guest post // 4 Unconventional Ways for Your Nonprofit to Spread the Word
By Javan Van Gronigen, Fifty & Fifty
Nonprofits are not just trying to raise awareness—they are fighting for action. With over 1.8 million registered nonprofits in the United States alone and tens of millions worldwide, organizations must break through the noise to reach their audience.
In many ways, nonprofits face similar competitive pressures as for-profit businesses, but instead of selling a product, they’re selling a vision for change. So, the big question nonprofit marketers must tackle daily is: how do you stand out?
The answer lies in creativity and connection. A well-planned nonprofit digital marketing strategy allows organizations to reach broader audiences and create lasting relationships with supporters. But to truly stand out, nonprofits need to go beyond the basics. A strong brand presence is equally crucial, as a well-defined nonprofit branding strategy helps establish trust and credibility.
In this guide, we’ll explore four innovative digital strategies for amplifying your cause and building strong, lasting relationships with donors while ensuring measurable success.
1. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC turns your supporters into brand ambassadors for your cause. By encouraging your audience to share their personal stories, experiences, and event highlights, you’ll create awareness and engagement across social media platforms. Studies show that 85% of users trust UGC more than brand-created content, making it a highly effective nonprofit marketing tool.
Why It Works
UGC builds your nonprofit’s credibility by highlighting real stories.
Sharing supporter stories makes them feel valued and boosts loyalty.
UGC allows you to streamline content management so you can spend less time creating and more time engaging.
How to Get Started with UGC
Create a hashtag that sticks. Think short, catchy, and mission-driven, like #MyImpactStory or #GivingInAction. If possible, link it to your nonprofit’s mission or a specific campaign to make it stand out.
Provide your audience with a prompt. Ask them to share why they donate, volunteer, or support your cause. Launch a Testimonial Video Challenge where you ask supporters to share short videos explaining why they support your cause and compile the best responses for marketing.
Actively engage with posts. Like, comment, and share user content to boost visibility and show appreciation. Moreover, UGC is a powerful tool in moving donors through the donor lifecycle, from their first engagement to becoming long-term advocates.
Incentivize engagement. Shoutouts, giveaways, or digital badges can drive participation. Recognizing and celebrating your most engaged supporters is a way to encourage long-term involvement.
Feature the best content. Repost top stories on your website, social media, and newsletters.
Encourage social media takeovers. Give engaged donors, volunteers, or beneficiaries control of your nonprofit’s social media for a day to provide fresh, authentic content. Since social media plays a huge role in UGC campaigns, ensure your website and social channels work together.
2. Gamify Your Marketing Efforts
Gamification taps into people’s natural drive for competition and achievement, making engagement with your nonprofit more interactive and rewarding. Gamification can significantly improve participation in campaigns, events, volunteer efforts, and fundraising when designed well.
Why It Works
When the correct approach is used, gamification can lead to a 48% increase in conversion rates.
Incorporating game-like elements and incentives, such as points, badges, and challenges, transforms routine interactions into enjoyable experiences and captures supporter attention.
Gamified interactions provide valuable data on supporter preferences and behaviors, allowing nonprofits to tailor future campaigns more effectively.
How to Gamify Your Nonprofit’s Digital Marketing
Set a goal. Define clear objectives, such as raising funds, increasing volunteer sign-ups, or expanding social media reach.
Use social media challenges. Encourage supporters to complete specific actions (e.g., signing up friends, donating, or posting on social media) in exchange for rewards. A Facebook Fundraising Challenge where participants compete to raise the most money can boost engagement.
Offer digital rewards. Use visual tools, such as digital badges and special donor spotlights, to track supporter engagement and inspire friendly competition. Then, highlight top fundraisers on your website or social media to boost engagement.
Encourage ongoing participation. Keep the challenge alive with weekly updates, special incentives, and progress milestones.
3. Host a Virtual or Hybrid Event
In the digital age, event technology has allowed nonprofits to engage with audiences in entirely new ways via hybrid or fully virtual events.
Why It Works
Unconventional events attract people who may not usually engage with your nonprofit.
Events with digital components can yield more shareable moments for you to use across other channels.
Virtual and hybrid events break geographical barriers, allowing nonprofits to engage with a global audience.
Virtual Event Ideas for Nonprofits
Flash fundraisers. Host interactive livestreamed events with entertainment, auctions, and real-time donation tracking.
Live Q&A with your team. Give donors behind-the-scenes access via Instagram or YouTube Live.
Pop-up events with local businesses. Partner with coffee shops, breweries, or boutiques for community-driven events with a digital fundraising component, like a livestream or live donation tracker.
4. Collaborate with Unconventional Influencers
Not every nonprofit has the resources to get a celebrity spokesperson—but micro-influencers and niche creators can be more authentic and effective.
Why It Works
Micro-influencers feel more like peers than distant celebrities. Their followers trust them, making their endorsements more genuine and relatable.
These creators speak directly to specific communities, allowing your nonprofit to tap into highly engaged, mission-aligned audiences.
Collaborating with unconventional influencers is more cost-effective. This often requires smaller partnerships in exchange for real passion-driven advocacy rather than hefty fees.
Niche influencers have loyal, tight-knit followers who are more likely to take action, donate, or spread the word.
How to Find and Leverage Unconventional Influencers
Identify cause-aligned influencers. Look for content creators in sustainability, activism, philanthropy, and local communities.
Prioritize micro-influencers. Creators with 5,000-50,000 followers often have higher engagement rates than larger influencers.
Create a challenge or movement. Provide influencers with a campaign hashtag and a story-driven reason to share your mission.
Next Steps: Measuring Impact
Safe marketing often translates to forgettable marketing. Nonprofits that stick to the usual playbook risk getting lost in the noise. But the ones that take risks, engage creatively, and meet supporters where they are are the memorable ones.
The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all—it feels like community. It sparks conversations, builds momentum, and invites people to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Action Steps
Audit your current efforts. Review your existing campaigns to identify what's working and what's stale. Look for areas where engagement is low or your content feels repetitive.
Set clear, measurable goals. Define KPIs upfront: e.g., number of UGC submissions, event attendance, social shares, donor growth, or engagement metrics. Tie each goal to a broader organizational objective like donor retention, new volunteer acquisition, or awareness growth.
Choose one strategy to pilot first. Pick the strategy most aligned with your audience, UGC, gamification, virtual events, surprise acts of kindness, or unconventional influencer partnerships. Start small. Pilot it with a specific campaign or supporter segment before scaling.
This guest post was written by Javan Van Gronigen.
As Founder and Creative Director of Fifty & Fifty, Javan is the tip of the proverbial spear. Javan started his digital design career 20 years ago as Art Director for what is now one of the world’s largest digital agencies (Mirum, a JWT Company). He then moved on to Invisible Children where he was responsible for managing the team and all digital assets through the entire historic Kony 2012 campaign. At Fifty & Fifty, Javan has participated in and led every project, including 300+ websites, campaigns, and brands.