Whether you are trying to raise money, educate, recruit, or persuade, technology can help. A nonprofit’s digital communication toolkit might include: 

• Website 
• Broadcast Email 
• Social Media 
• Messaging (including Text) 
• Marketing Automation 
• Constituent Relationship Management (including Donor Management and Fundraising Software) 
• Reporting and Analytics 

Form a strategy that takes your goals and audience into account. Then choose the right tools for the job. Plan multi-channel campaigns, and don’t forget to measure so you know what works and what doesn’t work for you. 

A great way to build your knowledge and skills in this area is the Digital Fundraising course.  

Scroll through this section to explore, or jump to these topics:

Discover Trends in Digital Communications 

Evaluate and Select Software for Constituent Relationship Management, Marketing, Fundraising, and Communications 

Make a Plan for Digital Communications 

Improve the Impact of your Digital Campaigns 

Get Help with Digital Marketing, Outreach, and Fundraising 

Messaging, including Text, is one of the biggest trends in nonprofit communications right now. Take a moment to learn about Messaging as a Channel for Nonprofit Audience Acquisition and Engagement. 

Peer-to-Peer fundraising is a great approach for some nonprofits, but it requires smart planning. Here are 6 Steps for Planning a Successful Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign. 

Before you purchase or implement any software, conduct a Data Systems Assessment (check our training calendar for an upcoming session). That will help ensure you understand your needs, you are following a sound process for software selection, and you are setting your organization up for success.

Explore these software guides for help in thinking through what features are important to you and comparing products. 

• Consumers Guide to Donor Management Systems 
• The Landscape of Salesforce Apps for Nonprofit
• A Few Good Tools for eAdvocacy 
• The Landscape of Digital Marketing Tools for Nonprofits 
• Consumers Guide to Open Source CMS 

Start by Choosing the Right Communications Mix for your audience and objectives.  

Then, if social media is your priority, take the Nonprofit Social Media Toolkit course, or review The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide, and you will graduate with a thorough social media plan. Or, if broadcast email is your priority, start with Ways to Grow Your Nonprofit’s Email List.  

Do you need a new or refreshed website? A DIY Website on a Shoestring might be possible, but professional help is usually worthwhile. Don’t overlook Creating an Accessible Content So Everybody Wins. 

Creating and Sharing Impactful Visual Stories is a live course that will teach you to create compelling stories using visual tools, and Digital Media Production on a Shoestring Budget is a free webinar recording that will help you create video and podcasts affordably. 

Now it’s time to fine-tune and optimize your digital efforts and make the most of the tools you have in place. 

Optimize fundraising with the Year-End Nonprofit Fundraising Checklist and Nonprofit Best Practices: Online Donation Appeals, two of our most popular articles. 

Or dive deeper into these topics: 

• Crowdfunding Tools 
• Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Video
• Digital Media Production on a Budget

Get Help with Digital Marketing, Outreach, and Fundraising 

Do you need an extra helping hand? Our experienced consultants can assist with Data Systems Selection and provide referrals to tech-savvy fundraising and communication specialists. Learn more about our Services.