Insights | Kyle Schnurbusch

Signs Your Nonprofit Needs an Awareness Campaign

What You’ll Learn in This Blog:

  • Key areas of your organization to assess before launching an awareness campaign
  • Practical steps for evaluating these areas
  • Indicators that signal the need for an awareness campaign

It’s a new year—time to raise awareness of your nonprofit, right? While there’s never a wrong time to raise awareness, there are certain moments when building awareness is especially necessary for your organization.

This article outlines key areas to assess before launching an awareness campaign, providing both insights and actionable steps to help guide your decision-making process.

Assessment Area 1: Current Brand Identity and Messaging

Is your nonprofit consistently communicating its brand identity to key stakeholders? Do people understand your message? If the answer is “no,” or if you’re unsure, it’s likely time to reintroduce your brand’s voice to your audience—this time, more clearly and consistently.

Indicators for a campaign:

  • Inconsistent Messaging: If your nonprofit’s message varies across different channels or stakeholders are unclear about your mission, it’s time to reset your narrative with a clear, unified campaign message.
  • Low Brand Recognition: If, after reviewing community feedback or digital marketing metrics (see below), you find that people within your target audience don’t know your nonprofit’s name or purpose, it’s time to increase visibility and establish your brand.
    Note: Digital marketing metrics, such as low search traffic for branded terms (e.g., organization name or key messages) and low direct website visits, can point to low brand recognition.
  • Outdated Visual Identity: If your community feedback suggests that your brand logo or overall design feels outdated or doesn’t resonate with key audiences, consider refreshing your visual identity and reintroducing it.

How to assess:

  • Evaluate Consistency: Review your current marketing materials, website, social media profiles and communications to ensure a clear and consistent brand identity. This includes your logo, color scheme, tone of voice and messaging.
  • Conduct a Brand Audit: Consider using surveys, focus groups or feedback from current supporters to uncover blind spots in your brand assessment. What perceptions do people have of your nonprofit? What do they know about your mission and impact?
  • Analyze Mission Clarity: Ensure your organization’s mission, vision and values are clearly articulated and consistent across all communications. Double-check that these strategic statements align with your brand messaging.

Assessment Area 2: Current Fundraising and Resource Needs

Certain trends in fundraising can signal the need for an awareness campaign. A marketing team must stay attuned to these trends to help their fundraising peers address negative patterns. This is one of the many reasons why fundraising and marketing teams should collaborate closely.

Indicators for a campaign:

  • Stagnant or Declining Donations: If donations from existing supporters are dropping, it signals that your nonprofit needs greater visibility to secure new funding. A significant decline (e.g., three-quarters or more) often points to issues with awareness, relevancy, or reputation. If donor retention drops below 30-40%, it’s critical to gather feedback from donors and take corrective action.
  • Inability to Acquire New Donors: If your organization isn’t attracting enough new donors to replace those who leave, it’s time to increase visibility and engage with prospective donors. On average, 15-25% of an organization’s donor base should be new donors each year.
  • Underutilized Resources or Volunteers: If you have a large base of supporters or volunteers who aren’t actively contributing to fundraising efforts, it’s time to engage them more deeply. On average, 30-40% of volunteers in the nonprofit sector also contribute financially.
    Note: As part of a campaign, consider introducing low-barrier giving options to encourage immediate contributions.

How to assess:

  • Evaluate Fundraising Results: Review your past fundraising campaigns. Are you meeting your financial goals? Is there a lack of engagement from potential donors?
  • Assess Resource Allocation: Do you have the resources needed to support an awareness campaign, such as a dedicated marketing team, budget, technology and time?
  • Define Campaign Goals: Clearly define what you hope to achieve with the awareness campaign—whether it’s raising donations, attracting volunteers or building partnerships. Ensure these goals align with your overall fundraising strategy.

Assessment Area 3: Digital Presence and Online Engagement

Your nonprofit’s online presence offers valuable insights into its awareness within the community. Engagement can be directly measured through metrics like website traffic, social media interactions and actions such as donations, event registrations and newsletter sign-ups.

Indicators for a campaign:

  • Low Website Traffic: If your website sees limited traffic, especially direct visits, it suggests people may not be familiar with your organization. A “healthy” level of direct website traffic—indicating strong brand recognition—is generally between 5% and 20% of your total website traffic.
  • Weak Social Media Following: If you’re not gaining followers, likes or shares, it’s time to invest in building your brand on social media in engaging ways. These actions indicate not only awareness but also trust in your organization.
  • Limited Email Engagement: Over time, your email list should grow through various channels. If your email open rates are declining, it could mean subscribers are losing interest or don’t fully understand your nonprofit’s mission. A benchmark open rate for nonprofit emails is typically around 26-28.5%.
    Note: A survey with an incentive could help reengage dormant email subscribers and uncover their perceptions and needs.

How to assess:

  • Evaluate Online Engagement: Use analytics to assess how well your online presence is performing. Are people visiting your website, sharing your content or engaging with you on social media?
  • Assess Online Tools and Platforms: Ensure your nonprofit has the digital tools needed for a successful campaign, including email marketing platforms, social media scheduling tools, website optimization tools and tracking analytics.

Before committing time, energy and resources to an integrated awareness campaign, it’s essential to assess these key areas of your nonprofit’s operations. A thoughtful evaluation will help you determine if an awareness campaign can effectively address your current challenges and advance your mission.

If any of the indicators above align with your nonprofit’s current situation, an awareness campaign may be the right strategy to expand your reach, engage current supporters and elevate the visibility of your mission. By taking a strategic approach to campaign planning, you can maximize the potential for success and ensure your nonprofit’s story is heard far and wide.