June is a big month for pride.

Between graduations (college, high school, kindergarten, oh my!), personal milestones, and Pride month itself (get yourself to Chicago next year, folks!), June is prime time to celebrate physical, spiritual, emotional, artistic, professional, and academic achievements, growth, introspection, acceptance, peace, struggle, diversity, and triumphs.

If your social media feed is anything like mine, you’ve likely scrolled through prolific pride posts: parents/grandparents/aunties doting on children, friends shouting out classmates, partners applauding their “better half,” individuals honoring themselves. All evidence of a desire to share positivity out loud.

More pride, please

Such glowing declarations live in stark contrast to the responses I get when requesting communication samples from new nonprofit clients. They, too, are engaged in praiseworthy activities. But more often than not, I am met with some version of:

Ooof. I can send you examples, but none of them are good.

Yikes, we’ve never really been consistent with messaging.

Oh, our website is terrible.

I’m embarrassed, it hasn’t been updated in forever.

Y’all. Nonprofits are embarrassed by their own communications. Their story. Their bread and butter. The very messages intended to be shared widely, live online, and influence supporters and prospects.

If this sounds like your organization, you are far from alone.

But hiding behind weak writing goes beyond a bit of awkwardness: We aren’t telling stories in ways that resonate with our key demographics.

According to results of the 2023 Giving USA Annual Report on philanthropy, also released in June, individuals—the largest slice of American philanthropy—may not understand the impact of charitable organizations or their own support.

The need for elevated, persuasive messages is sounding loud and clear.

And yet.

Development offices may be overstretched, understaffed, underfunded, unaware, misunderstood, mismanaged, or simply unsure how to tackle communications.

Whatever the reason, philanthropies—compelling mission notwithstanding—can’t push out poor messaging and expect promising results. Prospects won’t automatically find you and fall in love with your transformational work simply because you are doing it. Whether it is a website, direct mail appeal, or campaign case statement, how you communicate your story is key to connecting with your people.

How to communicate impact with pride

Start with a deep, organization-wide understanding of your mission. Dig into the basics of what distinguishes you:

• Who are we?

• What do we do and for whom?

• Why does our mission matter? (e.g., so what?)

• What is our vision for the future?

• What challenges must we overcome to achieve it?

• How will the impact be felt and measured?

Once your team is confidently aligned on the above, evaluate how your answers are expressed throughout your messaging. Are your communications clear, concise, and consistent across channels? Consider a communications audit or an expert assessment for a fresh perspective.

No doubt your organization is doing work that you are proud of. Let’s ensure your stories befit that impact.

Are you proud of your donor communications? Unsticking yourself from the status quo is hard. I can help. Reach out here to discuss how to communicate impact through strategic audience-driven donor communications.