Nonprofits’ Favorite Advocacy Word Isn’t Landing. Here’s Why.
The word "injustice" is meant to signal moral seriousness, but without specifics, it triggers resistance instead of recognition.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
Stop Saying, ‘The Stakes Could Not Be Higher.’ Say This Instead.
When every nonprofit statement sounds like an alarm bell, even real warnings stop landing. Here are four overused phrases that need a rewrite.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
Foundations Created the Jargon Crisis. Here’s How They Can Fix It.
Every touchpoint in the grant-making process — from letters of inquiry to progress reports — trains nonprofits to write in jargon. Funders have the power to change that pattern.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
3 Ways to Test if Your Nonprofit’s Message Is Breaking Through
Most nonprofits write for grant makers. Answering these questions will help you communicate with everyone else.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
Nonprofits’ Addiction to Jargon Is Eroding Public Trust
By leaning on abstract language to satisfy funders and signal expertise, organizations are losing the clarity and recognition they need to maintain public support.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
Everyone’s Talking About ‘Affordability.’ Philanthropy Should, Too.
To build trust in the communities they serve, nonprofits need to speak plainly about the work they already do to help people afford their lives.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
How Nonprofit Jargon Ignores Real Fears of Violence
As they battle weaponized political rhetoric, public safety advocates default to technical terms that confuse the communities they aim to protect.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
‘Food Insecurity’ and Other Words That Sanitize Poverty
How soft euphemisms turn the suffering of millions into an abstraction stripped of emotion or urgency. Plus, examples of straight talk that will rally supporters.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
Why Philanthropy’s Democracy Talk Turns People Off
Here are the words that leave average Americans cold — and the language that could connect them to the billion-dollar fight to strengthen the country.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor
7 Words That Can Restore Trust in Philanthropy
The language nonprofits use can push people away. Here’s how to invite them in and build connection.
By Matt Watkins
Contributor