How to Raise Awareness For Your Nonprofit (8 Strategies for Success)

‍Video transcript ↓

As many of you already know, at the core of every nonprofit's mission is a desire to meet a need.

That need is met when individuals are inspired by your mission, and feel compelled to help in any way they can.

But if people aren't aware of your organization, there's no way for them to help. Right?

Because of this, raising awareness is the first, and oftentimes, the most vital aspect to meeting a need. It's the bridge between people's involvement and your nonprofit's success.

But of course, it's not the easiest thing to do.

Time and resources are limited, so you want to invest in the right strategies to help your nonprofit grow.

We'll share the eight building blocks on how to raise awareness for your nonprofit and some ways to get started right now.

All right, y'all ready?

I'm Addie with Anedot, and let's get started!

1. Optimize your social media

The first building block is to optimize your nonprofit's social media channels.

It's amazing how your social media presence can position your nonprofit to reach audiences both in your local community and across the globe.

Never have organizations had the kind of worldwide access and reach that they have today, and it’s all thanks to social media.

But simply posting online won't necessarily get results.

Although LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the social media channels where you’re most likely to get engagement,

Understanding the nuances of each platform's algorithm is going to optimize your channels and get the results you're looking for.

We made a video breaking down exactly how to do this called Social Media for Nonprofits: 6 Essential Strategies for Success.

But in short, a consistent, sustained presence on social media will allow you to build community and credibility.

By investing time and resources, you can reap significant benefits from your presence on these platforms.

Your nonprofit can carry out campaigns, engage with volunteers and donors, and most importantly, spread awareness of your nonprofit and your cause.

2. Engage your audience with rich visual content  

Second, engage with rich visual content.

Now visuals can be a really powerful tool in your hand, because they allow you to communicate a high volume of information in a short amount of time with a lot of impact.

But you need to be intentional when curating visual content, since you have a myriad of options.

Choosing an image of a beneficiary connects audiences with your mission and impact.

An infographic however, communicates metrics and can highlight the need for further support of your organization.

Because of this, be intentional.

Carefully select the imagery you choose for your site, socials, and promotional material.

It should line up with your brand story and compel audiences to engage with your nonprofit further.

And remember, you can repurpose visual content across channels to make the most of your investment.

Whether on your socials, website, physical materials, or even in your email campaigns, compelling imagery can communicate with your audience in amazing ways, increasing visibility for your nonprofit.

3. Consistently publish content

Third, consistently publish content.

We all know that a website is a hub in which we want to push traffic to.

It exists to engage, inform, and earn support, among many other things.

Now, for your site to provide the benefits you’re aiming for while increasing your visibility, you'll need to publish content that drives traffic to it.

Makes sense, right?

So consistent blogging is a simple way to accomplish this.

It will increase your rankings on search engine results, and it will make it easily accessible when individuals search for the keywords you target.

Additionally, your blog serves as a means for you to engage with current donors and provides yet another avenue for you to share your vision for your nonprofit.

Along with consistency, you want to make sure you're using the best SEO practices to make finding your website as easy as possible.

This is actually something we strive to do with our blog, and yes, we have a blog post about it.

But to wrap up this point, gaining visibility for your nonprofit can begin with a simple google search.

So make sure you're posting consistently and optimizing your SEO.

It will allow you to earn valuable site traffic and reach new audiences.

4. Collaborate to reach a new audience

Next up, collaborate to reach a new audience.

Cultivating new partnerships allows you to reach an untapped audience.

These collaborations can happen in brilliant and unexpected ways, but however you decide to partner, make sure that your pitch includes the value you can provide to them.

A successful partnership offers positives for both parties, so lead with the ways your nonprofit’s collaboration will benefit the other organization.

Have honest conversations about your values, goals, and mission.

And after that, ask yourself, "Do they align?"

Think about it.

Your partnerships will reflect on your nonprofit, so you want to make sure you can not only support each other’s missions, but the ideals that motivate them.

From that point, establish your new audience and the best way to engage with them.

You know your audience best, and your nonprofit partners know theirs.

Seek their advice on the best ways to reach this new audience so you can make the most out of your partnership.

5. Attend and showcase at popular events

The fifth building block is to attend and showcase at popular events.

Good news! You don’t have to create and manage your own events to gain exposure for your nonprofit.

There are plenty of preexisting events you can join to network, educate, and earn visibility.

A few examples of this are holiday celebrations and festivals.

They provide a natural pathway to connect with a new audience in your community.

Other examples are conferences and large-scale events, which allow you to gain a more widespread, high-volume visibility.

Now keep in mind, being well represented at events is key.

So be sure to come prepared with information that you can easily pass out to potential donors or volunteers.

Ensure your team understands your message and goals for the event.

‍Consistent branding, like matching apparel, brochures, or stickers, will increases the likelihood that those you interact with will remember you.  

6. Reach out to the media

Next, reach out to the media.

You don’t have to have a huge advertising budget to engage with and benefit from the media.

Approach them with confidence and show them why they should care about your work.

Give them reasons to bring awareness to your organization.

Your nonprofit impacts the community in exceptional ways, and many media outlets –– especially local news –– are happy to cover charity campaigns and events.

In most cases, you need to proactively reach out to begin your relationship with the media.

But once you do, you’ve tapped into a valuable resource to boost your nonprofit’s visibility.

Many reporters do the leg work of seeking out worthwhile stories and events to cover.

So by taking the first step and contacting them, you make their jobs that much easier and incentivize them to showcase your organization.

7. Differentiate yourself

Seventh, differentiate yourself.

A ton of nonprofits do great work and bring positive change to our communities.

We want to celebrate this kind of impact that nonprofits have on our world.

But with so many organizations out there, you might find that your nonprofit gets lost in the shuffle.

Because of this, you got to look for ways to differentiate your nonprofit.

What services do you provide that make you stand out? And why should donors and your target community care?

Carefully self-analyzing will allow you to understand and communicate how your services, programs, and projects differ from those of other nonprofits.

It will illuminate your nonprofit's unique benefits, boost your visibility, and empower you to gain more support from both your community and donors.

8. Organize exposure activities

Lastly, organize exposure activities.

Once you've built enough awareness to have a substantial invite list, In-person events like fundraisers or galas can be tremendously helpful to your cause.

Exposure activities draw a crowd, and they create a dedicated time and space for you to share your nonprofit’s mission with established donors and potential supporters while bringing in essential financial support.

We have an interview from our Learn From the Pros series that breaks down the best practices for hosting a fundraising gala.

It's an awesome resource that we'd love for you to check out.

Closing thoughts

At Anedot, we know that visibility is crucial for nonprofits.

By gaining a higher following, your organization can more effectively fundraise, find volunteers, and increase the impact of your work.

Running your nonprofit takes everything you’ve got.

That’s why we provide simple fundraising solutions that save time and money for your organization.

Contact our team today to learn how Andeot’s fundraising tools can help your nonprofit thrive.

Thanks for watching! Again, be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification button for more videos like these.

I’m Addie with Anedot, and we’ll see you next time!