The Heart of Public Engagement

The majority of nonprofits that I’ve worked with over the years face a similar challenge: They want to connect with and engage the general public. It’s a strategy that makes perfect sense. A key barrier, though, is the way organizations talk about what they do and why their work is effective—which affects the public’s understanding of the organization. While many nonprofits identify the public as a primary audience, a brief research project I conducted in 2023 (with 308 survey respondents of American adults) reveals how difficult it is to build these bridges of understanding. And the significance for many organizations that rely on public donations is real: In 2023, individual giving accounted for 67% of all nonprofit giving, with Americans contributing $373 billion—up from $319 billion (64%) in 2022. While these numbers show growth of 1.9% in 2023, adjusting for an inflation rate of 4.1% shows that giving actually declined by 2.1%.

These numbers tell us something vital about public engagement with nonprofits and we’ll explore a few of the key findings below. Even in challenging economic times, people continue to support the causes they believe in. But how do organizations transform that potential for connection into lasting support? The research shows that successful engagement can be grown with four key elements:

• Messages that speak to shared values
• Stories that stick
• Goals people can envision
• Clear evidence of real change in communities

Traditional ways of communicating often fall short of creating real connection. The research tested how well people could match well-known organizations with their public statements—their missions, taglines, and core messages. The results show a clear gap between what they’re saying and what people remember.

Even well-known organizations struggle to create lasting impressions. The YMCA’s core messages connected with 46% of people—the strongest of these brands. The Rainforest Action Network’s mission could be identified by 27% of respondents, while the Sierra Club’s statement was identified by just 9% of respondents.

The Sierra Club’s results tell an especially interesting story about the decline across generations. People born between 1962-1977 recognized the mission at higher rates (27%) than other age groups. This suggests nonprofits need new ways to bridge generational understanding, especially around environmental issues.

Why do some of these messages miss their mark? Many use broad language that could fit almost any organization. When the YMCA talks about “strengthening communities” or the Sierra Club aims to “protect the natural environment,” they express goals that could belong to countless groups. Organizations need to find more distinctive ways to tell their stories.

Consider how language choices also shape understanding. Top Nonprofits conducted a study that graded nonprofit mission statements based on readability and grade reading level. The March of Dimes, which was given an A grade, and it was written for a 3rd-grade reading level, speaks directly: “Leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies.” There’s power in its clarity, simplicity, and specificity. Compare this to the New York Public Library’s mission “to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities,” which was given a C grade and is written at a college freshman reading level. Not only could it be the exact mission for many other organizations, in a city where fewer than 40% of residents hold college degrees, more academic language can create unnecessary barriers.

When people decide to support a nonprofit, they follow clear patterns and priorities:

Values come first. People support organizations that reflect their own beliefs about how the world should work—even more than having any personal connection to an organization. Real impact comes next. They want to see actual change happening in communities. Next, they look for clear missions they can understand quickly. They look for honest information about how money gets used. And they want straightforward explanations of what organizations actually do. Traditional brand strength and modern appearances matter less than these fundamental connections.

Values show up in everything an organization does—the issues it works on, how it approaches problems, who it partners with, the words it uses, and even how it looks. Every choice tells part of a larger story about what matters. Look at how Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch approach similar issues and are working toward similar outcomes with different voices and visual styles, each authentic to their own way of working.

Organizations need to show their impact, not just describe it. This means moving beyond activity reports into stories of real change. Instead of using sector terms like “advocacy,” they might describe registering voters or organizing community meetings. Rather than talking about “capacity building,” they can explain how they develop community leaders or strengthen local organizations. The specific contents matter more in public communications.

The research points toward a clear path forward. Nonprofits succeed when they:

• Speak in clear, human terms about what matters
• Show real results in ways people can understand
• Stand out by being specific about their unique work
• Meet people where they are in both language and values

The most interesting finding might be this: while people rarely think about nonprofits as “brands,” they deeply value what makes brands work—differentiation, clear values, visible impact, and communication they can understand and remember.

Successful nonprofit communication isn’t about perfect polish. It’s about authentic expression of purpose and possibility. It invites people into a shared story of change, where their support becomes part of something larger.

Here’s an example: A mentoring organization I worked with discovered this when they looked closely at their work. They found their focus on students in the academic middle made them unique—those whose grades were too high to qualify for extra support that would help them excel, but low enough that they would graduate high school but not go on to college. People could understand these students, the values that guide the organization, and the uniqueness of their work. This clear focus resonated with students, staff, schools, and donors. And in 2024, they received a $2 million dollar grant from Yield Giving—a fund led by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.