Are You Communicating Effectively?
We know you want to build a connection with your audience. What does it take? Trust.
Effective Communication + Transparency = Trust
Effective communication (conveying your nonprofit’s mission clearly through direct or indirect interactions with your audience) combined with transparency (keeping it real with your audience; what they see is what they get) are the key pillars you need to build trust with your audience.
The research backs this up, too! Key findings from the 2023 Independent Sector Trust Report show that the majority of the American public places their trust in small businesses and nonprofits today, with confidence levels at 55%. However,
80% agree, “I need to see proof of an organization’s impact to continue my support for it.”
83% agree, “Nonprofits must earn my trust before I support them.”
Trust in nonprofits has actually dropped by a statistically significant 4-points this year. This was the largest year-over-year change in trust of any institution tested.
Clearly, establishing trust between a nonprofit and its donor base is extremely important, so let's talk about how we can build up (or start building) these relationships.
Know Your Audience
Before you dive into any sort of interaction online, it's crucial to understand who you want to reach. Who are they? What are their desires and motivations? What value do they get from connecting with your organization?
While creating content that you personally enjoy is tempting to do and may feel easy, remember that your audience isn't you. Ultimately, their needs should take precedence over your preferences. This holds whether you're composing internal emails for your internal audience (meaning your colleagues and staff members) or crafting engaging Instagram posts for your public audience (which could include your donors, supporters, peer organizations, and the media).
Using tools such as Instagram Insights or Facebook Audience Insights (whichever platform you use most) will allow you to explore the demographics of who interacts with your page most often, giving you an inside scoop on to whom you should tailor your posts. The key is to think like a follower.
It’s All About the Socials
Social media is a powerful tool for building community and trust. Leverage social media platforms to share updates and stories to engage with your community. Avoid making assumptions about your community's needs—ask them directly. Utilize participatory approaches like workshops, surveys, focus groups, or polls to encourage the community to share their insights, feedback, and ideas.
Building a community on social media doesn’t have to be a one-way street, either. You can use multiple platforms in which your community will be similar but might have some differences in terms of communication styles. Some could prefer seeing ads, direct emails, or even a phone call. Check out these best practices for communication for Nonprofits.
And here are some examples of nonprofits that are doing it right.
Clear and Consistent Messaging
Posting consistently is key! Would you trust a company that only posts once a month? Even a short update or story on what you and your team are working on will do wonders in letting your audience feel included.
Ensure that any posts your organization publishes align with your mission statement and goals and serve some sort of purpose, whether it’s to update your audience on your hard work, help them better understand the vision you’re working towards, or educate them on a timely topic.
Clarity and consistency are how you market with transparency. Those who are familiar with your nonprofit because they see your content and understand it are more likely to trust you.
To help you with this, check out this resource on how to start creating a better communication practice at your org. It covers how to…
Develop a consistent voice for your organization
Create an elevator pitch for your organization, and
Share organizational goals and strategic plans with the entire organization.
Take Accountability For Your Mistakes
Mistakes happen to the best of us. As a nonprofit, mistakes could be misallocating funds intended for a specific cause or project, unintended consequences that cause delays in achieving your intended impact, or seemingly falling short of fundraising goals. In the event of mistakes, it’s natural to want to quickly resolve the situation, however taking a beat (even a short one) to be thoughtful is the best course of action.
Before making any public statements, first, check with your internal team to make sure everyone is on the same page about the next steps.
When you approach a situation like this with proactive internal and external communication, building trust follows subsequently. Even if all you say is, "We're not sure what's going to happen, but we are working on it and here for you."
Personalize a Thank-You Message
Reassuring our donors that their support is meaningful and making an impact is the best route to donor retention. According to the 2023 give.org donor trust report, the top 3 reasons participants increase their giving and maintain support are…
‘It makes me feel good” (57%)
‘I think I can make a difference by giving to a charity’ (49%)
‘I want to be part of something bigger than myself’ (43%)
A personalized thank-you message to each donor will make a positive impact on the perception of your organization. Here are some Dos and Don’ts of crafting a thank-you message to donors from Senior Copy Writer Samantha McLaren on LinkedIn.
DO be personal: Use a template you can easily customize for each donor, Canva has some great options.
DON’T wait too long: Make sure to send thank you notes out in a timely manner, if you do it too soon it might seem automated, but by waiting too long, your donor might think you’re trying to pull a fast one to get more money out of them. The sweet spot would be a day or two after.
That’s All Folks
Trust in the nonprofit world is absolutely vital to your ability to make a real difference. So here's to keeping it real, staying true, and maintaining high vibrations. Cheers to trust and transparency!