Three Things All Nonprofits Should Include in Their 2025 Communications Strategy

Our world moves faster than ever before. The variables purpose-driven organizations and social justice nonprofits must manage today solve a completely new set of complex problems compared to just a few decades ago.

It’s tempting for organizations to resist these modern complexities and stay aligned with the processes that have served them for generations, but that temptation is short-sighted.?

And leads nowhere.

To keep pace with our changing world, you must balance sticking with tried-and-true communications strategies and how those strategies need to be adjusted to grow in the future.

It’s easier to leverage your unique perspective with limited influence when you have the right storytelling framework to call on. With the right framework, you can humanize the issues your nonprofit cares about, build connections with people who can drive change, inspire individual and collective action, and change perceptions of who you are and the world you’re fighting for.

Here are my Top 3 biggest impact items to add to your 2025 communications strategy.

1. Invest in Short-Form Video

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I am a huge proponent of showing instead of telling. Visual storytelling is the instrument that builds momentum. Right now, short-form video is the most successful delivery method for telling your story.

Think of how you engage with social media. When and why do you stop scrolling??

The best social change short-form video campaigns share a few common characteristics:

1. Be genuine to the experiences of the individuals involved and, collectively, the communities you represent.

2.? Present stories that are relatable to the people absorbing them. Let your community feel what you’re sharing, picture themselves in the place you’re describing, or feel the emotions you want to evoke.

3. Keep it simple but not condescending. Use plain conversational words that aren’t overly complicated while not insulting the intelligence of your intended audience – the more straightforward the delivery, the broader its appeal.

4. Stick between 30-60 seconds – so get to the point quickly.

The good news is you don’t have to have a professional video team to produce engaging video clips made for social media. A quick internet search will reveal free or low-cost tools that make editing, tweaking sound, captioning, and adding music or stickers fast and easy. Instagram and TikTok offer pretty great editors from within the apps themselves.

To make it easiest, do two things: a) block time for video creation each week and b) templatize the process. Start by posting one short video per week mixed into your other content, then, based on how folks engage, double down on what’s working and begin posting videos 2x per week.?

Investing time and resources into short-form video brings your cause forward and pays off in spades.

2. Create Networks for Content Distribution

If you’ve got a good message, you know you wanna amplify it – especially if you are growing your presence and trying to bring fresh awareness to your cause or campaign. So where do you “plug in?” What do you leverage? Here are a few ideas:

Google Groups

By leveraging Google Groups as a content distribution and community engagement tool, you foster a highly interactive, resource-rich environment that supports long-term engagement and advocacy in your social justice or nonprofit org.

Once you set up your purpose-driven Google Group, start to see it as your robust community board. Use it as a central hub for resources, discussions, Q&As, a content library, and to post virtual and in-person events.

As your Google Group membership grows, look for natural breakout groups and segments based on topics, geography, or focus to more deeply engage these folks. Within these subgroups, invite users to contribute – make space for them to share their testimonials, videos of your cause in action, and pics of the real work that they’re engaged in. With permission to share more widely, you can create an audience-sourced content bank that will prove valuable to your funders, fans, and future followers.?

Broadcast Tools

Use channels like Facebook Groups, Instagram Broadcast Channels, and Telegram or WhatsApp groups to share updates and urgent calls to action. These platforms allow one-way communication that reaches followers directly, keeping them informed and engaged.

I imagine you’ve been invited to at least one of these before – Facebook Groups have been around for more than a decade, many used WhatsApp during the pandemic, and the in-app notifications for Instagram Broadcast Channels make it hard to ignore – so you know being a part of a broadcast channel signals a deeper commitment to a cause.

My clients have been experimenting with Instagram Broadcast Channels, a relatively new feature (right now) for accounts with more than 10,000 followers. Unlike regular IG posts, posts on your Instagram Broadcast Channel go directly to peoples’ DMs, so they cut through the noise and feel much more personal. Use it to share important updates, poll your audience, post behind-the-scenes vids and pics, and share your thoughts with a voice note.

The major benefit of broadcast channels is that you, the creator, control the narrative. Only you can distribute and post – hence, “broadcast” – and your followers can react to messages and polls but not post messages of their own. In my opinion, the exclusivity of broadcast channels makes them an important part of any content strategy moving forward.

Amplifier Network

Connected groups of folks make THE difference. Plug into one! I founded Amplify Pledge to act as a spiderweb and weave together powerful stories from changemakers, all in one place.

Amplify Pledge mobilizes individuals, organizations, and brands to advance social change through content. From our Playbook to Elevate Movements:

“Amplify Pledge is a dynamic and evolving network of everyday people, brands, and organizations. We recognize the power of digital media as a tool for social change. We launched our network to address the pressing need for stronger communication and connection within social movements. Our vision is to unite activists and allies and ensure they can access the most timely, relevant information and digital resources to drive social change.

With award-winning digital organizing and education expertise, our vibrant network has expanded to encompass a diverse collective of individuals, organizations, and brands. Together, we are dedicated to elevating the discourse around social justice and ensuring that the call for change is not just heard online but impossible to ignore.”

There’s much more to the method and the ethos, though. Check it all out and see how you can join us here.

3. Invest in Your Communications Team

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: put your money where your mouths are – your comms creators. Every day, I meet super-talented, enthusiastic, energetic creators quickly approaching burnout. Don’t let their light go out, y’all.

So often, fundraising gets the budget boost while marketing and communications get slashed. But without investing in the audience receiving your message, reaching new folks to join the mission, and engaging your loyal followers regularly, what do you have to show to funders? Who are you speaking to? Who are you really serving? Your organization’s story should be the same regardless, and your comms folks should be the ones creating it.

Building a communications team can feel daunting, especially within budget constraints. You might be stuck wondering what positions or focuses will be the most effective given what you’ve got. Should you hire a Social Media Manager or a Content Strategist? And what’s the difference between a Communications Director and a Marketing Director?

Sometimes, you just need an outside expert to come in, assess your needs from a strategic POV, and tell you what to do.

Other times, you need assistance putting a strategic plan in place but you know you have the folks to execute.

Other times, your comms need a boost, but you don’t have the time or cash to find the right long-term full-time person to spark that boost.

If any of these describe you or your organization, I would be happy to discuss the levels of proven solutions my team and I have provided for dozens of purpose-driven organizations, leading to sustainable growth and increased awareness that reverberates for years to come. Reach out and see how we make the difference.

2025, Here We Come

In today’s fast-paced world, we can no longer rely solely on traditional methods to communicate and create impact.

By investing in storytelling frameworks, building robust distribution networks, and nurturing a dedicated communications team, your nonprofits, and social justice groups can amplify voices and inspire tangible change. These strategies help forge deep connections, expand reach, and energize your supporters to join the mission. With the right tools, your purpose-driven organization has the potential to transform its influence and make its message impossible to ignore.

Ready to elevate your impact? The time to act is now.