How to Market Your Nonprofit

Counterintuity
  • 5.0 (4)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

In this time of enormous change, your nonprofit is more important than ever — sustaining and lifting up people and causes that need some help and some inspiration. On every episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, nonprofit leader and marketing agency owner Lee Wochner and his guests dig into the how-tos of building awareness, increasing donations, making use of powerful new tools, tackling challenges, managing for success and other critical needs for nonprofits. Please join us.

  1. 1D AGO

    You have five minutes

    When the phone rings at 3 a.m., the story is out, and a narrative is forming. What you do in the next five minutes may be the most important thing you ever do for your organization.  PR veteran Mike Swenson, who spent more than 30 years advising nonprofits and corporations through crises, says the organizations that come out stronger are almost always the ones that were ready before anything started.  Most organizations make the same mistake: They react instead of responding. In the age of social media, the difference can be fatal to your reputation.   Here's what prepared organizations do differently: Before any crisis arrives, they identify a crisis team drawn from across the organization, map every plausible risk, establish the first seven steps they'll take, build three to five key messages for each potential scenario, and designate a spokesperson. When the phone rings, there's no scrambling. The team is already assembling, the first message is already drafted, and the organization is on offense within minutes rather than hours.  Nonprofits have a real advantage in a crisis that most executives underestimate: goodwill.   Years of community trust, a board of engaged civic leaders, corporate partners, and loyal volunteers are assets that can actively carry an organization through a difficult moment, if leadership knows how to activate them. (There's a sharper edge to this: The same mission-driven identity that makes a nonprofit scandal feel like a bigger betrayal is also what gets you forgiven faster, if you handle it right.)  Mike also makes the case for measured response over reflexive action. When a named person or associated organization gets caught up in a public controversy, pausing before acting (gathering information before making a final call) is almost always better than a quick decision you can't walk back.  The fundamentals of good crisis communication haven't changed: Be authentic, be succinct, and repeat your message more times than feels comfortable.   What has changed is the speed at which you have to do all of it. And whether you're navigating a crisis or just trying to communicate more effectively every day, those three principles are a good place to start.  Mike brings a perspective few crisis advisors have. He spent years as a broadcast journalist and television reporter before serving as press secretary to a governor, which means he has sat on every side of the table. He knows how reporters think, how politicians survive, and how organizations fall apart when they aren't prepared.  The media environment makes all of this harder than it used to be. Newsrooms are a fraction of what they were, reporters are stretched across multiple states, and the old news cycle (morning paper, evening broadcast) is gone. The story moves whether you're ready or not.  The good news is that getting ready doesn't have to be complicated.   Mike Swenson developed a simple five-step process called Crisis Track, and in this episode, he walks former newspaper editor and reporter Lee Wochner through how it works and where you can go to put it into practice for your own organization. Any nonprofit, regardless of size or budget, can build a plan.  So if the phone rings at 3 a.m., you're already on offense.    Links  https://crisistrak.com/

    56 min

  2. FEB 25

    Money for mission: how marketing fuels nonprofit sustainability

    On this episode, host Lee Wochner talks with Lori Carmona, CEO of YWCA Greater Los Angeles, about what it takes to lead effectively when everything around you is shifting. With over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Lori brings hard-won wisdom about strategic focus, sustainable revenue, and why great missions need great marketing.    Strategic planning is your North Star  When Lori stepped into leadership at YWCA, she launched a strategic planning process with her board, staff, clients, and community. The result? A five-year plan with 10 clear goals serving as their North Star, providing direction while staying flexible on tactics.     Money for mission  "You have to have a good mission to fundraise. But then it takes fundraising to implement your mission," Lori explains. Her organization diversifies revenue through government contracts, individual giving, facility rentals, and earned income. But here's what connects all those streams: marketing. Funders need impact stories. Donors need compelling narratives. None of that happens if you can't communicate what you do.    Your competition is Netflix, not other nonprofits  "Nonprofits have to share that [marketing] space with companies that have really big budgets," Lori notes. YWCA Greater Los Angeles takes storytelling seriously, with social media, emails, and speaking opportunities all strategically designed to reach different stakeholders. Their Y-Her event and Justice for Her giving circle depend on visibility.     Storytelling clarifies the stakes  The best stories don’t need drama. They're everyday moments reframed. When a three-year-old says, "I'm brave today," that's courage being built. When preschoolers work through "conflict resolution" on the playground, that's social-emotional development. The job of marketing is to help people see what's actually at stake in the work you already do.    Internal marketing matters  With 130 staff across 10 locations, Lori uses monthly newsletters, quarterly all-staff meetings, and optional "Coffee with Lori" sessions to keep everyone connected. Your team can be your best marketers if they're equipped.  When staff understand the full scope of your work, they become authentic ambassadors.    Focus on the face of chaos  The biggest challenge? "Focus, I think," says Lori. Mission creep happens when you try to do everything for everyone. Her solution: Define core programs in advance, partner strategically for adjacent needs, and plan for contingencies. "Because we had done the planning ahead of time, when you have these key decisions to make, you can be quicker."    Listen now  Hear the full conversation, and learn about person-centered service design, board engagement strategies, leading with realistic optimism, and more.    Need help connecting your mission to your marketing?   Counterintuity can help you explore how to use strategic communications to support your sustainability and impact.

    49 min

  3. FEB 6

    Instagram for Nonprofits (what actually works in 2026)

    Instagram has fundamentally changed in the past year. Many of the "best practices" that social media managers have relied on are out the window: Hashtags don't work the way they used to, the algorithm is now powered by AI, search behavior has replaced social discovery, and reels dominate everything else.  If your team uses Instagram (especially if they use it the same way they have for the past 2-3 years), this episode is essential listening.  Lee sits down with Counterintuity social media strategist Jaclyn Uloth, who breaks down what actually changed on Instagram, why it matters for nonprofits, and what your team should be doing differently in 2026.  What you'll learn:  The algorithm shift: Why Instagram now works like a search engine instead of a photo-sharing app, and what that means for how people discover your nonprofit  The death of hashtags: How keyword-based search replaced hashtags, and how to optimize your content for AI-powered discovery  The 2,000-character opportunity: Instagram now allows much longer captions — here's how nonprofits can use this for educational content without overwhelming followers  Why reels matter: The data on why short-form video dominates the algorithm, and how to create reels even if you don't have a dedicated video team  Authenticity over polish: Why "messy" behind-the-scenes content actually builds more donor trust than professional, polished posts  The consistency factor: The surprising stat about how often most nonprofits post (and why showing up regularly matters more than posting perfectly)  The 3-thing strategy: If you're working with a small team and stretched thin, here are the only three things you need to focus on  What's different about Meta in 2026: How Instagram and Facebook work together, and why understanding the Meta ecosystem matters for your strategy  This episode is perfect for nonprofit executives, development directors, marketing managers, and anyone responsible for social media strategy who wants to understand what's actually working now.  Whether you're just getting started with Instagram or you've been posting for years, you'll walk away with a clear understanding of what changed, what matters, and what you can implement today with the resources you have.

    46 min

  4. JAN 16

    What Star Trek taught me about nonprofit marketing

    What does marketing really mean for organizations working to make the world better?   In this deeply personal episode, Lee Wochner reveals why Counterintuity focuses on helping nonprofits amplify their impact (and why that work matters more than ever).  Drawing on influences from Star Trek to Buckminster Fuller, Lee explains how marketing and strategy become tools for positive change when applied to organizations tackling human trafficking, healthcare access, environmental protection, and social justice.  You'll hear about:  Why nonprofit marketing is mission-critical work, not just promotion  How clarifying your message helps you compete for attention and resources  What it means to bring hope and determination to organizational communication  For leaders running mission-driven organizations, this episode reframes marketing from necessary overhead to essential strategy. It’s the bridge connecting your solutions with the people who desperately need them.  Whether you're competing with limited resources or simply trying to do meaningful work in complicated times, this conversation offers a practical perspective and renewed purpose.

    16 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    Your marketing isn’t the problem

    Most nonprofits don’t have a marketing problem. They have a clarity problem.   In this episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, Lee welcomes branding and nonprofit strategist Anika Jackson to explore how unclear identity, hesitant leadership visibility, and scattered messaging quietly decrease impact and support.  Drawing on their work with mission-driven organizations, Anika and Lee reveal why branding begins long before logos or campaigns, how executive voice and personal credibility shape donor trust, and why many nonprofits struggle not because their work lacks value, but because their story is hard to grasp quickly.   The conversation provides practical ways leaders can bring alignment across channels and effectively adapt to changing platforms and tools.  This episode is a quick, strategic launching point for nonprofit executives who want their mission to be understood, supported, and sustained, without chasing trends or losing focus.  If your nonprofit feels busy but not fully understood, this episode is for you.

    55 min

  6. 12/05/2025

    Marketing in a time of change

    Is your nonprofit ready for the seismic shifts reshaping how donors find and support your mission?  Lee sits down with marketer Tom Malesic to explore how nonprofits can thrive amid unprecedented change. From the rise of generative AI and zero-click search to the freeze in federal funding, this episode tackles the challenges keeping nonprofit leaders up at night and reveals the opportunities hidden within them.    Why donors can’t find you (and how to fix it)  Discover why ChatGPT and Google's AI are becoming the new Yellow Pages and what generative engine optimization (GEO) means for your nonprofit's visibility.     How to turn your website into your best fundraiser  Learn why your website might be showing up to work looking like it just mowed the lawn and how to transform it into your hardest-working fundraiser, volunteer recruiter, and mission ambassador.    Stop letting one grant control your future  With grants freezing and federal funding uncertain, Lee and Tom discuss why the "tail can't wag the dog" and share practical strategies for building resilient revenue streams, from individual donors to corporate gifts to (yes, really) bingo nights.    You have 3 seconds to get the donation  Explore how consumer behavior has accelerated, why you have mere seconds to compel action, and how to prioritize your marketing efforts when everything feels urgent and your budget is finite.    Why running your nonprofit like a business saves your mission  Without healthy operations, you can't serve anyone. Learn how to balance business fundamentals with passion and why "sales" isn't a dirty word in the nonprofit world.    If you’re looking for clear next steps in a noisy, fast-moving environment, this episode delivers. Listen now to discover how to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities.  https://www.ezmarketing.com/

    43 min

  7. 10/31/2025

    The new rules of nonprofit marketing

    The world has changed — and so has the way people connect, give, and get inspired.  In this episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, we take a clear look at what’s shifted since 2020, from fractured attention spans and donor fatigue to new expectations around transparency, personalization, and AI-driven search.  You’ll learn why the old rhythm of a few big campaigns a year no longer works, and how continuous storytelling, human-centered messaging, and owned channels can help your organization stay visible and trusted.  Whether you lead communications or oversee the entire operation, this episode gives you a grounded view of what to change now so your marketing fits the moment — and keeps your mission moving forward.

    34 min

  8. 10/14/2025

    Buckets of impact: organizing stories to inspire action

    Every nonprofit has stories to tell — but how do you keep your content fresh, engaging, and mission-driven week after week?   In this episode, host Lee Wochner introduces a powerful tool: content buckets.   Think of them as storytelling themes that help you stay consistent, save time, and connect more deeply with your supporters.  You’ll hear how to use buckets like:  Impact spotlights – real stories of lives changed  Behind-the-scenes glimpses – the human side of your staff and volunteers  Smart explainers – simple stats, myth-busting facts, and helpful tips  Moments that move people – calls to action, campaigns, and events that rally support  Thank-yous worth sharing – celebrating wins and showing gratitude  Lee also walks through examples for food banks, after-school programs, environmental groups, and arts organizations, so you can see how these ideas translate to your own work.  By the end, you’ll have a clear, repeatable way to organize your storytelling, keep your audience engaged, and make it easy for them to say “yes” to your mission.  Listen in and discover how a few simple buckets can turn your social media into a steady stream of inspiration and support.

    36 min
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In this time of enormous change, your nonprofit is more important than ever — sustaining and lifting up people and causes that need some help and some inspiration. On every episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, nonprofit leader and marketing agency owner Lee Wochner and his guests dig into the how-tos of building awareness, increasing donations, making use of powerful new tools, tackling challenges, managing for success and other critical needs for nonprofits. Please join us.

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