5 Digital Tools to Help Your Nonprofit Advocate for Change
April 10, 2024
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Nonprofits play a crucial role in addressing pressing societal issues, from environmental conservation and social justice to healthcare and education reform. However, in a fast-paced digital age, traditional methods of advocacy can only take you so far. To effectively raise awareness, mobilize support, and drive change, nonprofits can embrace the innovative digital tools at their disposal.
In this guide, we’ll explore five digital tools that are useful when advocating for change. Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing advocacy campaign strategies or you’re just starting out, these insights will help you make a lasting impact.
5 Digital Tools to Help Your Nonprofit Advocate for Change
1. A Donor Management System
Chances are your nonprofit already uses a constituent relationship management (CRM) system, also known as a donor management system, to track and manage your interactions with donors. Having a comprehensive database can be just as beneficial when running an advocacy campaign, as it helps you track your campaigns’ progress and enhances your ability to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Take these steps to ensure your CRM is an effective tool for advocacy:
Track advocacy-related information.
Consistently log and monitor advocacy-related data points like the number of petition signatures you get and the number of supporters who participate in different types of advocacy. This data helps you determine which advocacy tactics are the most effective for inspiring action from your donor base, allowing you to prioritize the advocacy campaigns and outreach that resonate with your donors most in the future.
Integrate with other advocacy tools.
Connect your CRM with any other tools and platforms your nonprofit uses in advocacy campaigns, such as email marketing software, social media management tools, and online petition platforms. This will create a seamless flow of information and provide a comprehensive view of your advocacy efforts.
Additionally, maintain data hygiene best practices to ensure you’re working with the most current and relevant information. This involves removing duplicate data, correcting errors, and updating supporter information as it changes.
2. Your Website
Your nonprofit’s website serves as a central hub for information about your organization and its advocacy efforts. When supporters want to take action, your website is the first place they’ll go. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your website with advocates’ needs and interests in mind.
Focus on the following web pages to mobilize support for your cause:
Homepage
Your website’s homepage is often the first point of contact for visitors. Use this prime real estate to convey your organization’s mission and the urgency of the issues you’re addressing. For instance, a nonprofit advocating for climate action might display a message that states, “Our organization is committed to a sustainable future powered by clean and renewable energy sources.”
For more tips on homepage optimization check out our podcast/blog post combo:
What to Put on Your Homepage
Blog roll
Maintain a blog or resource section where you regularly publish articles, reports, and informative content related to your cause. Blogs and educational resources can drive traffic related to your cause to your website allowing you to meet potential supporters as well as encourage existing supporters to learn more about advocacy and take an active part in furthering your cause.
Campaign page
To help supporters take action quickly and easily, create an advocacy campaign page with comprehensive information about the specific issues you’re addressing and the actions you’re advocating for. Include detailed descriptions of each campaign, including its goals, objectives, and the impact it aims to achieve.
Pay close attention to your site’s design as well. A visually appealing website can capture your visitors’ attention and encourage them to explore your campaign in more detail. Use story telling, tone setting images and graphics to bring your cause to life and maintain a clean, organized layout with clear navigation. Additionally, incorporate user-friendly principles, such as responsive design for mobile devices and accessible content, to engage as many potential supporters as possible.
3. Email
Email marketing is one of the best ways to communicate directly with your supporters and keep them up-to-date about your advocacy campaigns, events, and initiatives. Email marketing tools allow you to create and send messages that help you build relationships with supporters and drive immediate action — all while saving your team valuable time and energy.
To build your email list, add sign-up forms to your website and social media platforms and allow people to opt in as they sign up for events. Developing a relationship via email is just like building any relationship, consistency and personalization are key elements of success.
Sent emails in a consistent cadence
Regular email updates keep the organization top of mind for supporters, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty. Recipients come to expect and rely on regular updates, enhancing your credibility while keeping supporters informed and involved. Use your emails to showcase your organization’s impact, success stories and ongoing initiatives.
Segment and personalize your emails.
Use the data stored in your CRM or email management system to segment your audience based on shared characteristics, such as their interests, past engagement, and demographics. Then, tailor your messages to ensure they are relevant to each group. For instance, a segment of new subscribers might receive introductory information about your cause, while active supporters receive status updates on your campaign.
Diversify your content for broader engagement.
To keep your audience engaged and informed, vary the types of content you include in your advocacy emails. For example, you might send a mix of educational materials, success stories, volunteer spotlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your advocacy work.
For more newsletter content ideas checkout our podcast/blog post combo:
Nonprofit Content Ideas for your Blog, Newsletter, and Social Media
Include clear calls to action.
Each email should include a call to action (CTA) that empowers recipients to support your advocacy campaign in a specific way. Whether it’s through signing a petition, attending an event, or making a donation, provide direct links and step-by-step instructions to increase the likelihood of recipients taking the desired action.
4. Social Media
Social media is a cost-effective and easy-to-use digital tool for reaching a large audience. Plus, its interactive nature fosters community building and engagement, encouraging active participation from new and existing supporters alike.
Social media is about more than just posting. It’s about connecting and engaging with your audience. You can weave social media into your advocacy by:
- Encouraging user generated content – asking for feedback by posting questions or using polls, quizzes, and challenges.
- Go Live! – Host live Q&A sessions or interviews with board members, volunteers, staff or service recipients.
- Collaborate with Influencers – Partnering with community or social media influencers can help you reach a new audience and amplify your efforts. Co-host an event, challenge, or content series to build awareness.
- Create a group – Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook allow you to create groups for your supporters to interact with you and each other in a more private setting instilling a sense of belonging and solidarity.
Depending on your target audience, you may choose to focus your efforts on one or more of the following channels:
Facebook is a highly versatile platform with a broad user base, making it the perfect tool for finding new supporters and connecting with them in multiple ways. In addition to posting multimedia content, consider creating and managing a Facebook Group where supporters can discuss your cause, share their thoughts, and collaborate on advocacy efforts.
TikTok
Known for its short-form video content, TikTok is an ideal channel for engaging with younger audiences. Use it to create videos that highlight your advocacy campaign’s goals and activities. You can also leverage TikTok’s unique trends, challenges, and music to boost the visibility of your content and inspire more support.
Use Instagram to share compelling visual stories about your advocacy work that make your supporters feel more connected to your cause. Post images and videos that showcase the impact of your campaign, behind-the-scenes content, and testimonials.
Clubhouse
This primarily audio based platform can allow you to have open conversations easily with supporters and connect with people who share your organization’s values. Consider joining relevant rooms to network, share knowledge, and explore opportunities for collaboration on projects or campaigns.
To expand your reach, contact influencers with large audiences through these platforms and ask them to share your content. For example, a nonprofit focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability might reach out to a well-known eco-friendly lifestyle influencer. By collaborating, the nonprofit can introduce its cause to the influencer’s network of engaged followers, and the influencer can reinforce their commitment to philanthropic causes.
5. Petitioning Software
Petitioning software is designed to simplify the process of creating, managing, and promoting petitions online. This tool is especially useful when participating in grassroots advocacy, as it allows your nonprofit to quickly gather and showcase public support for your cause to drive more action for specific advocacy campaigns.
Petitioning software makes it easy to gather support for your cause in just four simple steps:
1. Create a petition.
Some software offers templates or guidance to help you craft compelling petitions. All you have to do is enter the title, description, and goals of the petition, as well as any supporting documents or images.
2. Collect signatures.
Whether you’re going door-to-door canvassing with a mobile device or sending out the petition via email, the software should allow you to collect signatures electronically so it’s as easy as possible for supporters to sign. Include a form where supporters can enter their name, email address, and additional information like their feedback on the campaign so you can start building relationships with every new supporter you earn.
3. Promote the petition.
Petitioning software often includes built-in sharing features to help spread the word about the petition to new audiences. Your nonprofit can easily share the petition on social media platforms, email, and your website. The software may also provide tools for tracking the progress of the petition to help you monitor and reach your goals.
4. Deliver the signatures.
In some cases, the software may offer features for delivering the petition to the intended recipients, such as sending it to government officials or relevant organizations. This takes work off of your staff’s plate and ensures that you get your petition to the right people to make an impact.
This tool also helps you use the data you collect from signatories to turn them into long-term supporters. Follow up with thank-you messages, updates on the petition’s progress, and calls to action for further involvement to build new relationships.
Remember, while these digital tools can be powerful, it’s important to have a comprehensive advocacy strategy that includes both online and offline tactics. By combining these tools with traditional advocacy methods, your nonprofit can maximize its impact and drive meaningful change.
Who Manifested This Madness?
This fabulous human, that's who.
Monica Maye Pitts
Monica is the creative force and founder of MayeCreate. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis in Economics, Education and Plant Science from the University of Missouri. Monica possesses a rare combination of design savvy and technological know-how. Her clients know this quite well. Her passion for making friends and helping businesses grow gives her the skills she needs to make sure that each client, or friend, gets the attention and service he or she deserves.
