Your narrative should show up in communications as a throughline—not just what you say, but how you say it, who you highlight, and what stories you choose to tell.

Your narrative is the consistent, big-picture message that ties all your nonprofit’s stories together to show what you stand for, why your work matters, and how change happens.

Effective nonprofit communications require deeply understanding your audience through intentional, ongoing research rather than relying on assumptions.

Use targeted research methods, such as surveys, analytics, and interviews, to clarify your audience's motivations and behaviors. Then centralize these insights into clear audience personas to guide impactful communications

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools nonprofits have to connect with donors, build understanding, and drive action.

It turns abstract missions into emotionally compelling narratives that clarify your impact and inspire support. When done consistently, storytelling doesn’t just boost donations—it deepens long-term engagement and trust.

Building audience personas helps nonprofits communicate more effectively by tailoring messaging to specific groups instead of speaking to everyone at once.

Start by identifying one key audience, gather both demographic and psychographic data, and create a profile that represents the majority of that group’s needs and goals. Remember, your persona doesn’t have to be perfect—it's a tool that should grow and adapt as you learn more.

Clear content pillars are key to a streamlined content strategy. Building a clear editorial strategy, developing a diverse content plan, and batching content takes away the overwhelm. Content creation should be systematized as much as possible while still ensuring content is unique.

With these systems in place, nonprofits can consistently produce meaningful content that engages supporters and furthers their mission.

Behind every policy is a civil servant making things happen. These folks are the unsung heroes of government—and your secret weapon. They’ll likely be there longer than the elected official, and will know more about the topic.

Engage early, build trust, and lean on their expertise to navigate shifting political winds.