Let’s be real: predicting what 2025 would bring for nonprofits and organizations that do good was always a gamble.
But while the future is uncertain, we can be proactive. We know that we need to prepare for change and the ways we’ll adapt.
So we want to talk about the impacts we’re seeing on organizations already—and the ways we believe strategic communications can help them stand up, step in, and keep up the good fight.
Challenge: Funding Cuts and Uncertainty
Budget cuts and economic headwinds are putting pressure on individuals and families. People who never required assistance before are finding themselves in need of nonprofit services. And it’s all coming together to stretch nonprofits thin when they’re needed more than ever.
Communities are needing the support—but it’s sometimes more than organizations can realistically deliver.
“Our partners and other nonprofits expect that the populations in need are going to grow. It’s going to take people coming together to work collectively and it’s going to take donors—individual donors and corporate donors—and advocacy. And all of it has to play a role. It’s not just that someone can say ‘This organization will save the day for our population.’” – Sinikka Mondini
But here’s how we recommend organizations respond.
Stay focused on your mission. Resist the urge to overpromise. Respond when the moment calls for it. Ensure your entire team is aligned on what you can and can’t do.
And, in the face of budget cuts and financial pressure, it’s vital that you consistently communicate about the good work your organization is doing. Your donors, volunteers, and community need to see that you’re continuing to make an impact.
Challenge: Targeting of Marginalized Groups
After the tragic air collision at Reagan National Airport, the White House blamed DEI programs and, specifically, public servants with disabilities, drawing criticism from many of the leading disability rights groups.
For nonprofits, the targeting of marginalized communities is personal. Either these groups are at the core of their mission, or they’re a part of the communities they serve.
Here’s how organizations can shield these communities.
There’s strength in numbers. As the National Disability Rights Network did in their statement, organizations should lean on partners and amplify each other’s messages.
We also believe in avoiding knee-jerk responses and resisting the urge to respond to everything. Thoughtful, measured responses to key topics will outlast the noise.
Challenge: Diminished Trust in Institutions
Despite declining trust in institutions overall, nonprofits are enjoying record-high trust levels, increasing to 57% according to Independent Sector’s 2024 Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy report.
We must proactively make efforts to maintain and strengthen this trust so that nonprofits don’t face a similar fate—and can continue to be the safe haven they are.
And we know what organizations can do to earn that trust.
Give.org’s 2024 Donor Trust Report showed that people want to see clear accomplishments most of all (53.1%), followed by evaluations by third parties (36.1%) and financial transparency (27.5%).
We need to regularly update our supporters on what we’ve achieved and how donations are making a difference, be honest about outcomes (even the tough ones), and pepper transparency through everything—not just year-end reports and financial disclosures.
Challenge: Misinformation, Online Hate, and Algorithm Shifts
Social media is a crucial tool for nonprofits to maintain relationships with donors, volunteers, and the populations they serve. But with changes to content policies, user behaviors, and algorithms, social media platforms are in flux.
“There are a lot of changes happening with platform algorithms and what’s showing up in everyone’s news feeds. We’ve seen restraints being removed. People are posting with a different mindset. We don’t know what exactly will happen with each platform. But we are going to see changes in where audiences are engaging. We’re going to have to change what we’re doing, too.” – Sonya Schweitzer
Simply, platforms that reward division and anger can’t be relied upon.
Here’s what organizations can do instead.
They can start to embrace intentional communities, like Facebook Groups, that are smaller but more resistant to the whims of algorithms. We need to ask ourselves: Where’s our audience today, and where will they be tomorrow?
And we can strengthen the channels we own, such as email lists, websites, and other direct communication strategies.
Final Thoughts
I need to remind myself that we’re only at the beginning. It’s been tough, and the only thing we can predict with certainty is that there will be more change ahead.
But we can hold steady. Stand together. Stay focused. And keep communicating.
Clear, strategic communication can cut through the chaos, helping nonprofits continue their vital work. Do what they do. Serve the communities they serve. Change the hearts and minds they aim to change.
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