17 Ways To Refresh Your Nonprofit’s Marketing And Communication For 2025

As 2025 draws nearer, now is the time for nonprofit organizations to critically examine their current marketing and communications strategies. Updating these efforts will ensure the organization is able to successfully reach audiences, as well as meet goals and targets.

From incorporating impact stories and networking to openly embracing digital platforms, there are a number of ways to bring new life to established nonprofit processes without alienating stakeholders. To help, 17 Forbes Nonprofit Council members offer advice on steps nonprofit organizations can take to freshen up their marketing and communications without straying too far from their foundation.

1. Remain True To Your Mission

It’s important for nonprofits to stay authentic, grounded and true to their mission when thinking about their marketing and communications goals. Nonprofits should utilize the various channels available to them, including social media, to get targeted and content-focused messages across. Transparent, genuine and substantive messages will resonate more with audiences. – Neha Gill, Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home)

2. Understand Your Audience

Know your audience and make sure your marketing team can speak to that audience. Organizations talk to multiple audiences, including funders, allies, clients, etc. Creating a flexible, targeted marketing plan ensures that a nonprofit organization is marketing effectively. Messages get stale, so it’s crucial to revisit the analytics of your target audiences and craft revised messages, which can be fun and informative. – Ramik Williams, KAVI (Kings Against Violence Initiative)

3. Adopt A Data-Driven Strategy

To refresh your nonprofit’s marketing, start with a deep dive into your data. Analyze metrics, look at the short- and long-term trends, develop insights and align your team on any creative, strategic or tactical changes for the new year. A data-driven strategy will ensure your nonprofit’s communications stay fresh and effective. – Michael Bellavia, HelpGood

4. Communicate Your Mission, Values And Purpose

The most important thing is to clearly communicate your mission, values and purpose. When you’re able to connect with your audience and share your mission through real-life experiences and stories, you will be able to form genuine relationships and produce organic marketing. Generating positive word-of-mouth is the best way a nonprofit can authentically freshen up its marketing. – Dr. Sherry McAllister, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

5. Develop Shareable Videos

If you are not providing reels or armchair videos about your services, I would recommend that as a good starting point. Research the cross-generational ways you can uniquely share your services. Reels and videos of your community supporting you is a less expensive way of freshening up your marketing plan. – Erin Davison, Davison Consulting, LLC

6. Incorporate Storytelling

Storytelling is a critical component of marketing. So many nonprofits are doing great work, but they often fail to effectively communicate it through storytelling. The right stories are compelling when they highlight the impact of the work. It’s also important to personalize your donor engagement using data, which can drive home the results of their support. – Shaun Carver, I-House

7. Check In With Your Donor Base

One suggestion is to check in with your active donor base to see what message they are receiving from your current marketing. Asking questions like, “Based on our marketing and current communications, what do you think our organization does?” “Was it clear to understand?” and “Would a friend be able to read our marketing and know what we do?” If the answer is no, then there is still work to be done. – Jamee Rodgers, Urban Neighborhood Initiative

8. Remain Audience-Focused

My advice for nonprofits is to keep marketing and communications audience-driven. At ReadWorks, we prioritize this by consistently gathering stories, quotes and data directly from the educators and students we support through regularly hosted meetings. Fresh, authentic and effective communication comes from truly listening and adapting your materials to reflect real experiences and impact. – Terry Bowman, ReadWorks

9. Maintain Your Established Brand

Marketing assets need a makeover every now and then but be sure to stick to your brand. The latest and greatest, flashy version of your materials may “pop” to you but it may appear to your community that you’ve transformed into a different group. Don’t let an effort to refresh and revive communications inadvertently lead you astray from the very branding that allows supporters to know it’s you. – Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company

10. Look For Opportunities In Your Given Space

Stay in your brand but look for opportunities to tell your story from a different perspective. That could be adding more quotes or first-person stories, bringing different staff voices in, etc. For the visual part of your communications, refresh photos and create new versions of infographics annually. Finally, update the impact stories you use at least every six months. – Matthew Gayer, Spur Local

11. Join Business Community Organizations

Join networks like Forbes Councils to connect with diverse organizations, fostering collaboration and innovation. These communities inspire fresh ideas, amplify impact and align efforts toward shared goals. By tapping into collective wisdom, nonprofits can enhance their marketing, build goodwill and achieve more than they could alone. – Saurav Bhattacharya, The New World Foundation

12. Focus On Your Ideal Supporters

Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, determine what would make your ideal supporters say, “That’s me—they get me!” Freshen up your marketing by getting hyper-specific on who you’re talking to and what they care about. When people feel seen, they engage. That’s the core of effective communication. – Cherian Koshy, Kindsight

13. Communicate Authentically

Focus on storytelling that aligns with your mission. Utilize digital platforms for wider reach, and ensure your message is clear and engaging enough to resonate with current and potential supporters. Authentic communication fosters connection and action. Be genuine in your presentation and delivery, as it’s okay to go off script and let people into the reality of what this work entails. – Christopher Dipnarine, 4MyCiTy Inc.

14. Humanize Your Message

Organizations are too quick to use the same buzzwords we use in the field or to use dollar words when 25-cent ones will do. Successful marketing and communications is about connecting with the recipient. Words, images and ideas need to connect with audiences. Plain language with an easily understood goal is the winning strategy every time. – Patrick Riccards, Driving Force Institute

15. Embrace A Digital, People-First Approach To Storytelling

To freshen up marketing and communications, nonprofits should embrace digital, people-first storytelling. By highlighting personal narratives and real-world stories of impact, organizations can create compelling, relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences. This approach builds trust and engagement, helping to amplify the organization’s message and motivate action among supporters. – Michael Horowitz, The Community Solution Education System

16. Leverage Videos And Photos

Let the stories tell themselves by using more videos and photos of the mission in action. People are more apt to remember a touching story or intriguing video about the organization’s work or words from volunteers on why they serve more than they will remember programs and written statements. – Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.

17. Consider Hiring An Outside Expert

My advice would be to hire an expert to determine if you truly need to “freshen up” or if you need a new brand identity. I believe the average nonprofit needs to add more money to its marketing and communications budget. My clients with the strongest brands regularly attract funders. – Sherry Quam Taylor, QuamTaylor

Source:  Forbes