Watch ComNet Keynotes on Community and Storytelling
The Chronicle is livestreaming keynote sessions from ComNet26, the Communications Network annual gathering, in San Diego.
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
Harness Data to Tell Stories Donors Remember
Resources to help you gather the right data, analyze it well, and show impact in powerful, easy-to-digest ways.
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
What Yale Got Right That Other Nonprofits Keep Getting Wrong
The nonprofit sector's instinct when public trust declines is to improve its messaging. Yale tried something harder and more honest — self-examination.
By Greg Berman
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
Gen Z Wants to Raise Money for You. Here’s How to Stop Scaring Them Off.
Young peer-to-peer fundraisers have the social-media skills and built-in audiences nonprofits need. But rigid brand rules are driving them away.
By Michael Wasserman
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
Are You Addicted to “Philanthrobabble?”
Video: how the sector became so addicted to jargon and why a return to plain language can create clarity and build trust
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
Nonprofit CEOs Can’t Afford to Stay Invisible
When leaders don’t show up online, nonprofits miss opportunities to build trust and attract support. That's why every CEO should take these simple steps to start creating a personal brand.
By Michelle Flores Vryn
Contributor
Why Social Media Is Now the Place to Build Trust
The nonprofit world excels at communications strategies that are almost irrelevant. Here’s a playbook for how to regain credibility by working with online influencers.
By Renée DiResta and Rachel Kleinfeld
Build a Smart Donor-Communications Plan for 2026
Experts share creative outreach strategies to keep donors engaged all year long.
By Lisa Schohl
Director, Nonprofit Learning
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
Social Justice Nonprofits Rethink Media Strategy During Trump 2.0
With the Trump administration clamping down on DEI activities, social justice nonprofits that would ordinarily see public relations as a key strategy are increasingly wary.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
How to Keep Messaging on Track When Every Day Is a Crisis
Nonprofits need to maintain long-term goals while battling short-term emergencies. This communications survival guide can help.
By Nat Kendall-Taylor
Contributor