How to Plan a Winning Content Strategy for Your Next Campaign
A well-planned nonprofit campaign can inspire action, rally supporters, and create a lasting impact. But without a strong content strategy, even the most meaningful initiatives can struggle to gain traction. The key? Planning your messaging and content well in advance to ensure consistency, clarity, and engagement across all platforms.
Whether you’re preparing for a fundraising push, an awareness campaign, or a volunteer drive, here’s how to build a content strategy that amplifies your mission and drives results.
Step 1: Define Your Campaign Goals & Messaging
Before creating any content, be clear on your campaign’s purpose and primary objectives. Ask yourself:
What action do we want people to take? (Donate, sign a petition, attend an event, volunteer?)
What emotion or urgency will drive them to act?
What key messages do we need to reinforce throughout the campaign?
Pro Tip: Keep your messaging simple, compelling, and mission-driven. Instead of “Help us raise $50,000,” try “$25 provides a week of meals for a family in need—how many families can we feed together?”
Step 2: Map Out Your Content Calendar
Once your messaging is locked in, structure your content into phases leading up to, during, and after your campaign:
Pre-Launch (4-6 Weeks Before)
Teaser Content: Generate excitement with behind-the-scenes posts, countdown graphics, or personal impact stories.
Stakeholder Engagement: Get early buy-in from board members, ambassadors, or influencers who can help amplify your message.
Landing Page Setup: Ensure your campaign page is clear, visually engaging, and easy to navigate.
Campaign Launch & Active Phase
Storytelling: Share real stories that highlight the urgency and importance of your cause.
Social Proof: Feature testimonials, past successes, and user-generated content.
Calls to Action (CTAs): Ensure every post has a clear, actionable next step—whether it’s donating, signing up, or sharing.
Wrap-Up & Post-Campaign Engagement
Gratitude Content: Celebrate your community’s impact with thank-you videos, donor shoutouts, and campaign results.
Impact Reporting: Show exactly where the funds or efforts went and what was achieved.
Next Steps: Keep momentum going with follow-up engagement, recurring donation asks, or invitations to future initiatives.
Step 3: Optimize Messaging for Different Platforms
A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work—your content should be adapted for different channels:
Email Marketing: Personalized appeals, segmented messaging for donors, volunteers, and advocates.
Social Media: Eye-catching visuals, shareable graphics, live Q&As, and interactive stories.
Website & Blog: A dedicated campaign page, long-form impact stories, and FAQs.
Press & Partnerships: Media outreach, guest articles, and influencer collaborations.
Pro Tip: Repurpose your content! A compelling donor story can be turned into a blog post, an Instagram carousel, and an email series—maximizing reach without doubling workload.
Step 4: Engage Your Audience with Interactive Content
Want to increase campaign visibility? Make it easy (and fun!) for your audience to participate:
Video Testimonials: Feature real voices sharing why this campaign matters.
Hashtag Challenges: Encourage supporters to post their own stories using a campaign hashtag so you can track engagement.
Live Updates: Use progress bars, donation thermometers, or real-time impact reports to keep supporters engaged.
Step 5: Track, Measure, and Adjust
A strong campaign strategy doesn’t end at launch—it’s a continuous process of testing, analyzing, and refining. Keep an eye on your:
Engagement Metrics: What content is getting the most shares, clicks, or donations?
Email Performance: Are subject lines and CTAs driving open rates and conversions?
Community Feedback: What are supporters saying in comments, emails, and DMs?
Use this data to pivot and optimize—whether that means tweaking messaging, boosting high-performing content, or adjusting CTAs.
Final Thoughts: Plan Ahead, Drive Impact
The most successful nonprofit campaigns don’t happen overnight—they’re built on thoughtful strategy, strong storytelling, and meaningful engagement. By planning content and messaging in advance, you’ll ensure that your campaign is clear, compelling, and inspiring from start to finish.
Beyond the Freeze: How Nonprofits Can Build Financial Resilience in Uncertain Times
For many nonprofits, recent federal grant and loan freezes caused significant stress, forcing leaders to make tough financial decisions. While the freeze has now been lifted, this situation was a stark reminder of a harsh reality: over-reliance on any single funding source puts organizations at risk.
The good news? Nonprofits can take proactive steps right now to strengthen financial resilience, diversify income streams, and communicate effectively with stakeholders—even in uncertain times. Here’s how.
Step 1: Assess Your Organization’s Financial Health
Start by taking stock of your nonprofit’s financial standing. This will help you identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for long-term sustainability.
Review Your Funding Breakdown – What percentage of your budget depends on federal grants? Are there alternative revenue streams you can expand?
Evaluate Your Cash Reserves – How many months of operating expenses could you cover if another freeze occurred?
Identify Immediate Cost-Saving Measures – Are there any non-essential expenses you can reduce without impacting mission-critical programs?
📌 Action Step: Conduct a financial “stress test” to simulate how your organization would fare in different funding loss scenarios (e.g., 10%, 25%, or 50% revenue drop).
Step 2: Diversify Your Funding Sources
Financial sustainability comes from multiple revenue streams, so your nonprofit isn’t overly reliant on a single source of income.
💡 Consider These Funding Avenues:
🔹 Individual Giving & Major Donors – Strengthen relationships with existing donors through personalized engagement.
🔹 Monthly Giving Programs – Create recurring revenue by encouraging supporters to make small, automated donations.
🔹 Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships – Explore collaboration with local businesses, foundations, or mission-aligned brands.
🔹 Earned Income & Fee-for-Service Models – If applicable, offer training, consulting, or services related to your mission.
🔹 Crowdfunding & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising – Activate your community to raise funds through platforms like GoFundMe or Classy.
🔹 Grants from Private Foundations & Community Funds – Research alternative grants beyond federal funding, such as local or industry-specific foundations.
📌 Action Step: Prioritize 1-2 new revenue streams to develop over the next six months.
Step 3: Strengthen Relationships with Funders & Donors
Transparency and proactive communication are key—even when funding is uncertain. Keep your stakeholders engaged by:
💬 Being Transparent About Challenges & Solutions
Acknowledge uncertainty while emphasizing your plan to navigate challenges.
Provide data on how funding changes impact your programs.
📣 Keeping Funders Informed
Regularly update grantors and major donors on your financial status and organizational needs.
Demonstrate impact with success stories, testimonials, and measurable outcomes.
💙 Deepening Donor Engagement
Show gratitude consistently (not just during fundraising campaigns).
Create exclusive “insider updates” for key supporters to keep them connected.
📌 Action Step: Draft a stakeholder update email addressing recent funding uncertainty and your organization’s proactive strategy moving forward.
Step 4: Advocate for Policy & Funding Stability
Nonprofits have a powerful voice in shaping policies that affect funding streams.
🏛️ Engage in Advocacy Efforts:
Join coalitions that advocate for sustained nonprofit funding.
Educate policymakers about your organization’s impact and funding needs.
Mobilize supporters to participate in advocacy campaigns or petitions.
📌 Action Step: Consider partnering with a nonprofit advocacy group to amplify your voice on funding issues.
Final Thoughts: Building Long-Term Financial Resilience
Funding freezes serve as a wake-up call for nonprofits to build financial resilience. By diversifying income sources, strengthening donor relationships, and proactively managing risks, organizations can withstand financial uncertainty and continue making an impact.
🚀 Next Steps:
🔹 Conduct a quick financial health check
🔹 Identify at least one new funding source to pursue
🔹 Draft a stakeholder communication plan to reassure donors and funders
💡 Want to dig deeper?
Reach out to our resident nonprofit fundraising expert Charise Liburd for guidance on your nonprofit's fundraising blueprint at cliburd@the297group.com.
How to Train AI to Write Grants, Create Content, and Analyze Data
AI Is More Than a Buzzword—It’s a Helping Hand
For many nonprofit leaders, AI feels like a distant, high-tech concept—something for big corporations, not mission-driven organizations working with limited budgets. But here’s the reality: AI is already quietly working behind the scenes in tools you use every day—helping your email inbox filter spam, auto-generating captions on social media, and making donor management software smarter.
But what if AI could do more than just assist in the background?
Imagine if your organization had a virtual assistant trained specifically for your nonprofit’s needs—one that could help draft grant applications, create compelling donor messages, and analyze fundraising data in just minutes. The good news? It’s possible, and easier than you think.
With the ability to create custom GPTs in ChatGPT, nonprofits can now train AI to think, write, and analyze data in ways that directly support their mission.
So, let’s break down exactly how you can create your own nonprofit AI assistant—and use it to work smarter, not harder.
💰 Grant Writing: AI as Your Proposal Partner
Ask any nonprofit leader what the most time-consuming (and sometimes frustrating) part of fundraising is, and they’ll likely say grant writing. The process is tedious—each application requires careful tailoring, impact statistics, and just the right balance of emotion and data.
But here’s the thing: Most grant applications follow a similar structure—and that’s exactly where AI shines.
How AI Can Help:
✅ Drafting grant proposals faster – AI can generate a well-structured first draft based on your past applications.
✅ Summarizing impact data – AI can scan reports and highlight the most compelling statistics.
✅ Tailoring language for different funders – AI can tweak messaging to fit each grant’s unique priorities.
💡 Imagine this: Instead of starting from a blank page, you feed your past grant applications into AI and ask it to generate a draft tailored for a new funding opportunity. Suddenly, what used to take days now takes hours—giving your team more time to refine and personalize the proposal.
Example Prompt for a Custom GPT:
"Based on the following successful grant applications, generate a proposal for a $50,000 program expansion grant. Ensure the tone is professional yet compelling, and highlight our impact on underserved youth."
📢 Content Creation: AI as Your Nonprofit Storyteller
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen, struggling to write a donor appeal or social media post, you’re not alone. Creating fresh, engaging content is a constant challenge—especially for small teams juggling multiple responsibilities.
But what if AI could act as a storytelling assistant, helping draft content that’s aligned with your nonprofit’s voice and mission?
How AI Can Help:
✅ Generate blog posts, newsletters, and social media captions – AI can draft content based on past messaging.
✅ Repurpose content across platforms – A single donor story can be transformed into a blog, Instagram post, and email appeal.
✅ Ensure consistency in tone – AI can maintain a warm, mission-driven voice across all communications.
💡 Imagine this: You need to send an urgent appeal for donations but don’t have time to craft the perfect message. Instead of scrambling, your AI assistant generates a compelling draft in minutes—one that feels just like something your team would write, saving you valuable time.
Example Prompt for a Custom GPT:
"Write a heartfelt donor thank-you email based on our recent campaign results. Keep the tone warm and inspiring, and include a personal impact story."
📊 Data Analysis: AI as Your Strategic Advisor
Data tells a story—but only if you have the time and tools to interpret it. AI can help nonprofits turn complex data into clear, actionable insights, making it easier to understand donor trends, measure impact, and adjust strategies.
How AI Can Help:
✅ Summarize donor trends – AI can analyze past giving patterns and suggest the best times for fundraising campaigns.
✅ Extract key takeaways from reports – AI can process long impact reports and generate executive summaries.
✅ Predict fundraising performance – AI can help forecast potential revenue based on past campaigns.
💡 Imagine this: Instead of manually sifting through spreadsheets, you upload your donor data into an AI tool and ask it to identify trends and suggest next steps. Within seconds, AI highlights key patterns—like the fact that your monthly donors are twice as likely to give during a specific time of year.
Example Prompt for a Custom GPT:
"Analyze our donor database and suggest three strategies to improve donor retention for our annual campaign."
🚀 How to Train Your Own Nonprofit AI Assistant in ChatGPT
Now that you see what AI can do, let’s walk through how to create your own custom GPT in ChatGPT.
Step 1: Define Its Purpose
Before you start, decide:
✔️ What tasks will this AI assist with? (Grant writing, content creation, data analysis?)
✔️ What tone and style should it use? (Professional? Inspiring? A mix of both?)
✔️ What materials should it learn from? (Past grants, donor letters, reports?)
Step 2: Access the Custom GPT Builder
Open ChatGPT (Pro version) and go to the "Explore GPTs" tab.
Click "Create a GPT" to start the setup process.
Step 3: Train Your GPT with Your Nonprofit’s Content
Upload key materials – Include past grants, newsletters, impact reports, and FAQs.
Set clear instructions – Guide the AI to prioritize clarity, storytelling, and mission-driven messaging.
Test and refine – Ask it to generate donor emails or analyze reports and tweak responses as needed.
Step 4: Deploy & Improve Over Time
✅ Test internally – Have staff use the AI for drafts and insights.
✅ Update as needed – Keep training it with new content to refine accuracy.
✅ Expand its role – Once it’s working well for one task, explore how else it can help!
🎯 Final Thoughts: AI as a Nonprofit Ally
AI isn’t here to replace human creativity, connection, or strategy—but it can make nonprofit work more efficient and impactful.
By training a custom GPT, your nonprofit can:
✅ Save time on grant writing, content creation, and data analysis
✅ Ensure messaging consistency and accuracy
✅ Use AI as a support system, freeing up time for high-impact work
💡 Want to get started?
Q4 Fundraising Checklist – Keep Your Year-End Efforts on Track Without the Overwhelm
The final stretch of the year can feel like a whirlwind—Giving Tuesday, tax deadlines, annual reports...oh my! But here’s the thing: You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through Q4.
With a clear plan, you can hit your fundraising goals and wrap up the year with energy to spare. Let’s break it down step-by-step so you stay focused on what matters most—without the overwhelm.
Launch Your Final Giving Campaigns with a Bang
The big dates—Giving Tuesday and year-end giving—are like the Super Bowl of fundraising. Your donors are ready to give, so meet them where they are! Focus on clear messaging that highlights both urgency (last chance for tax deductions) and impact (how their gift creates real change).
Pro Tip: Be specific about what those dollars will do.
Prepare Your Annual Report to Wow Donors
Your annual report isn’t just a formality—it’s an opportunity to showcase your impact and build trust. Focus on stories, data, and visuals that highlight your wins in 2024. And don’t worry about perfection; make it clear, honest, and visually appealing to keep your audience engaged.
Quick Win: If you’re short on time, create a digital version and send it via email with a personal thank-you note to your top donors and stakeholders. Arreva has a roundup of some of the best annual reports which you can find linked here, check it out for some helpful inspiration.
Develop a Thank-You Plan for Year-End Nurturing
Gratitude is the ultimate power move. Whether it’s donors, sponsors, grant funders, or volunteers—let them know they’ve made a difference. A thoughtful email, a handwritten note, or even a personalized video can leave a lasting impression.
Pro Tip: Map out your thank-you touchpoints now, so you’re not scrambling in December or January. A thank-you today = long-term relationships in 2025.
Evaluate Your Time and ROI to Plan for 2025
Before the new year hits, reflect on what worked—and what didn’t—in your fundraising efforts. Did that gala deliver a strong return? Or was your email campaign a hidden gem? Create a simple time vs. ROI matrix to guide where you’ll focus your energy next year. Spend more time on high-impact activities, and let go of what’s not working.
Action Step: Get your team together for a quick strategy session—what should you do more of in 2025? What’s getting cut?
Okay, now take a breath—you’ve got this!
We encourage you to put some of these key activities in place if you haven’t already to help you move into 2025 feeling organized, grateful, and ready to hit the ground running thanks to stronger relationships and added fundraising dollars.
Now, get out there and show the world the magic your incredible organization is making!
$10,000/Month in Google Ad Grants – You Read that Right! Here’s How to Get Started
Imagine having $10,000 a month to promote your nonprofit through Google Ads—without it costing a cent. That’s exactly what the Google Ad Grants program offers. Qualified nonprofits receive up to $120,000 annually in ad credits, helping you raise awareness, attract volunteers, and increase donations.
It’s an incredible resource, and yes, it’s real!
If your nonprofit isn’t leveraging this opportunity yet, now’s the time to get started.
Here’s how:
Confirm Your Eligibility
Not every organization is eligible, but if you have 501(c)(3) status and a functioning website, you’re well on your way. Your site needs to be professional, mobile-friendly, and filled with meaningful content that reflects your mission. Google requires ads to link to high-quality pages that offer clear calls-to-action, such as “Donate,” “Volunteer,” or “Learn More.”
Pro Tip: Take a moment to review Google’s full eligibility requirements here to avoid surprises during the application process.
Enroll in Google for Nonprofits
The first step to accessing Google Ad Grants is to sign up for Google for Nonprofits. Once approved, you’ll unlock ad credits and gain access to other useful tools—like Google Workspace and YouTube for Nonprofits. These resources are designed to help you manage operations, engage donors, and grow your online presence.
Quick Tip: Be sure your Google Ads will point to action-oriented pages, like an events calendar, donation page, or volunteer sign-up. The more direct the path to impact, the better your campaign will perform.
Launch Your First Campaign with a Focused Goal
It’s easy to get excited by the possibilities, but starting with one or two well-planned campaigns will help you focus your efforts. Think about keywords people use when they search online for nonprofits like yours. For example, a shelter might use phrases like “volunteer at a homeless shelter” or “food donations near me.” Clear, targeted ads will increase the chances of attracting supporters who are already interested in your cause.
Hack/Pro Tip: Use Google’s Keyword Planner to find relevant search terms that will help to optimize your campaigns for even more impact.
Monitor Your Campaigns to Stay Compliant
Google requires grantees to maintain certain performance standards—like a 5% click-through rate (CTR)—to continue using the grant. While this might sound daunting, consistent monitoring and small tweaks will keep your campaigns on track.
Quick Win: Schedule regular reports and use Google’s performance tools to identify opportunities to improve your ad results.
Use the Grant to Drive Growth and Impact
A $10,000 monthly ad budget can create significant visibility for your nonprofit. Whether you’re looking to raise awareness, promote events, or boost donations, Google Ads can help you reach a wider audience and make an even bigger impact. Best of all, these campaigns allow you to build connections that extend well beyond the ad click.
Now go ahead and Apply
Google Ad Grants is a powerful tool and the process to get started is pretty straightforward. With a little planning and strategy, you can grow your reach and your impact—all at no cost to your organization.
Here’s a link to apply so you can take the first step toward using your ad dollars to create even more meaningful change.
ChatGPT Prompts + AI Tools: Make Your Year-End Giving Campaign Smart, Simple, and Stress-Free
If the idea of running a year-end giving campaign on top of everything else that’s on yours and your team’s plate makes your palms sweat, take a breath. We’ve got good news. AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude aren’t just tech gimmicks—they’re game-changers especially for nonprofits.
With a few smart prompts, you can simplify your campaign, save time, and keep your stress in check.
If you’re totally green to using these types of AI tools, we recommend starting watching this YouTube video for a quick crash course.
Here’s how you can harness AI to make this your most seamless (and successful) year-end fundraising campaign yet.
Drafting Fundraising Emails and Social Posts (In Seconds!)
Heartfelt emails and social media captions are the key to keeping donors engaged. If you struggle with putting pen to paper to craft compelling messaging, a tool like ChatGPT or Claude can whip those up fast. Just feed it a prompt like:
“Write a warm, compelling email encouraging first-time donors to contribute to our holiday campaign.”
Use the draft as a starting point, add bullet points of key information you want to ensure is included. Tweak the tone to match your voice and you’ve got outreach that sounds like you but took half the time to create.
Organize Your Donor Segments with Ease
Segmented campaigns = more impact. But trying to write unique messages for every donor group? Overwhelming. Let AI take that off your plate.
“Create three email versions: one for new donors, one for lapsed donors, and one for long-term supporters.”
AI tools like this will help you tailor communications without the heavy lifting.
Brainstorming Creative Campaign Themes
Stuck trying to come up with a theme that inspires action? ChatGPT can throw ideas your way.
“What are five creative campaign themes for a holiday giving drive that emphasize community impact?”
It’s like having a brainstorming partner on standby—24/7.
Automate Your Gratitude
You don’t need to stress about sending every thank-you email by hand. AI-generated templates make it easy to express your gratitude quickly and sincerely.
“Write a thank-you message to donors emphasizing how their contribution supported our programs in 2024.”
Make AI Work for You, Not the Other Way Around
The key here isn’t perfection—it’s progress. AI won’t do everything for you, but it will take the pressure off, giving you time to focus on what you do best: making a difference.
So, get those prompts ready, lean into the tools, and make this year-end giving campaign smooth. You’ve got this—and now, AI has your back. 💪