create short videos that highlight a volunteer’s story, recognize a donor’s contribution or show appreciation for your staff. These don’t need to be fancy. Sincere messages or clips from events work well. Public recognition builds loyalty and encourages others to get involved. It also shows that your organization values people, not just outcomes.

Cost-Effective Marketing

For nonprofits with limited budgets, YouTube offers a lot of value. You don’t need expensive equipment to make a good video — just a phone, a mic and a clear message. Plus, being on YouTube is free, and the YouTube nonprofit program gives access to extra tools like donation features and ad credits through Google Ad Grants. That means you can reach more people without paying out of pocket.

How To Start YouTube for Nonprofits in 7 Steps

Getting started with YouTube doesn’t take a whole production team or a huge plan. You can build your presence step by step. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Create a Google for Nonprofits Account

To use YouTube’s nonprofit features, your organization first needs to be verified through Google for Nonprofits. Go to their homepage and follow these steps to apply. You’ll need to confirm that your group is a registered nonprofit. Keep in mind: government offices, hospitals and schools aren’t eligible.

Google uses TechSoup (or a local partner) for verification. If you don’t have a TechSoup account, you’ll need to create one and upload some basic documents. The review process usually takes 2 to 14 business days. Once approved, you’ll unlock access to YouTube’s nonprofit tools, plus other useful products like Google Workspace, Google Ad Grants and Google Maps, all designed to support your outreach and operations.

Step 2: Set Up Your Nonprofit’s YouTube Channel

After your Google for Nonprofits account is approved, set up a dedicated YouTube channel. If you already have one, review it to make sure it reflects your mission clearly and looks professional.

Create a Brand Account so multiple team members can manage the channel. Choose a name that matches your nonprofit’s branding. Add a profile image, banner and a short description explaining what your organization does.

In the “About” section, include your mission, website and contact info.

Step 3: Enroll in the YouTube for Nonprofits Program

Once your channel is set up the way you want to, go back to your Google for Nonprofits dashboard. Find YouTube under “Products,” click “Activate” and link your organization’s channel. Google will review the connection to make sure everything meets program guidelines.

Approval usually takes a few business days. Once you’re in, you’ll unlock channel features like donation buttons, call-to-action overlays and access to the YouTube Social Impact team. These tools help you guide viewers to take action, whether that’s donating, signing up for an event or visiting your website.

Make sure to keep your nonprofit channel active and up to date. If it’s empty or outdated, it could hold things up. Once you’re approved, the tools are available for you to use right away.

Step 4: Build YouTube Channel Structure

A clear channel layout helps people quickly find what they care about. It also makes your nonprofit look more organized and trustworthy. Start by creating playlists that group videos by topic, like volunteer stories, campaign updates or event recaps.

Use channel sections to display these playlists on your homepage. You can also feature a short intro video that explains your mission to new visitors. This helps people understand your work without needing to click around.

Keep thumbnails simple and consistent. Use short, clear titles that tell people what the video is about. Even with just a few videos, organizing your channel now will make it easier to grow later.

Step 5: Create Video Content for Your Nonprofit

You don’t need high-end equipment to make effective videos. A phone with decent resolution, a tripod and a clip-on mic are enough to get started. If lighting is an issue, record near a window or use a basic ring light.

Start with straightforward content: team updates, impact stories, volunteer interviews or thank-you messages. These don’t need to be long — 2 to 4 minutes is plenty. Keep your message clear and focused.

Edit using free tools like CapCut, DaVinci Resolve or iMovie. Add captions for accessibility and better engagement. Authenticity matters more than being perfect. The most important parts are that your audio is clear and your message comes through.

Step 6: Start Posting and Promoting

Once you’ve created a few videos, upload them to your channel. Try to post on a regular schedule, even if it’s just once a month. A simple calendar can help you keep track.

After each upload, share the video wherever you can. Ask your team and supporters to pass it along. The more eyes on your content, the more chances you have to grow your audience and support. Who knows, you might even go viral and have your message shared all around the globe!

Step 7: Utilize YouTube Studio Analytics and Adjust as Needed

YouTube Studio gives you insights into how your videos are doing. You’ll be able to see watch time, where viewers came from and when they stopped watching. This helps you figure out what’s working and what needs to change.

If people stop watching early on in your videos, try shortening your intros. If certain topics get more views, definitely make more of that kind of content. These kinds of small adjustments help you post smarter and connect better with your audience.

YouTube for Nonprofits: Best Practices

Once your channel is set up and you’ve started posting, the next step is making sure that your content actually resonates with your audience. Just posting videos isn’t enough. Your message has to land and your audience has to care, so that’s where strategy comes in.

Read more: The Social Media Playbook for Associations: Strategy, Software and Ideas for Success

Here are some tips to help your videos stand out:

Focus on Storytelling, Not Just Information

Facts are helpful, but people remember stories. Instead of just listing stats or reading a mission statement, show what your work looks like in real life. Interview someone your nonprofit has helped, capture a moment at a volunteer event or film a quick tour of a project site. Personal stories create emotional connection, and that’s what motivates people to give, volunteer or spread the word. Keep it human and keep it real.

Stand Out With SEO

Good titles, descriptions and tags help YouTube and Google understand your videos — and help people find your work. Use keywords in your title and naturally in your description to help the search engine push your video content. Add relevant tags so YouTube can surface your content in search or recommendation feeds. Include a transcript or captions to boost search visibility.

Read more: SEO for Nonprofits in 2025: A Practical Guide to Getting Found in Google, AI Tools, and Beyond

Prioritize Accessibility

Accessibility matters more than ever. Add clear captions or subtitles to every video. If you can, include audio descriptions or a transcript to enable viewers with visual or hearing impairments to engage fully. This guarantees your content is inclusive, improves search performance and helps more people connect with your nonprofit’s mission.

Include Calls-to-Action

Don’t assume viewers will know what to do next. Tell them. Ask them to subscribe, share the video, visit your website, donate or volunteer. Add clear links in the description and use YouTube’s tools like end screens or Link Anywhere cards to guide them. A strong call-to-action turns passive viewers into active supporters.

Consistently Post and Share Across Platforms

One video won’t build an audience, but consistent posting will. Keep a simple schedule and stick to it. Then share each video across your email list, newsletter, social media and website. The more places people see your content, the more likely they are to watch, follow and stay involved.

Enroll in the Google Ad Grants Program

Once you’re set up with Google for Nonprofits, apply for Google Ad Grants. It gives your nonprofit up to $10,000 per month in free search ads on Google. You can use this to drive traffic to your YouTube channel, promote specific videos or direct users to your donation page. It’s a powerful way to boost visibility without spending your own budget.

Utilize Budget-Friendly Tech Tools

You don’t need high-end gear to make solid content. Affordable tools like a phone tripod, clip-on mic and basic ring light can improve your YouTube video quality without much cost. As we said before, free software like Canva (for thumbnails) and CapCut or DaVinci Resolve (for editing) can help polish your videos. Focus on clear audio, steady shots and simple edits. Clean and consistent beats a fancy set of gear and an expensive studio.

Overall, the most important thing to remember about YouTube for nonprofits is your message. Be true to your mission, and your supporters will be there to spread the word, promote your initiatives and engage with your content.

If you’re looking to really build out your nonprofit marketing strategy, check out our other resources!

• The 10-Step Guide to Mastering Facebook for Your Nonprofit (In Just a Few Hours a Week)
• The Complete Guide to Marketing Automation for Nonprofits + Top Tools to Use
• The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Advertising
• The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing
• 15 Nonprofit Website Best Practices for Design, SEO and Engagement
• SEO for Nonprofits in 2025: A Practical Guide to Getting Found in Google, AI Tools, and Beyond
• The Ultimate Nonprofit Guide to Digital Marketing

The post YouTube for Nonprofits in 7 Steps: Benefits, Setup & Best Practices appeared first on WildApricot.

Or maybe you’re launching a brand-new nonprofit website?

Either way, you’ve come to the right place.

A well-designed, well-written website can amplify your nonprofit’s mission and inspire action. Whether your goal is attracting new donors, recruiting volunteers or educating your community, your website should work hard for you. These 15 nonprofit website best practices will help you create a site that connects, converts and communicates your message effectively.

To guide you through, we’ve outlined the most important strategies for website branding, copy, design, navigation and conversions. We’ve also included real nonprofit website examples to inspire your next redesign.

What Should a Nonprofit Website Include?

Before we dive into the best practices, keep these must-have features in mind. Every effective nonprofit website should offer:

• A clear mission statement and value proposition
• Consistent branding across pages
• Impact stories with real-world outcomes
• Easy-to-use donation forms
• Prominent calls to action
• A mobile-friendly, responsive layout
• Simple navigation and intuitive menus
• SEO-optimized content
• Integration with social media and email marketing
• Accessibility features for all users

Whether you’re building your site from scratch or updating an existing one, these elements form the foundation of your nonprofit’s digital presence.

1. Maintain a Consistent Brand

Your website is the first impression most people have of your nonprofit – does it represent you well?  Think of your website as the digital face of your organization. Is your nonprofit bright, colorful and casual with fun graphics? Or perhaps your branding is streamlined with a simple color palette and real photos to represent your mission. Regardless of the image your nonprofit shares with the world, this should be seen clearly and consistently on your website.

Think about it – if your nonprofit’s website looks outdated or inconsistent, visitors may question your credibility. You don’t want your home page and your donation page to look like two different organizations. A unified look and tone across every page helps users know what to expect, builds trust and reinforces your identity.

You’ll be able to narrow in even further on your nonprofit’s brand through the resources (like articles, videos and imagery) you share on your site. But, before diving into content, be sure to define the essentials:

• Develop a website style guide: this will include fonts, colors, image styles and logo rules
• Choose a voice and tone that matches your audience and stick to it
• Plan layout structure including headers, spacing, lists and visual hierarchy

Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Branding

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Acumen

Why we love it: Acumen’s site reflects a sleek, modern brand. Their use of bold pink and gray, uniform typography and stylized icons creates a cohesive visual experience across all pages. The video loop on the main page provides an eye-catching visual hook and creates an immediate impression of Acumen as a leader and changemaker.

Looking for more examples? Check out our curated list of the best nonprofit websites for inspiration.

2. Write Captivating Copy

How you choose to articulate your mission and services will make the difference between a new visitor staying on your site to learn more or exiting after a sentence or two.

When it comes to nonprofit website best practices, writing good web copy is more than just telling a compelling story. It’s clear, concise and centered around your audience. This is where your nonprofit’s voice and tone will really shine. Ask yourself, “If my nonprofit could speak, how would it sound?”

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you write your website’s copy:

• Know your primary audience and tailor copy to them
• Use simple, everyday language
• Avoid jargon, acronyms and vague program names
• Break text into headings, subheadings and bullet points

Nonprofit Website to Inspire: The Gates Foundation

Why we love it: The Gates Foundation leads with storytelling that feels personal, emotional and urgent. Instead of mission statements packed with jargon, they open with a first-person anecdote that invites the reader into their “why.” This human-centered approach builds trust and makes the cause feel tangible and real.

3. Show Your Organization’s Impact

You likely want to shout about your amazing programs and initiatives from the rooftops — but people are more likely to support your work when they can see its real-world impact. Instead of just describing your programs, illustrate their results.

Ways to demonstrate impact:

• Share success stories with names and photos
• Post short case studies with measurable outcomes
• Use stats or infographics to show reach and results

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA)

Why we love it: TWLOHA highlights their impact front and center on their homepage. By using data points and real stories, they prove their mission of how they support people in crisis.

Read More: The 50 Best Nonprofit Websites To Get You Inspired

4. Provide Clear Calls-To-Action

Your site should always lead visitors to the next step: how they can get involved and support your mission. That might be donating, becoming a member or signing up for an email list.

Whatever it is, your calls to action should be easy to find and easy to act on. Here are a few ways to promote calls-to-action, or CTAs, on your site:

• Place your primary CTA above the fold and in the navigation; it should be visible without having to scroll down the page
• Use engaging, action-oriented language like “Join Our Movement” rather than “Subscribe to Newsletter”
• Limit to one or two CTAs per page to avoid overwhelming your website visitors
• Highlight CTAs with color and spacing – don’t forget to make sure it’s accessible!

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Shofco

Why we love it: Shofco’s website design has a particularly clear call-to-action: donate. The donate button is easy to spot in both the navigation and footer. They also feature three clear engagement options right on the homepage.

5. Make Your Site Searchable (SEO)

When people are Googling services you provide, does your website come up? 75% of people don’t scroll past the first page of search results, so if you’re not showing up there for the terms you want to, you’re out of luck.

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps people discover your nonprofit through Google and other search engines. When done right, it increases traffic and visibility, allowing you to make a bigger impact for your mission.

Easy ways to improve SEO when building out your website:

• Create valuable, original content around your mission
• Keep content fresh by updating blogs and events
• Use relevant keywords in headers, titles and meta descriptions
• Promote your site through email, social media and events

Read More: SEO for Nonprofits in 2025: A Practical Guide to Getting Found in Google, AI Tools, and Beyond

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: DonorsChoose

Why we love it: DonorsChoose regularly updates their content and uses clear, keyword-friendly page titles. Their search visibility brings in major organic traffic.

6. Include a Blog on Your Website

We highly recommend adding a blog to your nonprofit website – it’s a great way to drive traffic, boost your SEO and provide you with resources to share via email and social media. Plus, a blog can establish your nonprofit as a thought leader in your industry.

Think of your nonprofit’s blog as the place for you to tell powerful stories, highlight your organization’s impact and spread the word about your mission. It can also give donors an inside look at your organization, helping them feel involved, understood and up to date.

Not sure what to write about? Here are some ideas for nonprofit blog posts to get you started:

• Impact or success stories from members, volunteers or clients
• Behind-the-scenes or in-the-field stories
• Feature partner organizations
• Highlight donors and volunteers
• Share industry news and insight
• Curate new resources from others in your industry
• Summarize research reports your organization may be working on
• Q&A with your CEO and expert staff

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Greenpeace USA

Why we love it: Greenpeace USA’s blog is a go-to source on all things environmental. They focus on breaking news and providing insight, making them an authority in their space. The blog is active, with posts on trending topics published weekly.

7. Use Compelling Visuals and Media

Now comes the fun part: choosing media for your website!  Did you know it takes a tenth of a second for the human brain to process visual information? This is 60,000 times faster than the time it takes to process text — meaning strong imagery grabs attention and communicates your mission faster than words alone.

Having a visually interesting website structure will give visitors a better user experience and, when done properly, result in higher engagement rates, a better ROI and effectively accentuate your mission.

Whether you’re using graphics, photos, videos or gifs, here are some tips for using media effectively on your nonprofit’s site:

• Use high-resolution images and videos
• Resize and compress files to maintain site speed
• Choose visuals that support your message
• Don’t overwhelm – leave plenty of white space between media and copy
• Get permission to feature real people

For more tips on what to include, visit our guide to top nonprofit website features.

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Rotary International

Why we love it: Rotary International’s website uses high-impact visuals throughout the site, including homepage video content and photo-rich program pages that feel immersive and engaging.

8. Create User-Friendly Navigation

Ever used a website that was so user-unfriendly you abandoned it, never to return? Even if there was useful information or content you were excited about? You don’t want that to happen to your nonprofit’s website.

Here’s a quick test you can do to see how easy your website is to use. Find someone who’s never been to your website before and ask them to sign up for a membership. Watch to see if it takes them more than three clicks.

If it does, that’s a problem. Many visitors leave a website when they can’t quickly locate the information they need. Your website structure should be easy to use and navigate, no matter where a visitor lands.

Tips for intuitive navigation:

• Use standard labels like About, Programs and Contact
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations
• Keep menus short and organized with dropdowns as needed
• Make sure each page links back to others logically

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Public Health Solutions

Why we love it: Despite offering a wide range of services, the Public Health Solutions menu is clean and logical, helping users find what they need quickly.

Read More: The Complete Guide to Choosing a Nonprofit CMS

9. Make Donating Online Easy

Of all your website goals, we bet increasing online donations tops the list. In today’s tech-savvy world, you can buy a new outfit straight from Instagram and book a spa vacation right on your mobile device – in virtually no time at all. Your website users will expect the donation process to be just as smooth and seamless.

A complicated donation process can discourage even your most motivated supporters. From slow-loading pages to error messages upon payment processing, there’s a lot that can go wrong if your online donation form isn’t optimized. Here are a few ways to streamline giving:

• Make your donation page easy to find. This is an important call-to-action, so make it very visible in your navigation and homepage
• Place donate buttons in the top navigation bar and homepage
• Ask for minimal required fields (“first and last name” are essential, but maybe not “job title”)
• Offer preset gift amounts and recurring options
• Keep the donation process on your site if possible; redirections can lead to distrust, slow loading times and SEO issues

Read More:  7 Steps to Create a Successful Donation Website for Your Nonprofit + 8 Great Examples

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: charity: water

Why we love it: Giving simply does not get easier than charity: water’s donate page. The donation experience is fast, intuitive and integrated into their site. It’s easy to give without distractions or extra steps.

Read More: 12 Donation Website Templates + Examples to Inspire You

10. Simplify Your Forms

Your donation page isn’t the only place you’re collecting information from your website visitors—consider your forms for newsletter subscription, membership enrollment or event registrations. The simpler a form is to complete, the more likely people are to follow through.

No matter the type of form you have on your nonprofit’s site, follow these quick tips for designing user-friendly, but engaging forms:

• Use buttons instead of dropdowns
• Keep forms to a single column
• Minimize required fields
• Clearly show errors and confirmation messages
• Avoid filler text in the fields, which can lead to incorrect information
• Group the information you are requesting logically
• Automate a follow-up message and email confirmation to let users know their information went through

Read more: The Complete Guide to Marketing Automation for Nonprofits + Top Tools to Use

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Macao Design Award

Why we love it:  Macao Design Award’s website structure proves that forms don’t have to be boring for their design competition. They keep it simple and straightforward, while providing an interactive experience – who said forms can’t be fun?

11. Link Internally

When it comes to website best practices, internal linking should be a priority. Internal links guide users to other relevant pages on your site, without them having to look for it—like the donation page when reading about your upcoming fundraiser or additional volunteer articles when sharing impact stories.

These internal links enhance your SEO, simplify site navigation and provide an overall better user experience for your website visitors.

Tips for optimizing your nonprofit’s internal linking:

• Use descriptive links like “explore our programs” instead of “click here”
• Make sure the link description is clear and accurate
• Link related pages like blog posts about your nonprofit’s impact to donation pages or volunteer opportunities
• Use buttons for important links, especially on mobile devices

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: God’s Love We Deliver

Why we love it: When browsing God’s Love We Deliver’s website, visitors are frequently directed to more resources throughout the site. Their links are clear and logical, guiding visitors through services, programs and impact stories.

12. Make Sure Your Website Is Accessible

Accessibility ensures everyone can use your site, including those with disabilities, like a visual impairment. If your site is not accessible, you’re likely turning away potential donors and partners. The user experience is a crucial part of website design and many individuals utilize tools like a screen reader. Your website structure should take this into consideration to be fully inclusive.

This inclusivity demonstrates good social responsibility, but accessible websites also tend to rank higher with search engines like Google and Bing, allowing your nonprofit to reach a wider audience.

 Not quite sure what you can do to improve? Here are a few ways to optimize your website for accessibility:

• Add alt text to all images
• Include captions for videos
• Use clear, descriptive text for your links
• Avoid embedding text inside images
• Use high-contrast colors and readable fonts

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has a wealth of resources all about website accessibility standards. Check out their Accessibility Fundamentals to ensure you cover all your bases.

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: The Cram Foundation

Why we love it: The Cram Foundation site features strong contrast, clear fonts and large text sizes, offering a user-friendly experience for all visitors.

13. Be Sure Your Website Is Responsive

Are people visiting your site, but not staying long? A likely culprit is that your website isn’t where your visitors are—their phones. After all, 94% of nonprofit websites are optimized for mobile use. Your website should look fantastic, no matter what device or browser visitors use.

Updating your website mobile responsiveness in mind keeps users on your site longer. Visitors will have a better user experience with an easier time accessing information and signing up for events, no matter where they are. This also allows your supporters to act in the moment – whether it’s donating, registering or sharing on socials – without forgetting while on the drive home.

Keep these tips in mind when making a mobile-friendly website design:

• Use a responsive website builder or theme
• Test pages on phones, tablets and multiple browsers
• Ensure buttons and navigation work well on smaller screens

(PS: All WildApricot’s website templates are fully responsive! If you want to try it for yourself, start a free 60-day trial today.)

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Aging Ahead

Why we love it: The design of Aging Ahead’s website looks great no matter where visitors access it—desktop, tablet or mobile—with intuitive navigation and layout across devices.

14. Include Other Ways to Connect

While your website is your most important digital platform, it’s still vital to share your other communications platforms. Here are some stats to consider:

• 87% of nonprofits regularly use social media in their digital marketing and fundraising strategy
• Social media and email are the second and third most effective fundraising and communications channels.
• 52% of nonprofits reported working with social media influencers
• Mobile messaging (SMS) subscriber lists grew 8% in 2024

Here are some easy ways to promote your alternate channels on your nonprofit’s website:

• Add social media icons and email signup to your website footer
• Create a “Get Involved” page with ways to subscribe and follow
• Link to your social channels in blog posts and newsletters

Nonprofit Websites to Inspire: Human Rights Watch

Why we love it: The Human Rights Watch homepage footer includes email signup and social media links, making it easy to stay in touch.

15. Invest in Website Security

Now more than ever, your website must be secure. This is especially true if you’re collecting donor and member information. With 27% of nonprofits worldwide experiencing a cyberattack, it’s vital to take the time to safeguard your website. This will go a long way in maintaining trust with supporters and save you headaches in the long run.

To ensure your nonprofit’s website is following the best practices of modern cybersecurity, take these actions:

• Choose a reputable web hosting provider
• Use secure payment processing tools
• Keep your CMS, plugins and themes updated
• Assign unique logins for each team member

Not sure where to start? Read our guide on crafting a nonprofit privacy policy that protects your members and your mission.

A secure, user-friendly, mobile-optimized site is your nonprofit’s most powerful digital tool. If you follow the best practices we shared today, you’ll be able to create a site that inspires visitors to take action, support your mission and keep coming back.

Check Out WildApricot’s Website Builder

Ready to get your nonprofit set up with a professional-looking website PLUS a membership database to manage all your members’ needs? WildApricot is an all-in-one membership management software, built with nonprofits like you in mind. We know that your website isn’t just a homepage – it’s the center of your community. With web-builder features like:

• Drag-and-Drop Website Editor
• Gated Members-Only Pages and Content
• Online Store and Automated Payment Processing
• Professional, Mobile Responsive Website Templates
• Event Registration Forms with Integrated Calendars
• Online Discussion Forums, Blogs and Articles

You can create the website of your nonprofit’s dreams, no coding required!

Check out all of WildApricot’s features and discover how we can help your nonprofit simplify your operations and maximize your impact. Start your journey with a free 60-day trial here!

The post 15 Nonprofit Website Best Practices for Design, SEO and Engagement appeared first on WildApricot.

The short answer: Absolutely! But not in the way you might expect.

Modern SEO isn’t about tricks or algorithms. Today, it’s about connecting with real people. Whether it’s a donor looking to give, a volunteer searching for a cause or someone in need of your services, SEO helps them find you. 

This guide breaks it down, simplifying SEO tips for nonprofits in 2025. Spoiler alert: this includes how AI is reshaping search, the role of marketing automation and how your organization can show up and stand out online. We’ll share a few smart, manageable steps (no big budget or marketing team required).

Top Factors That Influence SEO for Nonprofits in 2025

Search engines today – whether traditional like Google or AI-based like ChatGPT – use hundreds of signals to determine which nonprofit pages are useful, trustworthy, and relevant. Here are the top-10 SEO factors that matter most to nonprofits.

1. Content Relevance & Search Intent

Your content and URLs should be super clear. For instance, when you create a new page on your website, it usually gives you a default URL, such as http://yourdomain/page-10. This isn’t easy to remember or share. But you can make it better by changing it to something descriptive, such as http://yourdomain/donate-today or http://yourdomain/volunteers-in-Chicago. This helps both visitors and search engines understand what your page is about – and get found more easily!

2. E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust

This matters a lot for nonprofits working in sensitive areas like health, finance, education or social justice. For example, Doctors Without Borders builds trust by showcasing the medical expertise of its staff, sharing transparent reports and highlighting partnerships with credible organizations. Demonstrating real experience and authority reassures donors and beneficiaries that your nonprofit is reliable and impactful.

3. User Engagement

Metrics like bounce rate, dwell time and click-through rate show whether your site is delivering value. If people stay on your pages, explore more content or take action (like donating or signing up), it’s a strong signal to search engines that your site is beneficial and trustworthy.

4. Mobile Optimization & Page Speed

Most visitors browse on mobile devices. A slow or clunky site not only frustrates users but also lowers your search rankings and damages trust. WildApricot’s mobile-friendly templates and drag-and-drop website editor make it easy to build a site that looks great on any device. Mobile experience matters for your members and supporters! 

5. Accessibility

Screen reader support, alt text, high-contrast design and simple navigation aren’t just ethical priorities – they now directly impact your site’s SEO. Search engines increasingly reward websites that provide a usable experience for all visitors. This means making it easy for users to find information and take action, while also performing well in search. Not sure where to start? W3C’s Accessibility Guidelines offer practical steps to make your site more inclusive and more discoverable.

6. Internal Linking

Linking related content throughout your site helps users explore more of your mission. But more than that, it helps search engines understand the structure and relevance of your pages. For example, if you run a youth mentorship program and have a blog post about volunteer impact, link it to your “Get Involved” page or a related success story. This not only improves SEO but keeps visitors engaged longer.

Example: The Nature Conservancy does this well – their articles frequently link to related projects, donation pages or educational resources, guiding readers deeper into their site and mission.

7. Backlinks from Reputable Sources

When credible websites link to your content, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. These backlinks can come from universities, news outlets, government websites or trusted partners.

Example: charity: water regularly earns backlinks through media coverage, partner campaigns and speaking engagements. 

Tip: Strengthen partnerships and pitch your impact stories to local news outlets or industry blogs (every earned link helps!).

8. Local & Cause-Specific Signals

Search engines prioritize local relevance. Optimizing for your location and nonprofit niche helps you show up in the right searches.

Example: Meals on Wheels local chapters optimize their sites with location-specific keywords and service details, helping community members find nearby programs quickly.

For actionable tips, check out Google’s guide on local SEO for nonprofits.

9. AI-Readiness

Clear, structured, factual content helps your organization show up in AI-generated summaries and answer boxes. This makes it even more critical for you to write clear, well-structured content.

For example, customers on WildApricot’s platform are able to organize their site’s content intuitively, making it easier for AI tools to pull accurate summaries and answer questions. 

As Judy Hale of Hale Associates shared after moving her nonprofit’s site to WildApricot:

“It’s easy for me to use – that’s huge. You want ease of use and the ability to quickly update or change your theme. To me, it should be a living, agile system.”

Whether you’re updating your site or building new content, usability and AI readiness – for you and your audience – matters more than ever.

10. Keyword Usage Still Matters

Keywords remain essential, but only when used naturally within content that genuinely helps. Aim for clear, relevant pages without the pressure to stuff keywords awkwardly. By focusing on meaningful, member-focused messaging, you’ll improve your SEO while creating a site that reflects your mission and connects with your community.

What SEO Really Means for Nonprofits

At its core, SEO is about discoverability. It’s the practice of creating and organizing content so that your audience – whether local, global or niche – can find what they need.

Why It’s Especially Valuable for Nonprofits:

• Organic traffic is free (and sustainable)
• SEO builds trust (visible = credible)
• It scales (a single blog post can attract visitors for years)
• It complements your fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and program visibility

Content Strategy Is the Heart of SEO

If you want to rank in 2025, focus less on keywords and more on usefulness. Great content answers questions, solves problems, and shows real-world experience.

Content ideas that work for nonprofits:

• Volunteer and donor FAQs
• How-to guides (“How to organize a food drive”)
• Impact stories with visuals
• Community updates
• Resource lists
• Local service landing pages
• Answers to questions you hear every day

Tip: Use headings and bullet points to make it easy to skim. Humans and search engines love clarity.

Optimizing for AI & LLM-Based Search

Chatbots, smart assistants and AI search tools are rapidly changing how people find your information. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and platforms like ChatGPT quote from well-structured websites (here are several templates and examples for a little creative inspiration).

Use these tips to make your site’s content AI-friendly:

• Write clear, factual answers in 1–3 sentence blocks
• Use FAQs and list formats
• Avoid jargon; speak plainly
• Label sections clearly with headings
• Publish content under real authors with bios

Why it matters: When someone asks ChatGPT or Google AI “How can I volunteer in [city]?” your organization’s website can be the top answer. So make sure your content is structured correctly.

Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly and Accessible

Nonprofits serve diverse communities, so your website should reflect that.

Here are some key tips:

• Use responsive design (works on all screen sizes)
• Include alt text for images
• Keep menus and navigation simple
• Use high-contrast colors and readable fonts
• Ensure fast load times

Accessibility isn’t optional – it impacts user experience, legal compliance, and SEO rankings.

Keyword Usage: Smart, Not Spammy

Yes, keywords still help. But today’s algorithms are more advanced. They understand context, synonyms, and related terms.

Where to use your keywords:

• Page title
• First 100 words
• Meta description
• Headings (H1, H2)
• Image alt text
• URL slug

Don’t: Repeat the keyword over and over.

Do: Use it naturally, and pair it with related phrases (e.g. “food donation,” “hunger relief” “free meal programs”).

Internal Linking = Better Rankings + Better Experience

Internal links are underrated. They help:

• Keep visitors on your site longer
• Share authority between pages
• Help Google map your content structure

Example: From a blog post or email series about food insecurity, link to your donation page or local service area landing page. 

Build Backlinks Without Being Spammy

You don’t need to be a PR agency to get good links.

Here are some easy link-building tips for nonprofits:

• Ask partners to link to your site
• List your organization in local directories
• Share your blog posts with community leaders
• Pitch helpful articles to local news sites
• Contribute guest posts or guides to aligned orgs

Backlinks are still one of Google’s most powerful ranking factors, especially when they come from credible sources.

Local SEO: Show Up for the Right People

Many nonprofits serve specific communities. Local SEO helps you get discovered in local searches like:

• “Shelters near me”
• “Volunteer opportunities in Chicago”
• “Youth mentoring nonprofit Atlanta”

Here are some easy local SEO tips for you to use:

• Create a Google Business Profile and keep it updated
• Use your city/state in titles and headings
• Include location-based FAQs and landing pages
• Encourage supporters to leave reviews

Avoid These Common SEO Mistakes

• Keyword stuffing
• Ignoring accessibility
• Writing vague or thin content
• Not optimizing for mobile
• Using outdated content or broken links
• Over-relying on social media traffic alone

Measure What Matters

SEO success isn’t just about pageviews. Make sure you’re tracking:

• Which pages bring in the most organic traffic
• How many people visit your donation/volunteer pages from search
• Bounce rate and time on page
• Which blog posts lead to newsletter signups

Final Thoughts: SEO That Fuels Your Mission

Effective SEO ensures the right people – whether donors, volunteers, journalists, policymakers or just those seeking help – can find you exactly when it matters most. That’s why thousands of nonprofits, clubs, charities, chambers, and associations trust WildApricot to power their websites and outreach. 

Ready to bring all of this advice to life? Start a free trial of the WildApricot platform. It’s designed to be search-engine friendly so that the content of your site will easily be read and indexed by search engine crawlers. Let’s get started!

The post SEO for Nonprofits in 2025: A Practical Guide to Getting Found in Google, AI Tools, and Beyond appeared first on WildApricot.

With over 4.5 billion email users worldwide (projected to reach 4.8 billion by 2027), inboxes are packed – and your message is just one of hundreds competing for attention. According to Harvard Business Review, professionals check their email 15 times a day on average. This means that your email is still a powerful way to engage supporters – but only if you can break through the noise.

If you’ve clicked on this article, you’re looking for some guidance. Chances are you’ve tried things like witty subject lines, heartfelt stories and even emojis (perhaps lots of emojis). Yet, your emails have low open rates and even lower click-through rates. 

No time to read the whole blog? Here are a few key changes that you should consider:

• Segmenting the audience into groups. Monthly donors, event attendees and volunteers don’t always need the same email. For example, send event reminders only to attendees and impact updates only to donors. Consider testing different content assets for new versus long-time supporters. I bet you’ll see an immediate difference.
• Personalizing beyond just the first name. Once you’ve segmented your emails, include location-specific stories and personalized calls-to-action, like CTAs that reflect past donations. These email marketing strategies sound small, but they help boost clicks.
• Running A/B tests on subject lines. Some people will respond better to specific verbiage. For example, you could test “You made a difference last month” versus “See the impact you created” – you might find that the second version’s open rates boost by nearly 15%, even though the sentiment is the same.

Ready to dive deeper and become an email marketing master?

Whether you’re just getting started or refining an existing approach, this guide walks you through proven best practices, key email types and smart platform choices to help your nonprofit’s emails stand out, get opened and drive results.

We’ll cover:

• 13 Tips for Email Marketing Best Practices
• The 6 Types of Nonprofit Emails to Send
• How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform for Your Nonprofit

Nonprofit Email Marketing Best Practices 

From growing your nonprofit email list to optimizing calls to action, we’ve got the 13 most effective nonprofit email marketing practices to cover. These are real-world strategies designed to help nonprofits like you improve email open rates, increase engagement and ultimately drive more mission-aligned actions from supporters.

At the end of this guide, you’ll know how to get better results from your email outreach and how to create emails your supporters actually want in their inboxes.

💡Tip 1: Actively Build Your Email List

Let’s start with your “send” list. You probably put a lot of time into crafting each email, so the last thing you want is to send it into the void (or just a handful of inboxes). That’s why a strong email strategy starts with growing a healthy, permission-based list (we’ll cover more on email laws later).

• Email growth tip: Promote your email sign-up via your website, donation thank-you pages, social media and even printed materials like QR codes at events to reach new supporters – no matter how they engage with your cause.
• Team role: Assign a dedicated staff member or team – often the communications or development manager – to maintain the list, ensure compliance and coordinate growth efforts.

Takeaway: More isn’t always better. But a well-targeted, actively managed email list is the backbone of nonprofit email success.

Read more: Why Your Nonprofit Email List Isn’t Working (and How to Fix It)

💡Tip 2: A/B Test Frequently

A/B testing goes beyond just subject lines. You can test the types of content, visuals and CTAs in your emails. By testing every aspect of the emails you send, you can improve open and conversion rates, yielding an average 42:1 ROI.

Monitor your supporters’ behavior and use these results to refine your strategy; what works this year might not work next year. Don’t be afraid to get creative and see what makes your audience smile (and open your emails).

💡Tip 3: Automate Smartly

Nonprofits using email automation experience 70.5% higher open rates and 152% higher click-through rates. Not only does automation yield a better ROI, but you’ll also save time and money. Working with smaller staff and tighter budgets means focusing staff time on building relationships with supporters, not sending emails.

Automate key sequences like:

• Welcome emails
• Membership dues reminders
• Event promotion
• Anniversary reminders
• Lapsed donor check-ins
• and more!

This will effortlessly keep your members engaged and your nonprofit at the forefront of their minds.

Read more: The Complete Guide to Marketing Automation for Nonprofits + Top Tools to Use

💡Tip 4: Clean Your List Regularly

While building your subscriber list is crucial, don’t forget to remove inactive subscribers. Email bounces hurt deliverability. An engaged list protects your reputation and ensures better inbox placement.

Did you know: 8 billion spam emails are sent in the US every day. You don’t want unengaged individuals in your mailing list to mark you as one of them!

💡 Tip 5: Design for Mobile First

Over 53% of nonprofit emails are opened on mobile devices, and non-optimized emails are 50% more likely to be deleted. Use responsive design, short paragraphs and finger-friendly CTAs for best results.

Many email tools provide a preview for desktop and mobile, be sure to check both before sending out your marketing communications.

💡 Tip 6: Include One Clear Call to Action (CTA)

When sending an email, there’s typically something you want the reader to accomplish. Whether your goal is for them to register for an event, donate to your fundraiser or read the latest content you published – a CTA will be somewhere in your email. Here are the top tips for the highest conversion calls-to-action:

• Emails with personalized CTAs see 202% more conversions
• CTAs surrounded by more white space can increase conversion rates by 232%
• Button-based CTAs can improve click-through rates by 32.12% as opposed to text-based CTAs
• An early CTA will perform better than later in the email – higher clicks are associated with the first paragraph

Overall, one action per email makes it easier for readers to know what to do next, and act on it.

Read more: Donation Button Best Practices: Make It A Must-Click and Raise More Funds!

💡Tip 7: Keep Content Concise

The best-performing nonprofit emails range between 50–200 words, depending on the type. Respect your reader’s time with short, impactful messaging.

Every once in a while, it’s fine to share a lengthy story or impactful message, like your annual letter to subscribers and supporters. But for the average email or newsletter, brevity will be your friend.

💡Tip 8: Know the Spam Laws That Apply to Your Audience

Make sure you’re following the law and in compliance with laws like:

• US: CAN-SPAM
• Canada: CASL
• EU: GDPR
• UK: PECR

All email addresses must be permission-based – either implied (as a donor or member) or explicit (via a form or opt-in). Implied consent applies when there’s an existing relationship, like a recent donation or volunteer work. Build and maintain your list ethically to avoid legal and reputational risks.

💡Tip 9: Personalize Beyond the First Name

If time allows, tailor messages based on donor history, preferences or location – not just first name – to boost relevance. 63% of nonprofits utilize personalization in their email marketing and personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened. It’s just one more tool you have in your repertoire to help your messaging stand out to your subscribers.

Don’t have time to personalize the email? That’s okay – even a personalized subject line can increase open rates by 26%, according to HubSpot. 

💡Tip 10: Segment Your Audience

Like personalization in your messaging, having segmented email lists yields a significant increase in click-through rates and overall engagement. According to Campaign Monitor, segmented campaigns generate up to 760% more revenue, with higher open and click rates. Customize messaging for lapsed donors, volunteers, prospects or monthly givers.

💡Tip 11: Send Automated Welcome Emails to New Members

According to Harvard Business Review, welcome emails have 202% higher open rates than typical emails and set the tone for engagement. Set up an automated welcome series to onboard new subscribers and reinforce your mission. (Bonus: Everyone wants to feel welcomed, so when you’re ready to dive deeper, consider these best practices for setting up the ultimate new member welcome packet.) 

💡Tip 12: Send with a Consistent Cadence

Set up a good schedule. Sending 1–2 emails per month keeps donors engaged without overwhelming them. Find – and then maintain – a steady rhythm tailored to your audience. If your subscribers are expecting a monthly email, don’t leave them hanging!

💡Tip 13: Track and Adapt Based on Metrics

Here are typical nonprofit email averages:

• Open rate: ~28.6%
• Click-through rate: ~3.3%
• Donation conversion rate: ~0.2%

Takeaway: Monitor your metrics, test continuously, and evolve your strategy – and don’t forget A/B testing!

💡 Bonus Tip: The 6 Core Cs of Nonprofit Email Marketing

If all else fails, following the 6 core Cs of email marketing will help your message make an impact. No matter your email, keep these in mind:

• Concise – short and sweet messaging
• Clarity – easy-to-understand verbiage
• Call-to-Action – guide the reader to the next step
• Consistency – stick to the schedule you set
• Credibility – maintain trust in your organization
• Compassion – keep your nonprofit’s mission at the forefront
• Compliance – follow the laws of email messaging

6 Great Types of Nonprofit Emails You Can Send

Now that you’ve optimized for deliverability and improved your email open rates, the next step is knowing what type of emails to send – and why.

The most effective nonprofit email campaigns align your content with your organization’s goals: whether you’re raising awareness, increasing donor engagement, driving advocacy or promoting fundraising campaigns.

Below are six essential types of nonprofit emails – used by successful organizations of all sizes across the U.S., Canada, the UK and beyond – that consistently deliver results. Each type serves a unique purpose in advancing your mission and fostering lasting relationships with supporters.

Nonprofit Email Content Ideas That Click 

#1: Newsletters: Update and Educate

There are many examples of amazing email newsletters. The key is to narrow down what you want to say and provide real value to your reader. Share your latest news, success stories, and resources to keep your audience informed and connected. Use simple, clean templates and make it easy to scan. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching shares a terrific newsletter archive, with a different theme each month. The writing is clear, educational, and speaks directly to the reader.

Read more: How to Write a Newsletter Your Members Will Actually Want to Read + 16 Ideas to Use in Your Next Email

#2: Appeals: Call to Donate

State exactly how donations make a difference. This helps drive fundraising by connecting on an emotional level. For example, WWF’s newsletter has a simple, clean design and an emotional request.

#3: Advocacy: Call to Act

Mobilize supporters with easy, meaningful actions like signing petitions, sharing campaigns, signing up for nonprofit webinars, or where to join local events. Provide options to engage based on their availability. This type of email amplifies your cause and creates much stronger community action. For example, NonprofitHR promotes an “on demand” webinar that readers can click to watch anytime – and still be involved. 

#4: Thank You: Show Appreciation & Impact

Express your sincere gratitude. This type of email from UNICEF is an example of an emotional, authentic thank-you. It is simple, yet it ensures their donors feel valued, keep giving, and spread the word.

Read more: How to Write The BEST Thank-You Letter for Donations (+ 3 Templates & Samples!)

#5: Share a Success Story

Tell personal stories about your nonprofit’s work. Use interviews and authentic photos. Everyone loves a success story, so use your mission to inspire continued support. The animal rescue nonprofit The Arrow Fund proves that sometimes, you don’t even need to write a lot to make an emotional impact. 

#6: Honor a Significant Day

Think about important dates or timely occasions, such as Volunteer Week, National Mental Health Awareness Month, or Earth Day, to connect your cause with broader movements. Sending an email tied to key dates that matter to your audience boosts relevance and shareability. 

For example, the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children sent this email two weeks before Giving Tuesday promoting holiday-themed gifts from its shop handmade by program beneficiaries. 

Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform for Your Nonprofit

In today’s digital landscape, email remains one of the most effective tools for nonprofits to engage supporters, mobilize volunteers, and drive donations. Finding the right email marketing platform can significantly impact your ability to scale your mission. In fact, email marketing yields an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. 

While there are many platforms available, each comes with its own strengths and limitations. Mailchimp – one of the earliest players in the space – may require add-ons for nonprofits needing integrated donor management or advanced automation. Constant Contact is another early player, with roots going back to 1995. While Constant Contact offers basic email tools and event features, it can feel limited for organizations with growing or complex needs. And while HubSpot is known for being powerful, it’s also complex and costly, which can be a barrier for smaller nonprofits or those with limited technical resources.

Ultimately, your nonprofit needs a platform that doesn’t make you juggle multiple systems. To save you time, look for solutions that streamline your email marketing and membership management in one place.

Here are our top 6 picks for the nonprofit industry:

1. WildApricot: Email & CRM Made Simple 

Yes, we have an email marketing platform!

WildApricot lets you easily manage your members and communications all in one place. From storing member information to creating professional, branded email campaigns, WildApricot provides tools to:

• Build emails from customizable, mobile-friendly templates
• Automate and schedule newsletters, event reminders, and e-blasts
• Segment contacts into lists such as members, donors, or event attendees

All of this helps you track member engagement and strengthen relationships without extra hassle.

When you integrate our email and contact database software with your membership management software, you will have tons of information on your subscribers⁠—including membership status, event registrations, and donations made.

WildApricot provides several professionally designed and mobile-friendly email templates, insights, automated email series, and even a mobile app so you can manage contacts on the go.

Our drag and drop interface also makes it quick and easy to send emails that look professional even for small organizations.

Here’s what it looks like:

2. MemberClicks: A CRM Built for Membership Growth

MemberClicks is a cloud-based CRM tailored for membership organizations like nonprofits and associations. It automates key tasks such as dues renewals and new member onboarding, while offering flexible email marketing features including:

• Designing mobile-responsive emails
• Automating renewal and event-related emails
• Tracking email interactions within member profiles

One happy MemberClicks user shared this testimonial:

“We now reach members in 120 countries – a 40% growth in membership! There are certain concerns with not being able to pay in U.S. Dollars, and MemberClicks gives us that ability to be flexible and work with our members.”

Both WildApricot and MemberClicks combine powerful email marketing with CRM and membership management capabilities. These platforms help nonprofits like yours build stronger relationships through targeted, automated campaigns and easy-to-use tools. 

3. Bonterra

Bonterra is more than an email marketing platform — it’s also a full-on CRM. Previously SalsaLabs, Bonterra is a robust one-stop-shop constituent engagement and management platform. Its email capabilities include mobile optimization, drag-and-drop editor, automated emails series, and A/B testing.

And remember when we said how important segmenting your audience is? Bonterra automatically adds contacts to new lists based on their behavior or activity.

4. MailChimp

You’ve definitely heard of this one! Mailchimp has a standard plan for up to 6,000 email sends and 500 contacts for only $20/month, which is great for small or just-starting-out organizations. MailChimp offers an easy drop-and-drag editor, insights, automation series, lead capture landing pages, and A/B testing.

What sets them apart is its capability to integrate with hundreds of other platforms and apps, like SalesForce, Canva, and Eventbrite. Audience segmentation is possible, but not as sophisticated or intuitive as other platforms. Our favorite paid feature is sending out emails at optimized times based on subscriber’s data.

5. Constant Contact

Rivaling MailChimp as a leading email marketing service, Constant Contact provides user-friendly mobile-optimized templates, list segmentation, insights, and lead-capture landing pages.

This service also allows you to build a mobile-responsive donation pages, and drag and drop donation action blocks into any email. Constant Contact has a free trial and nonprofit pricing.

6. Campaign Monitor

In addition to the basic easy to design mobile optimized templates, list segmentation, and insights, Campaign Monitor also has an incredibly useful spam tester. Our favorite feature is the dynamic content capabilities, which allow you to change text and images based on the subscriber – talk about personalized messaging! While Campaign Monitor does not have a free plan, it’s still an affordable email newsletter service for nonprofits since it has a pay per campaign plan and a basic plan at just $11/month.

There you have it: everything you need to get started and create a great email marketing strategy, or refine the one you’re already using.

Wrap-Up: Connection Matters 🫶

Nonprofit email marketing in 2025 isn’t just about hitting “send” anymore – in today’s crowded digital world, it’s about connecting authentically with your community. 

This guide has helped you learn smart, modern strategies to grow engagement. With a solid list, clear messaging, and a thoughtful cadence, your emails will cut through the clutter and inspire action.

Ready to craft emails that really get opened, clicked, and loved? Let’s make it happen.

The post The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing appeared first on WildApricot.

According to this NonProfit Tech for Good report, a whopping 96% of nonprofits use Facebook. But if you’re like most nonprofit pros, your time is already stretched thin. That’s why this guide breaks down exactly how much time you need to spend on each step – from setting up your page to creating compelling posts.

Yes, it’s possible to build and maintain an engaged, thriving Facebook community without it taking over your day.

And it’s a valuable use of your time: 48% of social media platform donors give on Facebook. That’s double the impact of Instagram (24%) and other platforms (at less than 10% each).

Whether your nonprofit is aiming to raise awareness locally or nationally, engage volunteers, or boost donations in your city or region, focusing your efforts on Facebook makes strategic sense. And here’s the truth: you’re much more likely to be successful with social media if you start with a strategy. According to Harvard Business Review, having a social media strategy is key. 

Plus, don’t forget that your Facebook page is just one piece of your nonprofit’s overall brand. We’ll dive into more of that below, but remember – a consistent, professional brand across your website and Facebook helps supporters recognize you instantly.

In this post, we’ll guide you through these essential Facebook steps, each with a realistic time estimate so you can plan your week effectively:

5 Reasons Your Nonprofit Needs Facebook In 2025

1. Facebook Is Where You’ll Find Your Donors

Approximately 48% of donors on social media give on Facebook – more than any other platform. Focusing here maximizes your fundraising potential.

2. It’s a Hub for Local Community Engagement

Whether you’re looking to recruit volunteers or raise awareness for local causes, Facebook groups and events connect you directly with your community.

3. Built-In Fundraising Tools

Facebook offers integrated fundraising features, making it easier than ever to collect donations without redirecting donors to another site.

4. Rich Storytelling Opportunities

With photos, videos and live streaming, you can show the impact of your work in real-time, building trust and emotional connection.

5. Cost-Effective Advertising Options

Facebook Ads allow you to target specific audiences by location, interests and more, even with a modest budget. This Facebook help article for nonprofits shows you exactly how to get started with Facebook and Instagram ads to increase awareness of your organization and raise funds for your cause.

⏰ The 10 Essential Facebook Steps for Your Nonprofit (and How Much of Your Time It Will Take)

1. Set Up Your Nonprofit Facebook Page (⏰ 1 Hour)

Your Facebook Page is often the first impression people get of your organization, so make it count! A well-crafted page can build credibility, attract new supporters, and reinforce your brand identity across all platforms.

Here’s what to include:

• Page Name: Use the full name of your organization so you’re easy to find.
• Category: Select “Nonprofit Organization” to help Facebook recommend your page to the right audience.
• Profile Photo: A logo is standard, but if you want a more personal touch, consider a photo that reflects your mission (e.g., animals, community faces or volunteers in action).
• Cover Photo: Use a high-quality image (851 x 315 pixels) that visually represents your work. Avoid text-heavy designs – let the image speak for itself.
• About Section: Write a compelling summary of your mission, what you do, and how people can get involved. Include your website, email and donation link.
• Call-to-Action Button: Choose something impactful, like “Donate,” “Sign Up” or “Learn More” to drive meaningful engagement.

✅ Sunny Tip: Keep your branding consistent across your website and Facebook to build trust and recognition. Get nonprofit branding tips here.

Read more: Write the BEST Nonprofit Mission Statement: 15 Examples + Free Template

2. Develop a Facebook Posting Strategy (⏰ 2 Hours)

Plan what you want to share (i.e., stories, event updates, volunteer spotlights, donation appeals etc.) and decide how often to post. Consistency is key.

If you have the budget for it, consider a social media scheduling tool. Dedicate an afternoon to setting up your entire posting schedule for the month; that way, you’ll never miss a post!

3. Use Facebook Live During Events (🎉 No Extra Time)

Never done a Facebook Live before? It’s not as stressful as you might think! Save this Primal Video YouTube tutorial to learn exactly how to do your first live video event – from using your camera/microphone, creating custom lists, to what to say when you’re actually live on camera (gulp!). 

Facebook Live Streaming (2025) – How To Go Live On Facebook Like A PRO!

Remember: Facebook Live is a free, high-impact way to stream fundraising events, volunteer days or program highlights live. It’s authentic, engaging and helps widen your reach.

4. Create Facebook Events (⏰ 15 Minutes)

Use the events feature to promote fundraisers, community meetings or special programs. Invite followers and encourage sharing. Be sure to share any upcoming events on your website and in your newsletter as well. Utilize every available marketing avenue to reach all your supporters.

5. Engage Your Community Regularly (🗓️ 30 Minutes per Week)

Reply to comments, thank donors publicly and join conversations in relevant Facebook groups. Set a weekly reminder on your calendar to hold you accountable and ensure it’s a part of your marketing maintenance.

6. Share Impact Stories and Testimonials (🗓️ 1 Hour per Week)

Show how donations and volunteers are making a difference. Visuals and personal stories resonate most. If you have the tools (and the editing skills), create videos of your nonprofit’s impact. Go behind the scenes on a volunteer shift, share the testimony of a community member you recently impacted or ask your members to send in their own videos with their experience.

Read more: How to Create a Member Spotlight (+ Sample Questions and Examples)

7. Utilize Facebook Fundraisers (⌚️ 3 Minutes to Enable)

Set up a Facebook fundraiser and encourage your supporters to do the same. If you’re already writing impact stories and testimonials (as in Step 6 above), make good use of your content in reels or stories to boost results:

• Reels: Use vertical video with sound on. Keep it short, relatable, and entertaining.
• Stories: Make the first frame pop and move quickly. Use native stickers, such as the donation sticker, to drive action.

8. Experiment with Facebook Ads (⏰ 1 Hour)

Create targeted ads to boost event attendance or donation campaigns. Start small, analyze the results and adjust accordingly. The tools you can use are constantly changing – including the use of AI and machine learning ad models – so stay up-to-date on the latest advertising best practices and how to leverage them across formats. 

9. Monitor and Analyze Your Page Insights (🗓️ 30 Minutes per Week)

It’s important to review your Facebook Page Insights. You only need about 30 minutes each week to regularly monitor insights. This way, you can see which posts get the most engagement. Once you know, use that data to refine your content strategy (across FB and your blog – more on that content strategy below!).

10. Collaborate with Influencers or Partners (🤷 Time May Vary)

You don’t have to grow your Facebook presence alone. Collaborating with like-minded organizations, community leaders or even local micro-influencers can help you expand your reach and credibility faster than going solo.

🔗 Here’s how to make it work:

• Identify natural partners: Think of nonprofits with a complementary mission, local businesses that support your cause or community leaders who share your values.
• Run joint campaigns: Co-host a Facebook Live, launch a shared awareness week or team up on a fundraiser. It’s a win-win for both parties.
• Cross-promote content: Share each other’s posts, tag partners in your content and celebrate their wins – it encourages reciprocal visibility.

Why Facebook Is a Vital Extension of Your Nonprofit Website and Brand Story

Your nonprofit’s website is your digital home base. It’s where visitors learn about your mission, programs, and impact. But today, a website alone isn’t enough to fully engage supporters or tell your story. Facebook acts as a powerful extension of your website and brand, amplifying your message and bringing your story to life in real time.

To maximize impact, curate content thoughtfully across both platforms:

• Blog updates: Share news about programs, volunteer opportunities and fundraising milestones on your website, then promote these posts on Facebook to drive traffic and deepen engagement.
• Educational resources: Host staff and volunteer training materials on your site, while Facebook groups foster ongoing conversations and peer support.
• Impact stories: Utilize your website for detailed reports and testimonials, and leverage Facebook to share compelling photos, videos, and live updates that foster emotional connections.
• Membership benefits: Outline the perks on your site and then establish a community on Facebook where members can interact and share ideas.

Consistency is key. Both platforms should offer connected, complementary experiences that move supporters from awareness to action.

Your nonprofit’s brand – your mission, values, and personality – is central. Your website showcases your:

• Logo and slogan
• Color palette and typography
• Imagery and visual style

These elements should be reflected on your Facebook page and posts to build recognition and trust. Use brand colors and fonts in graphics, share videos that reflect your spirit, and maintain an authentic voice across all communications.

Together, your website and Facebook are two sides of the same coin:

• Your website provides depth and resources
• Facebook offers immediacy, interaction, and social proof

When aligned, they create a powerful narrative that builds awareness, deepens relationships, and inspires action.

Read more: Mission to Messaging: The 2025 Nonprofit Branding Playbook

Final Thoughts

Focusing your nonprofit’s social media efforts on Facebook – where the majority of donors are active – saves you time and boosts your impact. By allocating just a few hours a week using the steps above, you’ll build a meaningful presence without burnout.

Remember, nonprofit social media success starts with a clear strategy. If you’re ready to take your nonprofit’s social media and overall online presence to the next level, start here, plan your time wisely, and watch your community grow.

Ready to Grow Your Nonprofit’s Reach?

Want more resources to streamline your nonprofit’s online presence and donor management? Start by registering for WildApricot’s 60-day free trial – and learn how to save time and boost donations with our all-in one membership management software.

Discover what WildApricot can do for your mission with features like:

• Membership database: store your member data all in one place, safely in the cloud
• Event management: grow your donor base and boost fundraising efforts
• Website builder: create your nonprofit website with easy-to-use templates
• eCommerce: build an online store and create non-dues revenue seamlessly
• Integrations: connect existing websites and social media accounts, build marketing workflows and manage your members

The post The 10-Step Guide to Mastering Facebook for Your Nonprofit (In Just a Few Hours a Week) appeared first on WildApricot.

Your important messages – whether it’s about fundraising, new volunteer opportunities, upcoming events or new member activities – should all be sent via email. But making sure your emails actually get opened and read by your supporters is something many nonprofit organizations struggle with. We know people are checking their emails, but are they reading yours?

If you feel like you’re just throwing emails into the void, it’s likely an issue with your email list. Have no fear, we have all the tips and tricks for ensuring your list is healthy and consistently growing. After all, the more people you can reach, the more awareness you can bring to your mission.

Ready to get started? Read on to level up your email marketing skills.

Why Building a Nonprofit Email List is Crucial

Every nonprofit organization has valuable information to share with its subscribers. However, with the average person receiving 121 emails per day, your messaging needs to resonate with your specific audience. If you fail to do this, then you’re spending valuable time crafting email communications to the wrong people. Resulting in revenue loss and missed opportunities to connect with real supporters.

Your mailing list should be curated from direct supporters of your organization. Whether this includes donors, volunteers, members, or individuals who subscribe to your newsletters but don’t fit into one of those categories. You should never send emails to addresses obtained in any other way, such as buying email lists.

With a personalized email list, your email campaigns will make a bigger impact. Think about it – if you are passionate about animal welfare, you may have subscribed to a local animal shelter’s email newsletter. In their quarterly email, they share about their fundraising goal and how it will help save 50 more animals, so you donate through their call-to-action button. This was a valuable email to you, and you are a valuable subscriber for the nonprofit. A win-win for each party. Whereas someone who doesn’t share the same passion wouldn’t donate, they probably would have sent the email straight to the trash.

Quality, Not Quantity

Many people assume the wider net you cast, the more fish you’ll catch. However, this isn’t always the case. You want your mailing list to work with your mission.. A massive list of random individuals can result in your emails being marked as spam, even if, every once in a while, you gain a new donor.

If marked as spam by too many addresses, your nonprofit organization’s reputation will suffer. Major email providers, such as Gmail and Outlook, will automatically mark all your communications as spam, placing them in folders like “Junk,” “Spam,” or “Other.”

Overall, a nonprofit email list curated of those who care about your cause makes a huge difference in your ROI. It’s better to have a list of 50 passionate subscribers who open and read your messaging than 500 who ignore you.

Finally, some data to back it up: Per The Nonprofit Email Report, the average nonprofit raised about $1.11 per email contact – with smaller nonprofits raising $6.15 as opposed to larger nonprofits (who have larger lists) raising only $0.88 per email contact.

Now that you know the importance of curating your nonprofit email list, let’s dive into our top 5 tips for growing your email list and best practices for nonprofit email marketing.

5 Tips for Growing Your Nonprofit Mailing List

Growing your email list won’t happen overnight; it’s important to go slow and steady – be the tortoise.

One of the best ways to achieve this is to focus on building relationships with supporters online and capitalizing on the momentum from events or fundraising campaigns.

1. Create Compelling Lead Magnets

Lead magnets, also known as “freebies,” are the things you offer people in exchange for their email address. I’m sure you’ve experienced these lead magnets in real life – I know that in college, I signed up for many newsletters for a free slice of pizza in the quad.

Some of the most common freebies you’ll see in the nonprofit industry are access to educational assets. Whether it’s a robust piece of content, such as an e-course, or a simple checklist, you can gate your virtual resources in exchange for email addresses. It’s essential to include a privacy policy statement when collecting email addresses and a clear opt-in/opt-out for marketing content.

In your lead magnet form, simply create a form with a newsletter opt-in checkbox like seen here:

Or include an automatic consent statement upon completion of your lead magnet form, seen here:

Types of Digital Lead Magnets

Here’s a list of online lead magnets to consider. Try testing a couple of different options for your supporters – you never know what will resonate with people!

1. A Case Study: Case studies can be inspirational giveaways for your audience, and they can position your organization in a great light, too.

2. A Toolkit: Put together a collection of useful resources that your subscribers would find interesting (like cheat sheets, blog posts, checklists, videos or ebooks).

3. A White Paper: One of the most popular ways nonprofits showcase their value to prospective members who visit their website.

4. An Online Course/Webinar: Currently offer educational sessions or webinars to members? Offer the recording as one of your lead magnets – easy to do if you’re already producing the content!

5. Access to a Live Q&A with You: Some nonprofits offer a monthly Q&A where audience members can ask questions that are on their minds. This type of open Q&A can be a great way to establish your authority and connect with your subscribers.

You can offer the live session to your new subscribers, and also send them recordings of previous Q&A sessions right after they sign up for your list.

6. A Cheat Sheet: Everyone wants to do things quickly! Is there a shortcut or “cheat” that your audience would find beneficial?

7. A Checklist: People love checklists. Offering a digital download that people can print out on their own is a great way to give options to those who prefer physical resources.

Pick an idea from your brainstormed list, create the “freebie,” and advertise it on your social media or website with an opt-in landing page or email subscription form. Track the results and see how your audience responds. When you find the right incentive for your audience, you’ll notice a spike in the number of subscribers you receive.

2. Leverage Your Social Media

It seems like everyone is on their phones, scrolling through their various social media platforms. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X or TikTok – millions of individuals consume content from all types of creators, organizations and businesses. And thanks to the abundance of the platforms’ algorithms, your nonprofit can be seen in someone’s newsfeed even if they’ve never heard of your organization before.

But the question is – how do you gain the favor of the all-powerful algorithm, and once you’re on someone’s radar, how can you get them to subscribe?

Valuable freebies, of course.

Share Valuable Content

As we mentioned before, there’s a ton of digital resources you can create and share with your audience to gain email subscribers. This content should align with your nonprofit organization’s industry and mission. For example, a nonprofit focused on childhood nutrition can offer an on-demand webinar of “Cooking Seasonally: How to Prepare a Fresh, Fully Balanced Meal in Every Season.”

Be sure to post on your social media channels whenever you have a new asset and include a link with a CTA for your email newsletter. Verbiage like “Be the first to know when we share new content – subscribe to our email list!”

Sunny Tip: Keep the balance but maintain consistency

It’s essential to have balance when it comes to your social media. No one wants to feel like they’re asked to input their email every time you share content through your social accounts. While you’re not necessarily selling anything to your followers, it can negatively impact your reputation if it seems like you only offer gated resources.

Posting consistently will also ensure that you pop up frequently in newsfeeds. Share your lead magnets, but also things like milestones of your org, behind-the-scenes photos and repost industry content to be active in your community.

3. Utilize Events for List Growth

Events are one of the easiest ways to add your offline supporters to your mailing lists. There are a couple of different ways you can drive subscriptions through fundraisers, volunteering opportunities, conferences, networking events and even your meetings! Not only will you get direct confirmation that these individuals want to be on your email list, but it’s likely they will be highly engaged and interact with your CTAs (calls-to-action).

Consider these methods for mailing list growth at events:

• Check box for subscribing to your nonprofit’s content upon filling out registration forms
• QR codes that link to your subscription page during educational sessions or webinars
• Email submission and subscription opt-in in exchange for raffle tickets or giveaways at your check-in table
• Include a newsletter opt-in in your event’s follow-up communications
• Bring contact forms to conferences for new connections to subscribe to your email communications

4. Optimize Your Landing Pages

Your website is one of the first impressions many people will have of your nonprofit organization. Chances are, if someone is perusing your website, they’re interested in your mission – utilize this opportunity to capture their contact info with a sign-up form.

Be strategic, though.

It’s fine to have a pop-up email subscription form on your home page or resources page, but website visitors shouldn’t be bombarded by an email form on every webpage. Remember, you want to reduce barriers to action, and annoying pop-ups can prevent new subscribers.

If you want to keep it super simple, include a “subscribe to our newsletter” CTA that rests in your website’s header. That way, it’s visible if website visitors are interested, but not as overpowering as a pop-up form.

Building an Effective Subscription Page

In addition to just a simple subscription form, you’ll want to create a designated landing page for joining your email list. This is the page where you’ll include:

• A great image or graphic that represents your organization’s email content
• A description of the types of content subscribers will receive in your nonprofit email newsletters
• The frequency of your email marketing – let people know if they can expect weekly, monthly or quarterly communications
• If you offer multiple newsletters, consider a checkbox for which emails subscribers want to opt-in to
• Bullet points rather than long paragraphs

This page should be focused on one thing, and one thing only: getting people to subscribe to your email list. Don’t overwhelm visitors with multiple CTAs to follow your social media, request donations, register for an event or sign up to be a volunteer.

5. Encourage Current Supporters

The biggest advocates of your organization will be your active supporters and subscribers. They’re the highest converters and are usually happy to share your nonprofit’s goings-on with others.

Simply ask them to use their network to expand your organization’s reach. You should tastefully ask your staff, board, volunteers, donors and others to post the link to your mailing list landing page anywhere and everywhere. They can put it in electronic signatures, online profiles, vacation responder emails and much more.

You can also build a simple email campaign that launches once or twice a year, asking existing supporters to share. Center the campaign around a milestone or major achievement of your nonprofit. This social proof could be: “Thanks to our 1,500 email subscribers who helped us raise $20K to build homes for those in need!” and include a CTA: “Stay in the loop to join us on our next community initiative.”

Nonprofit Email Marketing Best Practice: Email Hygiene

Now that you’ve collected addresses for your email list, there’s one more step you shouldn’t skip: making sure you keep your email list clean and healthy.

Otherwise, you might see an increase in hard bounces, which happens when an email returns to the sender because the recipient doesn’t exist. This hurts your sender reputation and can eventually lead to your account getting blacklisted. Besides, you might deal with low open rates, which also needs fixing to keep your list healthy.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Use an email verification service. This is the fastest way to check if an email is valid. Services like Snov.io or Hunter are easy to use but may differ depending on the features offered.

Some of them offer a freemium plan, which allows you to test the tools’ capabilities and verify a specific number of emails. For example, the services mentioned above offer up to 50-100 verifications per month. This should be enough if you’re just starting out with your email list.

2. Make it easy to opt-out. If you don’t include an unsubscribe link, your letters can be sent to a Spam folder, and ISPs may block or filter them. You can place it at the end of the email.

3. Remove inactive subscribers. Review your mailing list every six months to ensure accuracy and relevance. After all, why keep sending emails to people who are clearly not interested in your content? Some email services may automatically do this, like HubSpot. They have a check box “don’t send to unengaged contacts”, which makes it easy!

Track recipients who have not opened or clicked an email in a long time. You may try to re-engage them and regain their interest. But if this doesn’t work — don’t be afraid to say “bye”!

Growing and maintaining an effective nonprofit email list isn’t just about collecting as many email addresses as you can — it’s about building relationships with the community that supports your mission. From offering valuable lead magnets to optimizing your website and leveraging social media, your email marketing strategy should prioritize quality over quantity.

Remember, having a curated list of subscribers is one of your most powerful tools for making a difference. A healthy email list allows you to interact with those connected to your cause, increase donations, boost event attendance and share stories that inspire action.

Start small and be consistent, test what resonates with your audience and prioritize building genuine relationships.

The post Why Your Nonprofit Email List Isn’t Working (and How to Fix It) appeared first on WildApricot.

Imagine your nonprofit’s mission clearly shining through to anyone who looks your way, not just from your programs, but across your logo, messaging, social media, signage and emails. 

Your nonprofit’s brand plays a significant role: it builds trust, attracts the right supporters and showcases who you truly are to the world. 

If you’re looking for a complete nonprofit branding guide that helps you define your mission, clarify your message and roll out a consistent brand across every touchpoint, then you’re definitely in the right place! 

This guide shares six practical branding checkpoints to help you stay organized (and avoid being overwhelmed). You’ll also find standout nonprofit branding examples to inspire clarity, connection and purpose – so your organization can truly stand out. 

What Kind of Branding Journey Are You On? 

Before we dive in, ask yourself the following question and keep it in mind as you read along: 

Are you trying to build a nonprofit brand from scratch – or are you trying to clarify and strengthen what you already have? 

Emotional connection drives impact. Research shows that 76% of consumers are more likely to choose a brand they feel connected to over a competitor. For nonprofits, this means developing branding and marketing strategies that authentically tell your story and showcase real-life connections – think testimonials, case studies and heartfelt storytelling. Creating these bonds is key to turning awareness into lasting support. 

This guide will walk you through each step in the nonprofit branding journey. You’ll learn how to define your identity and roll it out across every touchpoint, with clear checkpoints along the way to ensure you’re making progress. 

So, let’s get started! 

Sunny Tip: Build a Brand Your Members and Attendees Trust 

When refining your nonprofit’s brand, start with your audience. Survey members and event attendees to gain insight into their expectations and perceptions. Be sure to keep loyal supporters involved during rebrands to maintain trust and minimize confusion. Look to peer organizations for inspiration, and utilize real success stories and infographics to clearly demonstrate your impact. A strong, relatable brand drives engagement and event turnout. 

🏁 Checkpoint 1: Define Your Brand’s Identity  

What does your nonprofit stand for? Before considering colors or fonts, it’s essential to understand your brand’s core identity. This is your foundation, and skipping it can lead to confusion. To truly connect, start by diving into the data you already have in past surveys, emails and your nonprofit CRM.

Ask yourself: 

• What do we want to be known for? 

• Who are we here to serve? 

• What do we believe in? 

• How do we want people to feel when they encounter us? 

Key Brand Elements to Define 

• Mission Statement – What are you doing and why? 

• Vision – What’s the long-term change you’re working toward? 

• Core Values – The beliefs that guide your actions. 

• Brand Personality – Choose 3–5 human adjectives (e.g., compassionate, bold, grassroots, optimistic). 

• Tone of Voice – Should your messaging feel formal, friendly, urgent, hopeful? 

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: You can clearly explain your nonprofit’s identity and core values in a sentence or two, and your team agrees. 

🏁  Checkpoint 2: Turn Strategy Into Visual Identity 

Once you’re clear on what you stand for, it’s time to bring your brand to life visually. Think of this as your look and feel. 

Visual Brand Elements to Design: 

• Logo – A simple, scalable design that feels aligned with your brand personality. Remember, this logo needs to look legible when large on a building or tiny in a pamphlet. 

• Color Palette – Select 3-5 consistent colors. Consider using psychology here: green suggests sustainability, blue builds trust, red signals urgency. 

• Typography – Pick 1-2 typefaces that are legible and versatile (especially on mobile). 

• Photography Style – High-impact images that match your tone. 

WildApricot Tip: A mood board can help you make decisions visually before investing in design. 

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: You have a logo, color palette, fonts and a consistent image style that supports your brand personality. 

🏁 Checkpoint 3: Craft Your Messaging Toolkit 

Now that your brand looks the part, it needs to sound the part too. Your messaging helps people understand what you do, why it matters, and how they can get involved. 

Build These Messaging Essentials: 

• Tagline – A short phrase that captures your essence. 

• Elevator Pitch – A two-sentence explanation of who you are and what you do. 

• Key Messages – The 3-5 most important ideas you want supporters to remember. 

• Calls-to-Action (CTAs) – Clear, compelling invitations to act: Donate Now; Sign Up Today; Click Here to Volunteer. 

Example: Instead of “We provide resources to underserved communities,” try “We help families get access to the food, housing and dignity they deserve.” 

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: You’ve got a short-and-sweet toolkit that your staff, board and volunteers can repeat – and it feels true to who your nonprofit is and the mission you’re trying to achieve.  

🏁  Checkpoint 4: Build Your Brand Guidelines 

Branding guidelines are a way to help everyone stay consistent. This is a vital step as your organization grows and multiple people create materials.  

Nonprofit Brand Guideline Should Include: 

• Your logo and how to use it (and how not to) 

• Color codes (HEX, RGB, CMYK) 

• Approved fonts and text styles 

• Sample tone and messaging 

• Image usage (filters, photography style, etc.) 

• Real examples of dos and don’ts 

Once you’ve written this out, save your brand guidelines in an easy-to-access format. A PDF or shared Google Doc works well. Here’s an example from the Red Cross, who summed up their branding guidelines in a one-page document that can be easily shared throughout the organization. 

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: Anyone on your team (or a new hire) can create branded content confidently and consistently without second-guessing! 

🏁  Checkpoint 5: Roll Out Your Brand Across Touchpoints 

Now it’s time to apply your new brand everywhere people interact with you – online and offline. This is where consistency turns into credibility.  

While you might start with updating your nonprofit’s website, don’t stop there.  

A strong nonprofit branding strategy should extend across all communication and marketing channels – from social media and emails to printed materials and event signage. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to reinforce your mission and make a lasting impression. 

Where to apply your brand: 

• Website – Start with your homepage; it’s often the first impression. 

• Social Media – Align profile images, post styles, hashtags and tone of voice. 

• Emails, SMS, and Newsletters – Use your voice, colors and fonts consistently. 

• Print Materials – Flyers, brochures, business cards and posters – ensure they reflect your updated brand. 

• Event Signage – Banners, tshirts, booths and swag should all reinforce your brand identity. 

Schedule an audit, too: Review each platform where your nonprofit has a presence. Ask yourself: 

• Are we still using any outdated logos, colors, or messaging? 

• Is our tone consistent across channels? 

• Do visuals and language reflect our current identity? 

Assign this task to a staff member or volunteer, or create a simple branding checklist to guide the review. 

Brand Communication in Action: Email and SMS

Here’s a real-world example of using a compelling, consistent brand voice to increase participation:  

Well-Read Mom, a nonprofit dedicated to helping busy moms connect through literature, uses WildApricot’s SMS tools to deliver key audio discussion prompts to members’ phones, even in offline locations. This mobile-first approach increased participation while staying true to their brand’s mission of simplicity and community.  

By giving members the option to receive either texts or emails based on preference, they boosted engagement. They saw 35% growth over several years. It’s a great reminder that when your brand voice is applied thoughtfully across communication channels, it builds trust and drives results. 

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: Your branding looks and sounds consistent across all digital and print channels – and your audience is engaging with it. 

🏁  Checkpoint 6: Keep Your Brand Healthy and Evolving 

Your brand isn’t static and should grow alongside your mission. Even the best nonprofit branding and social media for associations need occasional maintenance.

How to keep your brand relevant, trusted and consistent: 

• Run an annual brand audit: Review your website, social media, emails, and print materials. Are your visuals up to date? Is your nonprofit marketing plan still resonating with your audience? 

• Gather audience feedback: Use surveys, interviews or even informal conversations with donors, members or volunteers to learn how your brand is perceived. For traditionally “hard-to-reach” audiences, real success stories can make a big difference. (WildApricot Tip: This insight is gold when building your nonprofit’s annual report.) 

• Update assets after big changes: Launching a new program? Shifting your mission focus? Making changes to how you promote your big fundraiser? Ensure your brand reflects the change, from logo usage to messaging and tone. 

• Do a soft refresh every few years: Consider small design updates (i.e., refining your fonts or website layout to make it easier to donate) to keep your brand current, without confusing your community.  

✔️ Checkpoint complete when: You have a plan in place for reviewing and evolving your brand annually. 

Inspiration Ahead: Nonprofit Branding Examples to Spark Your 2025 Strategy  

Looking for inspiration? Here are seven standout nonprofit brands that put strategy into action: 

1. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• What stands out: Consistent use of emotional storytelling, clean red-and-black palette, and high-impact imagery of real patients. 

• Why it works: It evokes hope and urgency while keeping the mission at the center. 

2. Campfire Circle

• What stands out: Bright colors, simple fonts, and warm, welcoming design. 

• Why it works: Their branding visually reflects their mission. For example, their website visually reflects the joy and community Campfire Circle brings to children with cancer. A couple of years ago, they also shared exactly why they rebranded in a visually engaging narrative. The playful design doesn’t downplay the seriousness of their work – it makes space for optimism and healing, which emotionally resonates with supporters and families.  

3. North York Women’s Shelter

• What stands out: Gentle tones, empowering language, and inclusive visuals. 

• Why it works: This Toronto-based nonprofit fosters a sense of community and safety. Notably, their website messaging provides easy-to-spot contact information for the shelter crisis line, plus tips about hiding your internet history from an abuser and resources to find more resources. The inclusion of a bright red box to “Exit Website” is intended to help victims quickly and easily close this tab and stay safe from their abuser. 

4. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

• What stands out: Iconic panda logo, high-contrast design, and nature-focused imagery. 

• Why it works: It’s globally recognizable and ties directly to the mission of conservation. WWF’s branding is timeless, clear, and immediately recognizable. Their consistent use of strong visuals and urgent messaging reinforces the global importance of their mission. It’s a great example of global relevance that still tells a great, highly empathetic story. 

5. Oxfam

• What stands out: A warm green color palette, soft edges, and approachable typography. 

• Why it works: The branding strikes a balance between friendliness and seriousness, aligning with Oxfam’s mission to fight global inequality. Strong visual storytelling and case studies put the people they serve at the heart of the brand. This creates a strong emotional connection.   

6. charity: water

• What stands out: A minimalist yellow-and-black color scheme, bold typography, and clean design. 

• Why it works: charity: water’s branding is built around transparency and hope. The vivid yellow evokes optimism, while their strong visual storytelling (i.e, clean water projects and real people impacted) drives emotional connection. Their consistent tone of clarity and positivity has made them one of the most trusted nonprofit brands worldwide. 

7. The Trevor Project

What stands out: Vibrant, inclusive color gradients, clear messaging, and youth-centered tone. 

Why it works: The Trevor Project’s branding speaks directly to LGBTQ+ youth in crisis – offering safety, acceptance, and empowerment. Their visual language is modern and dynamic, creating a brand that feels not only supportive but also affirming and relevant. 

Final Thoughts: Your Nonprofit Brand is Your Impact 

Now that you’ve read through this guide, you know that strong nonprofit branding means being clear, consistent and mission-driven. Having a great brand helps you stand out, build emotional connections and reinforce trust.  

As you work through the branding checkpoints above, you’ll soon learn that your brand becomes much more than just a “logo” to your audience. In 2025, when online reputation matters more than ever, your brand becomes a living tool that strengthens your community, streamlines communication, and inspires giving. It also adds valuable social proof, helping you build crucial business credibility with your supporters. 

Ready to Bring Your Brand to Life? 

Start your free trial of WildApricot today – the all-in-one membership and event management platform trusted by thousands of nonprofits. With WildApricot, you can:

• Build your own beautifully branded and customized website – no coding required
• Send out email and text messages to members with your nonprofits unique visuals
• Create an online store to sell your own merchandise and process payments through a secure payment processor
• Keep track of all your members, supporters and donors all in one membership database
• Manage and execute beautifully branded events from registration to promotion

👉 Take a 60-day test drive, no credit card required. 

Get ready to dive right in! 

The post Mission to Messaging: The 2025 Nonprofit Branding Playbook appeared first on WildApricot.